Eros and Aphrodite: Myths, Plato’s Philosophy
Eros and Aphrodite: Origins and Myths
Eros was born on the same day as the feast celebrating the birth of Aphrodite. At this event, Penia (Poverty) came to beg, and Poros (Resource), seeing her drunk, went to sleep. Penia lay down beside him, plotting to have a child by Poros. Thus, Eros was conceived, a product of a lack seeking to be satisfied through resources that have little to do with love.
Eros in Art and Literature
Eros is often represented as a naughty, mischievous child with a bow and arrow,
Read MoreUnderstanding Structuralism, Life’s Meaning, and Progress
Structuralism
Structuralism:
Structuralism adopts the concept of the “unconscious meaning” of social facts from Freud’s psychoanalysis. For Freud, certain physical symptoms (like paralysis of an arm) or mental phenomena (such as dreaming of wolves) were the conscious “expression” of emotional conflicts that the subject was unaware of.
These experiences are found unconsciously in the depths of our minds.
Objections to Structuralism
This faces two objections:
- If society imposes norms on its members, why
From Myth to Reason: An Introduction to Philosophy
1 – The Discovery of Reason
Mythic stories are fantastic narratives full of symbols and metaphors of great beauty. Myths explain the origin of the world and answer questions that lie beyond. Transmitted from parents to children, they have a function of social cohesion, reflecting the society that created them.
Rational Discourse: In the 7th and 6th centuries BC, Pre-Socratic philosophers began to explain the world differently from myths, using reason and natural elements. This marked the beginning
Read MoreUnderstanding Justice: Definition, Types, and Meaning
JUSTICE
Justice is the ultimate value of law and is considered one of its traditional ends. Remember that “law” comes from the Latin *directum* (straight, right), but the concept of justice has been a problem for lawyers and philosophers since ancient times. Among the different concepts identified for the term “justice”:
- Confucius pointed out that justice is giving each individual what is due, with no disadvantage to one or the other.
- For Aristotle, Justice is a moral virtue.
- For Justinian and Ulpian,
Understanding Opinion, Belief, and Knowledge
Opinion and Belief
An opinion is a subjective assessment, often a personal evaluation of reality based on our interests, beliefs, and desires, but not based on compelling reasons.
Beliefs may be of two types:
- Dubious: When we are not really sure of the truth and have doubts about compliance.
- Assertive: We speak of belief when we are sure of something but do not have enough evidence to prove it.
Knowledge is a belief that we are safe and we can prove. Rationally justifying something is characteristic
Read MoreKarl Marx: Key Concepts and Theories
Karl Marx: A Summary of Key Ideas
1. Political Economy and Historical Materialism
Marx argued that the anatomy of civil society is found in political economy. Through the lens of historical materialism, he explained that the economic infrastructure is the key to understanding a given society and the changes it experiences throughout history. A society’s economic infrastructure (the functioning of its economy) shapes its superstructure, which includes legal, political, and ideological elements (laws,
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