Hume’s Empiricism: Knowledge, Morality, and Political Thought
Hume’s Philosophy
Theory of Knowledge: Empiricism
David Hume is a central figure in empiricism, the school of thought asserting that all knowledge originates from experience. Hume rejects the notion of innate ideas, arguing that the mind’s contents are perceptions, divided into impressions (direct sensory experiences) and ideas (copies of impressions).
Impressions are further categorized as those of sensation (from the senses, like pleasure and pain) and reflection (feelings reacting to sensory impressions
Read MoreHellenistic Philosophy: Epicureans, Cynics, Stoics, Skeptics
Hellenistic Philosophy
The Hellenistic period saw the rise of several philosophical schools, branching from Aristotelian and Platonic thought. Here’s a look at some of the key schools:
The Epicureans
Epicurus, drawing from atomistic physics (though disagreeing with Democritus and Leucippus by introducing clinamens, or random deviations in atomic trajectories), aimed to achieve ethical freedom. They sought happiness through three principles:
- Intelligibility of sensation: Ensuring sensations are understood.
Hobbes vs. Locke: Contrasting Views on State Purpose
Hobbes: Security as the State’s Purpose
Some writers believe the State’s purpose is to maintain security. Among these doctrines stands absolutism, with Hobbes prioritizing defense.
The State of Nature
Hobbes begins by questioning how civil society originated. To understand this, he asks us to imagine human beings before political power. This imaginary scenario is called the “state of nature.”
In this state:
- Men live in freedom, without limitations. Hobbes calls this natural right.
- Men are driven by self-
Kant’s Theory of Knowledge: Sensitivity, Understanding, and Metaphysics
Kant’s Theory of Knowledge
The problem of knowledge in Kant and the development of his thought:
Kant addressed the problem of knowledge by distinguishing between two schools:
- Sensitivity: This is passive and receives sensations.
- Understanding: This is active and structures reality from ideas and concepts.
While the latter might seem rational (suggesting no experience is necessary to know reality), Kant, influenced by Hume, understood that our knowledge cannot move beyond experience. He argued that non-
Read MoreMLK Jr.’s Philosophy vs. Trump’s Immigration Policies
During Trump’s presidency, Trump has been enforcing his immigration policies on several major areas, including the completion of the border wall with Mexico and ending DACA to deport immigrant children. Martin Luther King, Jr. would have argued that Trump’s immigration policies are unjust. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” King argues that natural laws are created under the universal moral law, or in this case, the law of God. I believe what Trump is establishing with his policies degrades
Read MoreCultural Relativism: Benedict vs. Rachels on Morality
Cultural Relativism: Benedict vs. Rachels
Relativism is a concept that defines that there is no absolute truth in morality—only the truth of those whose culture happens to believe to be appropriate according to their standards. Strictly speaking, morality depends on the individual’s culture within the society they live in. Two individuals who offer theories on these diverse cultures are Ruth Benedict and James Rachels. Ruth Benedict argues for cultural relativism, while Rachels argues against
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