Understanding Kantian Formalism and Medieval Citizenship
Kantian Formalism
Kantian formalism posits that a moral action is an end in itself, not a means to an end. Its ethical value lies in being based on duty. Kant’s aim is to identify the essence of morality, what makes an action moral. He seeks to understand what constitutes good and bad. He concludes that good deeds are done with goodwill.
Goodwill
For Kant, goodwill is inherently good. It ensures that someone tries to act in the best way. This concept has been criticized, but Kant develops a morality
Read MoreJohn Locke: Empiricism and Political Liberalism
Locke’s philosophy must be understood in the context of the Enlightenment movement, which he helped initiate in England. His empiricism leads to a moderate skepticism about the nature of things, advocating for intellectual tolerance. His political liberalism proposes that society should be organized through a social pact or contract to respect individual rights.
Locke’s Theory of Ideas
Locke famously stated, “There is nothing in the human mind that has not been received by the senses.” This highlights
Read MoreNavigating the Complexities: Science’s Epistemological, Metaphysical, and Ethical Challenges
Problems of Science
Epistemological Problems (Knowledge)
1. Affirming the Consequent
If the hypothesis (H) is true, then certain things happen (C). For example, if it rains (H), the streets are wet (C). If the streets are wet (C), therefore the hypothesis is true (it has rained). This is false because streets can be wet for other reasons.
Therefore, if we have a scientific law and observe the consequent, the antecedent must be true.
2. Verification and Falsification
This applies to universal laws, probabilistic
Read MoreKant’s Social Contract and Transcendental Illusion
The Social Contract According to Kant
The social contract allows individuals to leave the state of nature to enter a civil state. It is not a historical fact but a regulative idea that requires the legislature to enact laws as if these were the outcome of the united will of the people. The social contract entails the total submission of individuals to an authority, similar to Kantian thinking about Hobbes. However, it also implies that the individual is a co-legislator; that is, no law can be adopted
Read MoreHume’s Critique of Causality, Substance, and Self
Hume’s Critique of Causal Indifference
Hume’s critique of the principle of causality is not limited to its application in physical phenomena, but also occurs in relation to our own voluntary acts. Impressions originate ideas; imagination creates in us ideas without sense. The succession or contiguity in time or space of two events creates in us a belief or custom. Laws admit the association consisting of a causal link between perceptions, but will always deny the objective value of said principle.
Read MoreState’s Role in Defending Peace, Democracy & Human Rights
Item 14: The State and the Defense of Peace, Democratic Values, and Human Rights
1. The Legitimacy of State Action
In the exercise of citizenship, people who are granted the rule of law are entitled to promote social cohesion. It is possible to get its institutions to work for the defense of peace, democratic values, and human rights.
Legitimacy is equivalent to the valid procedure for the production of law; legitimacy is the validity of laws enacted to achieve the outlined purposes. These rights and
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