Machiavelli’s Political Realism: Power and the Prince
Machiavelli’s Political Realism
Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) is a prominent figure in Renaissance political thought. His ideas stemmed from his practical experience in politics and diplomacy. His most significant work, The Prince, was written to gain favor with the Medici family.
This work is the source of the common image of Machiavelli and so-called “Machiavellianism,” which suggests that any method is acceptable to gain and maintain power. Unlike the utopian thinking of his contemporary, Thomas
Read MoreMethod for Raising Awareness of Science
Introduction
This method aims to raise awareness of the universality of knowledge and the scientific method. It emphasizes the pursuit of objective truth through reason and order.
Four Rules of the Method
- Evidence: Accept only what is demonstrably true.
- Analysis: Break down complex problems into simpler elements to find evidence.
- Synthesis: Build from simple concepts to understand complex ones.
- Enumeration: Verify everything thoroughly.
Doubt and Evidence
Doubt is a crucial concept. Methodical doubt helps
Read MoreAristotle’s Metaphysics: Knowledge, Causes, and Criticism
Aristotle’s Metaphysics: An Introduction
In the world, there are things worthy of faith, trust, something in which everything is based: the home and the homeland, parents and ancestors, siblings and friends, the wife. There is the historical background of the tradition in the mother tongue, in faith, in the work of thinkers, poets, and artists.
Aristotelian Metaphysics
“All men by nature desire to know,” a phrase that begins Aristotle’s Metaphysics. That desire to know culminates in the acquisition
Read MoreAncient Philosophers: From Heraclitus to Plato
The Philosophy of Constant Change
There is movement; this is something apparent. A space cannot be unlimited if traveled within a limited time.
For Heraclitus, Being is Becoming.
Being is always in the process of becoming.
Panta Rei = All flows.
Nobody ever takes a bath in the same river. The philosophical method is all this in motion, and this never ends. Nothing ever ends; you are always doing everything.
Hegel and the Dialectic
Hegel
War is the origin of all things.
Marx and Dictatorships
Dictatorships
Read MoreHellenistic and Christian Views of Humanity
Hellenistic Period: A Shift in Perspective
The Hellenistic period, the final stage of the great Greek civilization, began with Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia. He formed a vast empire that lasted until Rome took full control of the Mediterranean. During this era, the Greek model merged with other forms of thought. Alexander the Great’s aim was a world state, a cosmopolis.
Previously, the political ideal was the polis, a city ruled by its citizens. Ruling a vast empire presented new implications.
Read MorePlato’s Symposium: Speeches on Love
Plato’s Symposium: Seven Speeches on Love
Plato’s Symposium, also known as “The Banquet,” presents seven speeches concerning Eros, the god of love. After excessive partying and drinking, the participants, having attended a party the previous day, decide to engage in a philosophical discussion. They choose to deliver eulogies for Eros, a theme proposed by Erixímaco. The speakers, in order, are Phaedrus, Pausanias, Erixímaco, Aristophanes, Agathon, Socrates, and Alcibiades.