Hellenistic 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.
Phaedrus: Eros as the Oldest
Read MoreSaint Thomas Aquinas: Life and the Five Ways
Saint Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas was born in Naples in 1225. He was destined to become abbot of Montecassino. He completed his initial studies at the University of Naples and then went to Paris where he met Saint Albert the Great and became his disciple. He went to Cologne where he completed his training and returned to Paris. He became the master of the papal curia, having to follow the Pope in his various travels. He returned to the University of Paris and died in 1274 on the way to the Council
Read MoreUnderstanding Empiricism: Locke, Hume, and Critique of Metaphysics
Empiricism: Key Concepts and Hume’s Research on Knowledge
Empiricism Character: Reliance on experience as the criterion of truth. Locke posits that the mind is initially a blank slate, acquiring information through sensory experience. Knowledge is thus bounded by the source of sensitive impressions, with science based on experience (physical). Empiricists and rationalists share the view that the subject constructs reality.
Hume’s Research on Knowledge
Hume argues that studying human knowledge is fundamental
Read MoreKant’s Physics, Dialectic, and Metaphysics: A Summary
Physics (Pure)
Kant refers only to physical “pure.” Its purpose is to Nature, which means all phenomena. These laws must be synthetic a priori propositions. The problem is this: How do the laws of nature, on whose synthetic character cannot be doubted, be a priori? Indeed, if nature is the set of phenomena, they are subject to the possibility of experience, i.e., the categories; therefore, the rules of use of the categories (understanding) are also laws of Nature. Physics is possible because it is
Read MoreMachiavelli: Political Philosophy and Statecraft
Machiavelli: Historical Background
Niccolò Machiavelli was born in Florence in 1469. At that time, the Italian peninsula was divided into many city-states, involving foreign powers such as France and Spain. Florence, ruled by the wealthy Medici family, was the intellectual center of Europe. Machiavelli participated in numerous diplomatic missions, and Cesare Borgia would serve as a model for his concept of “The Prince.”
Machiavelli’s Conception of the State
- Human Nature is Inherently Bad: While the