Aristotle & M.N. Roy: Political Thought on Democracy
Aristotle & M.N. Roy: Political Thought on Democracy
Aristotle: Father of Political Science
Aristotle is called the father of political science because he studied politics through observation and practical reasoning. He believed that humans are political beings who can achieve their highest moral and intellectual development only within the state, whose purpose is to promote the good life.
Slavery and Greek social context: His justification of slavery was based on the idea of natural slavery, where
Read MorePlato: Ethics, Soul, and Political Justice
Ethics and Politics
Objective: To train rulers who might become righteous governors was one of the fundamental objectives of Plato’s philosophy, since ethics and politics are closely connected: both implement justice in public and private life. For Plato, ethics and politics are inseparable; the individual cannot live in happiness if society lacks justice.
Theory of Forms and Political Rule
The theory of Forms and politics are related in that only those who have contemplated the Forms and know the
Google China: Censorship, Ethics, and Market Access
Google in China: Values Versus Political Demands
Google’s case in China represents one of the clearest conflicts between the values of a global company and the political demands of an authoritarian government. Google wanted to enter China because it was one of the world’s largest internet markets, with millions of users and enormous economic potential. However, to operate there, it had to accept the rules of the Chinese government, which required censorship of sensitive topics such as Tibet, Falun
Read MoreIndian Philosophy, Logic, and Vedic Mathematics Concepts
Foundational Concepts in Indian Thought and Logic
I. Epistemology and Logic (Nyaya School)
1. Defining Knowledge Acquisition (Pramāṇas)
- Pratyaksha: Direct perception through the senses.
- Anumana: Knowledge gained through inference (e.g., smoke implies fire).
- Upamāna: Knowledge derived from comparison or analogy.
- Shabda: Knowledge received from reliable verbal testimony.
2. Components of Inference (Anumāna)
The five-step syllogism:
- Pratijña: The proposition (e.g., The hill has fire).
- Hetu: The reason
Critique of Enlightenment Reason: Romanticism and Freud
Critique of Enlightenment Reason
This criticism has two moments:
The Romantic Movement
The Romantic movement was a cultural, artistic, and political force, noted for its denial of science and its power over human concerns. This was because science was considered absolute and unchangeable, contrary to human desire. At this time, there was a revaluation of religion because it was seen as closer to the fundamental questions of human existence than science or capitalism.
Enlightenment Ideals vs. Romantic
Read MoreEpistemology: Understanding Knowledge and Truth Theories
Understanding Knowledge and Its Types
Knowledge: Knowledge is a relationship between a subject and an object. There are two types:
- Knowledge of Things: This refers to any proposition we can provide. For example, if I see a color directly, I know it; however, a person born blind would not be able to know it.
- Propositional Knowledge: This is exclusive to humans and is established by relations between concepts.
The Three Conditions of Knowledge
- Condition of Belief: If S knows that “P”, then “S” thinks “