Kant’s Moral Philosophy and Aristotle’s Soul Theory
Deontology
Deontology is the study of the nature of duty and obligation.
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is the study of being and existence (reductive materialism).
Transcendental Metaphysics
Transcendental Metaphysics is the study of the concepts of understanding and their relation to our experience. It involves looking inward to understand our mind. The concepts of understanding filter and form the world in a way that we must know these concepts.
Three Branches of Greek Thought
- Logic: The study of formal concepts
Understanding Social Ethics: Virtue, Duty, Justice, and Law
Social Ethics
Ethical Training
Aristotle argues that knowing what is right is intertwined with knowing how to do it. The secret to reinforcing ethical behavior is repetition. Through the actions we perform, we cultivate a way of being responsible. No one is born responsible or irresponsible. When we acquire good habits in ethics, they are called virtues. When they are not, they are called vices.
Virtue
Virtue means strength (from the Latin). Sometimes humans lack this capacity. One dimension of strength
Read MoreNietzsche’s Philosophy: Morality, Metaphysics, and Will to Power
Nihilism and the Loss of Values
Nihilism is the loss of values, a situation that is given by the loss of faith in God. There are two types:
- Positive or active: Destructive of religious force and creator of new values inspired by the will. It destroys to finish decadent values. “We must learn to be gods.”
- Negative or passive: A stage of confusion, resignation, passivity, and pessimism (denial of life).
Morality: The Genealogy of Morals
The Genealogy of Morals aims to discover the source of morality.
Read MorePhilosophy and Science: Key Concepts and Methods
Dogmatism
Dogmatism refers to a basic principle, a universal and undeniable truth, affirmed as such.
Skepticism
Skepticism is a philosophical doctrine that considers human reason incapable of knowing the truth.
Objectivity
Objectivity is a property based on the possibility that different individuals around the world agree and share experiences in science.
Technological Chance
Humans discover that they have the capacity to transform nature.
Technology of the Artisan
With increasing human and technical means,
Read MoreUnderstanding Political Philosophy: Key Concepts & Theories
Understanding Political Philosophy
Political philosophy is a branch of philosophy concerning reason and knowledge in practice.
Aristotle divided knowledge into three sections:
- Theoretical knowledge: Seeking the truth.
- Practical knowledge: Guiding human behavior individually and collectively.
Political Ethics
Ethics is individual, while policy concerns collective behavior. It critically judges the knowledge society and what is productive, producing things based on rules, techniques, and principles (e.g.
Read MoreDavid Hume’s Empiricism: Principles and Implications
Hume’s Empiricism: Main Characteristics
Hume’s empiricism is a philosophical current that emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries, with its primary representatives being British. This doctrine posits that the origin and validity of our knowledge are contingent upon experience. Similarly, only that which we perceive through our senses is considered real.
David Hume: Perceptions
According to Hume, all contents of the human mind are perceptions. These are further distinguished into:
- Impressions: Perceptions