Ethical Dilemmas in Engineering: The AFB Brake Case
Moral Issues in Vandivier’s Report Decision
AFB 1. What moral issues were involved in Mr. Vandivier’s decision to write up the final qualifying report? Explain.
From my point of view, yes, there were very important moral issues involved in Mr. Vandivier’s decision to write up the final qualifying report.
Firstly, we must state that there is no legality in Mr. Vandivier’s action. Moreover, if you question whether something is good or not, if there is any doubt, and you are not really certain of its
Read MoreDescartes’ Substance Theory and Mind-Body Dualism
Descartes’ Theory of Substance and Mind-Body Dualism
In all areas, Descartes defined substance as that which exists in such a way that it does not need anything else to exist. He distinguished three types of substance:
- Spiritual or Thinking Substance:
- Infinite: God. Has no parts, so it is infinite.
- Finite: Soul, a spiritual substance, but finite.
- Extended or Material Substance.
Descartes’ ultimate aim was to safeguard the autonomy of the soul with respect to the subject. Classical science, imposing a
Read MoreUnderstanding Hume: Knowledge, Causality, and Impressions
Hume’s Philosophy: Impressions, Ideas, and Causality
According to Hume, ideas (memory, imagination) result from the mind’s operation on data previously obtained from impressions. Impressions are images we hold in our minds to remember or contemplate. Sense impressions (simple, compound) are strong, while ideas are weaker images left by those impressions in our thoughts. An idea is not a direct presence but implies a memory and is not immediate.
Ideas can be simple (corresponding to simple impressions)
Read MoreDescartes’ Method and Metaphysics: A Deep Dive
Descartes’ Method: The Pursuit of Certainty
For Descartes, true knowledge must follow a mathematical method. He views mathematics as a model of knowledge, constructed purely by reason, independent of sensory data. This knowledge starts with “first principles” – undeniable truths or “axioms” – developed through rational intuition.
Intuition and Deduction
Intuition and deduction are the two key operations in forming mathematical knowledge. Intuition, an intellectual activity detached from the senses,
Read MoreRealism, Skepticism, Idealism, and Epistemology Concepts
Realism and Its Different Meanings
Realism is a term used for two different doctrinal approaches in epistemology.
Realism in Modern Philosophy
In modern philosophy, realism is the doctrine that states that ordinary objects perceived by the senses, such as tables and chairs, have an independent existence from the perceiver. In this sense, it is contrary to the idealism of philosophers such as George Berkeley and Immanuel Kant.
- In its extreme form, sometimes called naive realism, it is thought that things
Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud: Conceptions of Freedom
Hegel and Marx: Common Features
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) and Karl Marx (1818-1883) share some common features in their philosophies:
- Both reflect on historical change as driven by internal laws of history itself. In Hegel, this law is the conflict between ideas; in Marx, it is class struggle.
- For each historical moment, both ideas, such as morality, and social institutions are defined by that historical moment.
- History is a process with a beginning and a final outcome, which means it