Political Community, Church, and Secularism: A Catholic Perspective
Nature of the Political Community
Society in Human Nature. Community Source: Human Nature -> God. Legitimate if it is compatible with human dignity, justice, and the common good. The human person is the end of the community and politics, not the means.
Church on Political Parties and Participation
- Expression of a healthy social pluralism and a legitimate political dissent.
- Critique of the growing subordination of politics to partisan and ideological interests rather than the common good.
- Limitation
Legal Concepts and Employment Law: Key Distinctions
Legal Comparisons: Key Distinctions
Choose four pairs to compare and contrast:
Litigation vs. Attorney : Litigation refers to the process of taking legal action in court, while an attorney is a legal professional who represents and advises parties during litigation. Litigation is the framework within which legal disputes are resolved, whereas an attorney is the individual who helps navigate and advocate in that process.
Redress vs. Settlement : Redress is a remedy or compensation awarded to correct
John Stuart Mill’s Utilitarianism: Principles and Political Philosophy
John Stuart Mill’s Utilitarianism
During the first half of the nineteenth century, a school of thought advocating moral positivism, known as utilitarianism, emerged in England. John Stuart Mill’s thought, influenced by liberalism and empiricism, reformulated the utilitarianism of Jeremy Bentham and his father, James Mill. Utilitarianism equates the absence of pain, satisfaction, and happiness with what is useful. Its political aim is the organization of society and the state under the principle of
Read MoreDescartes’ Philosophy: A Deep Dive into Rationalism
Descartes: A Pioneer of Modern Philosophy
Context
Subjectivist philosophy takes a significant turn with René Descartes. He posited that the world is not directly known; humans only know what exists within their consciousness, namely, ideas.
Descartes was born in La Haye in 1596. He participated in the Thirty Years’ War, then resided in Holland, and finally moved to Stockholm, where he tutored the Queen of Sweden. He died there in 1650. As a physicist, he laid the groundwork for kinematics. As a mathematician,
Read MoreDescartes’ Method: Philosophy in 17th-Century Europe
Descartes’ Method: A Response to the Crisis of 17th-Century Europe
Historical and Philosophical Context
With the Discourse on Method, published in 1637, René Descartes sought a reliable path to truth in science. This work emerged during a period of profound crisis, as the structures of medieval Europe crumbled, paving the way for the construction of modern Europe. It was a turbulent transition between old medieval patterns and the birth of a new era. Descartes’ philosophy is key to understanding
Read MoreThomas Aquinas: Philosophy, Theology, and Political Thought
Thomas Aquinas: Proof of God’s Existence
To prove the existence of God, Thomas Aquinas proposed several demonstrations, which he called “tracks.” Some of these are:
- The Argument from Motion: Things are in motion, and everything that moves requires a mover to initiate it. This first unmoved mover is God.
- The Argument from Efficient Cause: All existing beings have an efficient cause that created them. This uncaused cause is God.
- The Argument from Necessity: Since everything around us exists and then ceases