Understanding Truth: Theories and Criteria
Is Knowledge Possible?
The most radical problem presented is whether knowledge is possible.
- Dogmatism: Dogmatists are confident in their ability to describe what we think naively and believe they have reason.
- Skepticism: Skeptics consider it impossible to obtain reliable knowledge.
- Empiricist Subjectivism and Realism: Both deny the possibility of universal knowledge. Subjectivism depends on the individual, and realism depends on culture, age, or social group.
- Pragmatism: Pragmatists identify the true
Saint Thomas Aquinas: Philosophy and Key Concepts
Saint Thomas Aquinas: A Philosophical Journey
Knowledge
Knowledge aims to discover what is true, necessary, and universal. However, we only have the ability to discover content through our senses and reason. The origin of knowledge lies in the senses, while truth is found in reason. To know is to separate the universal things through the process of abstraction. The steps of knowledge are: senses, imagination, intellect, and understanding, as patient as possible. Our faculty of knowledge comes into
Read MoreUnderstanding Human Rights: Democracy, Ethics, and Social Movements
There Is No Democracy Without Freedom
Rights of the Person
- Freedom of opinion and ideas
- Collective freedoms of assembly, association, advocacy of political ideas, and religion
- Freedom of education
- Freedom of enterprise
Rights of Persons
The right to life, integrity, and security is the foundation of all other rights. Specific duties:
- Legal rights
- Civil rights
- Economic and labor rights
- Cultural rights
- Right to health and to have an adequate environment
- Right to protection of children, the elderly, etc.
All rights
Read MoreEconomic Liberalism: From Feudalism to Free Markets
Economic Liberalism
From Feudal Constraints to the Rise of Free Markets
In the economic core of liberal theory, as in the moral and political sphere, liberalism broke with earlier views. A significant change of perspective occurred here. The feudal order imposed limits on economic organization, and the Christian worldview had considerable influence on economic motivations. The medieval producer was subjected to a series of ethical constraints that influenced their ability to carry out their activities.
Read MoreKey Concepts in Philosophy: From Plato to Aristotle
Key Philosophical Terms and Concepts
Philosophy: Critical reasoning about ultimate questions. Modus Ponens: If A, then B. A. Therefore, B. Modus Tollens: If A, then B. Not B. Therefore, not A. Analogy: An argument that moves from one specific example to another, reasoning that because the two examples are alike in many ways, they are also alike in one further specific way. Epistemology: The subfield of philosophy that concentrates on what we can know. Metaphysics: The subfield of philosophy that
Read MoreUnderstanding Imputability in Criminal Law
Imputability in Criminal Law
ITEM 17: Imputability
Imputability is the capacity to be deemed guilty. To be guilty, one needs to be, first and foremost, imputable. Unlike guilt, imputability has to do with the author, without reference to the fact. It is not a relationship between the fact and the subject, but rather a pre-existing situation of the subject prior to the act. Imputability is a particular subject’s internal situation, which, in general, has been seen as a particular capacity to be guilty