Nietzsche’s Critique of Western Philosophy and Morality
Nietzsche’s philosophy deviates significantly from that of Socrates and Plato. He believed that Socrates, by winning the right to life, and Plato, by creating another world and devaluing this one, corrupted true philosophy. Behind the idealism of Socrates and Plato, Nietzsche saw a spirit of decadence, a hatred of life and the world.
Nietzsche’s Definition of Metaphysics
Nietzsche defines metaphysics as the science that deals with fundamental human errors. He views it as a grand fiction or dream that
Read MoreUnderstanding Subjective and Objective Values in Ethics
Values
- A review of ethics you are interested in, such as moral values: justice, honesty, faithfulness, gentleness, etc.
- Axiology is concerned with the study of values, trying to find their meaning or essence.
- All moral rules form opinions or insights that allow us to formulate the concept of what is good or bad.
The Judgments of Value
Judgments of value tell us whether an act is consistent with the standards or rules that govern us in social life.
Example of Value Judgments
“John is right.”
The value involved
Plato’s Philosophy: Soul, Ethics, Politics, and Education
Anthropology: Plato’s Dualism
Plato presents a dualism of man, mirroring the duality of the world. Just as the world of ideas takes precedence over the material world, the soul, in Greek philosophy, takes precedence over the body. Philosophers have long pondered the nature of the soul. According to Plato, the soul possesses the features of the world of ideas: it is immortal, eternal, unborn, and unknowable through the senses. Conversely, the body is material, impure, sensitive, and full of passions,
Read MoreJohn Locke’s Political Philosophy: Natural Rights and Social Contract
Author’s Philosophy: The State of Nature
In his political theory, John Locke discusses the state of nature, a condition preceding consent to become part of a civil society. Locke argues that in the state of nature, men are free, equal, and independent, as opposed to theories of the divine origin of kings. Additionally, the state of nature is a state of liberty. Men are naturally subject to a mandatory universal moral law, and human reason is but a reflection of God and their relationship with men,
Read MoreDorian Gray: Sin, Beauty, and the Corrupting Portrait
Dorian Gray’s Descent into Darkness
Dorian Gray’s story begins with a desire to remain young and beautiful, a wish that is granted through a magical portrait. While he remains unchanged, the painting reflects his moral decay, growing increasingly hideous. When Basil Hallward confronts Dorian about his reputation, Dorian reveals the monstrous portrait, leading to a tragic act of violence.
To conceal his crime, Dorian enlists the help of a doctor through blackmail. Haunted by his actions, he seeks solace
Read MorePlato’s Theory of Ideas and Ideal State
Plato’s Theory of Ideas
As a result of conflicting views between Heraclitus and Parmenides, and based on the critique of Socrates towards the cultural relativism of the Sophists, Plato formulated his theory of two worlds, trying to give an intermediate response to the discussion of the two pre-Socratics. He posits that there are two worlds: the Ideal (that of reason: timeless, unique, continuous, stationary), consisting of Ideas, and the Sensible (the senses: changing material), consisting of imperfect
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