Augustine’s Philosophy: God, Man, and History
Augustine of Hippo
God and the World
Augustine understands God as the unchanging essence that justifies the variability of things in the world. These have been created by Him from nothing. God, according to Augustine, created the world by his word in an instant. In the divine mind are the ideas or models of possible things, and his will is deposited in the field of germs of all beings that are or will be in the future.
It is not because of evolution (in the modern sense); species are immutable, correspond
Read MoreLa Celestina: Characters and Social Dynamics in Fernando de Rojas’ Masterpiece
Calisto: A Parody of the Courtly Lover
Calisto is the dandy, with a healthy economy, yet idle. He is a ridiculous figure who loses his dignity, wealth, and ultimately his life to satisfy his lust for Melibea. He has rents and servants and behaves like a man blinded by passion. He works tirelessly towards his goal: the conquest of Melibea. He has no scruples and uses all the tricks that may lead him to that end. His language is soaked in the rhetorical style of courtly literature of the time. He is
Read MoreDescartes’ Method: Unveiling the First Truth
Introduction: This is an excerpt from the second part of the “Discourse on Method” by René Descartes. The subject of the text is methodological doubt, leading to the first truth. Descartes, a pivotal philosopher in Western thought, inaugurated rationalism in the 17th century, a philosophical school contrasting with the empiricism of the Middle Ages. Descartes was well aware of Scholasticism, the subordination of reason to faith, and the limitations of reason. With rationalism, reason becomes autonomous
Read MorePlato’s Ethics: Justice, Soul, and Ideal Polis
Plato’s Ethics
Plato’s society was complex, with groups and conflicts, where the best for the group was not always the best for the individual. Furthermore, to know something, there must be stable, secure knowledge. The Sophists believed truth was a matter of convention. According to the skeptic Gorgias, permanent reality does not exist, and even if it did and someone could grasp it, they could not communicate it to others, asserting that only appearances exist. The relativist Protagoras argued that
Read MoreLaw and Morality: Key Concepts and Debates
1. What is the Central Problem in the Controversy About the Concept of Law?
The central problem is the relationship between law and morality.
2. What Role Does the Correctness of Content Play in a Non-Positivist Concept of Law?
In a non-positivist view, the concept of law must be defined so that it contains moral elements.
3. What is the Thesis of Linkage?
The thesis of linkage states that law contains moral elements.
4. What is Considered Absurd in a Positivist Concept of Law?
A positivist concept of
Read MoreUnderstanding Personal Autonomy, Habits, and Abilities
Autonomy
A person is autonomous when they can meet their needs without requiring assistance. It includes two aspects:
- Personal Autonomy: Daily life, which is divided into:
- Personal care: Feeding, hygiene, rest, awareness of dangers (fire), and use of instruments.
- Environment: Order, work, and community.
- Socio-social: Interpersonal relations (speaking, listening, being empathetic, etc.).
The HAP (presumably Human Autonomy Process, though not explicitly defined) is learned from birth and depends on two
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