Evolution of the State: From Absolutism to Democracy
Evolution of the State
Absolutist State
Political power is concentrated in the person of the King, who acts as an absolute ruler.
Liberal State
It is based on two principles: the predominance of the Constitution and defending individual rights. It establishes the separation of powers.
Democratic State
It is characterized by two elements: equal rights (legal and political) of all citizens and equal vote.
Social and Democratic State
There is no political equality if there is no economic and social equality.
Read MoreFriedrich Nietzsche: Life, Works, and Philosophy
Friedrich Nietzsche: Life and Key Philosophical Periods
Friedrich Nietzsche was born in Prussia in 1844. His father was of Polish descent, and his mother was German. He studied at Pforta school, where he began to experience headaches. In 1864, he began studying classical philology. He met Richard Wagner in 1868, with whom he struck up a friendship. In 1872, he published The Birth of Tragedy. In 1878, he broke with Wagner, believing his music numbed the senses. At thirty-five, he began to travel in
Read More18th Century Literature: Trends, Authors, and Characteristics
The eighteenth century is characterized by the replacement of the concepts of hierarchy, discipline, and dogmatic authority with equality, intellectual independence, and self-criticism. Its main features are:
- Rationalism: Reason is the primary basis of knowledge, allowing humans to develop scientific thinking, combat superstition, and critically review previous false beliefs.
- Reformism: Involves the development of society through government, laws, and proposals to reform various sectors, including
Ernest Seeliger and Rafael Garofalo: Criminological Theories
Ernest Seeliger: Genesis of Crime and Criminological Types
Ernest Seeliger, a proponent of the Austrian School, offered a critique of Lombroso’s theories, asserting that the offender is not anthropologically uniform. He emphasized crime prevention and proposed the existence of major criminological types that are consistently observed in the criminal world, each with distinct characteristics. An individual may exhibit traits of a single type (pure type) or belong to multiple types, presenting a mix
Read MoreRené Descartes: A Revolutionary Thinker
René Descartes: The Father of Modern Philosophy
René Descartes was a French philosopher who is considered the father of modern philosophy. Educated in scholasticism, he initiated a new era in philosophy by applying a novel criterion of truth, replacing the previously dominant criterion of authority, and introducing a new method. His philosophy centers on three key aspects: the renewal of scholastic thought, the recovery of skeptical thought, the use of systematic doubt, and the application of mathematics
Read MorePlato’s Ethics, Virtue, and Political Philosophy
Ethics and Virtue Theory
Plato believed that the first and foremost need of philosophy is to help men become good and virtuous. This can only occur within the body politic, in the polis. He continually criticizes the Sophists for relativizing moral values and turning them into mere conventions, leaving the individual without a fixed and secure guide for action, at the mercy of immediate impulses. To be masters of our own lives and conduct, we need to act on the essence of virtue. Virtue is the capability
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