Kant and Aristotle: Key Philosophical Concepts
Kant’s Philosophy
Social Contract
The origin of political power and the state is the social contract, which explains how men left the state of nature and came to live in a political community. According to Kant, the state of nature is wild; the driving force of individuals in nature is to meet their goals and desires without any hindrance. In nature, there is no morality; no beings are moral by nature. We have by nature a hostile sociability that Kant called “unsocial sociability.” Motivated by reason
Read MoreRené Descartes: Life, Philosophy, and Historical Context
René Descartes: Life and Times
René Descartes is considered the first philosopher of the modern age and the initiator of one of the fundamental currents that would come to characterize it: rationalism. Born in France in 1596, he graduated in law. After a period spent in the army and then traveling continuously, he established his residence in Paris in 1625. However, in 1629, he moved to Holland, where he settled permanently. In 1649, at the invitation of Queen Christina of Sweden, he moved to Stockholm,
Read MoreSaint Thomas Aquinas: Philosophy, Theology, and Existence
Work of Saint Thomas Aquinas
The Summa Theologica reflects the problems of his time and maintains a balance between a philosophy that does not contradict the faith from Aristotelian categories and includes medieval Augustinian ideas.
The Structure of Being
Aquinas accepts the Aristotelian structure and causes stress upon two things: a widely used measure, the composition of power. He adds an original way, the distinction between essence and existence.
The composition of essence and existence: The real
Read MoreKant and Weber: Ethics in Politics and Morality
Kant: Morality, Freedom, and Reason
The Interplay of Morality and Freedom
Kant argues that the existence of morality is intrinsically linked to freedom. To justify the demands of morality, one must demonstrate the reality of freedom. Kant distinguishes between two uses of reason, with the practical use being the focus of his works, *Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals* and *Critique of Practical Reason*. Reason draws a clear line between duty and desire, morality and self-interest. Moral standards,
Read MoreHobbes, Locke, and the Self: A Comparative Analysis
Thomas Hobbes and the Leviathan
Thomas Hobbes, a prominent 17th-century English philosopher, is best known for his work Leviathan. This work explores his theory of absolutism. Hobbes posits that in a natural state, humans would be entirely free, with no limitations. He argues that society restricts individual freedom. In this natural state, there is no society, and therefore, no impediment to freedom. However, this natural state is governed by the law of the stronger or more intelligent. Man’s nature
Read MoreKant’s Categorical Imperative and the Path to Perpetual Peace
Kant’s Concept of Duty and Ethics
Formal Ethics and the Good Will
Kant’s ethics are based on duty and not on the basis of good. It is a formal ethics, valid for anyone who has the capacity to be rational. The moral value of an action is not determined by the specific outcome, but by the ability to achieve it, the means by which it is achieved: the good will. Formal ethics is based on how we need to be good people. Humans, according to Kant, act according to duty. Duty is defined as the need for action
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