Medieval Liberties: Contracts, Power, and the Evolution of Rights
Thinking Historically and Civil Liberties
Thinking historically means freedom to place things in history and thus remove them as much as possible from the arbitrary interference of the powers that be. The historicist approach inevitably tends to favor civil liberties, the ‘negative’ freedoms that result in the capacity to act in the absence of constraints or obligations, within a clearly defined and autonomous sphere, especially in relation to political power.
Historicist explanation, from the Middle
Read MoreHume: Knowledge, Morality, and Politics
1. Hume: The Boundaries of Knowledge
Impressions and Ideas: The Foundation of Knowledge
Hume rejects innate ideas, asserting that all knowledge originates from experience. He uses the term “perceptions” to encompass all mental content. Our knowledge of external objects is limited to our perceptions, not the objects themselves. These perceptions are categorized as impressions and ideas.
Impressions are vivid, strong, and fundamental perceptions derived from sensations (external world) and inner experiences
Read MoreJohn Locke’s Philosophy: Empiricism, Substance, and Political Thought
John Locke’s Critique of Innate Ideas
Empiricism vs. Rationalism: Locke, a staunch empiricist, challenged the rationalist notion of innate ideas. He argued against the existence of pre-existing knowledge, suggesting the mind begins as a tabula rasa (blank slate). He questioned the validity of claiming universal consensus as proof of innateness, arguing that children, despite having minds, don’t grasp these principles initially, and alternative explanations for their acceptance exist.
Experience as
Read MoreOrtega y Gasset’s Philosophy of Life and Perspective
How the Truth is Perspective:
Living is seeking the truth. In that search, Ortega y Gasset believes that neither skepticism nor dogmatism considers that thought is a vital function, an activity with the specific purpose of reaching the truth. As such, thought needs to operate according to particular laws.
Truth is perspective because there is no way to capture reality outside of individual perspective. Human beings have to be content with the part of the truth accessible from their position. Two perspectives
Read MoreNietzsche and Ortega y Gasset: A Philosophical Examination
Nietzsche
Critique of Western Culture
Nietzsche’s philosophy establishes a radical separation between the sensible and the supersensible (God). He argues that Western culture’s ideals mask virtuous instincts and needs. His philosophy begins with the declaration that “God is dead.”
The Death of God
- Religious Sense: In Western culture, religion has ceased to significantly impact individual and societal life.
- Moral Meaning: God embodies Western morality, which is transcendent and based on absolute concepts
Nietzsche’s Philosophy: A Critical Examination of Western Thought
Nietzsche’s Critique of Western Philosophy
Idiosyncrasy and Dogmatism
Idiosyncrasy, in Nietzsche’s usage, represents the peculiarity of traditional philosophers. He criticizes their lack of historical sense, denial of becoming, and their focus on abstract concepts.
Egipticismo and the Static Worldview
Egipticismo refers to the static ontology of traditional philosophy, which denies evolution and views reality as immutable. Nietzsche criticizes this “mummified” worldview.