Essential Questions on Ethics, Morality, and Human Motivation
1. The Inevitable Question
What should I do? An urgent reflection on the criteria that should guide our actions in life, as our existence differs from other creatures, requiring predefined goals.
2. The Good Life
The good life involves satisfying our desires intelligently, understanding our goals, and discerning between good and evil, being and responsibility.
3. Morality vs. Ethics
Morality concerns rules of conduct, while ethics deals with moral considerations. Cultural anthropology and sociology study
Read MoreJohn Stuart Mill’s Utilitarianism and Freedom Concepts
Utilitarianism: John Stuart Mill
Utilitarianism is based on the principle articulated by Hutcheson: “The greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.” This is the utilitarian principle. Happiness is pleasure, and its opposite is pain. Thus, pleasure can also be understood as the absence of pain. The theory of morality of utilitarianism posits that the ultimate goal is to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. All desirable things are desirable for the pleasure inherent in them or as a means
Read MoreJosé Ortega y Gasset: Philosophy and Influence
Influences
I. Spanish Intellectual Movements
The Generation of ’98 (mainly Unamuno, who maintained a cordial, yet controversial, relationship with Ortega due to Unamuno’s contempt for Europe and science) and the Regenerationist Movement. Ortega criticized the intellectual, social, and political life of Spain, believing it needed a radical overhaul incorporating philosophy into cultural life.
II. German Philosophy
In an effort to improve his country, Ortega studied philosophy in Germany, where he absorbed
Read MoreThomas Aquinas: Faith, Reason, and the Existence of God
The Harmony of Faith and Reason
Thomas Aquinas (TA) asserted that truth comes from God, thus precluding any true contradictions. While theological and philosophical truths occupy distinct realms, they cannot conflict. Any philosophical truth contradicting revealed truth indicates an error in the philosophical reasoning.
TA charted a middle course between the theory of double truth and the prevailing confusion. Like Augustine, he believed that faith and reason are separate but interconnected areas
Read MoreHumanity, Society, and Political Philosophy
How We Become Human
We become human through interaction—word and look. A look confirms our existence, bestowed upon us by others. We cannot exist without the other.
Sartre’s “Hell is Other People”
Jean-Paul Sartre’s famous quote, “Hell is other people,” suggests that others are the source of misery and loneliness. Being alone, in this view, would be paradise.
Sabater’s Disagreement
Sabater disagrees with Sartre.
Why Sabater Disagrees with Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher believed societies are products of
Read MoreMarxist Anthropology and Humanism: Philosophical Framework
3) Marx’s Anthropology
Human alignment results from a particular socio-economic historical situation. Related to this is the human essence.
Characteristics:
- Man is a natural being with natural requirements that must be met to ensure subsistence. Work is the means of satisfying them.
- Man is unique because they are separated from nature through labor. At work, man transforms nature to put it at their service, considering their needs.
- The understanding of man as a worker implies a natural transformation