Key Concepts in Sociology: Bourdieu, Weber, Durkheim, Williams
Bourdieu’s Sociology of Science
For Bourdieu, scientific truth is located between the “epistemological binomial” formed by logicism (with its tendency toward objectivism and the propositional) on one side, and historicism (with its relativistic and skeptical tendency) on the other. The sociological critique of science thus presents itself as an overcoming of this “scholarly tradition” (what we might call the traditional propositional logic of science). This tradition tends to view science and scientific
Read MoreUnderstanding Nietzsche: Ideas and Influence
Nietzsche’s Core Concepts
This section covers fundamental concepts in Nietzsche’s philosophy.
Nihilism
Nihilism, a concept derived from the Latin nihil meaning “nothing,” describes the situation that arises when the values of traditional Western culture (moral, religious, philosophical, etc.) are deleted or canceled. The traditional values have been canceled, leading to nihilism. However, humanity cannot exist in this situation without values, so the philosopher’s task is to construct new ones. These
Read MoreHuman Nature: Reason, Language, Unconscious
Rational Animals?
Intelligent Beings
One of the earliest definitions of the human being is the “rational animal.”
This definition was proposed by Aristotle over two thousand years ago and, after all this time, still holds.
While science tells us that mammals are primates, the result of a long evolutionary history that has made us Homo Sapiens, the thinking being, the philosophical definition of “rational animal” also highlights intelligence.
Both perspectives highlight intelligence.
The human being is
Read MoreDoctrina Social, Hobbes y Rousseau: Ideas Políticas
Doctrina Social de la Iglesia
El conjunto de reglas y principios relativos a la política social y económica de la humanidad basados en el Evangelio y el Magisterio de la Iglesia Católica. Sus principios son:
- Dignidad humana
- Bien común
- Destino universal de los bienes
- Principio de subsistencia
- Participación social
- Solidaridad
- Valores fundamentales de la vida social
- Calidad de vida
- Amor y cultura de vida
La encíclica Rerum Novarum apoya el derecho a formar sindicatos, apoya la propiedad privada y regula
Read MoreDavid Hume’s Empiricism: Causality, Ideas, and Critique
Hume: Causality & Ideas Not From Reason
Why is the principle of causality not knowledge derived from relations of ideas? This knowledge is not a truth achieved by reason either intuitively or demonstratively. Reason cannot intuitively link cause and effect, as they are distinct and separable ideas. Furthermore, this knowledge cannot be reached via demonstration because the opposite (i.e., an effect not following its supposed cause) does not involve any logical contradiction or absurdity. The
Read MoreUnderstanding Argumentation Structure & Types
An argument is a variety of discourse used to defend an opinion and persuade a receiver using evidence and reasoning. It relates to different disciplines:
- Logic: laws of human reasoning
- Dialectic: procedures used to prove or disprove something
- Rhetoric: the use of linguistic resources to persuade and evoke affections, emotions, suggestions
Key Components: Thesis & Body
An argumentative essay has two elements: the thesis and the body argument.
- The thesis is the fundamental idea to reflect upon and