Nietzsche’s Philosophy: Context, Thought, and Influence
Context of Nietzsche’s Thought
Context: Nietzsche’s thought is rooted in the second half of the nineteenth century, a period marked by colonial imperialism, the Industrial Revolution, and the tensions between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. This era witnessed the rise of nationalism, particularly with German unification, and the emergence of working-class ideologies like anarchism, socialism, and communism. Nietzsche criticized these ideologies for diminishing individual human potential. Culturally,
Read MoreUnderstanding Catholic Social Doctrine: Key Concepts
Catholic Social Teaching: Principles and Applications
Catholic Social Teaching (CST): Sets forth the teachings of the Catholic Church, expounding and urging engagement with contemporary social questions. It emerged during a period known as the social question.
Nature of the Doctrine
Doctrine: Encompasses documents, studies, analyses, and pronouncements of an emissive character, forming a unitary corpus of knowledge that guides both understanding and application. As such, it has the immediate purpose
Read MorePlato’s Dualism, Knowledge, and Descartes’ Doubt
Platonic Dualism
Platonic dualism posits that man is composed of two independent entities, and neither can be reduced to the other. Its most important representative was Plato:
- The Body: A material reality derived from the sensible world and is mortal. It is only alive because it possesses a soul, and its death occurs when the soul separates from it. The body is considered a prison, and life is conceived as a punishment from which the individual is released only after death. The body is merely an
Aristotle’s Philosophy: Key Concepts in Metaphysics and Ethics
Aristotle: Context and Knowledge
Athens experienced profound development after the Persian Wars. Greek hegemony continued until 431 BC when the Peloponnesian War began, which Sparta, a militarily renowned culture, would win. At the end of this war, a tyranny was established in Athens, after which democracy returned, but with a notoriously corrupt character. Aristotle studied at the Academy of Athens with Plato and was later charged by King Philip II of Macedonia with the education of his son, Alexander
Read MoreNietzsche’s Philosophy: Vitalism, Apollo, and Dionysus
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche: A Philosophical Overview
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was born on October 15, 1844, in Prussia and died in August 1900. His philosophical work is included in a movement he called vitalism (philosophy of life), which stresses the importance of character in the history of philosophy.
Following the death of his father, Nietzsche grew up in a predominantly feminine environment. At the age of 14, he began studying classical literature, and by 25, he was already a Professor of
Read More18th Century: Transformations to the Modern World
Historical Background
The eighteenth century represents the culmination of all the transformations that led to the modern world and set the stage for the contemporary revolutions at the end of the century. From the fifteenth century, national governments were organized as absolute monarchies. A stratified society persisted, and the economy remained largely agricultural. Political tensions in the Old Regime were accentuated with the rise of the bourgeoisie as a class. The development of mercantile
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