Aristotelian Realism: Philosophy, Nature, and Ethics
Aristotelian Realism
Aristotle was born in Macedonia in 384 BC. The son of a doctor, he developed an experimental approach to knowledge. He studied in Athens at Plato’s school but found himself disagreeing with Plato’s theories.
Aristotle founded his own school, the Lyceum, and was the tutor of Alexander the Great.
Criticism of Plato
- Aristotle argued that Plato’s theories were mere assumptions because they could not be proven.
- He believed that the essence of things must reside within the things themselves,
Biology and Anthropology: Understanding Human Evolution
All individuals are the result of the interaction between biology and anthropology.
Cultural Anthropology: Nature vs. Nurture
Cultural anthropology distinguishes between natural behavior (genetically transmitted information) and cultural behavior (information acquired by social learning). Biology distinguishes between genotype (a combination of genes on chromosomes; innate) and phenotype (interaction of genotype with the environment; acquired throughout life).
Nature vs. Culture
- Nature: Innate, something
Spinoza and Leibniz: Exploring God, Geometry, and Individuality
Spinoza: God or the Perfection of a Geometric World
The Cartesian system consecrated a world divided, separating reality into two substances: mind and body, unable to communicate. Reconciliation between these areas was difficult, preventing a unified understanding of things.
Spinoza addresses this challenge by conceiving reality as a unit that unfolds according to a logical method.
God is Everything
The French philosopher Descartes defined God as a substance that exists by itself, distinguishing three
Read MoreSocial Philosophy’s Impact on Sociology: Key Thinkers and Concepts
Social Philosophy Background of Sociology
Social Philosophy and Sociological Thought
From birth, we are immersed in a world with established rules and customs. These factors influence us as people, shaping us into socialized beings. The role of the human being is to abide by the mores that society establishes. Genetics is modeled by society. Social philosophy is concerned with sociology and deals directly with it. The formal history of sociology is relatively recent.
Regarding the question of whether
Read MoreUnderstanding Communitarianism: Principles and Applications
Understanding Communitarianism
Communitarianism focuses on the idea of belonging to a community. It seems contrary to the liberal ideal, but let’s examine the question deeper.
It emphasizes the importance of community in the functioning of political life and in the analysis and evaluation of political institutions. The State cannot be ethically neutral, since it must provide a policy of common good, appropriate to the way of living of the community, which is the basis of the rules and political and
Read MoreInfinity, God, and the Social Contract: Key Philosophical Concepts
Infinity, God, and the Foundations of Thought
The Idea of Infinity and the Existence of God: The analysis of thinking has allowed us to discover some ideas that build thought itself, including the idea of infinity and the idea of a perfect being, which Christianity identifies as God. As Anselm of Canterbury demonstrated, the term ‘God’ expresses the essence of a being that may not exist. Therefore, from the idea of God found in my mind, I conclude that God exists. Now, we can take a third step to
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