The Intellectualism of Morality: Reason and Ethical Action
The Moral Intellectualism:
The idea of moral intellectualism, stemming from the Socratic notion that if one knows the good, one must behave well, posits that knowledge is the foundation of ethical action. Socrates believed that immediate moral action arises from a correct understanding of what one should do.
However, the Sophists disagreed, challenging the arguments for good morals, virtue, and justice presented in Plato’s dialogues. Socrates aimed to expose the contradictions and ignorance of young
Read MoreUnderstanding World Religions: Key Concepts & Dialogue
Understanding World Religions
Key Concepts
- Same: Are the same.
- Positivism/Scientism: Belief that denies the validity of philosophy or theology; the only knowledge is of the material world.
- Multiculturalism: The idea that all religions are the same and good.
- Atheism: The idea that all religions are the same and generally bad due to a denial of the transcendent.
- Ecumenism: The goal to unite all Christians as one.
- Interreligious Dialogue: Interaction between different religious leaders to foster peace and
Understanding the Buddha: Life, Death, and Enlightenment
The Buddha
Literal Comprehension
An artist needed to paint a picture of the death of Buddha for the village temple. To do this, he had to understand the Buddha. On the first day, he imagined himself as the young prince Siddhartha, living in the palace. He won Princess Yashodhara in a competition and felt no ill will towards his rivals. The artist imagined servants serving him food when his housekeeper arrived with his midday meal. He even imagined his cat as a dancing girl.
On the second day, he became
Read MoreKey Concepts: Secularization, Faith, and Vatican II Reforms
1. Secularization: The process by which people begin to understand life, the world, and society without God.
2. Consequences of Secularization on the State Church:
Privileges of the clergy are limited or suppressed, as are religious congregations. Loss of possessions, an indispensable means for maintenance, especially for monasteries, occurs through confiscations. In Spain, the best known example is the confiscation by Mendizabal.
3. Industrial Revolution:
Pope Leo XIII issued the encyclical Rerum Novarum,
Read MoreEvolution of Education: From Sparta to Universities
Historical Overview of Education
Spartan Education
Spartan education was unique and bore no resemblance to Athenian education. The primary purpose was the formation of a Spartan warrior. The qualities of a Spartan included obedience to the law, respect for elders, and empowerment through sacrifice.
Athenian Education
Athenian education had two specific goals:
- The development of citizens loyal to the state.
- The training of individuals who achieved full harmony and mastery of their own abilities.
Roman Education
Roman
Read MoreSaint Augustine: The City of God and the Trinity
Saint Augustine: The City of God
This text comments on the importance of Chapter XXVI, Book XI of Augustine’s The City of God. It highlights the relationship between rational knowledge (acquired by reason) and faith, both in the search for truth. Augustine distinguishes between faith and reason as sources of knowledge. He establishes the limits between the two in the context of Christian truth.
We cannot dispense with either of the two, as both can lead to truth. For Augustine, the first relationship
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