The Enlightenment: Reason and Revolution
Life of Rousseau (1712-1778)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born in Geneva. His mother died shortly after his birth. He began a life of pilgrimage, working different jobs in different cities. His musical interests took him to Paris, where he came into contact with the Encyclopedists. In 1743, he entered into a relationship with Thérèse Levasseur, with whom he had five children, all of whom were placed in orphanages. After 1750, his fame spread throughout Europe as his various works were banned in different
Read MoreWeber and Marx: Understanding Society and Law
Weber’s Perspective on Objectivity and the Ideal Type
Weber acknowledged the impossibility of studying total reality; thus, he analyzed reality in parts, considering various aspects (e.g., economic, economically relevant, and economically conditioned). These conceptions are influenced by the socio-cultural reality of the modern West. The objectivity of knowledge stems from the rigor of the method.
Ideal Type Method: Highlighting one feature among many. We are conditioned by culture and subjectively
Understanding Key Societal Concepts and Terms
Key Societal Concepts and Their Meanings
Passion
Passion refers to actions driven by a strong liking or inclination towards something. It’s led by the heart, not the brain.
Habit
A habit is doing something consistently and without effort. Habits are neither inherently good nor bad; they are based on agreements we have with our own reality.
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the absolute and perpetual power of a republic, encompassing the power to make and decide laws.
Education
Education is a set of social practices
Read MoreAmbedkar’s Vision: Social Justice and Equality in India
Ambedkar’s Approach to Politics and History
Examine Ambedkar’s approach to studying politics and history.
Focus on Social Justice: Ambedkar’s approach to politics and history was deeply rooted in the idea of social justice. He analyzed historical events and political structures not as neutral phenomena but as mechanisms used to perpetuate systemic oppression against marginalized communities, particularly Dalits and other lower castes. His work sought to identify the social and economic injustices
Read More19th-Century Literary Movements: Realism and Naturalism
Realism and Naturalism in 19th-Century Literature
Realism
Realism was a cultural and artistic movement that emerged in 19th-century Europe. While Romanticism persisted, Realism advocated for the truthful and accurate representation of reality, particularly in the historical novel. Custom boxes are considered precursors of Realism.
Key Characteristics of Realism:
- Reflection of Reality: Aimed to depict reality as it is.
- Analysis and Observation: Emphasized objective observation and analysis in their works.
Analytic Philosophy, Social Knowledge, and Human Action
Analytic Philosophy: Knowledge and Language
Reactions against idealism and Analytic philosophy. Wittgenstein proposes, as the first object of philosophy, a rigorous analysis of language that clarifies the problems relating to its structure and the knowledge of the world that stems from it.
Wittgenstein’s thesis is that language is thought’s essential medication. It is not that we think and then look for words to express our thoughts, but rather that the constitution of thought itself takes place in
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