The Foundations of Empiricism and the Limits of Human Knowledge
Empiricism: A Philosophical Tradition Opposed to Rationalism
Empiricism is a philosophical tradition opposed to rationalism, which often emphasizes the certainty of mathematics.
Modern science emphasized observation, action, and experimentation. The need to rely on observation and experimentation, especially when moving beyond pre-scientific explanations, finds its justification in the main thesis of empiricism:
- All our knowledge about facts is based on perception or sense experience.
The ultimate source
Read MorePolitical Power, Legitimacy, and Democratic Systems
The Concept of Political Power
Power is defined as the ability to be obeyed by those involved in social relationships.
Max Weber, an important sociologist, believed that in a social relationship, power is what allows an individual to fulfill their own will. According to Weber, power is having capacity.
Sources of Political Legitimacy
Political legitimacy, or the justification for power, can stem from various sources:
- Force
- Persuasion
- Tradition
- Charisma
- Money
- Skills
- Knowledge
- Rationality
Weber’s Three Types of
Read MoreDavid Hume’s Empiricism: Context and Critique of Causality
David Hume: Biography and Historical Setting
Hume was born in Edinburgh in 1711 and died in 1776.
Historical Context
England after the Revolution of 1688
- The Revolution established bourgeois parliamentary democracy and the supremacy of Parliament.
- Intervention of the people in the laws, rights, and political liberties.
- Economic and religious freedom: Abolition of monopolies.
- England becomes the first economic, industrial, and capitalist power.
Pre-Revolutionary France
- “Enlightened Despotism”: “All
Core Concepts in International Relations Theory and Global Politics
Fundamental Concepts in Political Theory
Polarity
The state of having two opposite or contradictory tendencies, opinions, or aspects.
Absolute Gains
A measure of the total effect of an action, comprising power, security, economic, and cultural effects.
Relative Gains
The actions of states considered only in respect to power balances, without regard to other factors.
Third Party Regimes
A person or group besides the two primarily involved in a situation, or a political party organized as an alternative to
Read MoreCore Concepts and Challenges in Moral Philosophy
Foundations of Ethics and Morality
Defining Ethics
Ethics refers to moral judgments and sets of principles concerning an action (good, bad, right, wrong). The repetition of acts creates habits that determine attitudes. Throughout life, personality is formed through behavior.
The Concept of Ethics is a discipline that seeks to value judgments, provided that such value judgments are applied to the distinction between good and evil.
Defining Morality
The Concept of Morality is a set of beliefs, customs,
Read MoreDefining Human Action, Labor, and Technological Risk
The Nature of Human Action
The human being knows and is intelligent, but also acts. Precisely through intelligence, we feel the need to react to different alternatives. Action can be defined as the capacity to imagine, organize, plan, and realize desires, projects, plans, and intentions.
Defining Traits of Human Action
Three traits define human action:
- Intentionality: Aristotle understood the way the subject acts, moving towards the external world as reality. Two modes are directed towards the object: