Kant’s Political Philosophy: State, Law, and Republicanism
Kant’s Philosophy of State and Law
Immanuel Kant argues that the State must ensure the exercise of freedom as safely as possible through law, whose characteristic note is coercion. The law refers to real and concrete human actions without considering desires and dispositions. However, autonomous and free individuals are subjected to the ideal of the will represented in the State. This ideal is accepted by all rational wills. These are coercive laws, but they stem from liberty. In fact, they guarantee
Read MoreUnderstanding State Structures: Authoritarianism, Rule of Law, and Legal Theories
Authoritarian State: Unlimited Power & Control
An authoritarian state is characterized by unlimited authority, not subject to any form of control. This type of state does not recognize any legitimate body that can criticize, oppose, or control it. Fundamentally, this monopoly of authority is reflected in the inability of citizens to intervene in state matters.
State Based on the Rule of Law (Estado de Derecho)
This is a type of state where authority is subject to the rule of law. Political power,
Read MorePhilosophy Explained: Core Concepts, Branches, and Purpose
What is Philosophy? A Foundational Understanding
Philosophy is a passion that involves the whole human being and is necessarily part of the human mind. It seeks a full explanation, an understanding beyond which no one can go. Philosophy is a knowledge that, through questioning the reason for all things and their root causes, addresses the most genuine human need: the pursuit of truth.
Core Characteristics of Philosophy
- Universality: It is a knowledge that wonders about all of reality; its field of
Pre-Socratic Philosophers: Understanding Physis and Early Greek Thought
Physis: The Nature of Reality in Early Greek Philosophy
The concept of Physis (Nature) was central to early Greek philosophy, representing the fundamental, unifying element from which everything arises. It was seen as the common essence of all things, often imbued with a sensory experience. The Greek term eidos, or idea, originally referred to the visible appearance of something. Over time, its meaning evolved to signify the underlying form or essence perceived through intellect, rather than just
Read MoreDescartes’ Philosophy: Ideas, Knowledge, and Morality
Descartes’ Theory of Ideas and Reality
The application of the first principle of the method and the use of intuition lead to the first truth. This truth faces the problem of deducing the existence of the material world. Descartes seeks to prove this existence based solely on the existence of thought and addresses the issue through his theory of ideas. He affirms that we think about ideas, not things themselves. Ideas are like a graphical representation of things, but to conceive an idea as an object
Read MoreUnderstanding Human Rights: Foundations and Evolution
Foundations of Human Rights
Human rights serve as a framework for understanding reality. The cornerstone of human rights, and the source of all legislation derived from them, is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948. Human rights can be considered a secondary legal standard, providing an ethical benchmark to evaluate existing legal systems globally and determine their fairness.
The Law of Nature and Natural Rights
John Locke argued
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