Key Concepts in Moral Philosophy
Practical Rationality
Refers to the distinct human capacity to make practical judgments.
Practical Judgments
Judgments about what is good to do here and now, leading to concrete action.
Praxis
Term that refers to practical activity as opposed to theory, especially the free and conscious activity that characterizes the human being.
Man’s Ultimate End
It must be complete, self-sufficient, enduring all evil, fully satisfying the will, and within reach of all.
Good, Useful, Utility
The category used to describe
Read MoreNietzsche’s Zarathustra: Reimagining Human Existence
Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Philosophical Journey
This message draws from Nietzsche’s seminal work, Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Given Nietzsche’s critical stance towards religion, he chose Zarathustra—historically considered the first prophet to introduce religion to the world—as a central figure. The work’s ironic subtitle, “A Book for Everyone and No One,” positions it as a “fifth gospel” from the prophet Zarathustra. However, instead of celebrating the birth of God, it proclaims the
Read MoreLegal Systems, State Legitimacy, and Justice Principles
The Concept of Law
Law is a systematic set of principles and rules governing the relations among social members and with institutions, demanding certain behaviors to achieve a stable, orderly, and safe social life. It can be categorized as:
- Natural Law: A set of human rights, inherent to human nature. Some consider it timeless, immutable, and universal. Others believe that law is valid because it originates from the divine.
- Positive Law: A set of rules and laws created by human reason within a specific
Mastering Essay Writing and Discursive Modes
Understanding the Essay as a Literary Genre
The essay is one of the most popular and cultivated literary genres today. It is a written statement presenting a personal and subjective interpretation of any subject, without necessarily delving into exhaustive detail. Essays can be historical, philosophical, scientific, and more.
Characteristics of the Essay
Though a very mixed genre, the essay typically exhibits the following characteristics:
- Variety and breadth of topics: Literary, philosophical, religious,
Human Rights: Natural Law vs Legal Positivism
Natural Law Doctrines on Human Rights
According to the natural law argument, the rational nature itself contains inherent and inalienable trends or operating dynamics. These trends or dynamics are subject to potential or natural powers of action within the social organization. According to this conception, human rights lie in each subject as immediate demands of their particular way of being human. Thus, individuals have rational evidence that these rights are owed to them by virtue of their own
Read MoreAncient Greek Philosophy: Early Thinkers and Their Ideas
The Milesian School
Thales of Miletus
Thales of Miletus was a mathematician, astronomer, and politician. He affirmed that the Earth rests on water, that water is the principle of all things, that all things are full of gods, and that everything is alive and vibrant.
Anaximander
Anaximander: A continuation of Thales’ thought. He claimed that the Earth is spherical and the center of the world. For him, the beginning of everything is the Apeiron (the undefined, non-empirical, immortal, indestructible,
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