Kant, Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau on Society and Governance
Kant’s Third Question and the Concept of Finality
14. What do you expect? This is the third question of Kant’s philosophical project, and it plays a role in the concept of finality. Purpose can “think” reality in a manner appropriate to the needs of human beings. What can I expect to achieve? Happiness. The only guarantee that we will achieve happiness is God. The hope for happiness is the object, not of morals, but of religion, understood as “natural religion” or rational faith.
The Triumph of Good
In
Read MoreMarxist Philosophy vs. Idealism: Understanding the Core Differences
Marxist Philosophy vs. Idealism
Understanding the Core Differences
According to Marx’s theory, the basic problem of philosophy is the contradiction between two opposing philosophies: materialism and idealism.
Materialism
Materialism asserts that reality can be explained in terms of matter and from itself, without recourse to principles such as “God” or “the Absolute.” It further states that mental life is a highly complex form of matter. Materialism can be of two types:
- Metaphysical or contemplative
Rationalism vs. Empiricism: The Pursuit of Absolute Truth
Dissertation: Can Knowledge Be Housed?
The big question of epistemology is which party of science. Since philosophy is the place in human thought, we do not know if full knowledge is possible, and so I’m going to question: ‘How to get to know the Truth?’
The positions that have occurred throughout the history of philosophy are varied, but all are based on two clear sides that began with Plato and Aristotle: rationalism, grounded in the absolute confidence in thinking, and empiricism, based on
Core Principles of Aristotle’s Philosophy
Aristotle’s Philosophy: Key Concepts
1. Theory of Ideas
Plato attempted to explain the world by proposing two realms: the world of Ideas and the world of sense. Aristotle criticized this dualism, arguing that the world of Ideas cannot explain the world of things. If the essences of things are separate from the things themselves, they cannot truly be their essences. While Plato suggested that things participate in or imitate the Ideas, Aristotle dismissed this as “empty words and poetic metaphors.”
Read MoreKey Concepts in Ethics and Moral Philosophy
On Forgiveness and Justice
“When an act of violence or an offense has been committed it is forever irreparable… public opinion will cry out for a sanction, a punishment, a “price” for pain… the price paid [may] be useful inasmuch as it makes amends or discourages a fresh offense, but the initial offense remains and the “price” is always (even if it is “just”) a new offense and a new source of pain.” – Primo Levi
“Whoever forgives the murderer blinds himself to the vastest letting of
Read MoreTruth and Reality: Understanding the Nature of Knowledge
The Problem of Knowledge of Reality
One of the main activities of philosophy is to carry out an analysis of the actual activity of knowing. The theory of knowledge is called gnoseology. It is the part of philosophy that studies the origin and nature of knowledge. Its aim consists of finding out if it is true or false in the ratio between what we know and reality itself. Our knowledge originates in experience, apart from data collected by the senses. These data are then sorted by human understanding.
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