Karl Marx’s Historical Materialism: Dialectics and Social Change
Historical Materialism: Key Concepts
Marxist philosophy is Dialectical Materialism. It is materialism because it posits that the only existing reality is matter. It is dialectical because matter is not static but is always changing, governed by universal laws that apply to nature, society, and thought.
The Universal Laws of Dialectics
According to Marx, there are three universal laws:
- Law of the unity and struggle of opposites
- Law of the transformation of quantity into quality
- Law of the negation of negation
Historical
Read MoreThe Physics of Focus: Attention, Entropy, and Consciousness
The Physics of Attention
Attention is the most valuable resource we have, though it is weightless, invisible, and unmeasurable by any instrument. Like energy, it cannot be created from nothing; it must be drawn from somewhere. Every choice to focus on one thing is a quiet act of neglect toward everything else.
Modern life has made this trade-off more violent than ever. We live inside an ecosystem designed to fracture concentration into packets of dopamine. Notifications, feeds, and algorithms are
Read MoreFoundational Concepts and Theories of Ethics and Morality
Foundational Concepts: Ethics, Law, and Morality
Defining Ethics
Ethics refers to what is right or wrong. It involves conscious and voluntary actions, recognizing that not everything legal is necessarily ethical.
Defining Law
Law consists of rules that must be followed; breaking them results in punishment. Laws are often based on ethical principles, but it is crucial to remember that not everything legal is ethical.
Moral Values and Sources
Moral Values are principles or standards of behavior considered
Read MorePlato’s Theory of Forms: Foundations of Platonic Philosophy
Plato’s Theory of Ideas: The Core of His Philosophy
The Theory of Ideas (or Forms) is the core of Platonic philosophy. There are at least three primary intentions behind this theory:
Ethical Intention
Following Socrates, Plato sought to ground virtue in knowledge. Faced with the moral relativism of the Sophists, Plato asserts the existence of eternal and immutable Ideas of justice, goodness, and other virtues.
Political Intention
Plato argues that rulers must be philosophers who are guided not by political
Contract Law: Misrepresentation, Duress, and Discharge
What is Misrepresentation?
A misrepresentation is a false statement of fact. The key elements are:
- It applies to statements that are inaccurate.
- There is no requirement that the maker be dishonest.
- The remedy may vary according to the nature of the misrepresentation.
Statement of Fact
Misrepresentation requires some form of words or actions (e.g., a nod of the head) that clearly convey a particular meaning. It must be a statement of existing fact (事實陳述). This can be contrasted with:
- A statement
Literary and Philosophical Analysis: Themes in Mansfield, Russell, and Orwell
The Doll’s House: Beauty and Social Class
Quote Analysis: “This is a real masterpiece…”
This line is from the short story “The Doll’s House” by Katherine Mansfield, describing the Burnell children’s admiration of the new doll’s house, especially the lamp inside it. The full quote is: “This is a real masterpiece. Just look at it! Such is the harmonious beauty that just to contemplate it fills the soul with ecstasy.”
Explanation
The lamp in the doll’s house becomes a symbol of beauty and perfection
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