Kant’s Ethical Framework: Duty, Reason, and the Moral Law
Kant’s Ethics: The Practical Use of Reason
In Kantian ethics, virtue is defined by acting according to duty, adjusting our actions to the moral law. This framework is built upon two fundamental facts:
- For humans, the measure of an action’s moral value is solely its intention, i.e., the goodwill that drives it.
- People believe that goodwill is one that acts purely out of duty, regardless of any empirical contingency or the material interests of the subject, accepting the simple mandate of its existence.
Foundational Theories of State Origin and Political Legitimacy
Consent Theory: The Social Contract
Introduction
Consent Theory, also known as the Social Contract Theory, explains the origin of the state based on the voluntary agreement or consent of the people. According to this theory, the state is formed by mutual consent to ensure peace, protection, and order.
Key Thinkers
- Thomas Hobbes: Argued the state is needed to avoid chaos (the “war of all against all”).
- John Locke: Believed the state protects natural rights (life, liberty, and property).
- Jean-Jacques
Platonic Dialogues: Key Concepts and Philosophical Reflections
Plato’s Republic (534c)
1. Main Ideas
The text, written by Plato, discusses important ideas related to a conversation. It is a dialogue between a philosopher and a disciple (or someone close) who listens to his instructions.
- Plato argues that a person does not know the Good itself if they are unable to distinguish it from all other ideas.
- He believed that those lacking reason should not be allowed to direct important issues.
- He states that those devoted to this discipline can ask and respond with great
The Conflict Between Nietzschean and Ortegan Vitalism
Nietzschean Vitalism Versus Ortega’s Philosophy
Nietzsche’s vitalism affirmed the value of life as the ground of human being. This value sets a framework of irrationality against reason. Nietzsche says the human being has always been concerned with explaining how to live or how one should live, rather than actually living. This concern, in turn, has broken into metaphysics, morality, and history, generating the “conceptual mummies” that prevent us from living fully.
Nietzsche argued that it is necessary
Read MoreThe Foundations of Moral Responsibility and Conscience
Moral Responsibility: Definition and Scope
Moral responsibility derives from the commitment that an individual acquires moral obligations. Etymologically, it means the need to respond. The individual is responsible for dealing with everything that occurs in life. This is the human need to respond to people and the environment. This need is intrinsically linked to the freedom to choose the right course of action. The degree of responsibility varies among moral subjects. Legitimate coercion can also
Read MoreNature, Culture, and the Foundations of Human Behavior
The Nature vs. Nurture Debate
Defining Nature and Innate Traits
Nature refers to what is not learned; it is what an individual possesses from birth and inherits genetically. Examples include:
- Walking upright.
- Having a specific number of fingers.
- Linguistic ability (the capacity for language).
Culture: Learned Habits and Social Norms
Culture refers to what is learned and acquired through habit and social norms. This includes utensils and tools, knowledge and beliefs, and forms of expression (art, science,
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