Philosophical Perspectives on Society, Ethnocentrism, and Culture
Philosophical Views on Human Nature and Society
Humans are social by nature. According to Aristotle, man is a political animal, requiring society and culture to develop skills. Humans are beings with needs that can only be fulfilled within society, allowing them to reach perfection and happiness. Living in society is a requirement of human nature; only an animal or a god can do without it. Humans alone can live in society because they are endowed with reason and a moral nature, which forms the basis
Read MoreRationality Lecture: Understanding Truth and Reality
The Rationality Lecture: Truth and Reality
3.1 Knowledge: Epistemology
Epistemology (from the Greek episteme, meaning “true or safe knowledge”) is the branch of philosophy that studies knowledge. It addresses questions such as:
- What is knowledge?
- What methods provide knowledge?
- What is the origin of knowledge?
- What are the limits of knowledge?
3.1.1 Epistemology as the Center of Philosophical Reflection
Epistemological problems are genuinely philosophical (as has been stated since the modern era). This
Read MoreMetaphysics: Definition, Concepts, and Principles
Metaphysics: Definition and Basic Concepts
Metaphysics is the study of being, that is, what all entities have in common. It examines the broadest aspects of being, including first principles and first causes.
As in many other fields, we owe the clear and concise definition of metaphysics to Aristotle (who called it “first philosophy”). Metaphysics is the science that studies entities as such and the determinations that belong to them.
The Different Meanings of Being: The Categories
The categories are
Read MoreDescartes’ Methodical Doubt and the Existence of God
Descartes’ Method of Doubt and Knowledge
1. Knowledge: For Descartes, knowledge consists of discarding doubt through clear and distinct intuition of a proposition or opinion. Evidence relates only to reason; that is, the immediate understanding that a proposition is true. Because the senses can deceive us, we cannot rely on them. Knowledge is reached through deduction from these clear and distinct propositions, following the rules of the method step by step. The method guarantees the certainty of
Read MoreAristotle’s Philosophy: Society, Ethics, and Soul
Aristotle’s Social and Political Philosophy
Be social: Human beings tend to live in an organized society. Only animals and gods can live in isolation. Man is a social and political animal; he lives in the polis. That impulse leads him to join with others to form a family. The union of several families forms a village or town, and a meeting of several villages or towns forms the city-state. The human social needs to meet their needs and to perform its functions: the state. That state is a community
Read MoreInsurance and Risk Management Essentials
Insurance: A Risk Management Strategy
Insurance is a risk management strategy that provides protection against loss.
- An insurer takes responsibility for the insured body.
- Policy: The terms of insurance.
- Premium: The cost of insurance.
- Deductible: Out-of-pocket expense against a claim.
- Claim: A loss covered by insurance.
- Policyholder: A person that owns the insurance.
Understanding Risk
- Risk: The probability of loss.
- Peril: The cause of loss.
- Hazard: Increases the probability of a loss.
- Pure Risk: Only the chance