Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and exercises for Philosophy and ethics for Baccalaureate

Metaphysical theory. His view is dualistic metaphysics, as it divides the world into two parts: the World of Ideas and the Sensible World. This division applies to the "myth of the cave" ("The Republic", book 7). First we will explain the Intelligible World. His theory of ideas is constantly evolving, so we can explain in three parts. The first are the early dialogues (Protagoras), it looks for virtue is opposed to the relativism of Protagoras, which proposes the existence of an objective and independent idea to act medida.La second is its dialogues of maturity ( "The Republic", "The Banquet"). The ideas are essences (that by which something is what it is). These ideas are not mental entities, but have a real and independent existence. This...

Historical Materialism

Marx conceives of natural reality as independent of humanity, its life, and its history. Marxist materialism views reality as the real dialectical process of historical production. For Marxism, history is neither a collection of dead facts (empiricism) nor the imaginary action of imaginary subjects (idealism); rather, it is the succession of different modes of production.

Throughout history, societies have been defined by a class struggle between oppressors and the oppressed. This conflict typically ends in a revolution or the collapse of the classes involved. In the nineteenth century, these conditions did not change; they merely simplified as the bourgeoisie abolished previous class structures. The sentimentality of family...

Origin of Political Power

The origin of political power addresses the question: How did it arise? It is a matter of fact, related to history, and can be investigated independently of the state's legitimacy.

Nietzsche's Perspective on Origin

Nietzsche suggested that political power originated from "a horde of blonde beasts, an animal race of conquerors and lords, organized for war, and endowed with the power to organize, placed without any qualms about their terrible claws upon a population."

Legitimacy of Political Power

Legitimacy answers the question: Are there good reasons to accept its existence? This is a question of right, often studied in philosophy. It corresponds to what can be established regardless of its origin.

Locke's View on Political

The Myth of Pure, Closed Societies

Due to globalization, it is now impossible to consider cultures as bounded or isolated entities. Cultural exchange is not a secondary phenomenon but rather integral to the core of cultural identity. Instead, this exchange is now substantive, to the extent that diverse cultural identities are currently formed from a selected combination of features of varied origin. This reality renders the idea of 'pure societies' a mere literary fantasy or a more or less radical political utopia, far removed from the deeply effective anthropological reality of our time.

The Unfinished Nature of Humanity

Nature and society define what is human, but they do not render it something finished or complete. Thus, humanity, precisely...

Freedom, Responsibility, and Morality

Freedom is what makes human beings responsible for their actions. This inherent freedom forms the basis of morality, allowing us to judge our own actions and those of others.

When an individual acts in accordance with accepted standards, they are considered a moral person. Conversely, if one freely chooses to disregard rules, such as breaking cycling regulations, their action would be deemed immoral. An amoral person, however, is one who lacks a moral sense or is indifferent to moral considerations.

Understanding Morality

Morality can be understood in two primary ways:

• Morality as Content: This refers to the code of standards that regulate individual and collective actions, defining what is considered correct

Democracy and Political Issues

Notes on Democracy:

• True: line 7
• False: lines 13 and 15
• True: lines 17, 18, 19

Vocabulary:

Brief:

ant. A lot

Pondering:

syn. think about

Simply:

syn. Just

Phrases/Questions:

1. Hadn't seen
2. Did you know
3. Has left a lot of money
4. Can't believe
5. To be true
6. You can spend
7. Did she tell you

Dialogue Snippets:

• 1: Hi, I'm John and this is my boyfriend Peter. Nice to meet you.
• 3: How much does the phone cost?
• 4: I advise you not to fence in your house; it is good to be alone. You get bored, besides the best is the mother company, helps you in good times and bad times.
• 5: Hi, I'm a little fat and I would like you to tell me what exercises to do to burn calories and a diet low in fat.

Political Commentary:

Politicians of today do not fight for the democracy...

The Meno Dialogue: Socrates and the Theory of Recollection

The Meno dialogue features Socrates as the protagonist. The setting is Meno, where Socrates attempts to demonstrate that the theory of recollection is correct. The Sophists argued that the acquisition of wisdom was impossible (the transition from NOT KNOWING to KNOWING).

The dialogue presents a contradiction to the theory it exposes. First, it introduces reminiscence, then asks for a demonstration. Socrates calls upon a slave to teach him mathematics, thereby demonstrating the possibility of acquiring wisdom. He draws a square and poses a question:

How much should the side of the new square measure to have twice the surface area of the first? (See pictures)

The slave found the solution...

Social Contract Theory: Kant, Hobbes, and Rousseau

The social contract allows individuals to leave the state of nature to enter civil society. It is not a historical fact but a hypothesis that tells us how the state should be administered. The social contract involves the absolute subjugation of the individual to an authority, a concept Kant associated with Hobbes. At the same time, it implies that the individual is a legislator, meaning no law can be adopted without their consent. Therefore, the ruler must make laws as if they emanated from the general will, a point where Kant aligns with Rousseau's thought.

Cosmopolitan Law: Kant's Vision for Global Peace

Public Law is divided into political law, the law of nations, and cosmopolitan law. Cosmopolitan...

Principles of Historical Materialism (HISMAT)

Karl Marx is a materialist thinker who gives primacy to matter over spirit and defends what is known as historical materialism. Historical materialism is characterized by supporting the following:

• The economic infrastructure of a society determines the consciousness that society has of itself, and not vice versa.
• That infrastructure develops from contradictions—that is, dialectically.

The Role of Dialectical Materialism

Thus, dialectical materialism (Diamat) serves as the basis for his theory of historical materialism. The motion of matter is governed by the laws of dialectics:

• Dialectical law of change: Nothing remains; everything changes in nature and in human thought. Dialectical change is always

Nietzsche: The Superman

Platonism, Christianity, and Nihilism

With the advent of Platonism and Christianity, existing values are reversed and all that is sensitive and vital, represented by Dionysus, is subordinated to the suprasensible world. This devaluation of the sensible world, after two millennia of Christian domination, led to nihilism, the will to nothingness.

Negative Criticism and the Path to Affirmation

To overcome nihilism, it must be radicalized until it exhausts itself. Nietzsche contributed to this process through what can be called his negative criticism or philosophy.

Positive or Affirmative Philosophy

Then begins his positive or affirmative philosophy: the attempt to establish a new system of values and to describe the human type...