Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Philosophy and ethics

ESSAYS

A: Discuss the symbolism of Shakespeare in Brave New World

Shakespeare is what helps John understand the worlds that he experiences. He can understand cultural and social difference between the two world.

B: Discuss to what extent we have moved toward Huxley's futuristic vision of Brave New World

In our real world today, people are still brainwashed with catchy phrases that stick their consumeristic lifestyles into their ways of living. In Brave New World, "Ending is better than mending" is one of the phrases that's repeated the most. It pushes and encourages people to buy new products. In a real-life situation, let's say someone buys a shirt for $5, but the thread holding the hem of the shirt breaks soon after being purchased. That person... Continue reading "Exploring Themes in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World" »

Understanding Logical Fallacies

Logical fallacies are common errors in reasoning that undermine the logic of an argument. They can be illegitimate arguments or irrelevant points.

Common Logical Fallacies:

• Slippery Slope: A course of action that seems to lead from one action or result to another with unintended consequences. Example: If we allow the children to choose the movie this time, they are going to expect to be able to choose the school they go to or the doctors they visit.
• Hasty Generalization: A conclusion based on insufficient or biased evidence. Example: Kevin's grandparents do not know how to use a computer. Kevin thinks that all older people must be computer illiterate.
• Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc: A fallacy in which one event is said

In addition to theoretical science, Aristotle distinguishes two other classes, which he calls practical and productive. To the practical sciences belong Politics, whose object is the common good, Economy, and Ethics. This understanding is crucial for his claim that Ethics is subordinated to Politics. The Greeks understood man not in isolation, but as a social being, integrated within the family and the city, outside of which they believed individual perfection was unattainable.

The Natural Political Community

The political community is a being, and as such, it also possesses its own goods. These goods consist of the perfect development of its nature. But what kind of being is the political community? At first glance, the simplest answer might... Continue reading "Aristotle's Political Thought: Man, Polis, and Governance" »

Epistemology: Philosophical Theories of Truth

In philosophy, epistemic theories of truth are attempts to analyze the notion of truth itself.

The Correspondence Theory of Truth

The Correspondence Theory of Truth states that the truth or falsity of a statement is determined only by how it relates to the world and whether it accurately describes (i.e., corresponds with) that world.

This is a traditional model that goes back at least to some of the classical Greek philosophers.

Positivism and Verification

In the 20th Century, Positivism emerged as a prominent current of the correspondence theory of truth. Positivism defines truth through verification: a proposition is meaningful, and thus capable of being true or false, if and only if it is verifiable... Continue reading "Epistemology: Analyzing Philosophical Theories of Truth" »

Essential Vocabulary Terms

• Adamant: Not giving in; stubborn.
• Amoral: Lacking a moral sense; without principles.
• Eccentric: Differing from what is customary; odd.
• Absolve: To find innocent or blameless.
• Encounter: A brief or unexpected meeting.
• Epitome: A perfect or typical example.
• Antagonist: An opponent; one who opposes or competes.
• Animosity: Bitter hostility.
• Malign: To make evil and often untrue statements about; speak evil of.
• Amiable: Good-natured; friendly and pleasant.
• Inclination: A tendency, or preference, to think, act, or behave in a certain way; a leaning.
• Curt: Rudely brief when speaking to someone; abrupt.
• Wary: Cautious; on guard.
• Retort: To reply in a quick, sharp, or witty way.
• Demoralize: To lower the spirits of; weaken the confidence

Room to Grow (John Stuart Mill)

- He was a genius, raised on utilitarianism.

- There are different types of pleasure, and some are better than others.

- Anyone who has experienced high and low pleasures prefers the high.

- Paternalism: Forcing someone to do something for their good (acceptable only in children).

- The Harm Principle: Every adult should be free to live as they want as long as they do not harm anyone.

- The more freedom, the happier.

Unintelligent Design (Charles Darwin)

- Everyone has apes in their family tree; we are part of nature.

- His theory explains how human beings, plants, and animals have come to be what they are and how they are still changing.

- You cannot be a Darwinian and also believe that God created all species as they... Continue reading "Philosophical Insights: Mill to Freud" »

The Will and Voluntary Action

Description of a Voluntary Action

Difference Between Wanting and Desiring

• It starts to appear when the good, intellectually conceived, is not sensible.
• It clearly appears when there is opposition between the will and desire.

Analysis of a Voluntary Action

Characteristics of the Aristotelian-Ptolemaic Cosmovision

Organicism:

• The Universe is like a living organism.
• Each part of the Universe serves a function.

Anthropocentrism:

• The geocentric quality of this cosmovision is a form of anthropocentrism.
• The Earth, the place in which human beings live, is at the center of the Universe.

Finalism:

• All natural changes have a "final cause", i.e., an ultimate objective. The changes pursue this objective.

Heterogeneity:

• The Aristotelian cosmos is not a "universe" but a "diverse": it has diverse regions.

Philosophical Positions on the Existence of God

• Theism: Affirms the existence of a personal, supernatural, and transcendental God. God is not just the cause of reality, He also governs it.
• Deism: Affirms that God exists

What was life like for children among the Puritans?

What was expected of them and what kinds of things were they banned from doing? How were they disciplined for misbehavior?

They had to follow the same strict code as adults, such as doing chores, attending church services, and repressing individual differences. They weren’t allowed to show any form of emotion and stay ignorant. The punishment would be physical, such as whipping.

What factors contributed to the instability of life in Salem Village?

Salem is a community on the outskirts (in the wilderness), just hanging on. Woods could conceal Indians or the Devil himself. Their charter was revoked, rigid religious practices, belief in predestination, misogyny, gossip, land disputes, and resentment... Continue reading "Puritans, Salem, and the New World: Beliefs and Conflicts" »

Moral Development Concepts

Your Guess. 1. Moral Dumbfounding

2. Nativism

Instinctive, evolutionary history with a strong genetic base.

3. Empiricism

Morality learned during childhood.

4. Epigenetics

How the environment regulates particular genes in an individual’s lifetime. For example, twins raised in the same conditions are not perfectly correlated in either physiological or psychological measures (Plomin, 1994). This suggests that a genes + environment model is insufficient to explain the origin of morality, potentially pointing toward molecular chance.

5. Piaget: Rationalism

Morality in children is self-constructed through their interactions with others. Example: volume of a glass of water.

6. Kohlberg's Stages

Stages of moral development based... Continue reading "Moral Development Theories and Research Findings" »