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

Common English Antonyms and Opposites

Many of these opposites are formed using negative prefixes such as un-, in-, il-, im-, or dis-.

• Adequate (adecuado) / Inadequate (inadecuado)
• Appropriate (apropiado) / Inappropriate (inapropiado)
• Bearable (tolerable) / Unbearable (intolerable)
• Believable (creíble) / Unbelievable (increíble)
• Censored (censurado) / Uncensored (sin censura)
• Comfortable (cómodo) / Uncomfortable (incómodo)
• Decent (decente, digno) / Indecent (indecente, indigno)
• Helpful (útil, servicial) / Unhelpful (inútil, de poca ayuda)
• Credible (creíble) / Incredible (increíble)
• Legal (legal) / Illegal (ilegal)
• Legible (legible) / Illegible (ilegible)
• Literate (alfabetizado) / Illiterate (analfabeto)
• Logical (lógico) / Illogical (ilógico)
• Loved

Essential Vocabulary: Key Definitions

Words Starting with E

Effervescent

Giving off bubbles; fizzy; vivacious and enthusiastic.

Words Starting with F

Formal

Done in accordance with rules of convention or etiquette; officially sanctioned or recognized.

Words Starting with H

Hasten

To be quick to do something.

Heart

The central or innermost part of something; to like very much.

Hindrance

A thing that provides resistance, delay, or obstruction to something or someone.

Words Starting with M

Motive

A reason for doing something, especially one that is hidden or not obvious; causing or being the reason for something.

Words Starting with O

Oasis

A fertile spot in a desert where water is found.

Words Starting with P

Proliferate

To increase rapidly in numbers.

Words Starting

Utilitarian ethics bases right and wrong on the greatest happiness principle. This principle states that actions are considered moral when they tend to promote happiness and deter its opposite, and immoral when the opposite occurs. This principle was formulated by Jeremy Bentham. Mill claimed that it is demeaning to reduce the meaning of life to pleasure. Utility is defined as pleasure itself and the absence of pain. Happiness is a sign that we are exercising our higher faculties.

When making a moral judgment on an action, utilitarianism thus takes into account not just the quantity but also the quality of the pleasures resulting from it. A pleasure is of higher quality if people would choose it over a different pleasure even if it is accompanied... Continue reading "Utilitarian Ethics: The Greatest Happiness Principle and Moral Judgments" »

Marxist Legal Theory

Deterministic View

For Marx, society divides into two distinct classes: the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. These classes are distinguished by their relationship to the means of production. The bourgeoisie, owning the means of production, exploit the labor of the proletariat, creating an inherent power struggle. This struggle manifests in various aspects of society, including law.

Marx argues that law, morality, and religion serve to mask bourgeois interests. Law, defined and implemented by the economic elite, perpetuates their dominance. This deterministic view suggests a direct link between a society's economy and its legal system, with the imbalance of power perpetuating conflict between the classes.

Ideology and Law

Marx... Continue reading "Marxist Legal Theory: Exploring Determinism and Ideology in Law" »

Principle of Utility

The principle of utility states that actions or behaviors are right in so far as they promote happiness or pleasure, wrong as they tend to produce unhappiness or pain. Hence, utility is a teleological principle.

Act Utilitarianism

Act utilitarianism is a utilitarian theory of ethics which states that a person's act is morally right if and only if it produces the best possible results in that specific situation.

Rule Utilitarianism

Rule utilitarianism is a form of utilitarianism that says an action is right as it conforms to a rule that leads to the greatest good, or that 'the rightness or wrongness of a particular action is a function of the correctness of the rule of which it is an instance'.

Euthanasia

Euthanasia (from Greek:... Continue reading "Understanding Utilitarianism, Euthanasia, and Ethical Theories" »

Liberalism:

Individuals should have freedom to live their lives as they see fit. It is an idealist ideology, they know what is best for them. Choose what's best for you even though it isn't.

Strength:

Humans do best when allowed to make their own decisions, no one is able to say in certainty what is best for us, only I know what is best for me, humans are fallible.

Weakness:

Individual freedom may be an illusion since we are not as free as we might like to think. Many people are manipulated by corporate and government interests. Advertising.

Socialism:

Workers control the means of production and distribute profits according to need. Critical response to capitalism, tries to solve the unfair situation of the employees.

Strengths:

A fair distribution... Continue reading "Political Ideologies and Their Strengths and Weaknesses" »

1. The Right to Freedom of Expression

Article 19 of the UDHR establishes that "everyone has the right to hold opinions without interference." This includes the freedom to seek, receive, and disseminate information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of borders, whether orally, in writing, in print, through art, or by any other means of choice.

2. Balancing Free Opinion and Personal Rights

The exercise of free speech can sometimes conflict with the rights of others. Under individualistic principles, it is often difficult to discern when we are exercising our right to free opinion versus violating another person's right to their reputation and honor. We must exercise free opinion without infringing upon the rights of others to express and disseminate... Continue reading "Understanding Freedom of Expression and Human Rights" »

Philosophical Concepts: Idea, Essence, and Reality

1. Idea and Object Equalization

We must possess a prior idea of something before we perceive it, allowing us to equalize our internal idea with the external object we observe. However, these two entities are never completely equal, as absolute equality does not exist.

What remains constant is the essence, which does not change regardless of our appearances or perceptions.

2. Classifying Types of Change

The following changes are classified as either accidental or substantial:

• a) Accidental change
• b) Accidental change
• c) Substantial change
• d) Accidental change
• e) Substantial change

3. Substance and Essence

The substance remains the same; its essence is unchanged even though its form may alter. For example,... Continue reading "Philosophical Analysis of Essence, Reality, and Choice in The Matrix" »

Septimus and Clarissa: Contrasting Perspectives in Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway

Introduction

Septimus and Clarissa, two central characters in Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, embody contrasting perspectives on life and the world. Septimus, a World War I veteran, struggles with mental illness and withdraws from reality, while Clarissa, a member of high society, embraces the social world.

Septimus: The Tormented Mind

Septimus is haunted by the horrors he witnessed during the war. His mind is fragmented, and he experiences hallucinations and delusions. He refuses to face reality and retreats into his own world, where he finds solace in nature and art.

Clarissa: The Social Butterfly

In contrast to Septimus, Clarissa is deeply involved in the social... Continue reading "Septimus and Clarissa: Contrasting Perspectives in Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway" »