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

Part Three: Organization for Creation and Sustainability

Item 7: Develop the Will to Act & Form a Group Motor

Go Meet People & Understand the Context

The purpose of community work is the establishment and/or accompaniment of groups in carrying out social development projects.

During the immersion process and gaining knowledge of the social space in which they work, the professional in social intervention often detects a collective problem. Regarding this problem, there might be a passive attitude of waiting or demanding action from others. Imagining that a community worker's action develops solely from an explicit request by people can be, in many cases, an error and naive.
It's an error because someone who does not perceive themselves... Continue reading "Fostering Collective Action: Proactive Community Work" »

Power

Power: The capacity to perform a transformation on an object or the potential to become something. It is divided into active and passive:

• Active Power: The ability, power, or authority to enact a transformation on something or to produce something. This understanding of power is present in everyday language, such as when we say a car is powerful or someone has a powerful imagination. Aristotle also uses this notion in psychology, for example, defining the powers and the active powers of the soul.
• Passive Power: The capacity or aptitude to become something else, a determination to acquire a form. Examples of this understanding are present in our language, as when we say that someone has a future as a footballer and is potentially a good player.

Metaphysical Period: 6th Century BC to 17th Century AD

There are two stages:

• Naturalist (5th-6th Century BC): This is the thought of the Greeks, who argued that nature is perfect and eternal. Nature includes the world, humans, and gods.
• Supernatural (5th Century BC to 17th Century AD): The natural world is not as important as the supernatural world. Society returns to the myth.

Naturalism

Nature is the foundation of three branches of philosophy:

• Ethics: Refers to individual behavior and gives reason-based standards to guide it. Conscience must be based on nature.
• Morality: A set of customary rules that tell us what is good and what is bad. Born to criticize from the right.
• Law: Intended to establish standards to guide our conduct in connection with

Aristotle: The Political Animal

For Aristotle, humans are inherently political animals. He believed that the city arises from a natural progression, starting with the individual, then the family (necessary for reproduction), and finally, society. This allows individuals to not only live but to live well, assuming favorable economic conditions that free some individuals from material tasks, enabling them to pursue uniquely human endeavors.

While Aristotle argued that humans are political animals (meaning they participate in the state's life, not merely live in society), he acknowledged that not all individuals fully realize this potential.

Hobbes: Absolute Sovereignty

Hobbes advocated for individuals to cede their power and strength to a single... Continue reading "Aristotle, Hobbes, and Rousseau: Social Contract Theories" »

Key Philosophical and Anthropological Concepts

This document outlines fundamental concepts in philosophy and anthropology, including human evolution, socialization, and different schools of thought regarding human nature, sociability, and freedom.

Hominization and Socialization

• Hominization: The process of biological evolution of humans from their ancestors to their current state.
• Socialization: The social learning experience through which the older generation encourages the younger generation to adopt traditional ways of thinking and behaving.

Logic, Fallacy, and Paradox

• Logic: The study of the features of the formal validity of reasoning.
• Fallacy: Any invalid reasoning that appears to be valid.
• Paradox: An argument or set of arguments that seem true,

Aristotle's Philosophy

Aristotle's entire philosophy is permeated by a clear sense of teleology, in that the realization of each being's proper end is its own good. Knowing the truth is the real purpose of human beings, and it is their ultimate goal. Humans, in addition to knowing, living, and knowledge, give you a good life that makes you happy and is more specific to humans. Knowing the truth is the philosopher's task, who will therefore be the happiest of human beings. The philosopher is concerned with the principles and causes that are more universal and unchanging. Therefore, their research should cover both "being"—"being" as "being"—as well as movement, change, and transformation.

Research into Aristotelian principles about "being"... Continue reading "Aristotle's Philosophy: Understanding Being and Human Nature" »

Philosophy: The Love of Wisdom

The reflection method that reflects the articulation of knowledge and the limits of existence and modes of being is called philosophy. The term, of Greek origin, is composed of two words: philos (love) and sophia (thought, wisdom, knowledge). Therefore, philosophy is the love of knowledge.

The philosopher, in turn, is an individual seeking knowledge for knowledge itself, without a pragmatic view. They are moved by curiosity and inquire about the ultimate foundations of reality. Beyond the development of philosophy as a discipline, the act of philosophizing is intrinsic to the human condition. It is not just concrete knowledge, but a natural attitude of humans in relation to the universe and their own being.

Like... Continue reading "Philosophy and Intelligence: Understanding Human Existence" »

Machiavelli: Life and Political Philosophy

Niccolò Machiavelli was born in Florence in 1469 into a noble family and received a good education. He actively participated in political life until the age of 44, dedicating his time to political theory. His most seminal work is The Prince. Machiavelli was primarily interested in presenting the mechanics of government, divorced from moral questions, and in formulating the means by which political power can be established and maintained. He argued that if a state's primary goal is to ensure its safety and welfare, the ruler is justified in using immoral means to establish and preserve power. Machiavelli's thinking is dominated by political realism: he sought to analyze the pure political act, devoid... Continue reading "Machiavelli: Politics, Power, and The Prince" »

Myth vs. Logos: The Dawn of Reason

Myth: A fantastical story, rich in symbols and metaphors, passed down through generations. Myths explain the world's origin and address questions about the afterlife, featuring gods, heroes, and characters who act arbitrarily within a natural setting. They reveal esoteric truths that require interpretation.

Logos: Representing word, argument, and reason, logos signifies language grounded in reason and explanation. This marked the beginning of rational thought, with philosophy as its heir.

Early Theories of Existence

Fixism: This theory posits that species arose from a single act of creation at a specific time and remain unchanged. Aristotle adhered to this view.

Creationism: Creationists argue for divine intervention... Continue reading "Human Evolution and the Rise of Philosophical Thought" »

Plato's Ideal State and the Philosopher Ruler

Motivation: Discontent in Athens

Plato believed that the philosopher is the only one capable of governing an ideal state justly. His philosophy emerged in reaction to the philosophical theories and discontent with the political situation of his time. In 5th century BC Athens, neither the democracy nor the rule of the Thirty Tyrants had been able to govern justly. Plato rejected democracy, which promoted the equality of citizens without regard for knowledge or virtue. He also criticized it because the democracy led by Pericles devolved into the power of a few poorly educated sophists, and the system committed injustices, such as condemning Socrates to death.

The Role of Knowledge and Ideas

Plato argued... Continue reading "Plato's Republic: Justice, Society, and Philosopher Rulers" »