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

Nietzsche's Philosophical Stages

The Apollonian and Dionysian: First Stage

Friedrich Nietzsche's 1872 work, The Birth of Tragedy from the Spirit of Music, delves into the reality of aesthetic categories. It offers a profound analysis of Greek tragedy, which he viewed as encompassing all of Western culture. Nietzsche distinguishes between a scientific understanding of reality and a tragic knowledge, which, according to him, represents the very best of human life, as it manifests the irrational aspect neglected by science.

In tragedies predating Euripides, two contrasting elements are always present, expressing the essence of human life: namely, the Apollonian and the Dionysian. These concepts are defined as follows:

• Apollo represents the ideal of

Employee Dismissal Procedures

Dismissal Process and Severance

When an employee is dismissed, specific procedures must be followed to ensure legal compliance and fairness. Key aspects include:

• Written Notice: The employee must receive a written notice clearly specifying the facts and reasons for dismissal.
• Severance Pay: An allowance of 20 days' salary for each year of seniority in the company, with a maximum cap equivalent to 12 months' salary.
• Notice Period: Immediate dismissal is generally not permitted. A prior notice period of 30 days must be given. During this 30-day period, the employee is entitled to a leave of absence for six hours per week to seek new employment. The company may also choose to compensate the employee financially in lieu

Procedure for Treaty Termination, Suspension, and Annulment

The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties establishes a procedure for the invalidity, termination, and suspension of treaties, regulated by Articles 65 and 66. This procedure is as follows:

• The party claiming suspension, termination, or invalidity must notify the other parties, stating their claim regarding the treaty and the reasons for it.
• If no party raises objections within three months, the notifying party may adopt the proposed measure.
• However, if any other party objects within this three-month period, the parties must seek a peaceful solution.
• If a peaceful solution cannot be found within 12 months of the objection, the dispute will be subject to a conciliation procedure, as

This strategy highlights several key features:

• A clear distinction between "us" and "them" among the parties involved in the conflict.
• Each party seeks total victory.
• Each side views the problem solely from its own perspective.
• More emphasis is placed on solutions rather than on defining goals, values, and objectives.
• Conflicts are personalized and often involve personal attacks.
• There are no clear plans for conflict resolution.

Understanding Conflict Outcomes: Lose-Lose

This outcome is named because neither party achieves its desired objectives. In this strategy, parties are more interested in preventing the other from winning than in solving the underlying problem. Examples include war and strikes.

Win-Win Conflict Resolution

In contrast to the above,... Continue reading "Conflict Resolution Strategies: Win-Win vs. Lose-Lose Outcomes" »

Cultural Context

Romanticism

Romanticism became the banner of the youth who wanted to spread the revolutionary spirit in politics, philosophy, literature, and the arts. This movement was a cry for freedom, both socially and artistically. The themes, cutting idealistic people, are the exaltation of the individual and privacy.

Artists from this period include Delacroix in painting, Chopin in music, and Victor Hugo in theater. Romanticism idealized history, society, and nature. For this reason, they were branded as evasive and replaced by realism.

Realism

Realism is an art movement concerned with the concrete reality of human beings. Thus, the usual topics are everyday life or the harsh conditions of workers.

In science and technology came breakthroughs... Continue reading "Romanticism, Realism, and Marxism: 19th Century Europe" »

Machiavelli's Political Philosophy

What Characteristics Did Machiavelli Attribute to Government?

• A ruler must not prioritize the perceived goodness of people.
• To govern effectively, a ruler may need to act against conventional notions of charity.
• A ruler must act independently, discerning what is truly beneficial or detrimental, according to the circumstances.

Note: Machiavelli's use of terms like "inhuman" or "infidel" should be understood within the historical context of his time and may not reflect modern ethical standards.

What is the Relationship Between Ethics and Politics According to Machiavelli?

Machiavelli posits that ethics and politics are entirely separate. He emphasizes political realism, suggesting that political action often necessitates... Continue reading "Machiavelli's Political Philosophy and Key Concepts in Governance" »

The Quest for Explanations: Beauty and Forces of Nature

The need to find explanations for the beauty of the cosmos and the forces of nature is a fundamental human drive. The inability to find appropriate responses can produce a confusion difficult to bear. To alleviate this anxiety and intellectual restlessness, the first explanations arose from mythology and religion. Nietzsche claimed that human beings preferred nothingness to a lack of belief, and any explanation was better than none.

Judeo-Christian Legend

These explanations appear in the Bible. This work tells that God created the earth in succession: the firmament, the seas, plants, stars, and finally, animals. His work culminated with the creation of man, who was in charge and master of... Continue reading "Origins of the Universe: From Mythology to Modern Science" »

Federico García Lorca's Blood Wedding: An Introduction

Blood Wedding, a tragedy in verse by the Spanish writer Federico García Lorca, was written in 1931. This poetic and theatrical production delves into the analysis of a profound tragic sense, universally framed within the evocative Andalusian landscape. A central theme explored in this powerful drama is the interplay between life and death. Love emerges as the sole force capable of confronting death.

The Central Conflict: A Wedding Betrayed

The work's primary argument revolves around an upcoming wedding set to unite the Bridegroom with the Bride. However, tragedy intervenes, preventing the marriage from being consummated. The Bride, who had suppressed her love for Leonardo, experiences a... Continue reading "Federico García Lorca's Blood Wedding: Themes and Conflict" »

Descartes' Proofs for God's Existence

It is necessary to prove the existence of God without reference to the outside world, only from the analysis of my ideas.

Arguments from the Idea of God

The "cogito ergo sum" gives us the assurance that there are ideas in my mind but does not give us certainty if the objects they represent remain in external reality or not.

The ideas are not different if considered from the point of view of their subjective reality, but when considered from the objective point of view, they are very different from each other.

All these ideas are "caused," and "it is clear that there must be at least as much reality in the cause as in the effect."

The ideas that represent other people or natural things contain nothing so perfect... Continue reading "Descartes on the Existence of God" »

Kantian Ethical Formalism

Kantian ethical formalism centers on key characteristics such as autonomy (autonomous ethics), duty (ethical duty), and a formal ethics. According to Kant, humans are sensitive and rational beings. As for reason, humans are free, setting universal purposes to guide their lives.

• Reason gives its own behavior and conduct law, leading to autonomous reason.
• Humans are also beings influenced by feelings.
• One thing is to act in conformity with duty, and another is to act from duty. An action can be done in conformity with duty, but for other purposes or interests.

The moral value lies in the good will, independent of empirical outcomes. Duty is the necessity of an action done out of respect for the law.

Communicative Ethics

Communicative... Continue reading "Key Ethical Frameworks: Kant, Rawls, Hedonism, Utilitarianism" »