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

Idealism: Rational Intuition and Consciousness

Idealism, at its core, emphasizes the role of rational intuition in understanding reality. Key figures include:

Johann Gottlieb Fichte

• Fichte's philosophy, distinct from Kant's, centers on three concepts:
  1. I-consciousness (Self-consciousness): Fundamental for defining freedom.
  2. Rationality of Intuition: The means through which the 'I' grasps reality.
  3. Freedom: The ultimate goal, achieved through this intuition.
• His initial philosophy posits the 'I' as the source of freedom through this intuition.

Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling

• For Schelling, the Spirit (the 'I') is the fundamental element.
• He opposed Fichte's more systematic and technical approach.

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

• Hegel focused on the Spirit'

Reasons to Doubt

• Senses: Doubts about the senses and sense knowledge obtained from external reality. Senses can be misleading.
• Sleep and Wakefulness: The problem of distinguishing between sleep and wakefulness. Sometimes, dreams are so vivid that we feel things as truth. The inability to discern if one is living in a dream or in a waking state.
• Knowledge: Doubt in one's knowledge and reasoning processes. One can make errors in reasoning.
• The Hypothesis of the Evil Genie: It is possible that there is an evil genie deceiving me, even about what appears to me as obvious.

Conclusion of Methodical Doubt

After carrying out doubt on all these points, the only thing that remains is the doubt itself. The object of doubt is a reaffirmation of the indubitability... Continue reading "Descartes' Philosophy: Doubt, Existence, and Innate Ideas" »

Introduction: The Need for Language

Humans require language to gather information necessary for survival and communication. Communication enhances knowledge of life science and human culture. Language arises to avoid gaps in communication.

Ordinary Language

Ordinary language refers to the languages commonly used by humans to communicate with each other.

Functions of Ordinary Language

• Representative: To affirm or deny a predicate of a subject.
• Expressive: To express one's own attitudes, desires, and emotions.
• Appellative: To provoke actions in the receivers.
• Performative: To perform a linguistic act and an extra-linguistic one simultaneously.
• Metalinguistic: To speak about the language itself.

Problems with Ordinary Language

• Equivocal terms: Terms that

Fundamentals of the Federative Republic of Brazil

The following comments address the fundamental principles of the Federative Republic of Brazil, as expressed in relevant constitutional articles:

Core Constitutional Principles

• Sovereignty

  Sovereignty is the power to organize its laws and rules and enforce the universality (the extent) of its decisions within its territory. This power must remain within the limits of ethical living and must not be subjected to any foreign power. Diplomatic, trade, financial, and cultural relations with other states recognize this sovereignty and power within the boundaries and limits of its territory. International recognition is important for the existence of a state.

• Citizenship and Political Rights

  Citizenship

Understanding Human Intelligence and Behavior

Human intelligence is defined by the ability to manage behavior effectively using information to solve novel problems.

• Managing Performance: We cannot act intelligently if we are incapable of directing our behavior, which is often driven by desires and fears.
• Making the Right Choice: This involves making the right choice and acting effectively.
• Using Information: We must seek and utilize relevant information.
• Solving Novel Problems: Practical problems are more complicated because, besides finding the solution, we must implement it, which is often the hardest part.

Status and Freedom in Society

We are social beings; we need to live together. We are born immature and need to learn almost everything. Fortunately,... Continue reading "Human Intelligence, Will, and Societal Concepts Defined" »

Plato & Aristotle: Conception of the Soul

Aristotle rejected Plato's dualistic theory, which posited that humans are composed of a body and soul with a radical division between these two components. For Aristotle, the soul is the principle of life, the 'act' of a living body, distinguishing it from inanimate objects.

Consequently, he argued that not only humans possess souls, but also that different kinds of souls exist, corresponding to different forms of life. Hence, Aristotle distinguished three types of souls: vegetative, animal (or sensitive), and rational. In contrast, Plato viewed the soul as a uniquely human quality, not establishing different kinds of souls but rather dividing the human soul into three parts: the rational, the spirited... Continue reading "Ancient & Medieval Philosophy: Soul, God, and Christian Thought" »

Rawls' Principles of Justice

Rawls defines two main principles:

• Principle of Equal Liberty

  All people possess the same fundamental freedoms and rights.

• Principle of Economic Inequality

  This principle permits economic inequalities only if they benefit all. It is justified if two conditions are met:

  • Economic inequalities must improve the situation of the least advantaged members of society (the Difference Principle).
  • Economic inequalities must be attached to positions and offices open to all under conditions of Fair Equality of Opportunity.

  Therefore, it is not unfair for some people to be richer than others if these two conditions are met. Such differences may arise because individuals possess varying levels of proficiency, skill, or ability to utilize

The Hellenistic Period (Beginning 323 BC)

The Hellenistic period began in 323 BC with the death of Alexander the Great. Classical philosophy, marked by the death of Aristotle a year later, underwent significant transformation. Alexander's empire fragmented into various ancient monarchies and military dictatorships.

During this era, monarchies remained strong, but democratic principles declined, and the focus on traditional politics diminished. Hellenistic theories often rejected political engagement. While the period is sometimes strictly defined as ending with the rise of the Roman Empire under Augustus, it can be argued that, given the Romans were also Hellenized, the era truly concluded with the fall of the empire.

Key Characteristics of Hellenistic

The Fixity of Species

The concept of the fixity of species posits that species, as created by God, are immutable and isolated groups. This view was notably supported by Linnaeus.

From a philosophical perspective, this idea relates to the immutability of things (as discussed by Plato). Key tenets include:

• Every individual has a predetermined place in nature.
• There is an immutable core to human nature.
• The human being is considered the protagonist of creation.

Foundations of Evolutionary Theory

Evolutionary thought began with the Lamarckian transformist theory. However, the complete evolutionary framework was developed by Charles Darwin, who provided extensive evidence supporting his ideas:

Key Concepts of Darwinian Evolution

• Common Origin of Species
• The

Philosophy is an activity that reflects on concepts. It involves examining concepts without preconceived notions and responding with arguments or reasoning, similar to Aristotle's approach. According to him, the origin of philosophy lies in the admiration for strange phenomena that we don't understand by nature or because we lack instinctive explanations. Explanations can be:

• Pre-rational: Myths are explanations based on imagination. These fantasy stories tell of supernatural beings and random events.
• Rational: These explanations originated in Miletus (6th century BC) due to its geographical location and commercial activity. The rise of democracy in Miletus contributed to the development of rational reasoning.

Types of Rational Explanations:

• Scientific