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

Classifying nouns according to their meaning is complex, as it involves establishing an order for the realities or beings they designate. However, understanding the traditional classification is essential, as it is the most common:

Common Nouns vs. Proper Nouns

Common nouns designate all members of the same class (e.g., pine, balcony). Proper nouns identify or individualize a being distinct from others of the same class. Proper nouns for people are called anthroponyms (e.g., Gabriela, Eduardo), while those for places are called toponyms (e.g., Madrid, Júcar).

Proper nouns, used to designate individual beings, often accept the plural form. They typically reject the article, except in specific cases:

1. When the proper noun is specified:

• You are advised

Understanding Your Vocation

Your destination is an imperious tendency toward a particular way of life for the realization of your potential. Vocation is a force that operates both inside the individual, pushing them to act in pursuit of their life project, and outside, where the needs of society provide a real and concrete framework for its expression.

It is the inner force that drives and energizes a person to be held in society. This force is a double called Vocation: EXTERIOR (requirement of the company) and INTERNAL (internal needs).

Justice as the State's Purpose: Plato

Some thinkers believe the State's main function is to ensure justice, a view held by Plato. However, discrepancies arise when defining justice.

Justice: A Virtue of the Soul

Plato believed humans are composed of body and soul. The soul has three parts:

• Rational (knowledge)
• Volitional (ambition and will)
• Appetitive (desires)

Each part has a specific virtue:

• Rational: Wisdom/Prudence
• Volitional: Strength/Courage
• Appetitive: Temperance

According to Plato, justice exists when each part of the soul fulfills its respective virtue.

Justice and Social Order in Plato's Republic

Plato's Republic describes a just state analogous to the human soul, with three classes:

• Philosopher-Rulers (wisdom)
• Guardians/Warriors (courage)
• Producers

Karl Marx: A Critical Analysis (1818-1883)

Karl Marx's work critically analyzes bourgeois capitalist society, its production model, and the interpretation that society holds regarding reality, human beings, and their history. His primary aim is to move philosophy beyond the mere interpretation of the world, seeking instead to transform this unfair, unequal, and exploitative world for the majority of humanity.

For Marx, the human being is the fundamental principle of society and the subject of history. Therefore, the study of humanity must form the basis of any theoretical conception of the world and history.

Key Features of the Marxist Conception of Humanity

• The human being is a natural being, but possesses no fixed or innately given nature; rather,

Augustine's Inner Search

Augustine is a major figure in Christian philosophy. He believed that God is the source of all reality, truth, and goodness. For Augustine, the search for God begins with self-examination. He believed that God knows us from within, and the soul, as an image of God, is the starting point for this quest. Augustine rejected the Platonic idea of finding truth in the external world, instead advocating for an inner quest to analyze the contents of consciousness.

Faith and Reason in Augustine's Thought

Some Christian philosophers believed that faith lies beyond human capabilities and rejected reason's interference. Augustine, however, saw faith and reason as complementary. He believed that God gave us reason and that religion... Continue reading "Augustine's Philosophy: Faith, Reason, and Divine Illumination" »

A Century of Crisis

René Descartes (1596-1650) developed his philosophy during the 17th century, a period marked by political and religious upheaval. This crisis led to a loss of established foundations, resulting in doubt and a search for new certainties.

Key Characteristics of the 17th Century

• Absolutism: The absolute authority of the monarch, mirroring Descartes' aim to establish absolute knowledge.
• Counter-Reformation: The Catholic Church's efforts to maintain Christian unity through the Inquisition, leading to religious wars like the Thirty Years' War (in which Descartes participated).
• Baroque: An artistic movement expressing transience, pessimism, and disorder, exemplified by figures like Molière, Calderón de la Barca, Cervantes, Velázquez,

Positivism vs. Habermas
Auguste Comte:
Born in Montpellier, France, January 19, 1789; died in Paris, September 5, 1857. He is considered the founder of positivism and the discipline of sociology. He early rejected traditional Catholic and monarchical doctrines. In 1848, he founded a Positivist Society.
Jürgen Habermas:
Born in Dusseldorf, Germany in 1929. He studied at the Frankfurt School and became a leading representative of Critical Theory.
Positivism:
Positivism, a philosophical trend since the 19th century, greatly influenced politics and knowledge. It asserts that only scientific knowledge, achieved through the scientific method, is authentic. Positivism is characterized by being useful, true, accurate, and constructive, without accepting... Continue reading "Positivism vs. Habermas: A Comparative Analysis" »

Empirical Standpoint: The Superiority of Sensory Experience

At an epistemological level, Nietzsche adopts an empirical standpoint, establishing the superiority of sensory experience over reason. The senses show us the real world; they are sharp observation instruments that reveal minor differences. In contrast, reason falsifies the testimony of the senses, creating an apparent world and misleading us.

Anthropological Level: A Vital Perspective Against Dualism

At an anthropological level, from a vital perspective, Nietzsche criticizes the dualism of the ailing Western metaphysical tradition. He claims the health of the body as a vital force to impose its reality. Platonic dualism is rejected for sentencing the soul to the prison of the body. Similarly,... Continue reading "Nietzsche's Critique of Metaphysics: Embracing Sensory Experience" »

Plato's Republic: Building the Just City (367e-376e)

Socrates proposes investigating social justice and individual justice by witnessing the spectacle of a city's birth, observing how justice and injustice might arise within it.

The Necessary City: Meeting Basic Needs

The city originates from the lack of individual self-sufficiency. To meet basic needs—food, shelter, and clothing—the city will require:

• Farmers
• Masons
• Weavers
• Shoemakers

The different natural abilities of individuals suggest applying the principle of functional specialization to increase productivity and improve product quality. To provide tools and materials, the city will also need carpenters, blacksmiths, cattlemen, and shepherds. Lack of self-sufficiency will necessitate traders... Continue reading "Plato's Republic: Justice in the Ideal City and Soul" »