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

Understanding Professional Ethics

The concept of ethics applies to all situations in which professional performance should follow a system of both implicit and explicit moral rules of different types.

Professional ethics seeks to regulate the activities undertaken within the framework of a profession. In this sense, it is a discipline included in applied ethics as it relates to a specific part of reality.

General Professional Ethics

Professional ethics is intended to raise awareness of responsibility in each and every one of those who exercise a profession or trade. This stems from the assumption that every value is closely related to the idea of 'a good'. Professional ethics or decision-making is based primarily on the rational nature of man.... Continue reading "Understanding Professional Ethics Principles" »

Ortega y Gasset: Life as Radical Reality

Early Life and Career

O., born into a bourgeois family in Madrid with ties to journalism, pursued a doctorate at the University of Madrid and furthered his studies in Germany. He became a full professor of metaphysics at the Central University in 1919. During the following years, he alternated his university teachings with the publication of numerous books and articles. He also engaged in publishing initiatives, conferences in America, and political intervention, becoming one of the most important Spanish social and intellectual figures. O.'s thought is always open to the world and its problems. In his writings, he blends the intellectual depth of a philosopher with a treatment of the most current issues.... Continue reading "Ortega y Gasset's Philosophy: Life as Radical Reality" »

Empiricism: Foundations of Knowledge

Empiricism, often referred to as "English Empiricism," is a philosophical movement initiated by John Locke in the mid-seventeenth century as a response to Cartesian rationalism. It was further developed and carried to its logical conclusions by thinkers such as George Berkeley and David Hume in the eighteenth century. The main features of Empiricism include:

1. The origin and value of all human knowledge stem from experience.
2. Denial of the existence of innate ideas.
3. The sole criterion of truth is sensory evidence.
4. Human knowledge is inherently limited by experience.
5. The preferred model and method is that of experimental science, particularly induction.
6. Emphasis on the practical and utilitarian value of knowledge.

Idealism:

Plato's Theory of Forms

It is not possible to give a common definition of objects that change continuously, unlike other beings. These beings were called "ideas." Things are separate ideas, but they are related. Throughout Plato's work, the term "idea" is mentioned, first in the Euthyphro about the idea of piety, where it means a model or criterion of truth. However, its definitive formation is found in the dialogues of maturity, especially in the Republic. The theory posits that ideas exist apart from particular things. They are not a "commonality" within things, nor are they concepts or mental representations. These are entities that have real and independent existence; every idea is a substance (ousia). The theory implies a doubling of the... Continue reading "Plato's Theory of Forms and Hume's Problem of Reality" »

Understanding Philosophical Concepts and Thinkers

Inductive and Deductive Methods

Inductive Method

The inductive method is a scientific approach that derives general conclusions from specific premises. This common scientific method involves four key stages:

1. Observation and recording of facts
2. Analysis and classification of facts
3. Inductive derivation of a generalization from the facts
4. Verification or contrast of the generalization

Deductive Method

The deductive method is a scientific approach where the conclusion is implicit within the premises. If deductive reasoning is valid and the premises are true, the conclusion must also be true.

Pythagoras: Philosopher and Mathematician

Pythagoras was a Greek philosopher and mathematician, renowned for the Pythagorean... Continue reading "Understanding Inductive, Deductive Methods & Key Philosophers" »

Apollonian and Dionysian Principles

For Nietzsche, there are two fundamental principles that constitute reality. The Apollonian, linked to the Greek god Apollo, embodies reason, light, order, harmony, and balance, often identified with the plastic arts. The Dionysian, associated with the god Dionysus, represents life, chaos, instinct, and irrational desire, closely tied to music, poetry, and drama. Nietzsche believed that the pre-Socratic Greeks achieved a perfect synthesis of reason and life, united in a constantly evolving world (as seen in Heraclitus). However, after Socrates, the Apollonian principle gained excessive dominance over the Dionysian.

Master and Slave Morality

Nietzsche distinguished between two types of morality. Master morality... Continue reading "Understanding Nietzsche: Core Ideas and Principles" »

Freedom: Definition and Types

Freedom is the power that human beings have to act according to their intelligence and will. Types of freedom include:

• External Freedom: The absence of pressure from external forces, allowing the subject to act without complete coercion.
• Internal Freedom: Exercised in a supportive environment, where an individual can build their life and pursue self-imposed goals. This includes:
  • Freedom of exercise.
  • Freedom of specification.
  • Moral Freedom.
  • Biological Freedom.

Determinism and its Forms

Natural determinism is the idea that human beings are not outside nature, but part of it.

• Physical Determinism: Considers that while human beings are more complex than other objects, their actions are determined.
• Biological Determinism: Considers

Understanding Interpersonal Dynamics

Human relations refer to the interactions between individuals who consciously exchange information through language, gestures, and other forms of communication. These interactions are not always voluntary.

Personal Relationships: Voluntary Connections

Personal relationships are voluntary human connections based on our individual tastes and preferences. They involve several key aspects:

• Being Comprehensive with Others: This involves considering the needs, desires, and feelings of others.
• Being Critical of Prejudices: Refuse to judge someone before you know them and appreciate others for their behavior.
• Being Respectful: Respect the rights of others, especially their dignity. Things can have a price, but people

A written text is a unit that discusses a specific topic with a specific purpose. It is composed of a series of sentences that maintain syntactic relations between them.

Key Elements of Effective Writing

• Consistency is the proper management of ideas. A paragraph, a portion of text that is enclosed by a full stop, helps us to verify consistency. Depending on how ideas are ordered, the structure can be analytic or synthetic.

• Cohesion refers to lexical items that connect different sentences, linking them together. Discourse markers are linked by lexical-semantic relationships or repetition.

• Adequacy occurs when there is a good correspondence between what is said and how it is said.

Discourse Markers

• Order: First, after
• Consecutive: Therefore, for
• Contrastive:

Life and Culture

Culture, the set of tools and techniques shaping human communities, provides the objective foundation of life and sustains societies. A historical understanding is crucial to avoid repeating past mistakes and build a better future. Life and culture intertwine to form a synthetic identity, encompassing dynamic notions such as events, news, opportunities, freedom, projects, and vocation, leading to a fulfilling life.

Project and Circumstances

Early childhood experiences, whether positive or negative, shape initial life projects. Maturity involves assessing these projects against existing circumstances, navigating primary and secondary challenges, and adapting to new situations.

Truth and Perspective

Ortega y Gasset emphasizes the... Continue reading "Spanish Society, Culture, and Ortega y Gasset's Perspective" »