Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and exercises for Philosophy and ethics for University

G.A. Cohen's Locked Room Analogy

The story of G.A. Cohen presents a scenario where ten people are locked in a single room with only one key able to open the door. This thought experiment is used to analyze the concepts of freedom and necessity within the capitalist system.

The Analogy's Components

The room is similar to the working class, the people locked in the room are the individual workers, and the key represents the means with which individual workers can escape the working class. It must also be noted that only one individual may use the key and leave the room, and after that individual leaves, no other individual may attempt to exit.

The Argument for Individual Freedom

It is true that before anyone attempts to leave, all are equally free...

Propositional Logic

• Propositional logic: The study of arguments whose validity depends on how the statements are connected, regardless of their meaning.
• Argument: A sequence of propositions whose purpose is the implication of another proposition.
• Premise: A succession of propositions that serve as evidence.
• Conclusion: The inferred proposition.
• Proposition: A declarative sentence whose meaning can be True or False.
• Variable: An unspecified element of a reference set.
• Propositional form: An expression containing a variable that becomes a proposition when the variable is substituted by an element of a reference set.
• Simple statement: Refers to a single event.
• Tautology: A compound proposition that is True under all possible truth conditions.
• Contradiction:

Principle of Non-Retroactivity of Law

The principle of non-retroactivity of law means that a law can only apply to the future and will never have a retroactive effect. However, there are laws that apply retroactively. For example, laws that restrict themselves to declaring the meaning of other laws shall be incorporated into them but will not, in any way, affect the effects of judgments enforceable in the intermediate time.

Principle of Res Judicata

Res judicata is the effect produced by certain court decisions that are immovable, i.e., they cannot be discussed again. The principle of res judicata requires compliance with what was fixed in the sentence and also prevents double jeopardy by prohibiting the repetition of what has already been decided....

Fundamental Principles of Self-Governance and Authority

Autonomy

The ability to set one's own standards without influence from external or internal pressures.

Heteronomy

Being under the authority or mandate of another person.

Emancipation

Relates to any action that allows a person or group of people access to a state of autonomy by ceasing subjection to any authority.

Characteristics of Legal and Social Norms

The following terms describe the nature and enforcement mechanisms of rules and mandates:

• Coercibility

The threat to use violence of any kind, with the aim of constraining the behavior of individuals.

• Irrepressibility

A characteristic meaning the rule cannot be enforced by means of force; it must be obeyed spontaneously.

• Bilaterality

The characteristic...

Scientific knowledge (Overview and Basic Concepts)

Common sense knowledge is important, is generalized. Scientific knowledge has many steps that must be applied to determine if the hypothesis is true or situción. Do not generalize from one case.

Knowing is an intellectual process by which a relationship between the knower (actor) and the known object (reality).

There are glances of psychology:

1) Positivists: You must show, watch for it to be valid, measure, quantify, and so on. (It is science based on evidence).

a) Post-positivist Probalan is added, it may be or not. Deductive (general to particular).

2) Phenomenology: Is the experience, emotions, phenomena. Study what is not necessarily observable. Inductive method (particular to general)

The General Principle of Contradiction

Two contradictory statements cannot both be true. In the legal principle, two conflicting legal norms may not both be valid.

Logic

It is the science of thinking, that is, studying the structures of thought.

Divisions of Logic

• Formal Logic: ("minor logic") The formal study of science; it teaches the rules necessary for correct reasoning.
• Material Logic: ("major logic") Examines the material conditions of science and discusses or addresses reasoning based on the principles on which it depends.

Principle of Identity: In every true judgment, the subject concept is identical to the predicate concept.

Principle of Contradiction: Two contradictory judgments cannot be true at the same time and under the same aspect.

Principle

Common English Root Words

• Aqua - means water. Aquamarine
• Arbor - means tree. Arboreal
• Audio - means sound or hearing. Audible
• Bell - means war. Bellicism
• Com - means together. Community
• Con - means with. Connect
• Dict - means say. Dictation
• Geo - means earth. Geography
• Graph - means write. Graphics
• Hydra - means water. Hydrofoil
• Man - means hand. Manual
• Min - means small. Minimal
• Nov - means new. Novice
• Path - means feeling or suffering. Pathetic and Apathy
• Sol - means sun. Solar
• Therm - means heat. Thermometer
• Vac - means empty. Vacuum
• Vent - means opening to let air in. Ventilate
• Vit - means life. Vitamin

Other notable root words include liter, glyph, cap, morph, crypt, plan, ego, scent, and zoo. For example, zoo is derived from the Greek word for animal, which...

The Beginning of Sophie's Philosophical Journey

Sophie is a girl who is about to turn 15. After returning home and finding a letter in her mailbox that prompts her to take a correspondence course in philosophy, the world of Sophie truly begins. The girl learns about the great philosophers of history through a course taught by Alberto Knox, initially via brochures and later through private lessons.

A Timeline of Western Thought

Broadly speaking, the book covers myths and the natural philosophers (including Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes, Parmenides, Heraclitus, Empedocles, and Anaxagoras). It moves through Democritus, the fate of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and into Hellenism (Cynics, Stoics, Epicureans, Neoplatonism, and mysticism). It also...

It is claimed that money is the only thing that motivates entrepreneurs

I can clearly say that entrepreneurs have different types of motivations. Some of them are related to the desire to earn money and others with the illusion of turning your dream into reality.

At present, the development of new companies has become very fashionable. With this, many entrepreneurs dream of becoming the next millionaire genius like Mark Zuckerberg. They also dream of traveling by private jet, partying in Las Vegas and having a Ferrari.

Although money is a great motivator and is very necessary to boost entrepreneurs, recent research concludes that people who only seek to earn money have a personality more prone to individualism, lack of willingness to work in teams...

1. Double Salary?

Justify: 'Accept the offer'

• In USA business is governed by law and contract. There is apparently no relevant non-compete (stand-down) clause in her current contract.
• She should show them the new offer and ask them to pay her more than the new offer, or perhaps to match it. They had evidently been underpaying her.
• Point out that the other company evidently has found a way of making better use of her skills in order to serve the market or customer 'needs', that is, 'to drive forward the industry of mankind' for the common good; so she arguably has a moral obligation to accept it and move into that position

2. Wendy's Ads

Justify: Continue to advertise

• Our tests validate our claim and our ads refer to our tests only. It obviously depends