Aristotelian ethics

It can be concluded from Socrates’ philosophical approach and teachings in The Apology and Crito, that politically speaking he is an idealist. This in turn is a stark contrast to Machiavelli’s more practical writing in The Prince. Therefore, the two inherently diverge on their political perspectives and thus, would differ in what they would deem an ‘ideal’ prince, and consequently the political system that would form as a result. In both The Apology and Crito, it is rather ambiguous as to what…

Although Machiavelli and Socrates both lived during times of uncertainty, political fragmentation and violence, their philosophies about how the state should conduct itself are in direct contrast with one another. Machiavelli’s the Prince is founded on the principal that if a ruler wishes to maintain power, he should embody the ideology of pragmatism, while Socrates believes the state should follow him in his commitment to moral purity and justice. The inherent dissonance between these…

In Rawls’ Theory of Justice, he thinks of Justice as Fairness. Rawls’ thinks the distribution or redistribution of goods is fair, in my opinion, this would depend upon the situation. It’s also stated in Justice as Fairness that “Justice should not be based on Luck of Birth”. Another exert in his text states that the “Veil of Ignorance guarantees that justice will be achieved by the least well-off”. Although some of the things Rawl’s speaks of in his Theory of Justice could possibly be…

supported by groups like the Humane Society, have been denounced by stricter animal rights proponents, such as Tom Regan and Gary Francione, who consider reformist attitudes to justify and and feed animal exploitation. (Franco, 2013) As mentioned, animal ethics and the advocation for their rights was on the rise, and this wave of thinking was so powerful and influential that “humane science” became a widely accepted idea that both scientists and governments advocated for and adopted for…

Socrates’s Main Concern: The Soul Taken from the Chapter no. 2 of the book The Philosopher’s way written by John Chafee. Introduction and Background: The purpose of this thesis is to identify the main key ideas of Socrates concern with the betterment of the Soul. Highlighting the word ‘Psyche’ as the soul which is immortal or imperishable. Defining Soul as the main identity of a person, it is what defines a person, his acts, and his mindset. He added that every soul has happiness in it but not…

Are Humans Born Morally Bad, Amoral, or Morally Good? Introduction The argument about whether humans are born morally bad, morally neutral, or morally good has been controversial for many years, with different philosophers proposing dissimilar perspectives. Plato believes that humans are born morally good. Aristotle claims that humans are born amoral. Hobbes alleges that humans are born morally bad. John Locke contends that humans are born amoral. I believe all human beings are born amoral…

The Taming of the Private Tyrant: An Analysis of the Hydra, the Lion, and the Human as the Image of the Soul in The Republic by Plato This philosophical study will define the taming of the tyrant in The Republic by Plato. Socrates presents the image of the soul through the three symbolic identities of (1) the hydra, (2) the lion, and (3) the human to identify just and unjust behaviors. The hydra represents the lust of human ambition with its many heads; the lion represents the grandiosity of…

A backbone built on honor, code, and loyalty defines the “chain-of-command” mentality that associates with the military’s public persona. No clearer is this than in Rob Reiner’s A Few Good Men, bringing the judgement line of a military order and a gradually rationalized act of unethical action to the forefront. Commentary considered by Phillip Zimbardo’s “The Stanford Experiment” and Herbert C. Kelman and V. Lee Hamilton “The My Lai Massacre: A Military Crime of Obedience”, all these articles of…

Heartache and misfortune are inevitable as we go through life, but it is how we respond to these misfortunes that defines who we are. No one wants bad things to happen to them, in fact we do everything we can to avoid going through difficult times, but some things can not be avoided. Something we can avoid is obsessing over the inevitably unfortunate things that happen in our lives. There was a time in my own life when I was on the edge of being consumed in my own sadness. In fourth grade,…

III. The Life of George In this section, FOH demonstrates that both the mugger and doctor subordinate George’s humanity. The former subordinates George’s humanity by overvaluing self-interest, and the latter subordinates humanity’s value by promoting George’s self-interest, and ignoring his reasoning. (Case A): George v. The Mugger Unlike deceitful promising, mugging is transparent. George knows that he would die if he refuses to hand over the money. George also knows that the mugger is…