Hellenistic philosophy

Kantian ethics and the ethics of Kant are fundamentally separate ideas. The ethical framework Kant laid out in the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of morals can be interpreted in a way which Kant himself would not adopt. This framework is based upon his three categorical imperatives, which Kant suggests our synonymous with each other. Later however, I will show how through a different application of Kantian ethics, one can radically diverge from his viewpoint, to disagree with Kant’s argument that…

The major role and function of Kant’s categorical imperative is basically to define a mechanism and an approach through which an individual can judge and determine if his actions are moral or not (Paton, 1948). In applying his categorical imperative, Kant argues that the fundamental of moral actions or acts are that they are applied and used in a universal manner. In today’s rich cultural as well as diverse community, the need for universality has become highly problematic. The fundamental…

Reason is not necessarily the means to the better life, or towards procuring ‘the good,’ from the view of these latter thinkers. It seems that Nietzsche would problematize the allegory of the den, in this respect, to no end. From a Nietzschean perspective, the relativity of our values, and the ways they merely reflect the power dynamics and social and political undercurrents of our age, begs the question of their effect on our reason (Nietzsche, 1989, p.46-47). The supposed ‘good’ or ‘moral…

Is our universe one complicated computer game with us being mere artificial intelligence made of ones and zeros? This is a strange question, one that I believe cannot be totally disproven or proven but what can we know no matter the answer? The philosopher Descartes wrestled with similar questions. He was concerned about the nature of our reality and more specifically the nature of our knowledge. (Descartes 166-167) He wanted to form a base for knowledge and a method to prove that what we know…

The journey to a philosophical way of thought In class, one of the assignments was to watch a video called Plato’s Allegory Of The Cave. While watching the video, a voice spoke as the story unfolded describing animated prisoners chained from their necks and bodies to a rail where they could only watch a wall in front of them to never be able to see what was around. On that wall their shadows were displayed. Over time, the fire from a distance would continue and someone would begin to maneuver…

My philosophy of religion and my philosophy of philosophy are marginally diverse than the way people may evaluate religion, before I share my thoughts, allow me to provide you some background of my life. Being born at the end of the 60’s and the turn of a new decade, gone were the flower power days and enter soul power, power to the people, and the Black and I’m proud movement. The ethnic temperature of that period remained extremely hot in the nation while growing up in North Philadelphia. My…

roads. And just as you must choose whenever you come to a fork in your physical road, you must also choose between different mental roads, different philosophies of life.” Throughout The Journey, Peter Kreeft explains that life will always have two ways. One cannot either pick to have or not to have philosophy but the choice is between good or bad philosophy. To decide which way of thinking is good or bad one must question other views to strengthen their own. Peter Kreeft is in a dream-like…

Why the fictional character Elleanor Anne Arroway Did not Believe in God. The fictional character Elleanor Anne Arroway, from the film “Contact,” had many reasons why she did not believe in god. She lost her parents at a young age, she was inquisitive, and there is how insane religion or religious people can be. The first of which would be her mother dying during her birth. Adding to that, her father, whom she was very close with, also died when she was around nine years old. So, the two…

what ought to be done in moral dilemmas. Although Kant tries to make the categorical imperative seem like a nicely packaged set of rules, we must be mindful when observing these rules, as they are merely guidelines. As our book Fundamentals of Philosophy points out, our moral decisions rarely come to us in neat and tidy choices between obvious good and obvious evil. As the old proverb says, choices are about saying no to one thing so you can say yes to…

Does Meursault’s catharsis affect his own existentialist behavior? Meursault’s catharsis affects people such as the chaplain who was attack by Meursault in which eventually led to his own existentialist behavior. Meursault relief opens himself to “the gentle indifference of the world” (Camus 122). His lack of emotions towards caring indicates that he is different than the rest of the world. Through Meursault release of anger towards the chaplain, he demonstrates his hatred towards death,…