Aristotle on Void
For Aristotle, there is no separate void. It is thought that if there is movement of simple bodies, then the void must exist. In particular, if one body moves toward or upward, it is because there is a void. So, it is thought to be a sort of place deprived of body. Aristotle casts a […]
On What God Did Wrong
Leibniz, unlike other rationalists before him, exemplified a more comprehensive universe that was chosen by God as the best of all possible worlds. This perfect world is characterized by an infinite number of simple substances “monads” which are non-spatial and non-temporal entities. In this paper, I shall try to break into the Leibniz’s system to […]
Utilitarianism vs Deontology
In this argument I will fight with utilitarianism and will defend Kant’s Principle of morality. If we focus on the issue of rights, justice and fairness we can easily identify weaknesses of the utilitarianism compared to Kant’s principle. For instance, in the utilitarian society rights of the individual can be easily revoked because the main […]
Mill’s Utilitarianism in Questions and Answers
Explain Mill’s “principle of utility”? Why do you think Mill feels compelled to defend it in such great detail? Mill’s “principle of utility” consists in justifying actions by producing happiness and reducing its reverse. The reason why Mill defends its “principle of utility” in such great detail is that many of those who argue against […]
Socrates on Philosophy
One of you might perhaps interrupt me and say: “But Socrates, what is your occupation? From where have these slanders come? For surely if you did not busy yourself with something out of the common, all these rumors and talk would not have arisen unless you did something other than most people. Tell us what […]
Socratic Philosophy
In the Socratic literature, Socrates was arguably the most influential philosopher of antiquity. He did not write anything, but his influence is at the origin of the so-called Socratic literature. It’s a collection of books written by Socratic followers. By reading Socratic literature, we discover philosophy. Plato’s interpretation of Socrates is the one most familiar […]
Pre-Socratic Philosophy
Sophia (wisdom) Philosophy is a Greek invention. It is a phenomenon. Ancient Greeks referred themselves to SOPHISTÊS, coming from SOPHIA (wisdom or knowledge). SOPHIA is an inquiry into nature that investigates the causes of everything, why it comes to be, why it perishes, and why it exists. For Greeks, SOPHIA does not have to be […]
Artistotle on Final Causes and Necessity in Nature
To explain something by reducing it to the matter (physicism) is an old style of presocratic philosophy. Empedocles explained things in this way. He looked at ‘becoming’ and using ‘becoming’ explained ‘being’. Aristotle rejects this method as life cannot be explained by material terms. He is trying to combine goals, necessity with the matter. If […]
Aristotle on Nature
According to Aristotle, nature is an internal principle of motion. No production thing has within itself the principle of its own production. In some things (for instance, a house or any other product of handicraft) the principle comes from outside, and it is withing other things. In other things (those that might turn out to […]
Aristotle on Causality
According to Artistotle, there are 4 types of causes: Consider the production of an artifact like a bronze statue. The bronze is the material cause in the production of the statue. The bronze is also a subject to change, the thing that undergoes the change and results in a statue. The bronze is melted and […]