Melden, A. I. (1967). Ethical theories; a book of readings (2d ed.). Englewood Cliffs, N.J.,: Prentice-Hall. "Kant’s outward life was wholly uneventful. He never traveled more than forty miles from his birthplace in the eighty years of his life, and his townspeople would set their watches as he came into view during his daily constitutional." [...]
More quotes from the Leviathan Melden, A. I. (1967). Ethical theories; a book of readings (2d ed.). Englewood Cliffs, N.J.,: Prentice-Hall. "The RIGHT OF NATURE, which writers commonly call jus naturale, is the liberty each man hath, to use his own power, as he will himself, for the preservation of his own nature." (224) [...]
Melden, "three forms of desire, each with its characteristic object: wisdom; honor; gain as a means to the satisfaction of bodily appetites…reason alone is immortal and separable from the body." (53) Socrates, "It is clear that the same thing cannot act in two opposite ways or be in two opposite states at the same [...]
More quotes from Plato’s Republic for my philosophy students. Themes include: The Just Man Virtue Social Contract Theory Conceptual Analysis Human Nature The sin of inaction Melden, A. I. (1967). Ethical theories; a book of readings (2d ed.). Englewood Cliffs, N.J.,: Prentice-Hall. Melden, "Socrates holds that in moral conduct also there is a measure which [...]
Kant’s CI as a "Golden Rule" is sometimes a pet peeve of people who study Kant. From one of the buried discussions…A somewhat common interpretation of Kant is that his Categorical Imperative is an expression of the Golden Rule — Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This is not bad [...]
Some semi-random thoughts on John Stuart Mill Tyranny There is both “tyranny of the majority” (either through legal democracies imposing restriction upon individuals who do not wish to conform, or through social pressures and opinions) and a tyranny of the minority (either legally through a constitutional republic or an accumulation of wealth, power, influence, etc.) [...]
For my philosophy students, some notes from Plato’s Republic to remind us of some of the major themes of the course. Melden, A. I. (1967). Ethical theories; a book of readings (2d ed.). Englewood Cliffs, N.J.,: Prentice-Hall. Plato (428/7 — 348/7 B.C.) Only real life political adventure ended in disaster. Never gave up [...]
Melden, A. I. (1967). Ethical theories; a book of readings (2d ed.). Englewood Cliffs, N.J.,: Prentice-Hall. "To be useful, moral principles must be general; but, being general, their utility is inescapably limited. The future, however much it may resemble the past, provides its own novelties. A set of moral principles covering all possible moral eventualities [...]
I wonder how many people realize that without Judas…Jesus would not have died for their sins. Something to think about. I have no idea what this is about.
Like many others, I’m somewhat ecstatic that the Navy Seals killed Bin Laden. However, thinking about events over the years since 9/11 and the wide range of celebrations and comments on his death I have to wonder if, in the end, he actually achieved his twisted goals. Our nation seems more divided than ever between [...]