Epictetus’ philosophical theories were that we only had control over your thoughts, opinions, desires, aversions, and movement towards things. He believed that those were the only things in the world that you had total control over, everything that is inside of us is free, and everything outside of the human body is weak, slavish, hindered and belongs to others. He believes that when you do not have your priorities straight you will end up “miserable and distressed, and you will find fault with both gods and men.”(From Plato to Derrida p.239 chapter 1) The way he believed that your priorities should be is like this; “you suppose to be yours only what is yours, and what belongs to another to belong another, no one will ever compel you, no one will ever hinder you; you will find fault with no one, reproach no one, nor act against your own will; you will have no enemies and no one will harm you, for no harm can touch you.”(From Plato to Derrida p.239 chapter 1) Epictetus’s master was torturing him by turning his leg and Epictetus told him to stop because he was going to break it. The master did not stop and broke his leg shortly after that.
Secondly, Aquinas concludes that common sense observation tells us that no object can create itself. In other words, some previous object creates it, but there cannot be an endless string of objects causing other objects to exist. Aquinas believes that ultimately there must have been an uncaused first cause that begins the chain of existence for all things. I quite assent to the idea that there must have a first unmoved mover to put the universe into motion. As we all know, everything has a beginning and an end, so as to the universe.
The prime mover is the thing that created everything and exists by necessity, therefore has to exist. It is perfect and cannot change, as the ability to change would mean that it is not perfect. This also means it is pure good as a lack of goodness means you can do better and doing better would require change. The prime mover cannot interact with the physical world and has no plan for us, going against the idea of God, the prime mover most people believe in. The prime mover is the unmoved mover, this is similar to the domino effect were someone (the prime mover) nocks over a domino causing the adjacent dominos to topple as well but the starter of the chain reaction is unmoved itself.
As history shows, Socrates is a believable character as the Apology written by Plato has many examples showing he truly is philosophical and wise. In sections 21a, and 28e, examples can be found of what it means to be philosophical from the view of God and Socrates and how he fits the profile. Sections 33b, and 33d, can be used as examples of how Socrates’ wisdom has influenced those who chose to learn from him. Lastly in section 29b, and 32a Socrates speaks the truth and part of philosophy means to investigate the truth, therefore by him speaking (of) the truth it makes him wise. In 4th century BC Gods and oracles play a big role in society as they have a huge influence on how people choose to live and act.
Existentialism is a philosophical theory that states that each individual has absolute freedom of choice and each has the responsibility to regulate one’s own actions. Existentialists believe that life has no universal meaning thus the pursuit of any greater truth is unnecessary and trivial (Existentialism). In slight contrast, absurdists believe that in the trivialality of a universal meaning, but that the pursuit itself may contain greater truths (Belanger). However, both believe that the world as a whole is purely nonsensical and illogical (Existentialism). Camus’ philosophical beliefs are evident throughout his first work, The Stranger.
He argued that they were part of the structure of the mind and that we would have no experience without them. He says that sight, smell, touch etc. are all meaningless to us unless they are brought under these innate concepts. Kant believes in a world beyond our conceptual scheme called the noumenal world which he says we can know nothing about and it is impossible to discuss. People have criticized this view by say that how can Kant know that the Noumenal world exists if there is no evidence of it.
Kumar Bhattacharyya The Paradox of the Philosopher-King In this paper I shall delve into Plato’s The Republic and analyze his Just state, with particular interest in his assertion that the most ideal ruler would be a ‘Philosopher-King’. Plato hints at the impossibility of this Philosopher-King, yet sets strong arguments as to why a Philosopher King is the most appropriate ruler. He does this through his definitions of what it means to be a ‘Just’ state, and how a philosopher best embodies those qualities that would maintain the Justice, and prevent any Injustice from seeping in. Plato also supports his assertion through his epistemology and metaphysics, which serve to further strengthen his argument. I will begin by recounting the demographic structures that are present in Plato’s “Just” state, and by exploring his epistemological and metaphysical claims, highlight the impossibility of such a ruler.
‘’Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end and never merely as a means to an end’’. The third imperative says that we as humans should all live moral lives; we cannot depend on anyone or anything else. "Therefore, every rational being must so act as if he were through his maxim always a legislating member in the universal kingdom of ends." An important strength of Kant’s ethical system is that Kant does not specifically set any deontological rules. Kant talks about the Summon Bonum, ‘’the real object of our will’’, he says that we cannot achieve this without our own morality entering into the equation for making decisions.
Kant’s view uses a categorical imperative, in which ethics is based upon an absolute, objective, deontologcial theory, in which intentions are more important than consequences. Kant believed that an ethics should be based around something entirely good. He decided that the only thing entirely good in the whole universe is ‘good will’. Everybody must decide ethical decisions in a way in which they put themselves last, fulfill their duty, and commit only selfless acts. This may be psychologically impossible, as many believe there is always a selfish reason for any good deed, however Kant only proposed a theory, and
Plato also suggested that the theoretical form was never ending, unlike the physical form which starts at our conception/birth and ends at the moment that we die. By this way of thinking Plato states that the human mind and thought process is immortal and unable to end. Since we really do have knowledge of these supra-sensible realities, knowledge that we cannot possibly have obtained through any bodily experience, Plato argued, it follows that this knowledge must be a form of recollection and that our souls must have been acquainted with the Forms prior to our births. But in that case, the existence of our mortal bodies cannot be essential to the existence of our souls—before birth or after death—and we are therefore immortal.