Metaphysics is a popular field of science, which explores concepts such as healing, death and the afterlife, the spirit world, tarot, meditation, astrology and the supernatural. When the word metaphysics is thrownaround casually, one is not to be intimidated, rather enlightened, as it has little to do with physics, but shares the main concept of physics-"energy".
Thomas Hobbes philosophized about the Nature of Man in the State of Nature. Hobbes believes that man in the State of Nature, in which there is no sovereign, would live like the beasts of the wild. Hobbes claims that the State of Nature is a State of War, where every man is in competition to survive with every man. There are no laws in the State of Nature, because there is no sovereign to enforce the laws. Therefore every man can do whatever is necessary to survive, regardless of the consequences (Hobbes 186). Hobbes argues that any governmentis better than the State of Nature or State of War.
28/11/2008 Hobbes also seems to assume that the natural position of man is one of chaos where everyone has right to everything and might makes right. It seems to me that this idea is questionable. Can mankind in general ever live in chaotic disunity? Was there ever such a time as when man did not cooperate for continued survival. If not, then it seems rash to conclude that a breakage of a social covenant leads into such a state. For example, even when rebels oust a government and institute a new one, they do so not out of chaos, but out of a new and different order.
The French philosopher Rene Descartes lived from 1596-1650. He was the son of an aristocrat and traveled throughout Europe studying a wide-variety of subjects including math, science, law, medicine, religion, and philosophy. Descartes was greatly influenced by other thinkers of the Age of Enlightenment.
26/11/2008 It seems that Augustine's view of grace versus free will reacts in a similar fashion. Grace is that act of god by which our souls can turn from a carnal and sinful existence to look toward the world above, toward god. This implies that the only way to achieve glory is through god, a view in keeping with biblical text. However, the same argument states explicitly that we cannot achieve glory through ourselves without the blessings of god. This would seem to mean that free will is not enough in and of itself to achieve virtue.
The Greeks recognized that there were two kinds of love, Common Love and Noble Love. The combination of these two loves will make for an everlasting love. It is the love of mind, body, and soul, not the foolish love of youth, or the love of intellect a person develops later in life. It is the same today. People who wish to have true everlasting love should look through the shell of their potential mate, and discover what is on the inside. Potential lover's should know each other's inner most feelings thoughts, and intellect, not just the exterior shell. Physical beauty is deceiving. It blinds the mind to the workings of the real person. The old saying "beauty is only skin deep" is an idea that more people should accept. There is virtue in beauty, but attraction due to beauty itself, and only beauty has no virtue, and is not everlasting. Combining physical love with the love of the person's intellect is the best way to ensure a happy healthy relationship. This is the true love, and finds its roots in virtue not in beauty. Virtue is the higher form of love, and Common Love is the lowest form. The ideal form of love combines virtue with the physical attraction of Common Love.
Mill believes a person should never be punished because his actions set a bad example or because the public feels they can not act responsibly concerning their own being(76).
In so doing, he develops a new philosophical way of looking at the world. Instead of viewing things only objectively, Descartes throws in the subjective. This type of philosophy became the basis for a...
Matters of fact, which are the second objects of human reason, are not ascertained in the same manner; nor is our evidence of their truth, however great, of a like nature with the foregoing. The contr...
Hobbes' definition of justice also deserves questioning. Is injustice really as he defines it, as a sort of follow the laws . . . regardless of other considerations (i.e. morality, values, etc)? Again...
The Greeks recognized that there were two kinds of love, Common Love and Noble Love. The combination of these two loves will make for an everlasting love. It is the love of mind, body, and soul, not t...
If the route of knowledge is through a lecture pertaining to one of the above mentioned subjects or a similar subject, the following fictitious examples can help to zero in on what to look for in a me...
Plato's Apology helps define the philosophy of Socrates. Socrates believed in truth above all else. He wished to change the way in which his contemporaries viewed the world. Socrates believed "the une...
In 1951 Manson set out for California, making his way there by auto theft. Before he could make it to his destination Charlie was caught in Utah and again sent away. While in this institution Charlie ...
Machiavelli, however, was a realist. He was concerned with how things were in reality, not how things could be if the world was perfect. He was greatly influenced by his failures in public life. He ha...
Plato's Apology helps define the philosophy of Socrates. Socrates believed in truth above all else. He wished to change the way in which his contemporaries viewed the world. Socrates believed "the une...
In Hume's "Enquiry Concerning Human Nature," he seeks to bring insight to the masses regarding the absurdity of religious belief. Hume uncovers a lack of evidence associated with fervent religious bel...
Mill argues that society has control over a person's liberty when they are a child (77). It is society's job to educate a young person and make "them capable of rational conduct" (77). If society fail...
Pausanias discusses two kind of love. Pausanias says Phaedrus—who spoke just before Pausanias—should have differentiated between the heavenly love and the earthly love. He claims there are two loves j...
Plato's writings were arranged in groups of four. The dialog form used by Plato came naturally out of Greek drama, the Athenian habit of discussion and the use of dialog by Socrates.
The prerequisites before embarking on a metaphysical path requires the two following things: a belief in a God and the possibility of an afterlife. If these two concepts are not met, one will have tro...
Plato's Apology helps define the philosophy of Socrates. Socrates believed in truth above all else. He wished to change the way in which his contemporaries viewed the world. Socrates believed "the une...
Mill notes that it may be further objected that a person may set a bad example for others by his actions and in that way do harm to others (75). Therefore, we should be concerned with everyone's actio...
When brought to the level of science, this trend is more easily explored. The more mathematical science of physics is understandable in terms of mathematical forms. F=m*a has a very definite mathemati...
The range of Plato's knowledge was vast. He developed a deep insight into all the arts and sciences, including mathematics, physics, astronomy, politics, ethics, esthetics, poetry, painting, sculpture...
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