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Tag Archives: Aristotle

How Our Morality Realizes Our Humanity

July 11, 2010 – 7:21 pm

In a previous post, I discussed the intrinsic connection between being and goodness and between functional activity and being.  I argued, for example that the various components of a heart need to function as a heart to be a heart and similarly that a human being must act morally to realize her humanity.  Specifically, I [...]

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By Daniel Fincke | Posted in Contemporary Ethics, Contemporary Ethics, Duty, Duty, Ethics, Ethics, Featured, Historical Ethics, Historical Ethics, Historical Philosophy, Intellectual Virtues, Intellectual Virtues, Love, Love, Metaethics, Metaethics, Moral Psychology, Moral Psychology, Morality, Morality, Nietzsche, Nietzsche, Philosophical Ethics, Philosophical Ethics, Philosophy, Teleology, Teleology, Virtues, Virtues | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (13)

Michael Sandel On "The Lost Art Of Democratic Debate"

June 9, 2010 – 11:13 am

A good video from Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel, who recently wrote a book on justice for a popular audience, Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?, and who last year released on YouTube high production value videos encapsulating his lectures for his standard introductory level ethics class at Harvard. You can start watching those videos here. [...]

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By Daniel Fincke | Posted in Epistemology, Ethics, Gay Marriage, Gay Rights, Historical Philosophy, Intellectual Vices, Intellectual Virtues, Law, Morality, Philosophical Ethics, Philosophy, Same Sex Marriage, Teleology, Virtues | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (3)

Blasphemy Day Posters

October 5, 2009 – 7:24 pm

Blaghag has photos of all the posters from her Non-Theist Society’s “Blasphemy Day” during which students were given poster board to say whatever they wanted about whatever they wanted, as a celebration of free speech.  Here’s just one of the 16 students filled up: Ouch for Aristotle.  Who saw that coming on a blasphemy poster? [...]

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By Daniel Fincke | Posted in Atheism, Film | Also tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Biblical Scholar—Western Ethics Come From The Greeks, Not The Bible

September 15, 2009 – 4:31 pm

Biblical scholar and professor emeritus at the University of Sheffield, Philip Davies writes that the idea that religion bestows ethical value on human life is the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard.  First he lays into the divine command theory throughout the Torah and proverbs as genuine routes to proper (or even defensible) moral motivation [...]

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By Daniel Fincke | Posted in Atheistic Ethics, Christianity, Judaism, Plato, Roman Catholic Church | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Call It Volitional Love Rather Than Unconditional Love

July 31, 2009 – 11:55 am

Earlier today I posted Brendan Palla’s reply to my posts on unconditional love and love in general.  In what follows, I have interspersed my replies to him within the stream of his argument. I want to open with a bit of a critique. I don’t think you’ve captured very well the notion of unconditional love [...]

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By Daniel Fincke | Posted in Contemporary Ethics, Ethics, Love, Philosophical Ethics, Philosophy, Plato, Virtues | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (5)

Towards A "Non-Moral" Standard Of Ethical Evaluation

July 6, 2009 – 11:45 pm

In a previous post, I raised some remarks from psychologist of morality Jonathan Haidt, in which he discussed his theory that moral thinking appeals to 5 essential modules hardwired into our brains by evolution.  In the interview I cited from a couple of years ago he only referred to 4 of the 5 modules but [...]

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By Daniel Fincke | Posted in Atheistic Ethics, Authority, Autonomy, Duty, Ethical Pluralism, Ethics, Evolutionary Psychology, Metaethics, Moral Psychology, Morality, Philosophical Ethics, Philosophy, Sociobiology, Virtues | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (8)

On Equity: Plato, Aristotle, and Sotomayor

July 2, 2009 – 7:50 pm

Some day down the road, I hope to sift all my thoughts on empathy and “wise Latinas judges” in light of Nietzsche’s wealth of insights into perspectival knowledge as a more virile knowledge than the emasculation that comes through objectivity.  (Genealogy of Morals III:12)  But to hold us over in the meantime, here is Joseph [...]

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By Daniel Fincke | Posted in Historical Ethics, News Discussion, Philosophical Ethics, Philosophy, Plato | Also tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)