Florence is widely regarded as the birthplace of the cultural movement that characterized the Renaissance, but it was also one of the first Italian republics and, thanks to the ensuing tensions between Church and state, home to intrigue and political chicanery....
Philosophy
Home » Philosophy »
Ends and means
A clear message of end justifies the means through Machiavelli’s work, The Prince, which created a significant shift in political philosophy and moral philosophy and well. The notion meant that actions should be judged by the consequences rather than intentions....
Moral luck
Moral judgment is a complex matter in itself. Modern philosophers identified a problem with judging action through only consequence or intention, something conventional philosophers overlooked. As the world is, supported by a series of causes and effects one can never...
Bacon and the scientific method
The Golden Age of Islam left a legacy of scientific wealth: ideologies and methods. The Baconian method is a methodical observation of facts as a means of studying and interpreting natural phenomena, inspired by the works of Islamic scientists. This essentially...
A state of nature
It wasn’t only a rich culture that could be accredited to the period of Renaissance, medieval feudalism was also replaced by independent states – republics and monarchies – that rose as a result of constant attempts in forging a humanist political philosophy. While in...
The social contract
The social contract, as suggested by Thomas Hobbes, is an actual or hypothetical compact, or agreement, between the ruled or between the ruled and their rulers, defining the rights and duties of each. In primeval times, according to the theory, individuals were born...
Voltaire and the encyclopédistes
The theories of Hobbes and Locke influenced a series of new political movements in France by the 18th century. Some intellectuals argued that the monarchy should be replaced by a more representative government, which gave political philosophy a new distinct voice....
Freedom
John Locke’s views on the nature of freedom of action and freedom of will have played an influential role in the philosophy of action and in moral psychology and so did the ideas of Hobbes. Albeit different, political philosophy decentered it’s focus towards ‘freedom’...
Revolution: replacing old monarchies
In Europe, the beginning of the 18th century saw the rise of a number of revolutionary ideas. These changes included the questioning of any divine right to rule and the need for governments to represent the people rather than act directly. The first revolution in...
Rationalism
Rationalism had its roots in ancient Greece. However, it wasn’t until the Renaissance that it began to gain momentum. It was during this time that the Scientific Revolution took place, which sparked a widespread interest in science and technology. Scientists such as...
Connect
Latest posts:
The four causes and the nature of being
Aristotle’s works can be said to be less focused on moral philosophy and more directed toward metaphysics and physics. Aristotelian science consists of the causal investigation of a specific department of reality – the nature of being. His emphasis on the concept of...
Republic and Politics
Like his mentor, Aristotle also expanded his theories into the domain of political philosophy. However, like his other approaches, he yet again took a different point of view in ascertaining how society can be best organized. Plato’s Republic symbolized an...
Ethics and the Golden Mean
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were all greatly concerned with refining and structuring moral philosophy, finding answers to the most unconventional questions regarding human nature. However, as they hoped to seduce an absolute definition, they prevented themselves...
Beauty
It was an eventuality of the Socratic era that philosophers set out to define the concept of beauty – which became the cornerstone for the field of aesthetics. The seemingly straightforward question ‘What is beauty?’ opened a realm of endless definitions in order to...
Judging a work of art
When Athens developed, so did its culture. It went through a classical period of innovative growth in the subjects of poetry, music, theatre, architecture, and art. It was the same time great philosophical thinkers were emerging in Athens. Some of them failed to...
Free Course in Semiology
A completely and truly free course on Semiology (Semiotics). Learn about the meaning of signs, how and why did the field emerged. What is the relationship between the street signs and the signs that we use every day - words.
