Intentionality
Philosopher John Searle talks about intentionality ("the capacity of the mind to be directed at or to be about or of objects and states of affairs of the world other than the mind...") and consciousness, which he believes are the most important prop...
Is Ethics Based on Character?: Character-based Ethics
Until recent decades modern ethics was dominated by two approaches that focus on action. The movement that focuses on character rather than action has come to be known as virtue ethics. Looking at ethics in terms of who you are and how your life is ...
Is Ethics Based on Character?: Importance of Character and Narrative in Virtue Ethics
Kantian and Utilitarian theories tend to isolate moral decisions in the present moment and separate them from personal histories. In contrast, virtue ethics emphasizes the long-term nature of basic ethical choices and the advantage of using a life-s...
Is Ethics Based on Character?: How to Address Ethical Issues
One way to approach moral philosophy is to take each of the different ethical theories in turn and see how it would address a single moral question. Seneca, the Roman writer saw life as a series of concentric circles. What you are doing today has si...
Innate Ideas: Plato and the Meno
Philosopher Ian Hacking notes that Plato was fascinated by mathematics, and explains that his theory of innate ideas is based on the simple mathematical proof in his famous Socratic dialogue called the Meno.
What is philosophy?
This series offers learners an in-depth analysis of the wisdom of the Western world, The Examined Life studies the "Great Questions" that have intrigued philosophers from antiquity to the present. Using writings of past philosophers and interviews w...
What is real?
This series offers learners an in-depth analysis of the wisdom of the Western world, The Examined Life studies the "Great Questions" that have intrigued philosophers from antiquity to the present. Using writings of past philosophers and interviews w...
Coming to America: Portrait of Colonial Life: Family Unit in Colonial New England, The
Within the marriage relationship, community-prescribed roles and responsibilities are molded to meet the needs of the family, with the male head of household responsible for maintaining social and moral order within the family . There is no such thi...
Coming to America: Portrait of Colonial Life: Family and Community Life in New England
The portrait of life in New England plays out in stark contrast to life in the Southern colonies primarily because New England is settled by family groups. Although birth rates and life expectancy are generally high, women settlers find themselves i...
Coming to America: Portrait of Colonial Life: Immigration: A Key Element in American History
Immigration has been a key element throughout American history. The numbers of immigrants in the country's early history constituted a greater percentage of the population than it does today.