Seminar & Week 4

Kant

Kant believed that there are only three proofs of God's existence by pure reason: These are the ontological proof, The Cosmological Proof and The Physico-theological Proof.

The ontological proof define God as the most real being; which is the subject of all predicates that belong to being absolutely. It is for those who believe the proof valid that since existence is such a predicate, this subject must have the predicate existence e.i. must exist.

The cosmological proof says: if anything exist, then an absolutely necessary Being must exist: Kant also explains it in form of " I Know I exist: therefore an absolutely necessary being exists."

The Physico-theological proof is the familiar argument from design, but in a metaphysical dress. Kant argues that the universe exhibits an order which is evidence of purpose. He respects this argument but points out that,at best, it proves only an Architect, not a creator, and therefore cannot give an adequate conception of God. Kant concludes that only theology of reason which is possible is that which is based upon moral laws or seeks guidance from them.

Hegel

Hegel begins an argument of his logic by the assumption that " the Absolute is pure being"; we assume that it just is, without assigning any qualities to it. But pure being without any qualities is nothing; therefore we are led to the antithesis:' The absolute is nothing' . This could be seen as babies are nothing till they grow up as they are not born with qualities.

Week & Lecture 3

Empiricism is simpley described as the doctrine that knowledge derives from experience.

Noumenal world is perceived by 'intuition' - especially aesthetic reaction to art/beauty.

Keats states "Beauty is Truth, Truth is a Beauty". He believes thats all you need to know.

Kant invites perception he believes everything you perceive has two natures example of that is a *table* still there but has a different character. *( Noumenal object, has nature even if it was percieved.)

Kant's Morality
The Categorical Imperative
Things He Bilieves:

• intrested in instinct.
• Learn everything from the world that exist
• Born with certain ideas
• Maximus - bad to lie
• Morally good example of that is training

His moral law is every huma has got it written in their heart whatever they do.
He also believes the whole world should be destroyed if you lie.

Barkley states everything flasks in and out of existance. The universe looks the way it looks because of the perceptive appratus of the mind/brain. He states it is not actually there.

Utilitarianism is the idea that the moral worth of an action is determined solely by its utility in providing happiness or pleasure as summed among all sentient beings. Also measure good by its outcome.

Semester & Week 2

Seminar Notes:

In the essay, Wollstonecraft's Vindication of the Rights of Woman in an attempt to understand her feminism, at least in part, as an extension of the middle-class struggle for the "rights of man" and the establishment of a bourgeois society—both of which, Furniss claims, problematize Wollstonecraft's relevance to contemporary social issues.

Mary Wolstencraft states women are limited. They are not allowed to do many things men can. She says men stereotype women for what they should do, how to do it and simpley stating their are the weeker gender. Men believe women should be looking after the children keeping them the house clean and there always should be food on the table.

She also talks about sexuality and how women should have more freedom an example of that is in private life sexuality does matter as in men can only marry women and the other way round. But in public it doesn't matter who drives the bus whether is a men or women as long as it does not harm anybody.

Notes on the liberty

Mill's most memorable point made in his work "On Liberty" is that "over himself, over his body and mind, the individual is soverign" ...

Mills work can be connected to Rene Descartes quote" I think therefore i am" which questions everything. An example of that is how do you if mother is your real mother, or your birth certificate is real and that is your real birthday .


JOHN WILKES - LIBERALISM AND UTILITARIANISM


Liberalism could be explained as an idea of a polity administered with regard to equal rights and equal freedom of speech, and the idea of a kingly government which respects most of all the freedom of the governed.

Utilitarianism could be explained as providing happiness or pleasure as summed among all sentient beings. These people believe you can say anything you want as long as you do not physically harm anyone. The opposite of that is telling children Santa Claus don't exist which will harm them and it is not right as they are children.

A Modest Proposal

A Modest Proposal

By reading Jonathan Swift ‘A Modest Proposal’ walking and travelling through the street, roads and cabin doors of Ireland, all you can see is how crowded it is by female beggars and their children. He talks about how they beg instead of working which gives a bad example to their infants and when they grow up they become thieves because they find it easier than to work. Or some of them don’t even make it in life they die from diseases, hunger and care.

Jonathan Swift says ‘I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled ...’ His proposal on the female beggars with loads of children, who they don’t really take care of them who will end up dying at early age anyway either from hunger, diseases or simply murdered should be sold to eat. Jonathan Swift proposes that these children are sold to the upper class people who will eat them as he states above. Jonathan Swift states everyone would benefit from this proposal starting from beggars to richer class. He sees it as the female beggars will earn some money for growing and making the children healthier. Swift states by doing this it will also be “relieving the poor” as they will have fewer children to look after and have some sort of income to their families.

Seeing this proposal from the upper class family’s point of view is that they can pay for something to be seasoned for a year in this case young child to be healthy, grown and ready to eat. Jonathan Swift sees this as “some pleasure to the rich” because they can afford it and why not have it if they have money for it.

Jonathan Swift believes by making this proposal this would benefit the country by easing off the amount of thieves and beggars that are produced by careless poor families which all they do is breed. Swift also believed this would make Ireland a

better country. He states that eating human flesh could be normal and could be quite beneficial. Swift says his proposal is not a personal interest; he does it for the public good of his country.

Jonathan Swift is not the only to come out with this type of proposal to eat human flesh. Other cultures such as Buddhism say it is good to eat the flesh of the dead. Also many countries still practice cannibalism as part of their rituals and see it as normal thing to do. This means there is still people out there that could disagree on Swifts’ proposal on making the country better by eating young children.

Seeing this from another point of view which eating human flesh could be seen as not civilised and normal would disagree with Jonathan Swifts Proposal. In the story book Robinson Crusoe, Crusoe manages to civilise Friday from turning him to a normal person from a cannibal. No matter how hungry they get they would not eat each other because it is not seen as a good thing to do.

Reading Jonathan Swift a Modest Proposal my opinion on eating young children is I think that it shouldn’t be happening no matter what these children turn out to be, everyone deserves a better a chance. The only people to be blamed are the parents of these young children for bringing them into this life and not caring about them and when they should have brought them up with some sort of disciplinary. Also I think eating human flesh is very wrong as only God can give and take life. I strongly disagree with Swift proposal as it is not civilised to eat young children no matter if you can afford or not. My proposal would be to totally different because I would suggest that the children are taken care of by the country if the parents can’t. Or simply not allowing the have more than two children per family if they cannot manage to look after their self let along their children.

My First Blog Poster

My name is Georgi and I Am from Bulgaria. I currently studying at University of Winchester, which I find challenging and fun. I love football I can sit in and just watch football all day especially Manchester United.