Is eudaimonia the ultimate end of human action?
Is eudaimonia the ultimate end of human action? "Every act and every inquiry, and similarly every action or pursuit, is thought to aim at some good, and for this reason the good has rightly declared to be that at which all things aim' (Aristotle, The Nicomachaen Ethics, 1094a) The concept of eudaimonia is one central to Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics and reflects Aristotle's belief that there exists one ultimate end to which all other ends are insubordinate and at which all actions are aimed at achieving. It is therefore seen by some as a 'prize' of human endeavour as a result of complete virtue and a complete life. Since then of all things which may be done there is one End which we desire for its own sake and with a view to which we desire everything else; this plainly must be the Chief Good, i.e. the best thing of all' (1094a) The 'ultimate' nature of the end is that it is said to be a self-sufficient or final end and therefore not simply a means to a further end. Those who believe eudaimonia to be a dominant end would give it special status above other ends as, whilst other ends such as Pleasure, Victory and Wealth can be seen as desirable in themselves, they are all purely a means to eudaimonia. The reverse cannot be said as eudaimonia is not a means to them and so is a self-sufficient end. It is not possible to eudaimon in one part of ones life and not another thus
Rule of Law
"The rule of law achieves its most perfect and complete form in liberal-democratic societies". Do you agree? If so, why? If not, why not? The rule of law, as oppose to the rule of men, is the legal maxim in which no one is immune to or above the law. It follows logically from the notion that truth, thus the law, is based upon fundamental principles which can be discovered, but cannot be created through an act or will. It's most important application is the principle that governmental authority is exercised legitimately in accordance with written, publicly disclosed laws adopted and enforced with established procedural steps. Its' core intention is to safeguard against arbitrary governance, "whether by a totalitarian leader or by mob rule".1 In essence, the rule of law centrally comprises "the values of regularity and restraint, embodied in the slogan of 'a government of laws, not men'".2 A classical three element formulation of the rule of law was created by A.V. Dicey in 18853. Firstly, it means the "absolute supremacy or predominance of regular law as opposed to the influence of arbitrary power". It carried a notion that men are ruled by the law, and by the law alone; that a man may only be punished for a breach of law but nothing else. Secondly, it represents equality before the law or equal subjection of all classes to the ordinary law of the land administered by the
Plato's theory of forms
Assignment 3 Plato's theory of forms Tasks a) Read student manual on Philosophy of Religion, Foundation, the section on 'the Theory of Forms' pages 11-16 (include a review on the diagram of Plato's 'Theory of Forms' on page 10) b) Complete the exercises in the margins of pages. c) Make the link between Piget's 'stages of development' and Plato's Theory d) Complete the glossary exercise on page 16. Philosophy of Religion Assignment 3 Plato's Theory of Forms Opinions or Knowledge, how would you differentiate the two? Most people only have opinions even if they think they have knowledge. Opinions are thoughts are ideas fed to us by other people. These range from our spiritual beliefs to thoughts on everyday things, things most people never truly think about themselves. We must think outside what we have been told, look beyond the world that other people have created for us and access the world of concept and ides. Only once we have looked at many different concepts and ideas and have reasoned with them all do we actually have knowledge. How do you know that giving one child a reward while his or her twin gets nothing for the same achievement is unfair? Man has developed the ability to sympathise and empathise with each other. This ability plays a big part in us deciding what is right or wrong, fair of unfair. We are able to draw from our own experiences and
The Role of Women in the Church.
The Role of Women in the Church - C. Schofield 09/90 This paper looks at the biblical teaching on the role of women in the church. Does the Bible place certain restrictions on the types of ministry which women are to exercise in the church? Should certain positions in the church have a "men only" sign on them? It is helpful to first contrast 2 opposing views on this subject. The "male authority" view (abbreviated MA) holds that the exercise of spiritual authority, including public teaching, is restricted to men. The "equal authority" view (abbreviated EA) holds that there are no such restrictions. ) The "male authority" view Adam and Eve were created with an equal status in God's sight (ontological equality, equality of being), yet their relationship to one another involved a functional subordination, i.e. Eve was "ordered under" Adam. He exercised authority over Eve, who was to submit to his authority. This subordination (without in any sense implying inferiority) is the norm for all subsequent relationships between male and female within marriage, and also in general between the sexes. It implies a different leadership or authority role in God's church. Leadership over a mixed group of men and women is the prerogative of the man. This creation principle can be seen clearly throughout the Old Testament. The full light of the gospel in N.T. times restores women (and
The Purpose of Education
Gunneswaran Tharmeswajakan HZT4U1 Ms. Byrne Monday February 22, 2010 The Purpose of Education Education is regarded as an important part of the modern society and a person cannot function without it. Therefore, we are posed with the question, 'What is the purpose of education?' According to Jiddu Krishnamurti, education prevents someone from living life. He believes "[i]t is very easy to conform to what society or your parents and teachers tell you. That is a safe and easy way of existing; but that is not living, because in it there is fear, decay, death" (Jiddu Krishnamurti). Education does not consist of fear, decay and death but the lack of one does consist of these things. Education is a necessity in order to 'live' in the modern world and has always been important. Fear exists anywhere and everywhere; therefore, it is inevitable even in fearing fear. Essentially, one cannot live life completely avoiding fear. We are bound to meet fear and face problems in our daily lives. Education may bring some fears but it also eliminates others. For example, education may have the fear of passing and understanding the study material but it eliminates the chances of being poor and walking the streets empty. Fear is a part of life and it gives experiences which help to understand life. To understand the value of life, one may ask: the survivor of a car accident, a patient who has
To what extent was it possible to reconcile Darwinism and Christianity in the late Nineteenth Century?
To what extent was it possible to reconcile Darwinism and Christianity in the late Nineteenth Century? The 'crisis of faith' that the latter part of the Victorian period witnessed can be attributed to a pivotal moment where mans conception of his own existence, belief in God and his relationship with Nature were questioned and then completely transformed. This theological upheaval has been widely attributed to a single individual, Charles Darwin and his works 'The Origin of Species' 1859 and 'The Descent of Man 1871. Although to a large extent, choosing not to mention mankind, "Light will be thrown on the origin of man and his history" (O.of .species p-458), being the only direct references, it was 'Origin' that served as the primary catalyst, in its address of an evolutionary theory for ALL species of life. His following work' The Descent of Man' would function, to some degree, to spell out the obvious with an in-depth application to man. This discussion will explore the unorthodox challenge that 'Origin' represented to both the literal meaning of The Bible and the authority of the church itself. The main aim of this discussion will be to map the emergent divide in a theological sense but to also consider the wider ideological context of science versus religion that manifests at the heart of this debate. This will be divided into two sections: Firstly
