This essay focuses on the interplay between sex and gender.
Category: Social & Political
Arguments for Capitalism and Socialism
This essay is the second in a two-part series on the topic of capitalism and socialism. The first essay is on defining capitalism and socialism; this essay is on arguments for capitalism and socialism.
Defining Capitalism and Socialism
This essay is the first in a two-part series on the topic of capitalism and socialism. This essay is on defining capitalism and socialism; the second essay is on arguments for capitalism and socialism.
Aristotle’s Defense of Slavery
Aristotle’s defense of slavery illustrates how even the most brilliant people can fail to critically examine their own beliefs and society’s customs.
The African Ethic of Ubuntu
The word “ubuntu” is from some southern African languages and it literally means “humanness.” To have ubuntu is to be a person who is living a genuinely human way of life, whereas to lack ubuntu is to be missing human excellence. This essay reviews this concept and how it informs both the good life and how to act morally.
The Death Penalty
Author: Benjamin S. Yost Category: Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy Word Count: 992 The death penalty—executing criminals, usually murderers—is more controversial than imprisonment because it inflicts a more significant injury, perhaps the most serious injury, and its effects are irreversible.[1] Some advocates of the death penalty, or capital punishment, argue that it is justified because murder … Continue reading The Death Penalty
Wu-Wei: Acting without Desire
Author: Henrique Schneider Categories: Chinese Philosophy, Historical Philosophy, Global Philosophy Word Count: 997 Wu-wei (無爲, wúwéi) is a central concept in early Chinese philosophy. However, different schools of thought conceptualized the notion differently, so it is difficult to briefly capture its multiple senses and uses. Our focus here will be on one sense of wu-wei … Continue reading Wu-Wei: Acting without Desire
Reparations for Historic Injustice
Author: Joseph Frigault Category: Philosophy of Race, Social and Political Philosophy, Ethics Word Count: 996 History is marked by large-scale injustice. In the United States alone, Native Americans were violently displaced, Africans were enslaved and their descendants subject to lynchings and Jim Crow laws, and Japanese Americans were interned during World War II, among other … Continue reading Reparations for Historic Injustice
Theories of Punishment: What Justifies Punishment?
Philosophical theories of punishment ask what justifies punishment, both in general and what justifies particular punishments. Most theories appeal to punishment’s effects on the future or facts about the past. This essay reviews these theories.
Social Contract Theory: Hobbes, Locke, and the State of Nature
Author: David Antonini Category: Social and Political Philosophy, Historical Philosophy, Ethics Word Count: 997 When you make an agreement of some significance (e.g., to rent an apartment, or join a gym, or divorce), you typically agree to certain terms: you sign a contract. This is for your benefit, and for the other party’s benefit: everyone’s … Continue reading Social Contract Theory: Hobbes, Locke, and the State of Nature