Intro to Ethics
September 1, 2013
Aristotle and Kant
Aristotle and Immanuel Kant have greatly influenced the moral and cultural views, and the way that we perceive the world as a whole now. If Aristotle was only judged solely in terms of his philosophical influence, only Plato is his peer: Aristotle's works shaped centuries of philosophy from late antiquity through the renaissance, and even today continue to be studied with keen. On the other hand, Kant synthesized early modern rationalism and empiricism, set the terms for much of nineteenth and twentieth century philosophy, and continues to exercise a significant influence today in metaphysics, ethics, political philosophy, aesthetics, and other fields.
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover many subjects including physics, poetry, music, biology and ethics. Together with Plato and Socrates, Aristotle is one of the most important founding figures in Western philosophy. His views on the physical sciences profoundly shaped medieval scholarship and their influence extended well into the Renaissance, although they were ultimately replaced by Newtonian physics.
Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher who is widely considered to be a central figure of modern philosophy. He argued that human concepts and categories structure our view of the world and its laws, and that reason is source of morality. His thought continues to hold a major influence in contemporary thought, especially in fields such as metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, political philosophy, and aesthetics. He is seen as a major figure in the history and development of philosophy. German and European thinking progressed after his time, and his influence still inspires philosophical work