Machiavelli and Erasmus Compared by GENNADY STOLYAROV II Two scholars who lived simultaneously during the Renaissance could be considered the principal representatives of two colossally different schools of thought‚ humanism and pragmatism‚ which may be termed diametrical opposites in many respects. In their theories regarding government‚ war‚ toleration‚ and the perception of the individual‚ Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536) and Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) differed dramatically‚ though with
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"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth". Genesis 1:1 That is how the Bible starts. But what or who is this God mentioned in this verse? Does God exist? Is the universe the product of a fortuitous event or it was created by a "superior being"? These questions and many others have been asked by men‚ thinkers and philosophers for thousands of years and to try to answer these questions we need to begin by defining God. It is important to mention that‚ by trying to define God‚ we are
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of respect for humanity‚ of treating a human being like an end rather than a means. Both Plato and Aristotle agree that justice exists in an objective sense: that is‚ it dictates a belief that the good life should be provided for all individuals no matter how high or low their social status Plato sees the justice and law as what sets the guidelines for societal behavior. Aristotle puts emphasis on the institution of the polis Both viewed justice as the harmonious interaction of people
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waste the gift of a small part of the whole and promote mediocrity. The other option‚ Aristotle’s suggestion‚ is to utilize the gift of the preeminently "excellent" citizen to protect the state’s constitution by making him the ruler of the state. Aristotle further justifies his position by stating that a citizen should not be made the ruler of a state because of his wealth or his ancestry. Unless by some chance wealth or ancestry affects the ability of a citizen to work towards the interests of the
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interesting. Aristotle begins Politics by defining that a state is defined by its “view to some good” (1252a1). He later goes on to define that the state exists “for the sake of a good life” after its citizens have met their bare necessities. What does Aristotle mean by ‘good’? Does it mean happiness? Stability? I found this idea particularly intriguing because Aristotle points out that this goodness is best achieved collectively rather than individually. Is this possible? As Aristotle himself points
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At the start of Descartes fourth meditation‚ there are three certainties that Descartes has so far concluded. The first being that god exists. The second that god is not a deceiver. And third that god created him and is therefore responsible for all of his faculties (which includes his faculty of judgment). The first two convictions seem sound enough to Descartes yet the third convict evokes some conflict within him. Descartes speaks about how‚ if everything within him comes from god‚ and God did
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There are always two sides of the same coin‚ and the coin is the subject of existence. To go against Unger’s‚ I Do Not Exist‚ I will use Descartes view of dualism and the fact that‚ according to him‚ humans do exist. Yes‚ there are other views of existence that could go against both of these philosophical views‚ but Unger and Descartes really counterbalance each other. As mentioned before‚ Unger explains he doesn’t exist due to anything which exists having a finite amount of small parts. If these
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Buddhist and Christian Prayer: A Comparison in Practice and Purpose By Neil McWilliams 204916029 HUMA 2800 = SOSC 2600 Dr. Stephen Ford March 7‚ 2005 At first glance the traditions of Christianity and Buddhism appear very different from each other. One centers around a God that was at one time physically manifest on earth in the human form of his "son" Jesus Christ‚ the other primarily worships a historical figure that gained divine status through enlightenment. This assessment is broad
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What factors‚ for Plato and Aristotle‚ were critical in the construction of a state? Before one examines the construction of the State in the eyes of two famous classical thinkers‚ one must first understand what a State is. A State can be defined as a group of people settled in a specific geographical location where‚ through interdependency and order‚ a livelihood can be achieved. Plato and Aristotle‚ both great philosophers‚ contributed to the world of politics today‚ their views and ideas on what
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Heather Muse April 26‚ 2013 Aristotle Essay Is Happiness Achievable? Aristotle states there are several goods in the world but most of these are not ultimate ends; instead they are means to something else. However‚ he declares happiness is the ultimate good because everything we do‚ we do in hopes of being happy and we don’t use happiness as a means to achieve another thing. He also states there are rules to be followed and maintained in order to accurately judge someone or something as being
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