Political Philosophy and Ethics discussion
Introductions
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New Member Introductions
Thanks for the welcome, Alan. I look forward to exploring the discussions! I've been studying Epicurus and Epicureanism as just an enthusiast fairly intently since discovering him about a year and a half ago. I do have a lot of zeal and affection for his philosophy, and it's the philosophical perspective I have come to adopt and see the world from, but I also am not extensively read in philosophy and am eager to explore others' perspectives.
Mod
You might find my books Reason and Human Ethics and Free Will and Human Life of interest, both of which are inexpensive. Free excerpts from these books can be located at https://chicago.academia.edu/AlanJohn... and https://chicago.academia.edu/AlanJohn....
As I understand it, Epicurus’s voluminous writings have not survived. Thus, we are reliant on secondary accounts, especially that of Lucretius. From what I have gathered from secondary accounts, I probably agree with Epicurus on some questions (religion and free will, for example), and disagree with him on others (specifically, the status of human reason as a guide to ethics and knowledge). My own view is that human reason, rightly understood (as applicable to ends as well as means—which is contrary to the characteristic modern teaching), is the basis of all philosophy, including but not limited to ethics. I develop this argument, especially, in chapters 1 and 2 of Reason and Human Ethics: both of these chapters are accessible at https://www.academia.edu/82835731/Exc....
Hi! I go by PK, I'm not in college yet but I like philosophy I'm here :)
Mod
Welcome to this Goodreads group, PK.
Good afternoon all,Just a quick check in as a new member. You most likely wont hear much from me. I don't have the scholarly or literary "chops" to weigh in on such a subject.
So why am I here? First, I'm currently reading Brendan Simms, "Europe, The Struggle For Supremacy" and realized that greater context and scope of history and political theory would expand my understanding.
Second, I'm trying to make better use of "goodreads" in general.
Thanks for allowing me aboard,
S
Mod
Just a quick check in as a new member. You most likely wont hear much from me. I don't have the scholarly or literary "chops" to weigh in on such a subject.
So why am I here? ..."
Welcome to this Goodreads group, S.
Hello. I'm Scott. Currently reading Popper's "Open Society" and wishing I had like-minded folks (in the sense of folks who are even remotely interested in the writings of Karl Popper) to chat with.Is there a topic thread that questions and comments on "Open Society" might be relevant?
Mod
Welcome to this group, Scott. We have a separate topic on Popper at https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/....
Hi everyone. My name is Ludmila Franca, I’m a PhD candidate in Political Science at the Free University of Berlin. I’m Brazilian living since 2011 in Germany. My mother tongue is Portuguese and I speak German, English, Spanish and French. My main interests are Political philosophy, Hermeneutics, Law, Philosophy of Law, Phenomenology, Collective Memory and Justice/Judgment. Main influences are Arendt, Gadamer, Benjamin, Nietzsche, Kant, Ricoeur. I have a project called The Hannah Arendt Network (Twitter/Instagram/Facebook: @ArendtNetwork) and also research on the everyday life in the East Germany/German Democratic Republic (GDR).
Mod
Welcome, Ludmila, to this Goodreads group. You have an impressive background, and I hope you will contribute to this group as you consider it appropriate.
Wishing you the best on your PhD studies and dissertation,
Alan E. Johnson
Founding Moderator of the "Political Philosophy and Ethics" Goodreads group
Mod
My name is Ani. I am a UC Berkeley student in political science and Russian language and literature; my specialization in international relations lies in the topic of East Europe and ..."
Welcome, Ani, to this group. Your philosophical interests are wide ranging. We might learn some things from you, and vice versa.
Alan E. Johnson
Founding Moderator
Mod
Welcome to this group, Xi!
Hi!My name is Katie and I have interests in economic relations, ethical international development and economics. I won’t be studying until next year, and hopefully should be doing bach international relations/politics, philosophy and economics at Monash in Melbourne, Australia (or something like that we’ll see what uni’s let me in lol)
I’m seeing so many qualified scholars and am interested in having conversations and having a look at book recommendations! Fair warning I’m still developing my knowledge and may not be able to have the conversations most can in this group but of course I still want to learn as much as I can before I go to uni next year :)
woops instead of “economic relations” I meant “international relations” so sorry :)
Mod
HelloThe book I authored, WHISTLEBLOWER: SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT. A true-crime non-fiction record whose release/Launch untimely coincided with the lockdown due to the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020.
This is a soft re-launch of the book, and I want to invite everyone to take a read. I have chosen to keep the ebook free-of-charge until the end of the year. Everyone should be free to share the ebook to friends, Family and if you have colleagues in the press/media or independent bloggers.
Should you decide to own a hard copy, you should know all proceeds from the book will be directed to advance the cause of Independent Media, Truth, Justice and Free Speech.
I will be grateful if you can leave a review on Amazon.
Download your free copy:
https://staging.shanethawer.com/wp-co...
Enjoy the Read! & More Info On www.shanethawer.com
Shane Thawer
A Nomad Re-Writing Odds On Uncharted Territories!
Editor-In-Chief Preneurs.com | Author of WHISTLEBLOWER | Entrepreneur | Tech, Media & Telecoms | Tech-Nomad 15+ Years. Altruist Working for Public Good .::. Plant trees…
Mod
The book I authored, WHISTLEBLOWER: SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT. A true-crime non-fiction record whose release/Launch untimely coincided with the lockdown due to the Covid-19 outbreak in 20..."
Shane, your book appears to be of marginal relevance, if any, to the topics of this group. I will not remove your post at present, but please review the rules of this group and follow them in any further comments.
Alan E. Johnson
Founding Moderator of the "Political Philosophy and Ethics" Goodreads group
Hello everyone,I am excited to join this philosophical discussion group. My name is Miguel Cisneros and I hold a B.A. in psychology from the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Currently, I am a postgraduate student at the University of the Valley of Mexico.
In terms of my philosophical influences, two prominent figures stand out to me: Carl Jung and Teilhard de Chardin. Jung, as a prominent psychologist, delves into the integration of personality, and the significance of self-discovery.Teilhard, on the other hand, proposed that humanity is evolving towards a comprehensive unity, both socially and spiritually.
Drawing from these influences, particularly Jung's emphasis on faith and Teilhard's focus on aspiration, I believe I fit into the political umbrella of Romanticism.
I look forward to engaging in stimulating discussions with all of you and building upon these ideas together. Thank you for welcoming me into this group.
Mod
Thank you.
Alan E. Johnson, Founding Moderator
Hi all, my name is Tadhg.I love non fiction and pop science. My favourite book to date is ‘Coming of age in the Milky Way’ by Timothy Ferris. I’m most interested in topics around the future of humanity and space travel. Currently reading ‘Life 3.0’ which touches on some similar points. Would love any recommendations around this.
I Also love philosophy, deconstruction and other paths.
Mod
Welcome to this group, Muhammad.
Mod
I love non fiction and pop science. My favourite book to date is ‘Coming of age in the Milky Way’ by Timothy Ferris. I’m most interested in topics around the future of hum..."
Welcome to this group, Tadhg.
A kind hello to everyone! My name is Leyla, I am a 28 year old medical doctor from and currently living in Germany, specialising in psychosomatics. At the moment, I‘m reading „21 lessons for the 21st century“ by Yuval Noah Harari and was intrigued by the presented lines of argument. The book encouraged me to register on Goodreads because I am eager to know what other people think about these very important topics. That’s how I found this group and I am very happy to join.
Mod
Welcome to this group, Leyla.
Alan E. Johnson
Founding Moderator
Hello from Salem, Oregon, I use my middle name, Dean; the full name is Michael Dean Edwards. I graduated from UC Davis back in 1975 in political science. Over the years, I developed an interest in philosophy and metaphysics. I have, recently become a huge fan of Edith Hamilton, who wrote The Greek Way, which I read and reviewed, translated plays in her Three Greek Plays, also read and reviewed, and still on my list is The Latin Way.I am also interested in metaphysics and religious philosophy, plus Transpersonal psychology.
I have a keen interest in the philologist, Walter Otto’s ideas about Dionysus, see Dionysus, myth and cult; and, Being and Time by Martin Heidegger (1927). Despite Heidinger’s brief submission to the Nazi Party, he did not last long there, and neither did Karl Jung, BTW. His concept of Da Sein is brilliant. As an OBOD bard, and initiate in neo-Celtic, Christian, Gnostic, and Shabda Yoga, I feel experienced to offer that conclusion with a high degree of confidence.
I am also president and international-coordinating editor for Democracy Watch News, a global, 501c3, nonprofit news service and news agency.
Looking forward to the discussions. BTW, in the 1990s, I wrote the FAQs, founded and moderated the Usenet news groups: Soc.religion.gnosis and soc.religion.shamanism news groups, which were broad ranging and often quite academic.
Mod
Over the years, I developed an interest i..."
Welcome to the group, Dean.
In view of your variety of interests, I should point out that this group is about ethical and political philosophy. We do discuss other aspects of philosophy and history that are relevant to ethical and political philosophy, e.g., free will vs. determinism, reason and critical thinking, political history, and so forth. But we avoid metaphysics, religion, and psychology, for example, except insofar as they are directly related to ethical and political philosophy. For example, religion is relevant to political philosophy with regard to the issue of church-state separation and freedom of conscience. For further information, see the Rules and Housekeeping topic of this group, especially posts 1, 3-4, 6, 8, 14-16, and 23-26 in that topic. The “Rules and Housekeeping” topic also discusses certain rules of civility etc. to which we expect posters to adhere.
For discussions outside the scope of ethical and political philosophy, you might be interested in the “Philosophy” Goodreads group.
Thank you.
Alan E. Johnson
Founding Moderator
Hello,My name is Anatolii Miroshnychenko, I am a lawyer from Ukraine with the experience in academia (professor and department head at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, 1999-2022), judiciary (member of the High Council of Justice of Ukraine in 2015-2019), executive branch. Since 2022 (after full-scale Russian invasion) I serve with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
My original field of scientific interest is land law (which in Ukraine is a combination of property law and environmental law) and the theory of law. But in recent years based mostly in my first-hand experience I developed an opinion on some of democracy's problematic issues, which I have attempted to describe in a number of my works, some of which are in English (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...).
Glad to be the member of the group. I see the membership as a great chance to broaden my knowledge and to refine my views in the field.
Mod
My name is Anatolii Miroshnychenko, I am a lawyer from Ukraine with the experience in academia (professor and department head at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, 1999-2022), jud..."
Welcome to this group, Anatolii, and congratulations on your professional education and achievements as well as your participation in the defense of Ukraine. Many of us in the United States are strongly supportive of (and have been impressed by) the Ukrainian resistance to Russian aggression.
I have downloaded your three books and look forward to reading them, though I have some other books that I must read first. I see that you cite Jason Brennan’s Against Democracy. See my review of that book at https://www.academia.edu/106405232/Fr.... I note that you have a somewhat nuanced view of epistocracy. I will learn more about your specific views when I have an opportunity to read your books. It will be good to see an analysis based on experience in a system other than that of the United States.
Alan E. Johnson
Founding Moderator of the “Political Philosophy and Ethics” Goodreads group
June 25, 2024 Note:
I have now reviewed Anatolii Miroshnychenko’s book Democracy: Beyond Majority Rule at https://www.academia.edu/121509996/Re....
Alan wrote: "Anatolii wrote: "Hello,My name is Anatolii Miroshnychenko, I am a lawyer from Ukraine with the experience in academia (professor and department head at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv..."
Dear Alan,
Thank you very much for welcoming me to the group, and for providing me with the link to your review of prof. Brennan's book.
I have enjoyed reading the review, and I do agree that the epistocratic solutions to democracy's deficiencies suggested in the book are not realistic. In addition to the reasons for this conclusion identified in your review, I would also mention the interrelation between the resources needed to improve "the quality of the voters" and possible positive result - improvement of the quality of their future decisions.
I have a feeling, that any system seeking to improve "the quality of the voters" under the general suffrage system (through education, selection, reallocation of voting power etc.) will not generate a positive result, which would justify the resources spent.
In my opinion, it is more productive to approach the problem from the side of passive suffrage, making the requirements for those running for offices stricter. Other solutions are also possible (and necessary).
Mod
That's a very interesting idea. However, in the United States, it would be impossible to do absent constitutional amendment, which would probably be impossible to pass. I nevertheless look forward to reading your discussion of it, as it might work in other countries.
Mod
I am currently reading your book and will post a review of it in this Goodreads group when I am finished.
Preview: I largely agree with your ethical philosophy. We both draw on the same sources: Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, etc. See my book Reason and Human Ethics (free PDF at https://www.academia.edu/107899091/Re... also available in Kindle and paperback at https://www.amazon.com/Reason-Human-E...) for details, especially chapters 1 and 2. However, we disagree on political philosophy. I will explain the basis for my position in my review. My forthcoming book Reason and Human Government will discuss political philosophy, including these issues, in depth.
Alan
Jaqueisse wrote: "Anatolii wrote: "Alan wrote: "Anatolii wrote: "Hello,My name is Anatolii Miroshnychenko, I am a lawyer from Ukraine with the experience in academia (professor and department head at Taras Shevchen..."
Dear Jaqueisse,
I share your opinion (if I understood it correctly) that the fundamental problem is the incompetency of the government. Thank you for the link to your book, it will be interesting to read how you suggest to remedy this flaw.
However, it seems from your post that training is the only suggested solution. If that is indeed the idea, it is hard for me to fully agree. Good government supposes not only good training (education), but also personal experience and integrity, and some other skills and abilities which not always can be acquired through training.
May be the book has answers to these concerns, if so, I apologize for my premature comment.
Mod
I have reviewed Jaqueisse’s The Philosopher Kingdom at https://www.academia.edu/120896197/Re...
I have also posted the preceding notice in the “Types of Government: General Discussion” topic at https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/.... Please post any further discussion of this book at that location.
Hi, I am not a new member but I always read the comments in almost all subjects, and never did my presentation. My name is Martina Méndez, from Uruguay, I’m studying Economics and AI Engineering, third year. I find interesting and fun doing pure maths. I also like art: I paint and draw and listen to all kinds of music. I’m an athlete, uruguayan champion in olympic weightlifting. So you see I like a great variety of things. Hope my english is legible.
Mod
Welcome to the group, Martina! You have an interesting variety of interests and accomplishments.
Alan Johnson
Founding Moderator
Hello,First of all, I would like to thank you all for such a good discussion. I am very happy to be a part of this group.
I am a 22-year-old law student and I am here to improve myself. I have a great interest in the philosophy of law and I want to increase my knowledge and general equipment in line with this interest.
I would like to ask you for suggestions on how I can better improve myself in philosophy of law and political philosophy in general. Which books should I read, which sources should I follow, which authors should I especially study? I would be very grateful if you share your experiences and advice.
Thank you in advance.
Best regards,
Selin
Mod
First of all, I would like to thank you all for such a good discussion. I am very happy to be a part of this group.
I am a 22-year-old law student and I am here to improve myself. I have a..."
Welcome to this group, Selin. It's good to hear that you are a law student. I was a lawyer for about three decades before I retired and started writing post-retirement books.
As a law student, you probably should concentrate, first and foremost, on your law courses. My law school experience in the United States was probably much different from what you are experiencing in Turkey, because the two systems of law are probably much different. As for introductory books on legal and political philosophy, it’s always difficult for me to make such recommendations. I suggest that you look at the topics that interest you in this Goodreads group and go from there.
With best wishes,
Alan
Founding Moderator of the “Political Philosophy and Ethics” Goodreads Group
re: msg #391, Selinhttps://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
H'mm! I never heard of law students enjoying any time for leisure reading. Oh well. How about some of the writings of William Blackstone?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William...
Hello! My name is Priya. I joined this group because I enjoy the works of Greek philosophers. I've also read a ton of political philosophy, like The Social Contract, Two Treatises of Government, The Spirt of the Laws, etc. I'm planning on reading the Philosophy of the Unconscious next because I heard that it inspired Freud. I am 15 years old and I don't study philosophy at all, it's simply a little hobby, and I doubt that I'd study it in college. I checked the rules and they didn't say anything about an age requierment, but sorry if I've accidently joined a group that I shouldn't have!
Mod
There are no age restrictions for this group. All we discuss are matters of ethical and political philosophy and related areas such as free will, history, economics, and current developments (to the extent they involve ethical or political philosophy). Given your young age, however, I would request two things: (1) that you obtain the approval of your parent(s) or guardian before participating in this group, and (2) that you not exchange private Goodreads messages with individuals in the group until you are older. There are more than 5,000 people in this group, and I certainly cannot vouch for all of them.
Your reading in political philosophy is quite advanced for your age, which is very impressive. I first read excerpts from Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Madison, etc. in a summer course with a high school history and government teacher when I was about sixteen (over sixty years ago). I've found that understanding such authors is a lifetime endeavor.
Welcome to this group. Please read the posts in the “Rules and Housekeeping” topic. As long as you comply with those rules, you are welcome to post comments in this group if you wish to do so.
Alan Johnson
Founding Moderator
Thank you for your valuable time and warm welcome. I am very happy to hear that.I will read and follow the content titles in the group as much as I have time. I have taken note of Blackstone, thank you for your suggestion.
Hello, I'm Donald from the UK. I am a professional engineer with a long-standing interest in the environment, social justice and economics. I’ve worked for almost all of my career in design & development in private-sector companies, apart from 5 years teaching at the National Engineering University of Nicaragua.Rather surprisingly for an engineer, I have just published a book on economics. Most of the book is an analysis of how the economy works, but with an approach that differs from conventional economics texts. It explores the effects of the economy on jobs, the environment and society. Based on that analysis, it then looks at the sorts of policies needed to preserve the environment and provide decent livelihoods.
My purpose in joining the group is to share & discuss some of the thinking in the book. It is called 'An Economy of Want' ISBN: 978-1-3999-8588-8 and is available on Amazon. I also look forward to exploring other topics that are new to me.
An Economy of Want
Mod
Welcome to this group, Donald. I would like to read your book, but it is not available in Kindle. My aged eyes prevent me from reading most physical books these days, and the house my wife and I live in has no more space for physical books. I see that your book (as are mine) is independently published. I have used Amnet (see https://amnetauthorservices.com/) to prepare the Kindle version of my books, and Amnet is very reasonable in price. It is based in India. I recommend that you use Amnet or another such service to get the book published in Kindle. If it becomes available in such ebook edition, I will download and read it. Thanks.
Alan
Alan E. Johnson
Founding Moderator of the "Political Philosophy and Ethics" Goodreads Group
Independent Philosopher, Historian, Political Scientist, and Legal Scholar
Hi there. I’m an avid reader and recently graduated undergrad. I received BA’s in Business Management and the combined degree of Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE), with a focus on philosophy.My favorite thinkers are Augustine and G. E. M. Anscombe. Augustine has the best notes on how to live and Anscombe makes for the most interesting (and frustrating) reading material. I grew up agnostic and attended a catholic liberal arts college on scholarship. Evidently, I’ve been indoctrinated.
Regardless, I’ve recently discovered the groups tab on Goodreads and am looking to learn something—and hopefully, reactivate the parts of my brain that have been dormant since entering the dreaded workforce.
Mod
Welcome to the group! It's always good to see young people who are interested in philosophy, politics, and economics.
Hello, I’m new to this group and I have been reading a lot of philosophical texts and adjacent social science books over the past year. I’m excited to be here.
Mod
Welcome, Scott, to this group.
Alan wrote: "Welcome to this group, Donald. I would like to read your book, but it is not available in Kindle. My aged eyes prevent me from reading most physical books these days, and the house my wife and I live in has no more space for physical books. ... If it becomes available in such ebook edition, I will download and read it. Thanks...."Hi Alan, thanks for the welcome and the encouragement. I have taken the plunge and learnt how to generate an ebook from my LaTeX source. It was quite a task, but satisfying. The book has a lot of color diagrams so while viewable on a B&W Kindle, it's better on a color device.
Kindle version of An Economy of Want on Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DBLJ2RX4
I've also made a simple website about the book, in English and Spanish: https://sites.google.com/view/economy...
I'm hoping that the much lower price (I've put almost the minimum) and wider availability will allow it to reach a wider readership.
Political Philosophy and Ethics
Books mentioned in this topic
A Brief History of Philosophy: From Socrates to Derrida (other topics)A History of Western Philosophy (other topics)
An Economy of Want (other topics)
Kafka Unleashed: Stories, Dreams & Visions (other topics)
Threeway: A Short Novel for a Long Season (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Seneca (other topics)Augustine of Hippo (other topics)
Georgina T. (other topics)
Welcome, Christopher, to the group. Your post on Epicurus is interesting.
Alan
Founding Moderator