Francis Hutcheson (1694—1745) Francis Hutcheson was an eighteenth-century Scottish philosopher whose meticulous writings and activities influenced life in Scotland, Great Britain, Europa, and even the newly formed North American colonies. For historians and political scientists, the emphasis has been on his theories of liberalism and political rights; for philosophers and psychologists, Hutcheson’s importance comes from his theories of human nature, which include an account of

Mulino John Stuart: Ethics The ethical theory of John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) is most extensively articulated in his classical text Utilitarianism (1861). Its goal is to justify the utilitarian principle as the foundation of morals. This principle says actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote overall human happiness. Così, Mill focuses on consequences of actions and not on rights nor ethical sentiments.

Phenomenology In its central use, the term “phenomenology” names a movement in twentieth century philosophy. A second use of “phenomenology” common in contemporary philosophy names a property of some mental states, the property they have if and only if there is something it is like to be in them. Così, it is sometimes said that emotional states have a phenomenology while belief states do not.

Confucio (551—479 B.C.E.) Better known in China as “Master Kong” (cinese: Kongzi), Confucius was a fifth-century BCE Chinese thinker whose influence upon East Asian intellectual and social history is immeasurable. As a culturally symbolic figure, he has been alternately idealized, deified, licenziato, vilified, and rehabilitated over the millennia by both Asian and non-Asian thinkers and regimes. Given his extraordinary impact on Chinese, coreano, Japanese, e

Aesthetic Formalism Formalism in aesthetics has traditionally been taken to refer to the view in the philosophy of art that the properties in virtue of which an artwork is an artwork—and in virtue of which its value is determined—are formal in the sense of being accessible by direct sensation (typically sight or hearing) solo. While such Formalist intuitions have a long history, prominent anti-Formalist arguments

Giovanni Duns Scoto (1266–1308) Giovanni Duns Scoto, insieme a Bonaventura, D'Aquino, e Ockham, è uno dei quattro grandi filosofi dell'Alta Scolastica. Il suo lavoro ha una portata enciclopedica, eppure così dettagliato e ricco di sfumature che si è guadagnato l'epiteto di "Dottore sottile".,” e un pensatore niente meno che Ockham elogerebbe il suo giudizio definendolo superiore a tutti gli altri nella sua sottigliezza. In opposizione al pensiero prevalente