Philosophy

St

A prominent theologian and philosopher from North Africa who was canonized as one of the four church fathers.

Confessions

One of St. Augustine's greatest works, in which he reflects on his early life and conversion to Christianity.

City of God

Another major work by St. Augustine, in which he argues for the truth of Christianity and its role in the success of Rome.

Manicheanism

A dualist metaphysical system adopted by Augustine before his conversion to Christianity, which taught the existence of two opposing principles, light and darkness.

Christian Conversion

Augustine's conversion to Christianity after hearing St. Ambrose teach in Milan and experiencing a spiritual revelation.

Donatist Controversy

A conflict in the 4th-6th centuries in which the Donatists refused to accept the sacraments and authority of priests and bishops who had renounced their faith during the Diocletian persecution.

Pelagian Controversy

A theological dispute in which Pelagius rejected the concept of grace and argued that moral perfection could be achieved through human free will alone.

Just War Theory

Augustine's establishment of the idea that war can be justified if it is fought in defense of the Catholic Church against forces aligned with the Devil.

Eudaemonia

The Greek term for human happiness, which Aristotle believed could be achieved through the fulfillment of one's natural function and the cultivation of virtue.

Virtue Theory

Aristotle's ethical framework that emphasizes the development of virtuous character as the key to living a good and fulfilling life.

Highest Good

The ultimate goal that all individuals seek.

Happiness

The state of well-being and contentment that all individuals strive for.

Intellectual virtue

Virtue that is acquired through learning and knowledge.

Moral virtue

Virtue that is acquired through habit and practice.

Habit

Like activities that produce dispositions and shape our behavior.

Virtue cultivation

The process of developing virtue through habit and constant practice.

Normative laws

Laws that prescribe how individuals ought to behave.

Descriptive laws

Laws that describe how individuals actually behave.

Excess or deficiency

According to Aristotle, vice is the result of either an excess or deficiency of a virtue.

Plato's view

We should find the answers to ethical questions ourselves rather than relying on external authorities.

Virtue practice

We become virtuous by acting "as if" we are already virtuous and practicing virtuous behavior.

Pleasure and pain

Pleasure and pain often lead individuals astray and are associated with virtuous or non-virtuous actions.

Act and will

Virtuous actions require full consciousness, mindfulness, and a fixed disposition of the will.

Virtues and vices

Our virtues and vices are expressions of our will and determine whether we are praised or blamed.

Character

The state of character or disposition that influences our choices and actions.

Mean relative to us

The relevant mean in ethical choices is determined by what is appropriate for us as individuals.

Practical guidance

The need for guidance in making ethical decisions and living a virtuous life.

Virtue and feeling

Virtue is directly related to actions and feelings.

Divine command theory

The belief that moral obligations are based on the commands of a divine being.

Teaching virtue

The debate on whether virtue and ethics can be taught or should be reasoned about.

Unity of virtue

The question of whether there is a common essence or unity among all virtues.

Lack of unity in virtue

The inconclusive ending of the dialogue raises questions about the unity of virtue.

Ethics and teaching

Teaching virtue involves leading individuals to the correct answers rather than simply giving them the right answers.

Ethics and irony

The use of ambiguity and inconclusiveness in the dialogue to encourage independent thinking and struggle for adequate definitions.

Ethical struggle

The challenge of discovering the truth and making autonomous decisions in matters of morality.

Socrates and the law

Socrates' commitment to standing up for what he believed was right, even if it meant facing death.

Justice

The concept of justice and its various interpretations and implications.

Gyges Ring

A thought experiment that questions the nature of justice and whether individuals would act morally if they could act with impunity.

Philosophy and the City

The role of philosophy in seeking justice and promoting the good life in society.

Virtue teaching

The teaching of virtue as character states of the soul and the recollection of knowledge.

Natural law

The principles of natural law that hold for everyone at all times, such as self-preservation and nurturing.

Legitimacy of the sovereign

Hobbes' argument for the authority of a secular absolute sovereign power.

Social contract

The agreement individuals enter into to cede their rights to a sovereign ruler in order to maintain peace and security.

Ethical egoism

The belief that all motivation springs from self-interest.

War of all against all

The state of nature characterized by competition and conflict.

Doctrine of double effect

The principle that allows for certain actions to have unintended negative consequences if the overall intention is good.

Fides quaerens rationis

Augustine's belief that reason alone can discern right from wrong through natural law.

Divine law

The belief that divine law, along with natural law, can guide human behavior.

Thomas Hobbes

A philosopher who argued for the legitimacy of a sovereign ruler and the social contract theory.

Leviathan

Hobbes' work that presents his arguments for absolute sovereign power and the social contract.

Materialism and determinism

Hobbes' belief that everything can be explained in terms of matter and motion, and that human behavior is determined by self-interest.

Ethical instrumentalism

The belief that actions are driven by the pursuit of desired outcomes.

Doctrine of the mean

Thomas' use of the mean between two extremes to determine ethical behavior.

Doctrine of double effect

The principle that allows for certain actions to have unintended negative consequences if the overall intention is good.

City of God and City of Man

Augustine's distinction between the spiritual realm of the church and the earthly realm of human society.

Sola scriptura

The belief that scripture alone can guide

Eternal law

The divine law that governs the universe and is unchanging.

Natural law (moral law)

Universal principles of right and wrong that are inherent in human nature and can be known through reason.

Human law (civil law)

Laws created and enforced by human authorities for the governance of society.

Divine law (Biblical law)

Laws revealed by God through religious texts, such as the Bible, that guide the moral and spiritual lives of believers.