What is the Via Negativa?

What is the Via Negativa? The Via Negativa (also called the Apophatic Way) focuses on explaining the nature of God by focusing on what God is not (‘apophatic’ comes from the Greek term ‘to deny’). The via negativa is based on the fundamental belief that ‘God’ is beyond human understanding and description – ‘He’ is … Read more

Easter Sunday – The Meaning of Easter to Christians

Although many people immediately think of Christmas as the most important date in the Christian calendar, Easter actually has a great deal of religious significance. In fact, most Christians would argue that Easter is the most important time of year. What is the significance of Good Friday and Easter Sunday? Good Friday – Jesus is … Read more

Solar Eclipse 2015 – Cause of the Eclipse

Solar Eclipse 2015 – A Fantastic Astronomical Display The recent Solar Eclipse was a fantastic display – the best astronomical display this decade. Some would even go to say it was the best astronomical display of the century! The eclipse could be seen in most areas of the UK, despite some restrictive cloud coverage. Some … Read more

Female Genital Mutilation – An Ethical Perspective

Comic Relief raised awareness about female genital mutilation in it’s documentary Stop Cutting our Girls  last Wednesday on BBC1 at 10pm. And rightly so – it is an issue that effects women worldwide, although predominantly in Africa.  From a philosophical perspective, what is the ethics behind female genital mutilation and what would be the feminist … Read more

Descartes Meditations – What are the Main Themes in Meditations on First Philosophy

Rene Descartes was a French Philosopher famous for the Trademark argument and a version of the ontological argument. What were the main themes in the book: Descartes ‘Meditations on First Philosophy?’ The book is written from the perspective of a gender neutral narrator, originally in French. Here is a brief summary of the key ideas … Read more

Analogy – What is an Analogy?

What is an Analogy? An analogy is a tool that is used to help us describe something that is difficult to explain. This is done through comparing it to something simpler. We might make an analogical bridge between the human brain and a computer. Some examples of analogy are similies and some examples are metaphors. … Read more

Top 10 Philosophy Movies

Do you Study Philosophy at College or University? Watching philosophy movies is a great way to explore philosophical issues and questions such as ‘Does God Exist?’ and ‘Is there an afterlife?’ Top 10 Philosophy Movies This selection of philosophy movies is great for a philosophy student or for a teacher to use in the classroom, (this … Read more

The Utilitarian Principle – Was Robin Hood a Utilitarian?

Was Robin Hood a Utilitarian?

What is Utilitarianism? The Utilitarian Approach Utilitarianism is a teleologial ethical approach, which supports the consequences of an ethical decision, rather than the actions. According to Jeremy Bentham, the utilitarian principle is the ‘greatest happiness for the greatest number‘.  Utilitarianism could, therefore, allow killing if it lead to the best possible outcome for the most … Read more