Suchergebnisse

Starting from the world wide accepted definition of science, the author questions if the social sciences are really sciences. He examines such problems as truth, logic, objectivity, corroboration, prediction & general laws as well as the different kinds of tests used in science to answer his question. Adapted from the source document.

In this paper the author examines Rawls' work & modifies an earlier analysis extending it substantially. He also pointed out the great contributions Rawls has made to philosophy. Adapted from the source document.

In this paper, the author describes the way in which academic authorities at National U of Mexico (UNAM) are elected, not only formally but the true & not public means of it. He points out the unrighteousness of the procedure & the lack of attention to the actual opinions of the academic community. Adapted from the source document.

A tribute to Raul Cardiel Reyes, Mexican philosopher, jurist, political scientist, & historian, presenting a brief outline of his extensive studies of the classics in philosophy & political science. Noted especially for his publication of the political works of Machiavelli, Reyes was also committed to teaching the classics in his department. J. Sadler

Scientific research in Mexico carried out in public universities is often unjustly criticized. Most members of Mexican society are not aware of the content & influence of the findings of such research. In this paper, the author presents a panoramic view of the kind of research carried out in state universities & of its contribution to the solution of national, regional, or local problems. 3 Tables. Adapted from the source document.

In this paper the author maintains that in Mexico we have lost completely the meaning of politics & forgotten what a good government is. He analyzes that which some of the most important political philosophers of all times have written about -- the good government -- & concludes with four functions that all good government has to fulfill. Adapted from the source document.

The differences among political philosophy, political theory, & political science are distinguished to clarify the confusion between them even in academic circles. Philosophy treats principles, properties, & ultimate causes working with the logical-deductive method. Political philosophy is philosophy directed toward politics to study ideal forms of government, the bases & justifications for the state, the nature of politics, & the analysis of political discourse (Bobbio, 1971). Political theory is speculation or hypothesis building on political practice, or a proposal to solve a political problem. Scientific political theory is subject to testing. Political science attempts to explain facts & realities of society & the state & elaborate on theories through empirical testing; it formulates general laws in its own language & methods. M. Pflum

In this paper, the author examines the causes of the most important cases of pollution in the world & asserts that automobiles are far from the primary cause. He also argues that the "No circula" program has been a complete failure & should be ended. The solution to air pollution in Mexico is political rather than technical. He proposes decentralization as the main policy solution. 1 Figure. Adapted from the source document.

An analysis of John Rawls's A Theory of Justice (1971) is organized according to the book's sections on theory, institutions, & conclusions, & promotes the book as one of the most influential forces on 20th-century moral & political philosophy. Rawls's theory of justice as fairness is portrayed as an amalgamation of ideas on the individual's social contract by John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, & Immanuel Kant. Rawls's criteria for socially just institutions are delineated, all emphasizing the assurance of equal participation & the principle of Kantian autonomy for the individual. It is pointed out how such concepts of individuality can be misconstrued into right-wing political ideologies. The power of the autonomous individual within a collective is exemplified in organized forms of civil disobedience & conscientious objection. Rawls's conclusions present impartiality as the most necessary component of justice. Adapted from the source document.

Differentiated are concepts of democracy as a form of government, & as a Western political model. Various understandings of democracy are presented, drawing on the classical philosophies of Plato & Aristotle to Jean-Jacques Rousseau & Alexis de Tocqueville. These views are compared with those of contemporary thinkers, eg, Karl Popper & Norberto Bobbio. An analysis of these political philosophies may lend insight into the goals of modern democracy & the methods by which they can be achieved. S. Jameson

Karl Popper's principal philosophical problem was trying to understand the world & ourselves as a part of it; he argued that any method to search for the truth is valid. Popper dealt with two great problems in the logic of scientific discovery: (1) in the problem of induction, experience is the judge of truth, but to induce a universal rule from observations is not justified; & (2) the problem of the demarcation between the sciences & metaphysics, which addresses the deductive method of testing & falsifiability. Popper also explored the concepts of verisimilitude, corroboration, objective knowledge, & the problem of mind-body interaction. For Popper, objective knowledge made the human responsible for his/her own actions. Adapted from the source document.