Name: Diane L.

Ramento Date Submitted: November 7, 2021

Course & Section: Ethics/B.S.Ed. Filipino 2A Instructor Name: Mrs. Mayshell

Retoran

GREAT PHILOSOPHERS AND THEIR BIG IDEAS

IN THE STUDY OF ETHICS

I. Confucius (551-479 BCE)

A. Professional Life
Confucius is a Chinese philosopher known as the symbol of the traditional cultures and
established himself as an authoritative figure of cultural fields. Tying particular elements of
his philosophy to life experiences, Confucius advocated for a spiritual and religious tradition-
based way of life and teaching principles. He became China's official imperial philosopher,
which influenced the Han (206 BCE–220 CE), Tang (618–907 CE), and Song (960–1296 CE)
dynasties. The voice of Confucius retained primacy in pre-modern Chinese philosophical
conversations, same with modern debates about the role of traditional East Asian culture.

B. Contribution to Ethics (Confucianism: Xiao or Filial Piety)

Confucius Big Ideas: Advocated for the importance of strong family bonds, including
respect for the elder, veneration of one’s ancestors, and marital loyalty.

The traditional norm of filial piety is one of the central roles of Confucius' analysis. It is
one of the most distinctive characteristics of Confucian ethics. It emphasizes that as a child,
we shouldn't give our parents anxiety other than illness, carry out a respectful manner for
them, and don't give burden works or let elders partake in the task. Additionally, filiality
preserves emotionally viable relationships with parents that strengthen the bonds of the
family. Overall, it takes a life of ritual practices to be partly fundamental of fully human life
and conventionally established forms that express mutual respect.
II. Aristotle (384–322 B.C.E.)

A. Professional Life
Aristotle was a Greek and one of the greatest philosophers of all time. He judged
fairly and solely as regards his philosophical influences, along with Plato—his mentor.
Aristotle left a great work, the extant writings of disciplines from logic, political theory,
rhetoric, and where he excelled a lot, detailed plant and animal observation and
description—biology. Aristotle established his school, Lyceum's name—Peripatetic
school of philosophy. Above all the Greek moralists, Aristotle provides the most
psychologically insightful account of virtuous character as modern philosophical views
are indebted to his analysis.

B. Contribution to Ethics (Syllogism)

Aristotle’s Big Ideas: Asserted the use of logic as a method of argument and offered the
basic methodological template for analytical discourse;

This big idea of Aristotle plays a vital role in the articulation of scientific
understanding and deducing observable phenomena that have greatly intensified interest
in it over the last forty years. Aristotle's syllogism became the dominant model of
argumentation. He believes that deduction is the sort of argument whose structure
guarantees the validity and truthless of its premises. Aristotle seeks to exploit basic
inferential structures which allow us to analyze the study and evaluate moral reasoning.
He contends that by using this, we can place all deductions on a firm footing. Thus, we
arrive at all the possible combinations of the most basic kind of arguments. Aristotle's
deduction makes progress, whereas its general concept is sufficiently close to the validity
of every inference.
III. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)

A. Professional Life
Immanuel Kant was a German and recognized as one of the great philosophers
during the Age of enlightenment. His treatise in metaphysics, epistemology, ethics,
political philosophy, aesthetics, and other fields have made him one of the most
influential and central figures in modern philosophy. He synthesized the early modern
rationalism of Rene Descartes and the empiricism of Francis Bacon.

B. Contribution to Ethics (Categorical Imperative)

Kant’s Big Ideas: Defined the “Categorical imperative,” the idea that there are
intrinsically good and moral ideas to which we all have a duty, and that rational
individuals will inherently find reason in adhering to moral obligation.

Kant believes that the principle of our moral duties is a categorical imperative.
The idea of it was supposed to be the idea of one who is committed to making decisions
holding with moral considerations and rationally within. This kind of disposition is
something that we should highly value, according to him. Kant believes that it is
objective and rationally necessary that all we must follow regardless of any natural
desires or inclinations we may have to the contrary. Hence, rational principles tell us
what we have an overriding reason to do—possessed of equal worth and deserving of
equal respect. He presented the moral concepts of “duty” and “goodwill,” which led him
to believe that humans are autonomous as long as morality, itself, is not an illusion.
Therefore, we should act or make decisions that are wholly determined by moral
demands and rational reason.
IV. Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

A. Professional Life
Thomas Aquinas was a 13th-century Theologian and Dominican philosopher born in the
Lazio region of Italy. He finished his studies in Paris and became part of the Faculty of
Theology— as Dominican. He is honored as Doctor of Church (a title given by the Catholic
Church) for having a significant contribution to theology through his study. Among his work
of Christian theology influenced Western Thought— Thomism holds the belief that the
existence of God is through reconciling religion with science and faith with reason. The
Catholic Church consistently reaffirmed his work over the centuries for teaching Christian
revelation. 

B. Contribution to Ethics (Summa Theolgoiae)

Aquinas Big Ideas: The Second Vatican Council (1962–65) declared his Summa
Theolgoiae — a compendium of all the teachings of the Catholic Church to that point —
“Perennial Philosophy.”

Adopting the work of Aristotle (principles and concept), Aquinas started to create his
treatise about the everything in the universe plays a vital role and purpose. Aquinas's work
received increased recognition for teaching Christian revelations which both philosophical
and theological. For Thomas's theological discourse, begin with the world is understood—
which God has revealed His action in creating and redeeming the world; Philosophical
discourse started with knowledge of the world.
 Additionally, his work is central to Christian morality, ethics of law, and solutions for
arguments about questioning the Christian Faith. He also explained man's reconciliation with
Divine Reason. Approximately written in his treatise was about the nature and purpose of
man, the salvation of humanity itself at stake, a comprehensive and rational system. Hence, it
was upheld in large part by the modern doctrines of the Catholic Church.

V. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-82)

A. Professional Life
An American poet, writer, and philosopher. He began his ministry as a Unitarian preacher
in Boston yet achieved international prominence as a lecturer and author of articles such as
"Self-Reliance," "History," "The Over-Soul," and "Fate." He also developed metaphysics of
process and "existentialist" ethics of self-improvement. He influenced the generations of
Americans, who took up such Emersonian themes as power, the uses of poetry and history,
and the critique of Christianity.

B. Contribution to Ethics (Transcendentalism)

Emerson’s Big Ideas: Was a mentor and friend to fellow influential transcendentalist
Henry David Thoreau.

Transcendentalism is a philosophical, religious, and political movement of the early

nineteenth century. It arose as a result of Unitarianism which some transcendentalists like
Emerson and Thoreau rejected the idea. They believe that humans are inherently good, have
intrinsic values and spirituality that come from within without being told so by religions,
politics, and society. Thus, there is no empirical proof in any religions that could be satisfied
that humans can become more like God. Emerson believes that humans can strive to be self-
reliant, which know will and do. He highly valued the divinity of nature where people should
not rely on the divinity of religions instead saw natures as sacred and divine.