The Ontological Foundation of Ethics, Politics, and Law

by Francesco Belfiore

Overview

The revised edition of The Ontological Foundation of Ethics, Politics, and Law adds new concepts and discusses the views of additional thinkers. The author refers to his basic ontological conception of the human “mind” or “spirit” as an evolving, conscious, triadic entity composed of intellect, sensitivity, and power, each exerting a bidirectional (selfish and moral) activity. Through this approach, the notions of good, morality, society, and law are derived from the structure and functioning of the mind. It follows that the solutions presented are the results of a discovery and not the consequence of a choice. Otherwise stated, ethics, politics, and law are given an ontological foundation. For each topic considered, Belfiore shows how his thought can reinterpret the views of other philosophers. This new edition, enriched in concepts and quotations, appears as an innovative and highly stimulating contribution to the philosophical branches of ethics, politics, and law, and will be of interest to both graduate students and philosophy scholars.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761860716
Publisher:	University Press of America
Publication date:	03/25/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	530
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Dr. Francesco Belfiore (retired) was professor of internal medicine at the University of Catania, Italy. He worked in medical research, and has published many articles and several monographs, including the acclaimed Enzyme Regulation and Metabolic Diseases (Karger, 1980). In recent years, he has reawakened his long-standing interest in philosophy and has conceived a coherent philosophical system, outlined in his The Structure of the Mind (University Press of America, 2004). Subsequently, he has further developed the practical aspects of his philosophical system, which he has extensively expounded in the first edition of The Ontological Foundation of Ethics, Politics, and Law (2007). He has recently presented his thought concerning the philosophical aspects of democracy in his volume The Democratic Society and Its Founding Concepts (University Press of America, 2012).

Table of Contents

Figures
Tables
Preface
Preface to the Revised Edition
Chapter 1—Premise: The Basic Ontological Conception
1.1—A NEW ONTOLOGICAL CONCEPTION: THE MIND AND ITS COMPONENTS
1.2—SYNOPSIS OF THE MIND COMPONENTS, THEIR PRODUCTS, AND THEIR JUDGMENT CRITERIA
Chapter 2—Private Ethics: Consciousness and Moral Thoughts, Feelings, and Acts
2.1—CONSCIOUSNESS: INWARD MIND ACTIVITY THAT PRODUCES MORAL EVENTS
2.2—JUDGMENT OF MORAL EVENTS (MORAL THOUGHTS, MORAL FEELINGS, AND MORAL ACTS)
2.3—SUPER-NORMAL AND ABNORMAL MORAL BEHAVIOR
2.4—HUMAN FREEDOM
2.5—THE PRIMACY OF ETHICS
Chapter 3—Public Ethics and Political Philosophy
3.1—HUMAN ACTIONS AND MORAL ACTS: THEIR JUDGMENT BY THE VALUE CRITERION
3.2—POLITICAL CONCEPTS AND THEORIES: CRITIQUE AND REINTERPRETATION
3.3—DIFFICULT MORAL CHOICES IN PUBLIC LIFE
3.4—INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
Chapter 4—Public Ethics and Philosophy of Law
4.1– A NEW CONCEPTION OF LAWs
4.2—LEGAL THEORIES: CRITIQUE AND REINTERPRETATION
4.3—ADJUDICATION
Chapter 5—Concluding Remarks
References
Index