Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Mahaprajnaparamitashastra', 'The Iliad or the Poem of Force' and 'Two Concepts of Liberty'

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4 ideas

23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / a. Virtues
7903 The six perfections are giving, morality, patience, vigour, meditation, and wisdom [Nagarjuna]
     Full Idea: The six perfections are of giving, morality, patience, vigour, meditation, and wisdom.
     From: Nagarjuna (Mahaprajnaparamitashastra [c.120], 88)
     A reaction: What is 'morality', if giving is not part of it? I like patience and vigour being two of the virtues, which immediately implies an Aristotelian mean (which is always what is 'appropriate').
24. Political Theory / C. Ruling a State / 1. Social Power
23812 Force is what turns man into a thing, and ultimately into a corpse [Weil]
     Full Idea: To define 'force' - it is that x that turns anybody who is subjected to it into a thing. Exercised to the limit, it turns man into a thing in the most literal sense: it makes a corpse out of him.
     From: Simone Weil (The Iliad or the Poem of Force [1940], p.183)
     A reaction: She celebrates The Iliad as the great examination of force in human affairs. I have felt that sense of reduction to a thing whenever anyone above me in the hierarchy has arbitrarily exerted their power over me.
25. Social Practice / A. Freedoms / 5. Freedom of lifestyle
20544 Berlin distinguishes 'negative' and 'positive' liberty, and rejects the latter [Berlin, by Swift]
     Full Idea: Isaiah Berlin draws a famous distinction between 'negative' and 'positive' concepts of liberty, and argues that the latter should be seen as a wrong turning (because totalitarian regimes have invoked it).
     From: report of Isaiah Berlin (Two Concepts of Liberty [1958]) by Adam Swift - Political Philosophy (3rd ed) 2 'Intro'
     A reaction: Swift argues against him, saying that positive liberty is not a single concept (it's three), and has aspects that should be defended. I think I'm with Swift on that. Is religious freedom a freedom 'from' something, or a freedom 'to do' something?
25. Social Practice / D. Justice / 1. Basis of justice
23813 Only people who understand force, and don't respect it, are capable of justice [Weil]
     Full Idea: Only he who has measured the dominion of force, and knows how not to respect it, is capable of love and justice.
     From: Simone Weil (The Iliad or the Poem of Force [1940], p.212)
     A reaction: There are, of course, occasions when we are grateful to people who exercise appropriate force on our behalf. I think she was concerned with what is inappropriate.