Philosophy A philosophy is a system of beliefs about reality. It is one's integrated view of the world. It includes an understanding of the nature of existence, man, and his role in the world. Philosophy is the foundation of knowledge. It is the standard by which ideas are integrated and understood.

Metaphysics What is Metaphysics? Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy responsible for the study of existence. It is the foundation of a worldview. It says whether the world is real, or merely an illusion. It is a fundamental view of the world around us. Axiom Axioms are the foundation of all knowledge. There are only a few axioms that have been identified. These are: Existence Exists, The Law of Identity, and Consciousness. It is the basic of basics

Existence Exists Existence exists is an axiom which states that there is something, as opposed to nothing. At the core of every thought is the observation that "I am aware of something“ Nothing is that which doesn't exist. It is not a metaphysical entity. Consciousness is the faculty that perceives that which exists. Descartes: “I think therefore I am.”

Law of Identity Each entity exists as something in particular and it has characteristics that are a part of what it is. Identity is the aspect of existing as something in particular, with specific characteristics. An entity without an identity cannot exist because it would be nothing. Desk? Person? Room?

Epistemology Knowledge- is the mental grasp of the facts of reality. Perception- is the base of all knowledge. We acquire raw information about the world around us through our senses. Reason- is the method of thinking in an organized, clear way to achieve knowledge and understanding. Logic- is the art of conforming one's thoughts to the Law of Identity.

Epistemology Concepts- are a mental abstraction which allows generalization and the extension of knowledge from some known objects to others unknown. Standard of Evaluation- is a set of criteria that allow you to make a comparison or judgment. Objectivity- is the act of referencing reality in determining the truth. It is the act of founding one's knowledge on reality, and making one's thoughts and ideas conform to it. Values- are that which we seek to achieve or maintain according to our life as the standard of evaluation. Values are the motive power behind purposeful action.

Ethics Ethics- is the branch of study dealing with what is the proper course of action for man. It answers the question, "What do I do?” and “Why?” Life- is the process of self-sustaining and self-generating action. Life requires action, and action requires values. Morality- is principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior.

Ethics Self-Interest- is defined as that which benefits his life. It is an evaluation of the facts of reality. Since the nature of man's life has particular, objective requirements, determining whether something promotes his life is a statement of fact. Harmony of Interests- is a proper understanding of one's interests, it can be seen that there is a harmony of interests between rational men. That we benefit enormously from positive interactions with others. This benefit comes in the form of the increase of knowledge available to mankind. It comes in the form of friendships, romantic love, and the support of one's family. The harmony of interests bring men together in peaceful cooperation to benefit their lives. This is the bedrock of society. It is why people choose to live in a society.

Politics Politics- is ethics applied to a group of people. A 'right‘- is a moral principle defining and sanctioning a man's freedom of action in a social context. Right to life- The right to life states that you own your own body. It is your property to do with as you please. No one may force you to do anything, no one may injure you in any way, and above all, no one may take your life The right to liberty is a part of the right to life, specifically referring to your freedom of action. You may do what you want, when you want, provided you don't trample on the rights of anyone else.

Politics A ‘right” continued… Property rights are an extension to the right to life. In order to support yourself through reason and stay alive, you must be able to own and use the product of your labor. The right to the pursuit of happiness means a man is free to do anything he pleases, as long as it doesn't conflict with the rights of others. The right to free speech is a recognition that speech in itself if devoid of physical threats is not an initiation of force and does not warrant any retaliatory force. The right to defend yourself is a corollary to the right to life. You must be able to protect what is yours when it is threatened. Locke and Hobbes?

Politics Government- is an organization in a specific geographic location which is dominant in physical force. Government is necessary to ensure the proper use of force. For this reason, it must specify objective laws to clarify the use of force, and it must have the ability to enforce these laws. Proper Government- is a government which is designed to allow man to live his life to the fullest according to his nature (as a rational being), is a government which upholds individual rights and does not itself violate them in any way.

Politics Law- The first is a method of informing the populace of what actions will bring about retaliatory force. This facilitates the job of protecting rights by enabling citizens to have knowledge beforehand whether a particular act is forbidden. The people are then able to act appropriately. The second job of a law is to make the rules of the land explicit. This serves to avoid confusion in exactly what is legal or not. A third job of the law is to clarify ambiguous situations between men that may be difficult to decide if rights have been violated, or by who. Laws have many other positive benefits as well, such as providing a reaffirmation that coercive acts will be punished, and justice will be served. To be secure in life and property, man must be able to know what to expect from other people.

Politics The Rule of Law- is a concept required for a free society, where individual rights are absolute. Its basic premise is that the use of force is tightly controlled by objective, predefined laws. A constitution- is a set of laws that specifically apply to the government. A properly constructed constitution limits the power of a government by specifying which actions they are allowed to take, and disallowing all others.

Politics Separation of Powers- is that when a single person or group has a large amount of power, they can become dangerous to citizens. The Separation of Power is a method of removing the amount of power in any group's hands, making it more difficult to abuse. Checks and Balances- is a system where people in the government are able to impede the work of others in the government if they believe the work to be a violation of rights.