This blog post examines various philosophical positions on the objectivity and subjectivity of good, deeply exploring whether good can be established independently of human desires. In ethics, various issues arise concerning goodness (善, good). What is goodness? Can goodness be equated with pleasure? How does goodness relate to moral rightness or justice? Among these, one of the long...
Why has the United States become the world’s most powerful shale gas producer?
This blog post examines the institutional, technological, geological, and investment environment characteristics that enabled the United States to secure overwhelming dominance in shale gas development, providing an in-depth analysis of how the global energy landscape is being reshaped. The Industrial Revolution, which began in Britain in the late 18th century, marked a decisive turning...
Why can Pareto optimality be less efficient when only some conditions are met?
This blog post examines, based on the theory of suboptimality, the structural distortions that occur when Pareto optimality conditions are only partially satisfied, and why a greater number of conditions does not always guarantee a more efficient outcome. To reach the most efficient resource allocation state—the Pareto optimal state—all optimal conditions must be satisfied simultaneously...
What standard allows us to say that killing without causing pain is ‘wrong’?
This blog post calmly examines the philosophical basis and meaning behind why even murder without any pain is morally problematic, focusing on classical utilitarianism, preference utilitarianism, and the autonomy principle. A person refers to a rational being with self-awareness, such as humans or primates. These beings possess the capacity for autonomous judgment and can recognize that...
Why does hedonism remain a central issue in ethics?
This blog post examines why hedonism, extending beyond mere sensory pleasure, remains a core debate in contemporary ethics, delving deeply into the differences between Bentham and Mill’s philosophies. Hedonism is an ethical theory asserting that all pleasure has value in itself and that actions producing the greatest pleasure—achieved by increasing pleasure and decreasing pain—are...
Why does Western-centricism continue to operate within the framework of modern historiography?
This blog post examines how modern historiography has reproduced Western-centricism through the concepts of linear progress and a historicist conception of time, while exploring the possibility of a new historical consciousness where diverse civilizations and heterogeneous temporalities coexist. Imperialism plundered not only the territories of colonies but also their cultures and minds...
Why did audience-centered theory struggle to avoid criticism of cultural populism?
This blog post aims to examine, in a balanced manner, the theoretical background and issues that led audience-centered theory to emphasize the creativity of the masses while simultaneously facing criticism of cultural populism. Through his theory of the culture industry, Adorno criticized mass culture as a device for propagating concealed ideology. He defined ideology as a false...
How does Mercury’s liquid core remain intact despite its extreme environment?
This blog post explores the scientific basis and secrets of its internal structure, based on the latest exploration data, examining why Mercury’s core remains liquid despite intense solar heat and the planet’s small size. Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system, with a radius of 2,440 km and a density of 5,430 kg/m³, slightly less than Earth’s. As the closest...
Why does the advancement of gene design technology herald the end of Homo sapiens?
This blog post takes an in-depth look at how rapidly advancing gene design technology is reshaping human capabilities and social structures, ultimately posing a threat to the future and survival of Homo sapiens. In the near future, fetal genetic manipulation technology has been perfected, ushering in an era where a child’s intelligence, health, lifespan, and more can be predetermined...
How will future species beyond Homo sapiens come into being?
This blog post delves deeply into how biotechnology, gene editing, and brain enhancement technologies, when combined, could enable humanity to transcend the limitations of existing species and be reconfigured into new beings. At first glance, extinction and evolution appear to be completely opposing concepts. Extinction signifies the end of a specific species, while evolution denotes the...