Socialist equality of opportunity: The principle that seeks to correct for all disadvantages for which the agent cannot herself reasonably be held responsible, whether they be disadvantages that reflect social misfortune or disadvantages that reflect natural misfortune. See Left-liberal equality of opportunity. Source: ‘What is Good? What is Bad? The Value of All Values across Time, Place and… Read More

Soul: the immaterial core of a person or community, often synonymous with “spirit”, which typically refers to that principle of organization which unifies its plurality of aspects as one and/or animates its life and agency. In Aristotle, the active principle that produces life in a material being. In underlying principle, the ultimate elective depth and reach of human feeling opening beyond… Read More

Sound argument: An argument with all true premises, a valid logical schema and no methodological flaws. Source: ‘What is Good? What is Bad? The Value of All Values across Time, Place and Theories’ by John McMurtry, Philosophy and World Problems, Volume I-III, UNESCO in partnership with Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems: Oxford, 2004-11. 

Soundness: As a technical term in logic, soundness refers to that property which obtains when the premises of an argument are true and the argument is valid. Some consider soundness to be necessary and sufficient for an argument to be a good one. That is ,an argument that lacks either property is not a good argument;… Read More

Speculative metaphysics: The philosophical attempt to grasp the rational structure of the universe through the use of concepts with no limiting empirical content. Source: ‘What is Good? What is Bad? The Value of All Values across Time, Place and Theories’ by John McMurtry, Philosophy and World Problems, Volume I-III, UNESCO in partnership with Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems: Oxford,… Read More

Spirit: In Hegel’s philosophy, the social nature of individual human beings. Source: ‘What is Good? What is Bad? The Value of All Values across Time, Place and Theories’ by John McMurtry, Philosophy and World Problems, Volume I-III, UNESCO in partnership with Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems: Oxford, 2004-11. 

Spiritual ecology: Life-value ecology experienced from within, as in a filled-out content of seeing the self as in all beings and all beings as in the self. See also Ecology of life-value. Source: ‘What is Good? What is Bad? The Value of All Values across Time, Place and Theories’ by John McMurtry, Philosophy and World Problems, Volume I-III, UNESCO… Read More

Spirituality: Consciousness with or without God which crosses the divisions and dualities of selves, things and groups in felt being of one ultimately encompassing presence. Source: ‘What is Good? What is Bad? The Value of All Values across Time, Place and Theories’ by John McMurtry, Philosophy and World Problems, Volume I-III, UNESCO in partnership with Encyclopedia of Life… Read More

Subject-Object problem: those philosophical and scientific problems and confusions arising from the distinction between the contents of subjective experience and of observed objects. Source: ‘What is Good? What is Bad? The Value of All Values across Time, Place and Theories’ by John McMurtry, Philosophy and World Problems, Volume I-III, UNESCO in partnership with Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems:… Read More

Subjecthood: the defining capability of human beings to actively shape their social environment in accordance with freely determined values and objectives. Source: ‘What is Good? What is Bad? The Value of All Values across Time, Place and Theories’ by John McMurtry, Philosophy and World Problems, Volume I-III, UNESCO in partnership with Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems: Oxford, 2004-11.