Philosophy and Human Evolution: From Myth to Science
Philosophy
Origin: Greece. Born from the desire for free thinking, exploration of new cultures (critical thinking), and analysis of myths and science using formal reasoning. Relates to mental forms and consistency. Does not deny anything. Includes logic and mathematics.
Science: Directly refers to reality, nature, and the world. Experimental sciences are divided into:
- Natural sciences (physics, biology)
- Social sciences (sociology, history)
Presocratics: Early thinkers who used reason to explain things without resorting to gods and myths.
Socratic Method: Based on dialectic, obtaining universal definitions through induction. Consists of two parts:
- Irony: Analyzing specific definitions, acknowledging ignorance, and seeking truth.
- Mayeutics: The moment when truth is reached.
This method also involved Sophists (relativism).
Essence: The set of characteristics that define something and distinguish it from others.
Aristotle
Addressed problems arising from physis (reality). Believed reality exists because something can be found in things.
Two main trends:
- Monistic: One material principle (e.g., Thales’ water)
- Pluralistic: Diverse principles interacting (e.g., Anaximander’s earth, air, fire, and water)
Philosophy and Science: Philosophy provides radical answers about the past, while science explains phenomena and universal causes. Both investigate reality using logical and coherent arguments. However, philosophy is critical, rational, comprehensive, and radical, while science has practical applications.
Functions of the Soul
- Nutritive/Vegetative Soul: The lowest level, responsible for growth, nutrition, and reproduction (plants).
- Sensitive Soul: Higher level, enabling sense perception, desire, local movement, imagination, and memory (animals).
- Intellectual Soul (Understanding): The highest level, allowing understanding and thought. Cultivating reason leads to happiness (humans).
From Myth to Logos
Greek philosophy emerged in the early 6th century BC.
The Man Before Adam
This section reviews theories of human evolution. Humans, while superior to beings like monkeys, evolved almost independently of nature. These ideas, initially resisted (especially by the church), were eventually accepted after Darwin’s works like “The Origin of Species”.
Stages of human evolution: Australopithecus, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo Neanderthal, Homo cromagnos, Homo sapiens, and Homo sapiens sapiens. Human cranial capacity may continue to increase due to evolution.
The Mind and Culture
According to JL Pinillos, homonization is the anatomical evolution of humans. Humanization, the psychic evolution, follows. Progress has been artistic and technical. While artistic progress is debatable, technical progress is undeniable and driven by the neocortex.
Tylor’s theory of human progression towards atheism was criticized for overlooking early religious beliefs.
Human Development
Full psychic development involves stages: growth (infancy, childhood, adolescence, youth), maturity, and old age. Nativist and empiricist viewpoints are also discussed.
The Nervous System and Human Behavior
The nervous system processes stimuli into a comprehensive picture. The Weber-Fechner law describes the relationship between stimulus increase and initial magnitude.
The brain and mind are distinct. The nervous system manages both conscious and unconscious behavior. The paleocortex (reptilian brain) governs innate instincts (breathing, hunger, sex).
The Perception of Reality
Perception is influenced by factors like age, race, and environment. Pythagoras noted that perception is subjective, not necessarily reflecting reality. Visual perception relies on figure-ground relationships and grouping laws.
The Lore of Homo Sapiens
This chapter explores intelligence, comparing humans to animals. While animals don’t think or communicate in the same way, humans possess seven key competencies: verbal, numerical, spatial, logical, mnemonic, perceptual, and psychomotor.
Desires of Man
Humans constantly experience desires. Unfulfilled desires lead to frustration, causing unpleasant sensations and behavioral disruption. Coping mechanisms can be positive (e.g., replacement) or negative. Key desires include ambition and pleasure. Morality influences decisions.
Genius and Figure
This section examines personality, temperament, and character. Temperament refers to affective dispositions influencing reactions and interpersonal relationships. Character comprises learned behavioral habits. Personality integrates temperament and character traits. Psychosis represents severe mental illness. Biotype is the morphological manifestation of genetic background. Body types include leptomorphic and pyknomorphic.
The Human Mind and the Social Order
Society reflects human nature. Social factors can influence individuals, creating conformity. Youth is a neglected sector. Culture plays a significant role in shaping values and beliefs. Superstition, racism, and authoritarianism are biases. Acquiescence is common in lower social classes.
Laws of Stimuli Grouping:
- Proximity: Nearby stimuli are perceived as part of the same object.
- Similarity: Similar stimuli are perceived as part of the same object.
- Continuity: We seek continuity in stimuli.
- Closure: Figures tend to close to form a logical order.