Understanding Descartes: Key Concepts and Definitions
Key Concepts in Descartes’ Philosophy
Opinions and Knowledge
Knowledge not recognized as genuine is pre-methodical doubt and the application of the method.
Reason
Reason is man’s natural, innate, general instrument of knowledge: ‘ability to judge well and distinguish truth from falsehood.’ Also called ‘good sense’ and is equal in all men. Therefore, the diversity of opinion comes just as it is applied (method).
Analysis
The second of precepts or rules of method, which is to reduce the complex to its simplest
Read MoreNietzsche: Philosophy and Transvaluation of Values
Nietzsche’s Philosophy: A Radical Critique
Nietzsche’s key works include: The Birth of Tragedy, Thus Spoke Zarathustra (subtitled “A book for everyone and no one”), Beyond Good and Evil, On the Genealogy of Morality, Twilight of the Idols, The Antichrist, Ecce Homo, and The Will to Power.
Nietzsche undertakes a profound critique of Western culture as a whole. He attacks metaphysics, religion, morality, art, science, politics, the educational system, the role played by women, and the intellectual crowd,
Read MoreFormal and Informal Logic: A Deep Dive
Abstract Philosophy: Formal and Informal Logic
Logic and Its Object
Definition: Logic is the knowledge or science that aims at formal reasoning (studying the correctness or validity of reasoning).
Reasoning: The process that allows us to obtain new knowledge from existing knowledge.
Reasoning or Inference
These are processes by which we obtain information from known data. Any inference consists of:
- Premises: A set of statements that express the data from which we start.
- Conclusion: A final statement that
Understanding Human Knowledge: Levels and Types
The Levels of Human Knowledge
From birth, human beings constantly receive information progressively and acquire knowledge about the world and themselves. The whole body of knowledge that a human being acquires throughout their life and that serves for their existence is what we call knowledge. Therefore, in a very general and broad sense, knowledge is to know, to have understanding.
There is knowledge that we acquire without actively seeking it. Other knowledge requires deliberate searching. Sometimes,
Read MoreFriedrich Nietzsche: Life, Influences, and Philosophy
Friedrich Nietzsche: A Life in Philosophy
Friedrich Nietzsche was born in 1844 into a family where his father and maternal grandfather were Lutheran pastors. In 1869, he was appointed professor of Greek philology at Basel. He participated in the Franco-Prussian War, which extracted a profound rejection of nationalism that lasted all of his life.
He had health problems all his life, especially very strong headaches. This forced him to relinquish his chair in 1879 and begin a life of wandering: he spent
Understanding Moral Ethics and Human Action
Moral Ethics
Moral ethics and morality are terms related to customs that uphold human dignity. Morality refers to the characteristics and rules that should make a person better. Ethics should be studied as the actions of every human, actions that are socially and morally good. Humans interact with their environment and each other to improve their lives and increase their quality of life. All of this is accomplished through individual human action. Moral knowledge about human actions guides them towards
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