Immanuel Kant’s Critical Philosophy: Understanding Reason
Contextualizing Kant’s *Critique of Pure Reason*
The fragment belongs to the work of the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, Critique of Pure Reason. In this work, Kant answers the question, “What do I know?”, adopting a transcendental approach. The author tries to solve the critical problem: How can our understanding fully form a priori concepts to which all objects of experience conform and necessarily conform?
In three different sections of the work (Aesthetic, Analytic, and Dialectic), Kant studied
Read MoreHuman Nature: Reason, Sociability, and Freedom
Three Characteristics of Human Beings
The Man, a Rational Animal?
The Greeks considered man a contemplative and theoretical being, defining him as a rational animal. Aristotle posited three factors that distinguish humans from animals and contribute to their goodness: nature, habit, and reason. Pascal later referred to man as a “thinking reed.” Linnaeus, in 1758, designated the human species as Homo sapiens, a classification that sparked debate.
Man, a Social Being?
The Greeks also viewed man as a political
Nietzsche: Philosophy, Science, Morality, and Superman
Nietzsche’s Radical Critique of Western Culture
Nietzsche made the most radical critique ever carried out against European culture. His work, which can be seen as “dynamite,” primarily targets the philosophy, science, and morality of the West.
Critique of Philosophy
Nietzsche’s critique stems from the conviction that reality, in its most profound being, is constantly changing, as Heraclitus believed. Reality is becoming; it appears differently to us at every moment. The deepest reality is not eternal
Read MoreNietzsche’s Superman and the Transmutation of Values
Transmutation of Values
The Superman must exercise their will to power and has undertaken the task of transmuting values. The Superman has to break with the old anti-vital values. The Superman is the value of the present, the here and now. Because God is dead, only the physical and material remain. The will to power is the desire to express life. The values of Christianity are, for Nietzsche, the values of the weak, the slaves. Nietzsche is opposed to the value of equality because we all try to be
Read MoreUnderstanding Human Nature: From Myth to Reason
Humanity’s first attempts to explain the origins of human nature were irrational, relying on magic and myth. Magic sought a theoretical justification for practical problems. It employed rituals, spells, and gestures to dominate the supernatural forces governing nature, relying on hidden knowledge accessible only to certain privileged individuals. The basis of magic is a belief in animism.
Myth, on the other hand, is a sacred narrative or symbolic legend that recounts important events concerning natural
Nietzsche: Unmasking Traditional Thought and Values
Analysis of Nietzsche’s Philosophy
Nietzsche (N.) aims to break with the Western philosophical tradition, seeking new ways of expressing feelings and thoughts. To emphasize this break, he takes a critical tone. His philosophy is a genealogy, trying to find the source of the error—first, metaphysics. He uncovers the past and hidden impulses that move man to act. So, Nietzsche’s philosophy can be understood as an unmasking. The ultimate goal of his thought is the critique of reason, understood as
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