Foundations of Logic and Philosophical Knowledge
The Principles of Logic
Logic is an essential instrument that ensures the proper functioning of reason. It is defined as the branch of philosophy dedicated to identifying and validating the forms of thought. Since reasoning is the fundamental way of thinking, logic can be understood as the philosophical discipline that aims to establish formally valid reasoning.
Understanding Arguments in Logic
An argument is a procedure where, starting from a set of comprehensive propositions and utilizing the relationships
Read MoreCore Philosophical Concepts Explained
Fundamental Philosophical Concepts
Pre-Rational Ideas & Justification
These concepts often precede or underpin rational thought:
- Theoretical Justification: The basis for understanding.
- Imagination: A key faculty in forming ideas.
- Grounded Understanding: Comprehending the whole tradition.
- Ultimate Justification: The final and justifying principle.
- Supernatural: Concepts beyond natural explanation.
- Arbitrariness: Lack of inherent reason or order.
- Symbolic: Representation through symbols.
Core Characteristics
Read MoreUnderstanding Personality, Ethics, and Human Rights
Understanding Personality: Character vs. Temperament
Your personality defines your unique way of being. It comprises two main components: character and temperament.
Can You Change Your Personality?
You can change your character, which is acquired through your habits and actions. It’s shaped by what you do and how you behave. However, you cannot change your temperament, as it is innate and genetically determined.
Example: Hyperactivity and Personal Growth
For instance, a student might have a hyperactive
Read MoreHuman Thought & Reality: Discourses of Understanding
Humanity: Thought, Language, and Symbolic Expression
Human beings are unique because they are fundamentally thinking animals. While other animals perform various actions, only humans possess the capacity for complex thought and language, enabling them to translate their experiences symbolically.
Through linguistic thought, humans acquired and transmitted knowledge and skills, crucial for survival against dangers and success in hunting and gathering. Only humans can speak, reason, and imagine the future.
Read MoreThe Brave Little Parrot: A Buddhist Fable of Selfless Service
The Brave Little Parrot: Four Levels of Understanding
Literal Comprehension: The Parrot’s Heroic Act
Once, Buddha was born as a little parrot in a forest where various animals and birds lived. While all the creatures were spending a happy life, a storm and lightning turned the forest into a raging fire. Helpless animals and birds were trapped, creating a terrible scene where they cried for help. Seeing this situation, the little parrot started to put out the fire by dipping into the river and spreading
Read MoreCartesian Philosophy: Reason, Doubt, and Certainty
Descartes’ Cogito and the Criterion of Truth
The objective was to develop a philosophy by using only genuine reason. A system of interconnected truths, arranged so that the mind grasps fundamental truths as self-evident truisms, with others implied by the proposed premises. Descartes started from scratch and accepted only what his reason offered as indubitable.
To build this philosophy, Descartes believed a method was necessary. The method is not required because human reason is unable to find truth,
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