Historical Methods and Evolution of Philosophy
ITEM 1: Methods of Philosophy
Mayeutica-Dialectical: This method, created by Socrates in the 5th and 4th centuries BC and inherited by his disciple Plato, is characterized by uncovering the truth through dialogue. It implies that truth resides in everyone and is only reached through communication. It is the method that best defines the philosophical attitude.
Empirical-Rational: Used by Aristotle in the 4th century BC and by Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century. It relies on sensory experience but goes
Read MoreDescartes’ Method: Rules and Application
Descartes’ Philosophical Method
Draft discards: Seek that truism on which to build philosophy. This required a method, previously found suitable, which was suggested by mathematics.
Method
A set of certain and easy rules whereby one will never take the false for the true and come to the truth.
Rules of the Method
- Evidence: Admit nothing as true that is not known and obvious; that is, without the possibility of doubt. A truism is clear and distinct. It naturally means that it is present and manifests
Understanding Epistemology and Scientific Knowledge
Epistemology and the Nature of Scientific Knowledge
Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that studies the conditions of production and validation of scientific knowledge. Epistemologists are concerned with understanding how science works and what criteria determine whether a theory is scientific. They address the fundamental question: How can humans, with their limited and brief contact with the world, acquire such extensive knowledge?
Contexts of Scientific Inquiry
Scientific inquiry can be understood
Read MoreImmanuel Kant: Philosophy, Influence, and Legacy
Immanuel Kant’s Philosophy and its Influence
Kant, a philosopher rooted in rationalist principles, and influenced by Wolff and Leibniz (who, in turn, was influenced by Descartes), acknowledged that certain concepts are produced without understanding derived from experience. This is true of space and time, categories, or transcendental ideas. However, after reading Hume, Kant accepted the value of experience in knowledge, claiming that these concepts only expand knowledge when applied within the field
Read MoreUnderstanding Ethics: Nature, Problems, and History
The Philosophical Nature of Ethics
The general view of ethics is that it is a philosophical discipline. Several thinkers have weighed in:
- Aristotle: Ethics is the science of ultimate causes.
- Karl Marx: Ethics is the spiritual quintessence of its time, and its function is to criticize forms of human alienation.
- Scheler: Philosophical knowledge is of the essence in order to gain access.
- Existentialism: Philosophy is the theory of existence.
These definitions aim to understand philosophy as a way to investigate
Read MoreKey Philosophical Concepts and Definitions
History
Human life is not merely vegetative or sensitive. It is not a simple fact, chore, task, event, or something that merely happens and develops; it is, therefore, essentially historical. Ortega y Gasset states that “man has no nature but has a history.” Man is fundamentally a project directed toward the future, but rooted in a past. Man is never final but is always becoming.
The historical character of human life implies responsibility and authenticity. To be in the process of becoming is to
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