Aquinas: Essence, Existence, and Demonstrations of God’s Existence
Thomist Theory of Ontological Distinction
In classical philosophy, a direct distinction between essence and existence was absent. Substance was defined by what things are. Existence, the fact that things are, wasn’t a primary problem for Greek philosophers, as they viewed reality as eternal. Their focus was explaining change within existing reality.
Christian philosophers, however, considered material reality non-eternal, necessitating explanation. All material is contingent, implying it could not
Read MoreKey Philosophical Concepts and Terms Explained
Key Philosophical Concepts and Terms
Aporia: Uncertainty or doubt.
Atomism: The physical universe is composed of fundamental indivisible components known as atoms.
Correspondence Theory of Truth: The truth or falsity of a statement is determined only by how it relates to the world and whether it accurately describes that world.
Being: Any living creature, from a person to a bug.
Categories: A pure concept of the understanding. Fundamental classes/concepts used to organize and describe the structure of
Read MoreDescartes’ Rationalism: Socio-Historical Context & Features
ITEM 11: The Modern Continental Philosophy, Descartes’ Rationalism
1. Socio-Historical Context
René Descartes, the creator of Rationalism, lived in the seventeenth century, the Baroque era. This period was marked by events of great importance but also by crises, including ideological, social, economic, political, and religious upheaval.
2. Features of Rationalism
- Self-sufficiency of reason: Reason is considered the justified source that produces knowledge and the only valid way to understand and explain
Metaphysics: Key Concepts and Historical Evolution
Metaphysics: A Historical Overview
Revisiting Greek Authors:
Engaging with the Greeks is considered essential and definitive. Infinity, deemed incomprehensible, is viewed as impossible and indefinable. While existence is undeniable, the core metaphysical questions arise: What exists? What is the nature of these existing things? (Who is there? What is there?).
The Introduction of God
God’s Role in Medioplatonism and Christianity: God is introduced as the infinite Being, the source of life. Essences are
Read MoreDescartes’ Philosophy: Method, Metaphysics, and Context
Descartes’ Philosophical Thought
Thinking of Discards. Descartes, formed in scholastic philosophy, warns that this philosophy does not respond to the issues and concerns of his time. On the other hand, he thinks that mathematics, besides being a safe and rigorous science, serves to organize experience and to develop science. Therefore, he relies on the conduct of the mathematical structure and elements of his method. In experiment, the subject is passive, and the knowledge that experience provides
Read MoreDescartes’ Proof of God: Ordo Cognoscendi and the Cogito
Descartes justified his actions by the distinction between the ordo essendi (establishing what are the first things in reality) and ordo cognoscendi (establishing what things are the basis of our subjective knowledge).
However, my knowledge of God is still mediated by the knowledge I have of myself.
If I can only get to know the Creator through my own self, Descartes is forced to bring God from without, as when he speculated that God fooled him just before the hypothesis of the evil genius. The philosopher
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