Descartes’ Philosophy: Methodical Doubt & Reality
Cogito, Ergo Sum: Methodical Doubt and First Truth
René Descartes posited that everything should be doubted until proven without a doubt. Cartesian methodical doubt provisionally considers all knowledge as potentially false. This doubt extends to several areas:
- Knowledge from the Senses: We can doubt that things are as they appear, though their existence may still be possible.
- The Existence of Things: It’s difficult to distinguish waking from dreaming, making the existence of things uncertain.
- Mathematical
Pre-Socratic Philosophers: Origins of Western Thought
MITA: A Story the Collective Wants Explanations For
Myths are stories that communities want to know about. Normally, myths explain the beginning of something. Example: The Myth of the Cave.
Arche: The First Cause
Arche means ‘first’ or ‘initial cause.’ There are two types of Arche: Arche as origin and Arche as a principle in the constitution of being.
Monism: Belief in a Single Constituent Element
Monism is the belief in a single constituent element. Examples:
- Pythagoras believed that the Arche was numbers.
Contract Theories: Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau
Theories of Contract
They were the thoughts that use contract as a hypothetical model explaining the origin and legitimacy of political power in the state. It is established from a state of nature, freely and independently, agree.
Members of the Assembly decide the functions and powers of the ruler.
It is presented as hypothetical; we must identify the state of nature or setting it to a historic moment. The function of these theories is to justify a particular type of political organization. Appeared
Plato’s Theory of Ideas and the Dual Worlds
Plato’s Theory of Forms
The central theory of Platonic thought is the “Theory of Forms” (or “Theory of Ideas”). It is characterized by a lack of systemization and the use of myths to explain concepts. One prominent example is the Myth of the Cave. This theory has a threefold intent:
- Ethical: Plato argues that acting justly requires a perfect conception of justice. This necessitates fixed ideas and permanent concepts, aligning with Socratic intellectualism and offering a moral critique of Sophistic
Plato’s Philosophy of Education in The Republic
Plato’s Philosophy of Education
Plato: Education is the positive means by which the ruler can shape human nature in the right direction to produce a harmonious state. A modern reader cannot but marvel at the large space devoted to education, the meticulous care with which Plato weighs the effects of various studies, and how he assumed that the state is, first and foremost, an educational institution. It was considered “the big deal”; if citizens are well-educated, they will see clearly through difficulties
Read MoreRené Descartes: Life, Philosophy, and Impact
René Descartes: Life and Works
Life: Born in the sixteenth century, in La Haye, France. He studied the law and then joined the army.
Key Works and Publications
Geneva: He publicly released “Discourse on Method,” published after different essays: “Dioptrics,” “Meteors,” and “Geometry.” He also published “Meditations on First Philosophy,” his most systematic work. Later, he published “Principles of Philosophy,” “Passions of the Soul,” and “Rules for the Direction of the Spirit.”