Plato’s Philosophy: Key Concepts and Principles
Plato’s Philosophy: Key Concepts
Science
Science, according to Plato, is the knowledge of the true realities, which are the Ideas. Plato called this knowledge Episteme or Intelligence. It comprises two activities or degrees:
- Dianoia: Discursive logic, corresponding to mathematical knowledge.
- Noesis: Contemplation of Ideas.
Dialectic
In contrast to the Sophists, for whom dialectic was the art of debate through dialogue (i.e., rhetoric), Plato and Socrates considered dialectic a scientific method that allows
Read MoreThe Enlightenment: Key Ideas, Impact, and Figures
The Enlightenment: A Cultural and Ideological Movement
The Enlightenment was a cultural and ideological movement that developed in Europe during the 17th century. Its background lies in humanism and rationalism. The learned men of letters were activists who sought to transform society. Their work fueled the liberal influences that led to the French Revolution.
Key Features of the Enlightenment
Critical Spirit and the Cult of Reason
Any established truth can be subjected to criticism by human intelligence.
Understanding Tendencies: Affectivity vs. Activity in Psychology
Understanding Tendencies: Affectivity vs. Activity
Introduction: Traditional psychology often limited its scope to states of consciousness. However, contemporary psychology demonstrates that these states are explained by underlying forces. Tendencies are internal forces oriented towards goals. A tendency is spontaneous and unconscious, forming the basis of all human activity, such as the tendency to eat, which manifests as hunger. A tendency can be symbolized by the pressure of a compressed spring,
Read MoreUnderstanding Plato’s Philosophy of the Soul and Society
Understanding Plato’s Philosophy
A degree of knowledge is episteme, ascertain who has a speech. Dianoia refers to discursive thought going from premises to the hypothesis that concludes. Noesis is non-discursive intelligence, a state of mind that represents the essence or the idea of goodness. The degree of knowledge, episteme, is the real understanding of the intelligible world.
Anthropology: Conception of the Soul
In the Fedro, Plato compares the human soul to a winged chariot and a pair of horses,
Read MoreTruth Tables and Logical Fallacies Explained
Truth Tables
We use two distinct methods to do this:
- Using statements in tables.
- Using the truth of the laws of logical inference (transformation rules).
How to Make a Truth Table
The goal of building a truth table is to perform the calculation that allows us to know if the logical formula is:
- A tautology (all true)
- An indeterminacy (alternating V and F)
- A contradiction (all false)
The steps are:
- Determine the number of atomic variables.
- Calculate the number of rows in the table using the formula 2n (where
St. Thomas Aquinas: Life, Philosophy, and Theology
St. Thomas Aquinas: Life and Context
St. Thomas Aquinas, born in Naples in 1225 and died in 1274.
Historical Context
- Christianity: Attempt to unite all Europe under one single power and region.
- 12th Century: The century of the universities – institutions where the Church worked as a trainee for professional associations and teachers, with proper legislation and privileges.
- Four faculties: Arts, Theology, Canon Law, and Medicine.
- Major universities: Paris, Oxford, Bologna, Cologne, and Salamanca.
- Papacy