David Hume’s Philosophy: Knowledge, Causality, and Substance

Posted by on Jan 15, 2025 in Philosophy and ethics | 0 comments

David Hume

Theory of Knowledge

Hume defined perception as everything that is present in our minds, and he identified two types:

  • Impressions: Knowledge gained through the senses.
  • Ideas: Representations or images of perceptions in thought, which are derived from impressions and are less intense.

Impressions serve as the criterion of truth for ideas because an idea is true if we can identify it as coming from an impression. Hume also distinguished two ways of knowing:

  • Knowledge of relationships among ideas
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Nietzsche’s Philosophy: Key Concepts and Western Decadence

Posted by on Jan 15, 2025 in Philosophy and ethics | 0 comments

Nietzsche’s Philosophy: Key Concepts

Becoming

Becoming is often used synonymously with evolving. Some conceptions of becoming include:

  • The Eleatic solution: Seeking to account for evolution through denial.
  • The Pythagorean and Platonic solution: Separating entities that move from motionless realities.
  • The Heraclitean solution: Proclaiming that reality is, in essence, becoming.

Nietzsche understood the history of philosophy very well and considered that becoming was incomprehensible to reason. Therefore,

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Plato and Aristotle: Soul, Change, and Knowledge

Posted by on Jan 14, 2025 in Philosophy and ethics | 0 comments

Plato’s Concept of the Soul and Reminiscence

Plato, building upon the Socratic thesis of anamnesis, argues for the immortality of the soul. Anamnesis suggests that learning is a form of recollection. Socrates addresses the question of dualism, asserting the soul’s superiority over the body. He posits that humans are composed of a divine and immortal part (the soul) and a corruptible, mortal part (the body). The soul resembles the divine and immutable, while the body is subject to change.

Reminiscence,

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Key Philosophical Concepts: A Descartes Lexicon

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Key Philosophical Concepts: A Descartes Lexicon

  • Algebra

    Part of mathematics using symbols to represent quantities, simplifying and generalizing issues.

  • Alma

    The thinking substance, the self of every individual.

  • Analysis

    Method of breaking down complex ideas into simple elements apprehended by intuition.

  • Analysis of Geometry

    Using equations to solve problems in analytic geometry.

  • Certainty

    Subjective belief in a statement’s truth, synonymous with evidence, opposed to doubt and opinion.

  • Circumspection

    Mental

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Epicureanism and Stoicism: Two Ancient Philosophies

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Epicureanism: A Philosophy for a Happy Life

Epicurus (341-270 BC) was born in Samos and lived in Athens. His conception of the good and optimal human behavior differed greatly from Aristotle’s political vision. Epicurus advocated for the affirmation of the individual and their conscience as the core of morality.

Epicurus conceived philosophy as a way of life. Epicureanism, rather than being a rigid philosophical system, is a practical approach to living. Epicurus’s thought is based on three fundamental

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Aristotle: Hylomorphism, Politics, Movement, and Actuality

Posted by on Jan 14, 2025 in Philosophy and ethics | 0 comments

Aristotle’s Hylomorphism: Matter and Form

Hylomorphism is the Aristotelian theory that states everything is composed of matter and form:

  • Matter: The substratum of form.
    • First matter: The absolutely unknown substrate in the composition of all material things.
    • Second matter: The tangible reality. Example: wood.
  • Form: What determines the matter.
    • Substantial form: What makes a thing what it is. Example: table.
    • Accidental form: Accidents of second matter. Example: color of the table.

Aristotle also distinguishes

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