Aristotle’s Metaphysics: Understanding First Principles
Aristotle (4th century BC) was born in Stagira, not Athens. Although a disciple of Plato, he developed an opposing theory. He was a teacher of Alexander the Great. Reflection did not begin with Aristotle’s metaphysics; it was born with reasoning. It seeks to know why.
Understanding Metaphysics
Metaphysics, also called First Philosophy (the first name given to it), examines the first causes and senses. Later, it was called metaphysics since it goes beyond physics, beyond nature. Primitive people responded
Read MorePioneering Figures and the Scientific Method
Galileo Galilei
Galileo was undoubtedly one of the greatest scientists of the scientific revolution. He was the first person to study the sky with a telescope. He discovered craters and mountains on the Moon. He also found the moons that orbited Jupiter. He was also interested in how falling objects behaved, so he studied mechanics. Galileo also conducted experiments, wrote theories, and made observations. Along with all his achievements, he even invented the thermometer.
Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton
Read MoreRational vs. Pre-Rational Explanations of Reality
Know the Rational
Animals have an instinctive behavior that is innate. Instincts allow them to meet all their needs. Therefore, it is a practical and concrete knowledge.
Human beings have been branded as rational animals. Reason, imagination, and language give a considerable margin of freedom to be open to different possibilities for action. Humans need to understand and interpret the environment; they need to know.
The Pre-Rational Explanation: Magic and Myth
The first explanation is the irrational:
Read MorePlato’s Philosophy: Influences, Impact, and Legacy
History of Plato’s Time
Athens was a thriving city after its victory in the Greco-Persian Wars (479 BC). The Peloponnesian War broke out, and Athens, which was a democracy, was defeated by Sparta, fighting for an aristocracy. Sparta imposed the dictatorship of the Thirty Tyrants until the Athenians restored the democratic regime. All these political changes were the driving force of Plato’s philosophical development. Finally, democracy waned, prompting Alexander the Great to unify all the poleis
Read MoreSocrates and Plato: Reason as a Path to Truth
Reason as a Path to Truth: Socrates and Plato
The central theme of the text is reason as a means to access truth. We could approach the theme of the text in relation to the philosophical positions of both Socrates and the Sophists, but here we focus on Socrates. Socrates employed a research method with two phases: the first negative (irony) and the second positive (maieutics).
Socrates’ Method: Irony and Maieutics
Initially, Socrates, making use of irony, feigned ignorance and, as a skilled interrogator,
Read MoreAddressing School Violence: A Call for Teacher Authority and Parental Involvement
School Violence: A Call for Teacher Authority and Parental Involvement
We are analyzing a newspaper article by Rafael Puyol, featured in the mainstream press, including *El País* and *ABC*. This article falls within the subgenre of opinion, as a named author expresses his point of view on a topical issue, in this case, school violence. The author demonstrates a subjective tendency with the clear desire to convince or persuade the reader. This is coupled with an informative interest, as the text