Descartes and Hume: Foundations of Modern Philosophy
Descartes’s Philosophy
René Descartes’s philosophy emerged during the scientific revolution of the sixteenth century, a period marked by conflicts between geocentric Aristotelian views and the heliocentric Copernican model. The Protestant Reformation also contributed to a climate of doubt, affecting both science and religion. In this context, Descartes sought a philosophy free from error, aiming for certainty. His method, inspired by the resolution-composition approach of the school of Padua, was
Read MoreHume’s Philosophy: Causality, Empiricism, and Skepticism
Hume’s Thought
Hume’s primary aim was to establish a science of man. He sought to understand human nature, analyze the principle of causality, and explore the foundations of human moral action.
Core of Empiricism
Hume posited that the mind receives sensitive impressions (sensory experiences) and impressions of reflection (recollections of those experiences). He rejected innate ideas, asserting that all knowledge stems from experience, specifically from sensory perceptions. Events are explained through
Read MoreNature, Essence, and Principles: A Philosophical Inquiry
The Concept of Physis
The word ‘physis’ originates from the Greek term φύσις, which translates to ‘natura’ in Latin and ‘naturaleza’ in Spanish. It refers to nature as we understand it, the reality of things.
a) Physis signifies the manifest existence of things, appearing in their multiplicity and specificity, constantly changing. It contrasts with fiction.
b) It also denotes the specific mode of being or the essence of something. The essence is expressed through a definition, answering the question
Read MoreUnderstanding Indeterminism, Determinism, and Moral Responsibility
Indeterminism, Determinism, and Moral Responsibility
Indeterminism
Indeterminism is the holding that when we are free to choose and act, system states will act independently to carry out a choice between several different forms of action. There are certain options, such as maintaining a reliance on physical appearance and sustaining freedom that belongs to the rational realm alone, as in the case of discarding Kant. Others, such as Sartre’s existentialism, affirm the absolute freedom of being human.
Read MoreUnderstanding Historical Modes of Production
Modes of Production
The history of society is the history of development and succession, subject to the laws of production. There are five different modes:
1. Primitive Society
The first mode of production in the history of humanity, according to Marxist theory, means a stage of economic-social relations characterized by low productive force development, simple cooperation, and clan families.
2. Slave Society
This was the first mode of production based on labor that appears in history. It arises from
Read MoreUnderstanding Science: Its Nature, Structure, and Methods
One characteristic that distinguishes humans from other living beings is an innate curiosity that leads us to wonder about the world in which we live and about our own human nature. Science seeks to understand reality, find the causes of observed phenomena, establish universally valid concepts, and demonstrate rational arguments. Science is the knowledge that provides a better understanding of the universe. It is a system of knowledge about a specific sector of reality, derived in a rational way,
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