Descartes and Hume: A Comparison of Philosophical Ideas
Descartes: The Method of Doubt
DESCARTES: The aim is to establish certain knowledge against strong doubt. He insists on science, mathematics, and science in particular. * The search for unity: The human way of knowing is unique. Descartes escapes skepticism, deductively constructing a system of indubitable truths. * The problem of ideas: What the spirit or consciousness perceives directly can be: a representation of things in the external world, a memory, or a feeling. Ideas differ in 3 types: “adventitious”
Read MoreAquinas’ Aristotelianism: Synthesis of Faith and Reason
I. The Aristotelianism of Aquinas
The works of Aristotle, lost to the West for centuries, gained prominence in the Middle Ages thanks to the appearance of Arab and Jewish thought. This caused a great stir in European thought, which at the time was dominated by a Platonic interpretation of the world and humanity. With the rediscovery of the full Aristotelian work and the commentaries of Averroes (Ibn Rushd, 1126-Córdoba, Morocco 1198), a philosophically connected movement known as Latin Averroism
Read MoreSociological Thought: Comte, Marx, and Durkheim
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Sensation, Perception, Anthropology, Evolution, and Humanization
Sensation and Perception
Thanks to our senses, we are aware of our surroundings, which helps us to survive. We constantly hear sounds, see figures, taste food, smell aromas, and feel hot or cold. Sensory input reaches our senses and is made up of sensations and perception. Sensations are psycho-physical phenomena that occur when our sensory organs are stimulated. Perception is the interpretation of the sensations captured by our senses. Both are selective. Our perception makes a second selection
Read MoreChild Beauty Pageants: Exploitation or Empowerment?
Child Beauty Pageants: A Case of Child Abuse?
With the rapid advance of social media, false stereotypes of beauty have become even more prominent. Children are prematurely exposed to information they are not prepared to manage. Especially for girls, the situation is concerning due to attempts to define womanhood at a young age. Many beauty pageants promote girls as models, causing controversy and sparking debate. Beauty contests are often inappropriate for young girls’ normal development due to the
Read MorePlato, Aristotle, and Cicero: Political Philosophy
Plato
Origin of the City
Plato believed that the origin of the city lies in our natural need for others, owing to our lack of self-sufficiency. We are not naturally self-sufficient because we need others to acquire the goods to meet the basic material needs of life. Plato regards these materials as innate abilities, talents, and strengths. For example, we need help finding food, cultivating crops, and building houses.
Plato also believes that there is a lack of spiritual self-sufficiency with respect
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