Plato’s Philosophy: Epistemology, Ethics, and Politics
Epistemology
Epistemology: There are two levels of knowledge, called epistemological dualism. The first is scientific knowledge or episteme, in which the objective of knowledge has to be to give a clear, objective, and true reality. For Plato, the real is the world of ideas. To knowledge, we guide our soul to the contemplation of the world of ideas, leaving aside the misleading sense of the material world. Achieving this understanding is the goal of philosophy. Once it gets to this point, you can
Read MoreSatyagraha: Nonviolent Resistance and Its Principles
Satyagraha (from Sanskrit: सत्य satya: “truth”, आग्रह āgraha: “insistence” or “holding firmly to”), or “holding firmly to truth” or “truth force”, is a particular form of nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. Someone who practices satyagraha is a satyagrahi.
The term satyagraha was coined and developed by Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948). Gandhi practiced satyagraha as part of the Indian independence movement and also during his earlier struggles in South Africa for Indian rights.
Read MoreHuman Motivation: Needs, Potential, and Fulfillment
Broad Framework of Human Motivation
Humans are motivated by needs that are not formed from a gap, but rather from another statement of reasons: potential. Human existence involves not only lack but also potential.
Distinction Between Deprivation and Potential as Early Motivation
Deprivation is the lack of something a person needs either physiologically (body level) or psychologically (intimate level).
Potential is an internal force for growth through the deployment of consciousness that can achieve
Read MoreImmanuel Kant’s Philosophy: Key Questions and Moral Development
What are the Big Questions for Kant’s Philosophy?
Immanuel Kant’s philosophy revolves around four fundamental questions:
- What can I know?
- What should I do?
- What may I hope for?
- What is man?
These questions relate to different areas of research:
- The first question, “What can I know?”, pertains to the field of metaphysics.
- The second, “What should I do?”, relates to morality.
- The third, “What may I hope for?”, falls under the domain of religion.
- The fourth, “What is man?”, is explored in the field of anthropology.
Hobbes and Kant: Contrasting Philosophies on Human Nature
Thomas Hobbes: Corporeal Materialism
For Hobbes, reality is matter in motion (corporeal materialism). These bodies are composed of atoms (atomism) and move in space according to mechanical laws (mechanism) and because of necessity (determinism). Nature is homogeneous and consists of individual beings (individualism). He denies the existence of essences of all types. This means that universal concepts are only names (nominalism) used to designate a plurality of subjects with similar features. This
Read MoreRationalism vs. Empiricism: Key Differences
Rationalism vs. Empiricism
Rationalism is characterized by two fundamental assertions:
- We can build our knowledge of reality from evident principles.
- These first principles are innate and obvious, without the need for sensory experience.
Empiricism holds that the origin and value of our knowledge depend on experience, so there are no innate ideas or principles.
Similarities Between Rationalism and Empiricism
- The concept is the core idea of the theory of knowledge.
- They try to explain the origin of knowledge.