Understanding Argumentation Structure & Types
An argument is a variety of discourse used to defend an opinion and persuade a receiver using evidence and reasoning. It relates to different disciplines:
- Logic: laws of human reasoning
- Dialectic: procedures used to prove or disprove something
- Rhetoric: the use of linguistic resources to persuade and evoke affections, emotions, suggestions
Key Components: Thesis & Body
An argumentative essay has two elements: the thesis and the body argument.
- The thesis is the fundamental idea to reflect upon and
Plato’s Philosophy: Ideas, Soul, and the Just State
Plato’s Core Philosophical Concepts
Disappointment with the political situation in Athens and the death of Socrates marked the beginning of Platonic philosophy. On one hand, contact with the Pythagoreans made Plato aware of the importance of mathematics and familiarized him with the doctrine of the immortality of the soul and reincarnation. On the other hand, his disillusionment with the dictatorship of the Thirty Tyrants, and later the Athenian democracy, led him to propose a model of society where
Read MoreRené Descartes: Life, Philosophy, and the Rationalist Shift
Descartes’ Early Life and Education
René Descartes was born in March 1596 in La Haye. At an early age, René entered college as an intern at La Flèche, a newly founded institution established with the help of Henry IV to form a nobility as a weapon against the Protestant Huguenots. Once he left school, he decided to join the troops of Maurice of Nassau in the Thirty Years’ War to see the world and strengthen his character.
The Turbulent 17th Century Context
This war was perhaps an event caused by
Read MorePhilosophical Concepts: Thought, Knowledge, and Utopia
Mythical vs. Rational Thought
The philosopher contemplates the daily unfolding of events. When one departs from the philosophical attitude, doubt and admiration often emerge. To understand this attitude, consider children: their inherent curiosity drives them to question everything. Problems that arise can be addressed in two primary ways:
Mythical Thought (Mythos)
This form of thought cannot be empirically corroborated. It explains phenomena by appealing to deities, supernatural beings, or extraordinary
Mastering Risk: Strategies for Protection & Security
Handling Risk
Since you cannot completely avoid all risk, you must learn to handle it.
You can avoid, reduce, retain, or transfer risk.
Risk Avoidance (Individuals and Businesses)
Avoiding risk involves thinking about the consequences of decisions. However, it is not always practical to avoid all risks.
For a business, this means refusing to engage in a particularly hazardous activity.
All business decisions should be made with consideration for both the potential benefit and the associated risk.
Risk
Read MoreFundamentos de la Verdad: Metafísica y Epistemología
Necesidad y Contingencia en Metafísica
Para la metafísica, los seres que componen la realidad se definen por dos características opuestas. Unos seres existen ahora, pero pueden dejar de existir e incluso hubo un tiempo en que nunca existieron; no fueron parte de tal realidad. De estos seres decimos que son contingentes. Otros seres existen y siempre han existido; jamás pueden no ser quienes son o dejar de existir. Estos se definen como necesarios.
La Teoría del Conocimiento y la Verdad
La teoría
Read More