Metaphysics: Key Concepts and Philosophical Methods
Topics of Metaphysics
The word “metaphysics” is a collection invented to designate the works of Aristotle that dealt with the first principles of all sciences:
- Science: Decides the object of study more precisely, leading to a perfect, precise language. The strength of scientific evidence is very powerful, so that no physicist discusses the theories of relativity or quantum mechanics.
- Philosophy: Does not have the strength of scientific evidence. It seems that neither philosophers nor scientists agree
Citizenship, Democracy, and Globalization: Key Concepts
The Political Experience of Greece and its Influence
The political experience of Greece, as analyzed by Aristotle, had a decisive influence on Western political thought. The citizen is defined as a function of the city-state system. Not every inhabitant of the city has the condition of a citizen; women and slaves do not. Residence in the city does not automatically confer citizenship, although there are residents with certain rights who are not citizens. Children and the elderly are considered imperfect
Read MoreOrtega y Gasset: Stages of Thought and Key Philosophical Concepts
Ortega y Gasset
Stages of his thought:
1. Objectivism: There is the problem of Spain. He developed a doctrine that states that the saving grace necessary is science. The decline stems from the lack of science, and science is theory. Objectivity, accuracy, and reasonableness are the method. Subjectivity is error.
2. The Circumstance: The discovery is the concept of circumstances. Ortega referred to two major circumstances: Greek thought and Western Judeo-Christian thought (historical circumstances).
Read MoreKey Philosophical Concepts and the Existence of God
Objections Against the Existence of God
Although religious beliefs remained in force during the millennium, this fact does not justify these beliefs are legitimate. To be great objectives of both popular forms of understanding God and the various arguments in favor of its existence. Thus, Feuerbach said that the image of God is nothing more than a projection of human qualities: it is God who is made in the image and likeness of man. Freud denounced the image of a paternalistic God that underlies
Read MorePlato’s Theory of Forms: Understanding Reality and the Soul
The Maieutics
The maieutics is a technique that involves questioning a person to make them arrive at knowledge not yet conceptualized. The maieutics is based on dialectic, which is the idea that the truth is hidden in the mind of every human being. This is placed on the second level of the Socratic process. Free of prejudice, the disciple is invited to continue the dialogue to explore in depth the consistency of truth. It starts from the idea that knowledge is latent in human consciousness, and the
Read MoreSaint Thomas Aquinas: Key Philosophical Concepts
Theory of Knowledge According to Saint Thomas Aquinas
Saint Thomas Aquinas, heavily influenced by Aristotle, developed a theory of knowledge aimed at justifying the Christian faith. He posited that God created the world through knowledge, and by understanding creation, we come to know the Creator. In the 13th century, the importance of sensory experience was emphasized. Aquinas, using Aristotle’s framework, proposed that knowledge stems from research and abstraction, allowing us to discern the essence
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