Dogmatism, Skepticism, and Other Epistemological Positions
Dogmatism
Dogmatism addresses the possibility of knowledge. “Dogma” refers to an unfounded opinion. Historically, “dogmatic philosophers” sought to establish truth and knowledge as definitive without preliminary examination. Dogmatism is a natural human tendency. We assume things exist independently of our knowledge, and knowing involves capturing their essence like a mirror reflecting reality. This is evident in the common belief that perceived objects exist objectively. Dogmatism stems from the
Read MoreDescartes’ Method: Rules for a Universal Philosophical System
Rules of Descartes’ Method
Creating a universally valid and irrefutable philosophical system. It uses a scientific method. This is the mathematical method (inductive-deductive method) or mathematical method, also known as analytical. The ability to reason is the same for all men, and the diversity of opinions originates from the different ways of guiding and the diversity of the objects to which it applies (human reason, wisdom).
Descartes defines the procedure as “a set of rules that make certain
Aristotle’s Philosophy: Metaphysics, Epistemology, and Ethics
The Problem of Reality: Metaphysics
Aristotle argues that there is only Physis. This is subdivided into a supralunar world (the stars, made of ether and where there is no corruption) and the sublunary world, the land that comprises the four elements and where there is change. This Physis is studied by physics, and their ultimate foundation, through metaphysics.
Physics
Physics studies the Physis. According to hylomorphic theory, humans are composed of matter, what they are made of, and Form, its substance
Read MoreNietzsche’s Radical Critique of Culture, Religion, and Morality
Nietzsche’s Philosophy: A Critique of Culture
The whole philosophy of Nietzsche is, first, a radical critique of the foundations of Western culture based on a metaphysics. Religion and morality have replaced and inverted the values of life. Moreover, it is an attempt to overcome this culture that qualifies as a product of resentment against life.
The Apollonian and the Dionysian: Philosophy as a Tragic View of Life
In his book “The Birth of Tragedy”, Nietzsche outlines key issues in his philosophy.
Read MoreRené Descartes: Philosophy, Metaphysics, and the Mind-Body Problem
René Descartes (1596-1650): A Foundation of Modern Philosophy
The *Cogito* and Cartesian Philosophy
René Descartes’ philosophy centers on the principle of Cogito, ergo sum (“I think, therefore I am”). This foundational concept is necessary to justify a principle of the whole demonstration (axiom). Descartes defines substance as something concrete and existing, characterized by independent existence, needing nothing other than itself to exist. He distinguishes between infinite substance (God) and
Read MoreImmanuel Kant’s Philosophy: Ethics and Reason
Immanuel Kant’s Moral Philosophy
Immanuel Kant was born in Königsberg, formerly Prussia, in 1724. He belongs to the Enlightenment. He was an advocate of the American War of Independence and the French Revolution, despite being regarded as a pacifist and against all exclusionary patriotism. His seminal works include “Critique of Pure Reason,” “Critique of Practical Reason,” and “Religion within the Limits of Mere Reason.”
Theoretical and Practical Reason
Kant’s ethical theory is called moral formalism
Read More