Rousseau’s Critique of Materialism: The First Article of Faith
3 – Criticism and Materialism of Three Articles of Faith (33-66)
3.1 – First Article of Faith: God as Engine of the Universe and Critique of Mechanism (Paras. 33-44)
The Vicar introduces a lengthy argument (paras. 33-40) against materialism as a satisfactory explanation of the world, leading to the first article of faith. After establishing the method, the criterion of truth, and their existence, he sets aside his ‘I’ to examine external nature, or matter. He defines matter based on sensible qualities.
Read MoreNietzsche’s Philosophy: Historical Context, Critique of Western Values, and the Superman
Nietzsche: Historical and Sociocultural Framework
Europe up to WWI was relatively peaceful. It was a time of colonialism, industrial capitalism, and the rise of nationalism with its emphasis on constitutions, division of powers, and political pluralism. This era also saw crises and revolutions, such as the bourgeois liberal revolutions (1830/1845/1848) and the Paris Commune. New ideologies like anarchism, socialism, and communism emerged. Germany unified under Bismark in 1871.
Sociocultural Aspects
- Scientific
Rationalism vs. Empiricism: Knowledge, Science, and Thought
Rationalism
- Source of Knowledge: Innate ideas and reason.
- Limits of Knowledge: Not recognized.
- Model of Science: Mathematics.
- Method: Deductive (logical).
- Criterion of Truth: Intellectual evidence.
- Moral Criterion: Universal good and evil derived from reason.
- Major Philosophers: Descartes, Spinoza.
Empiricism
- Source of Knowledge: Experience.
- Limits of Knowledge: Metaphysics is not knowledge.
- Model of Science: Physics.
- Method: Inductive (from specific observations to general rules).
- Criterion of Truth: Experimental
Augustine’s Critique of Academic Skepticism and Pursuit of Happiness
Topic: The Case Against Scholars
Definitions
- Dissertations: Written lessons or lectures reasoning carefully and methodically on any subject to expose or refute opinions.
- Academics: Refers to the Platonic academy students, later influenced by various philosophical doctrines.
- Sage: An individual with critical knowledge of what is permanent (i.e., God), possessing truth and knowing how to reach happiness. Seeing God or the Good brings happiness.
Formal Context
The fragment to comment belongs to the second
Read MorePerspective and Reality: Embracing Diverse Viewpoints for Truth
Perspective and Reality
From different points of view, two men see the same landscape. However, it appears different to each. The foreground is charged with details for one, while for the other, it is distant, dark, and blurry. Moreover, as things placed one after the other are hidden in whole or in part, each will receive portions of the landscape that the other cannot. Would it make sense to declare either landscape false? Obviously not, as each is as real as the other. But neither would it make
Read MoreNietzsche’s Philosophy: Will to Power, Eternal Return, and Zarathustra
“[…] Only appear justified as an aesthetic phenomenon existence and the world.” With this strong sentence, and all the consequences that flow from it, can be summed up the first stage of Nietzschean thought. His central work, The Birth of Tragedy, is inspired by the philosophy of Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche hoped his thesis on the art would be applied by Wagner in his operas. This work is, among other things, a deep philological, artistic, and philosophical focus on the birth and evolution of
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