Church and School Relationship Through History
1. Church-School Relationship Through the Ages
In the early centuries of Christianity, paganism dominated official schools, while Christian education took place within the community. This lasted until the end of the 4th century. With barbarian invasions and the early Middle Ages, a Christian regime emerged in schools, characterized by clerical structure and predominantly sacred content. By the 8th century, the school was entirely in the hands of the church.
Medieval Christianity saw a profoundly
Read MoreMetaphysics: Reality, Existence, and Belief
Plato: The Reality of Ideas
In the fourth century BC, Plato proposed one of the most important metaphysical systems. Plato’s dualistic philosophy posits two distinct realities: the material reality, subject to constant change, and the reality of ideas, which are unchanging and eternal. Our sensory experiences, according to Plato, are merely copies of these true, unchanging ideas.
Thomas Aquinas: God and the “Creature”
Thomas Aquinas, the most influential philosopher of the Western Christian Middle
Read MoreThe Essence of Ratio-Vitalism: Ortega y Gasset’s Philosophy of Life
The Essence of Ratio-Vitalism
Life as a Paradox
If life is defined by our choices, then it is a constant state of becoming. We project ourselves into the future, anticipating what we will be. This forward momentum makes us aware of our existence as temporal beings.
The Vital Reason as Historical Reason
Ortega y Gasset’s ratio-vitalism emphasizes the interconnectedness of reason and life. Human existence, he argues, can only be understood through the lens of reason. This creates a synthesis between
Read MorePlato and Aristotle: Contrasting Philosophies on Politics and Cosmos
Plato’s Political Philosophy
Plato, driven by a desire for political reform, believed that good governance stemmed from knowledge. He argued that policies based on the whims of the strongest, richest, or most demagogic individuals could never create a just system. Influenced by Socrates’ pursuit of universal definitions and the Pythagorean emphasis on mathematical certainty, Plato sought immutable truths as the foundation for political science. He posited that the material world, in constant flux,
Read MoreLocke vs. Hume: Innate Ideas, Causality, and Knowledge
1) Locke and Hume: Innate Ideas
Hume agrees with Locke that there are no innate ideas, a core tenet of empiricism: all knowledge comes from experience. Our ideas derive from impressions; we cannot conceive of anything without prior sensory input.
Locke, however, argues that while all mental content are ideas, some, like passions and natural instincts, are innate, stemming from our inherent mindset, not external sensations.
2) Impressions and Ideas
Are there impressions derived from ideas? No. Impressions
Read MoreScientific Method, Philosophy, and Progress: A Concise Overview
Hypothetical-Deductive Method
This method combines empirical data (induction) with logical consistency (deduction).
– Definition of the problem: Identify a problematic situation.
– Formulation of hypothesis: Propose a coherent, verifiable explanation.
– Deduction of consequences: Determine what should happen if the hypothesis is true.
– Contrasting the hypothesis: Check if the expected consequences occur.
– Refutation of the hypothesis: Reject the hypothesis if consequences are not met.
– Confirmation