René Descartes: A Deep Dive into His Philosophy
René Descartes: Life and Works
What we know about René Descartes’s life is that he was born in 1596 in La Haye (Touraine, France) into a comfortable family. Educated at the prestigious Jesuit college of La Flèche, he encountered the philosophies of Aristotle and St. Thomas, which he later deemed insufficient. During a stay in Holland, he met the scientist Isaac Beeckman, sparking an interest in physics and mathematics. He died in Stockholm in 1650, having been invited there by Queen Christina
Read MoreJohn Stuart Mill: Ethics, Happiness, and Justice
John Stuart Mill: Key Ideas
Main Ideas of Positivism
Positivism is the romanticism of science, a commitment to verifiable facts. Science, as a positivist experimental model of rationality, is paramount. Anything beyond observable facts is rejected as unknowable. Science is presented as a uniquely humanitarian guide.
Three States of Law
Mill describes three states of law: the theological (humanity’s initial stage), the metaphysical (maturity), and the positive (where imagination, reason, and observation
Read MoreThe Haskalah: Jewish Enlightenment and Its Impact
Haskalah: The Jewish Enlightenment
The Enlightenment and its Diffusion
During the era of absolutism, many individuals experienced shifts in their legal and social standing, leading them to explore new pursuits. Beginning in the 17th century, this gave rise to a new social class known as the ‘new bourgeoisie’. This class deviated from traditional societal norms in their economic activities and behaviors, enjoying greater freedom in their professions and embracing a meritocratic system where the most
Read MoreNietzsche’s Critique of Western Tradition: A Philosophical Analysis
Nietzsche’s Critique of Western Tradition
Vitalism and the Rejection of Traditional Values
The vitality of Nietzsche’s philosophy designates those theories that admit the existence of a vital force not reducible to physical-chemical processes; that is, it considers life as more than a series of purely scientific processes and laws. Vitalism opposes traditionalism, positivism, and utilitarianism for being overly scientific and pragmatic. It champions irrational values: vital, impulsive, instinctive,
Read MoreHart’s Legal Positivism: Internal vs. External Statements
1.2. The Conception of Legal Science: Hart’s Internal versus External SetThere are two models of normative positivism; this is the second, the conception of legal science from Hart. This is a critique of analytical jurisprudence by J. Austin. Analytical jurisprudence focuses on the analysis of language to understand reality and, for Hart, to understand the law.
Hart is a normativist, as is Kelsen. Law is rules; standards are a direct use of language, seeking to control the conduct of those addressed.
Descartes’ Methodical Doubt and Cogito Ergo Sum
Descartes: Methodical Doubt and Cogito Ergo Sum. The structure of the Cartesian metaphysical system (the root of the tree of science) corresponds to the division of reality into three substances:
- The self, or substance pensante
- God, or the perfect and infinite substance
- The world, or the substance extensa
Descartes built this system from the application of methodical doubt and found the “Cogito ergo sum.” Let’s see how he did it:
Descartes was convinced that a sure method existed and practiced it to
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