Nietzsche’s Philosophy: Vitalism, Art, and Critique
Nietzsche represents a critique of rationalism and idealism from a new perspective with two facets:
- A negative side: criticism of the main concepts and values that have traditionally served to explain the world in Western culture.
- A positive side: the attempt to understand and explain life as the deep background of what unfolds. Hence, his philosophy is known as vitalism.
Tragic View of Life
The Birth of Tragedy in the Spirit of Music outlines the key themes of Nietzsche’s philosophy. He describes life
Read MoreDavid Hume’s Empiricism: Knowledge, Self, and Causation
Hume’s Philosophy Contrasted with Plato
Hume’s philosophy stands in opposition to Plato’s. Hume, an empiricist, believed that knowledge originates solely from sensory experience, aiming to combat abstract beliefs or superstitions, such as the concept of God. Therefore, according to Hume, we cannot gain knowledge beyond sensory experience. This contrasts sharply with Plato, who posited an ideal, perfect world (the World of Forms or Ideas) accessible through reason, where true knowledge resides.
Furthermore,
Read MoreBiblical Hermeneutics: Principles and Applications
Hermeneutics: Comes from the Greek word hermeneuo, which means to interpret.
Matthew 13: Because they had not obeyed the old truth already given.
Scriptural Meat vs. Milk: By using and obeying what we have first been taught.
Relating to Hermeneutics: Milk is used to illustrate instruction about the basics of Christianity, while meat is for advanced instruction about righteousness.
Scripture is Useful For:
- Ministry
- Doctrine
- Personal Application
The Epistles
We cannot base doctrine on the greetings, personal
Critique of Western Culture: The Decline of Greek Values
N’s Critique of Western Culture: A review of Greek culture questions and criticizes the traditional valuation of the Greek world that stood in ancient Greece against the splendor of contemporary Greek culture. N gives more importance to archaic Greece. According to N, Apollo is the god of light, clarity, and harmony, representing equilibrium, measurement, and consideration. This interpretation is correct regarding the Greek world from Socrates. According to N, Dionysus was the god of confusion,
Read MoreCore Philosophical Concepts: Thought, Knowledge, Human Nature
Human Needs and the Search for Meaning
Humans look beyond basic needs; they seek meaning in life. The term Cosmos expresses the universal harmony governed by laws.
Myth (Mito) vs. Logos
- Myth (Mito): Imaginative stories about origins, often featuring anthropomorphic characters representing natural elements. Common sense understanding.
- Logos: Word, speech, reason. Represents a shift towards rational explanation.
Mythical Thought
Homer observes the naturalization of gods. Early thinkers like Thales proposed
Read MoreDavid Hume: Empiricism, Knowledge, and Causality Critique
Hume: Empiricism Against Rationalism
Knowledge Originates from Experience
Empiricists, like David Hume, rejected the existence of innate ideas. For them, all knowledge originates from sensory experience, or as Hume called them, impressions. For an empiricist, the origin and foundation of our knowledge is experience. In contrast, rationalists defend the existence of innate ideas, from which they believe all our knowledge arises. Rationalists argue that reason can grasp these ideas independently of
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