Formal Science and Empirical Science
Formal Sciences
Formal sciences, such as mathematics and logic, focus on beings of reason that exist conceptually in the mind. Mathematics deals with numbers, geometrical figures, and logical forms of thought. Statements in formal sciences are a priori analytic propositions where the predicate is contained within the subject. These propositions are derived from reason, not experience, making them universally and necessarily true. Deduction is the method used to construct and test formal statements.
Read MoreCartesian Philosophy: Descartes’ Method and Ideas
Descartes’ Method
Descartes emphasized the need for a rigorous scientific method. He believed that a true science required a method that guided reason effectively. This method had three key features:
- Simplicity: It should be easy to understand and apply.
- Error Prevention: It should help prevent errors in reasoning.
- Knowledge Expansion: It should facilitate the growth of knowledge.
Descartes’ method was not experimental but rather an analysis of ideas. He distrusted the senses and held a rationalist view,
Read MoreJohn Stuart Mill’s Philosophy: Utilitarianism and Liberalism
Historical Context
Mill’s thinking was influenced by:
- The Industrial Revolution: The harsh working conditions led to demands for economic and social reforms to improve workers’ lives. This fueled the rise of liberalism, advocating for greater state control over economic conditions.
- Radical Philosophy: The English Parliament, dominated by a landowning and merchant oligarchy, restricted voting rights based on income. Radical philosophers advocated for extending suffrage and democratizing British society,
Kantian Philosophy: Knowledge and Thought
The Difference Between Physical and Mathematical Science and Metaphysics
The critique of reason raises the question of what can be known. On one hand, it attempts to understand and explain scientific knowledge, including mathematics and physics as the science of nature. On the other hand, it aims to address the problem of metaphysics. Therefore, physical-mathematical science progresses and evolves, while metaphysics, by its very nature, does not.
Knowledge and Thought
Kant establishes a fundamental
Read MoreRené Descartes and the Mind-Body Problem
The Father of Modern Rationalism
René Descartes, the creator of modern rationalism, was born in France in 1596. He studied at the Jesuit college of La Flèche but found the education disappointing, considering it outdated and governed by the “principle of authority.” He valued only the mathematical knowledge gained there, appreciating its rigorous principles and demonstrations. This led him to pursue self-education through various sources, including what he called the “book of life.” He traveled
Read MorePresocratic Philosophy and Beyond
Presocratic Philosophy
The philosophy appears in the sixth century BC Greek colony in Asia Minor called Miletus. It was a commercial port where people of all Greek religious absence countries lived. This enables the emergence of rational philosophy. Cities with diverse cultures. The first philosophers (also called Milesians or Presocratics by Socrates) lived in colonies away from Athens and focused on the study of nature (physis) seeking the ultimate and eternal principle of all reality (Arche).
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