Philosophical Foundations: Descartes’ Doubt and Aristotle’s Hylemorphism
Descartes’ Methodical Doubt
Descartes’ Methodical Doubt is a systematic philosophical approach that involves questioning everything previously accepted as true. The goal is to identify what, if anything, can withstand all doubt and thus serve as an indubitable first principle.
Application of Methodical Doubt
Descartes applied his doubt to several areas:
- Sensory Experience: He argued that the senses can be deceptive. For example, “The senses have deceived us, and what we see is really a sheet” (referring
Plato’s Divided Line: Reality, Knowledge, and Philosophy
Plato’s Divided Line: Understanding Reality and Knowledge
Plato’s Divided Line clearly illustrates the dualism of Platonic philosophy regarding the conception of reality and knowledge. Plato establishes a clear correspondence between the structure of reality and forms of knowledge because, as he stated, the quality of knowledge depends on the nature of the objects known.
Plato illustrates this relationship between reality and knowledge with a line first divided into two main parts:
- The sensible world,
Essays on Personal Growth: Past, Childhood, and Determination
Does Your Past Define You?
One of the most debated issues today is whether our past determines our future. In recent years, this topic has gained importance as many believe that past experiences shape our identity. This issue affects personal growth, and there are many different viewpoints. However, I agree that our past does not define us. This essay discusses my opinion and addresses the opposing viewpoint.
There is no doubt that people can change and evolve. First, humans learn from mistakes and
Read MoreThe Enlightenment: Context, Philosophy, and Critical Thought
The Enlightenment: Context and Social Base
The Enlightenment, often referred to as ‘illustration’ in some contexts, represents a systematic treatment of ideas that are of significant interest. This period spans the entire eighteenth century, marked by two pivotal dates: the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the French Revolution of 1789. The enlightened new world vision transcended borders, spreading even to Germany, which was not easily enlightened at the time. Key figures like Rousseau, Kant, and
Read MoreEthics Explained: Principles, Theories, and Moral Living
The Importance of Ethical Study
Why study ethics? Ethics is a discipline that is constantly encountered and studied, deeply intertwined with our culture’s critical knowledge heritage. It helps us develop the capacity to reflect on conflicts and solutions through moral reasoning and argumentation, reinforcing the idea that morality can be based on reason and logical arguments.
Religious discourse, often centered on a supreme good, emphasizes the transmission of values that guide behavior. A religious
Read MoreKant’s Philosophy: Knowledge, Reason, and Moral Imperatives
Kant’s Theory of Knowledge
Immanuel Kant asks whether knowledge is not better explained if we assume that objects must conform to our knowledge. Conversely, if our understanding were governed by the nature of objects, then the object would have to adapt to the way we know. For Kant, the only remaining possibility is that necessity and universality result from our way of knowing. This implies that we ourselves contribute to knowledge.
All knowledge is expressed in judgments, which can be classified:
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