Descartes’ Philosophy: A Path to Certainty
Introduction: Descartes’ Discourse on Method
This piece delves into Descartes’ masterpiece, *Discourse on Method*, a philosophical work that seeks to answer every question posed, aiming to find a universal science applicable to all.
The Method (Part II)
Descartes developed a method based on mathematics and logic to achieve true knowledge. It comprises four rules:
- Evidence: Intuitively recognizing something as true, carefully avoiding haste and bias—the two errors of doubt—and accepting only what
Plato’s Philosophy: Knowledge, Soul, and Nature
Plato’s Degrees of Knowledge
Plato distinguishes four degrees of knowledge, divided into two categories: sensitive knowledge (opinion) and intellectual knowledge (science).
Degrees of Opinion:
- Conjecture/Imagination: Knowledge of images and reflections.
- Belief/Faith: Perceptual knowledge of sensible things.
Degrees of Science:
- Reason: Knowledge of mathematical objects.
- Intelligence/Knowledge: Philosophical dialectics; intuitive ascent to the contemplation of Ideas.
Plato’s Dialectic
Plato’s dialectic is
Read MoreState, Nation, Government, and Political Order: Key Concepts
Key Concepts: State, Nation, Government, and Political Order
Status and Institutions
A set of political institutions that has sovereignty over a territory and its population. Its elements are: territory, population, and government.
Nation
A group of people sharing a common cultural order, origin, traditions, and a sense of common destiny.
Government
The executive power responsible for the civil and military administration of a state. It is typically formed by a president, vice presidents, ministers, and
Read MoreUnderstanding Human Rights: Principles and Practice
Give and Take: Human Rights
The word “rights,” in the context of human rights, signifies the power to make claims or require others to behave in a certain way. Rights are guarantees, freedoms, and privileges that people possess. They may or may not be legally guaranteed but always aim to provide protection and security to all citizens. Every right carries with it a corresponding duty.
- Rights: Guarantees, freedoms, privileges, etc., that people have, aiming to provide protection and security.
- Duties:
Philosophy: Essential Concepts and Methods
1. Philosophy was the first science. In a methodical and rigorous way, through observation and reason, it tried to answer the eternal questions that man has always asked: Who am I, where am I, and where am I going?
The object of philosophy, at first, was all that is thinkable: the cosmos, which is the whole physical world, and man, who is part of it. However, philosophy is not limited to gaining information but also reflects on the possibility of knowledge and the reality of objects as possible or
Read MoreKant vs. Mill: Ethics, Happiness, and Moral Duty
Kant vs. Mill: Contrasting Ethical Frameworks
Kant’s moral philosophy emphasizes self-denial, sacrifice, and effort as the path to becoming worthy of happiness, not happiness itself. Mill, conversely, asserts that individuals have a right to happiness, and society should ensure the means for them to achieve their goals. For Kant, happiness is a reward for moral merit, something earned through the tenacious pursuit of virtue. He believed that the reconciliation of virtue and happiness, which constitute