Dogmatism, Skepticism, and the Qualities of Philosophy
Dogmatism vs. Radical Skepticism
Dogmatism leads to intolerance and intransigence, where principles are unquestionable and doctrines are considered indisputable truths. Those holding dogmatic views often believe opposing positions are inherently false.
Radical skepticism, on the other hand, questions everything, even suspending judgment on possibilities like the effectiveness of homeopathic remedies due to extreme dilutions. This skepticism extends to questioning whether a single molecule can affect
Read MoreOccam’s Razor: Faith, Reason, and Nominalism
The Key Problem of Medieval Philosophy
The key problem of medieval philosophy and scholasticism had been the relationship between faith and reason. The latter was never regarded as the handmaid of theology. The crisis of scholasticism in the 14th century is a revision of previous centuries. The 16th century represents a breakdown of the major philosophical and religious synthesis of the previous century and poses a definite duality and the clear separation between reason and theology.
Until the 14th
Read MorePlato’s Theories: Cosmology, Anthropology, Ethics, and Politics
The various ideas that make up these theories are related to the rest of the philosopher’s theory on the creation of the universe, man, ethics, and politics.
Plato’s Cosmology in Timaeus
In the Timaeus, Plato presents his cosmology. It can be summarized as follows: ideas exist eternally. The Demiurge contemplates these ideas and attempts to impose them on the field of matter, which is initially chaotic and disordered. The Demiurge models matter after the perfection and beauty of the ideas. The Demiurge
Read MoreImmanuel Kant’s Critical Philosophy: Understanding Reason
Contextualizing Kant’s *Critique of Pure Reason*
The fragment belongs to the work of the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, Critique of Pure Reason. In this work, Kant answers the question, “What do I know?”, adopting a transcendental approach. The author tries to solve the critical problem: How can our understanding fully form a priori concepts to which all objects of experience conform and necessarily conform?
In three different sections of the work (Aesthetic, Analytic, and Dialectic), Kant studied
Read MoreHuman Nature: Reason, Sociability, and Freedom
Three Characteristics of Human Beings
The Man, a Rational Animal?
The Greeks considered man a contemplative and theoretical being, defining him as a rational animal. Aristotle posited three factors that distinguish humans from animals and contribute to their goodness: nature, habit, and reason. Pascal later referred to man as a “thinking reed.” Linnaeus, in 1758, designated the human species as Homo sapiens, a classification that sparked debate.
Man, a Social Being?
The Greeks also viewed man as a political
Nietzsche: Philosophy, Science, Morality, and Superman
Nietzsche’s Radical Critique of Western Culture
Nietzsche made the most radical critique ever carried out against European culture. His work, which can be seen as “dynamite,” primarily targets the philosophy, science, and morality of the West.
Critique of Philosophy
Nietzsche’s critique stems from the conviction that reality, in its most profound being, is constantly changing, as Heraclitus believed. Reality is becoming; it appears differently to us at every moment. The deepest reality is not eternal
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