Plato’s Theory of Ideas: Overcoming Relativism and Achieving True Knowledge
Plato’s Fight Against Relativism
Plato, like his teacher Socrates, fought against the relativism of values advocated by the Sophists. He believed that if there is no absolute truth, language loses its meaning, and human beings cannot be righteous, virtuous, or happy if they ignore the true meaning of those words. Therefore, their life is based on finding a universal definition, valid for all.
The Platonic conception of reality is considered dualistic, both ontologically (defended by the theory of
Read MorePlato’s Life and Philosophy: A Historical Analysis
CONTEXT
Historical and Cultural Background
Plato was born in 427 BC during the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. Following Athens’ defeat, and with Spartan support, the aristocrats established the tyranny of the Thirty, led by Plato’s relatives. This government suppressed democratic rights, leading to civil war. The restoration of democracy resulted in a jury sentencing Socrates to death. During the first half of the 4th century BC, the political landscape remained unstable, with continued
Read MoreUnderstanding Human Nature: Identity, Freedom, and Responsibility
What is the essence of human nature? It is divided into the novel individual subject and an awareness that requires coherence and cohesion in what we say. This includes the novel social, cultural, and historical aspects.
The Problem of Personal Identity
This is a complex topic. There are realities to consider: the psychological, mental, physical, social, cultural (including genetics), economic, religious, and ethical. All these factors are developing and evolving.
People need answers to questions like:
Read MoreDescartes’ Method: A Path to Knowledge and Certainty
Part 1: The Necessary Method
The Foundation of Reason
Good sense or reason is fairly shared among men. Errors occur because thoughts differ. A good wit must apply reason well. Descartes announced a method that enabled him to know. This will not be exposed systematically, but biographically.
Early Education and Doubt
The education received as a child fostered a desire to know. Disappointment followed the completion of studies, filled with doubts and errors. One becomes aware of their ignorance.
Review
Read MorePhilosophical Currents: Utilitarianism to Habermas
Utilitarianism
Identify happiness with pleasure. The difference is that it is not considered in an individualistic way, as hedonists understood it. It follows the principle of “The greatest happiness for the greatest number”, i.e., an action will be better the more happiness it produces for the greatest number of people possible.
J. Bentham (1748-1832)
For him, nature has given us two great masters: pleasure and pain, that show us what is good or bad for us. He proposed an “Arithmetic of Pleasures”
Read MoreHume’s Empiricism: Principles and Implications
Hume’s Theory of Knowledge and Empiricism
In the treatise and in the investigation of human knowledge, Hume makes a very consistent development of empiricism.
Principles of Hume’s Empiricism
- Principle of Empiricism: Though our thought seems to have unlimited freedom, it is, in fact, reduced to very narrow limits. Reason cannot generate an original idea by itself.
- Principle of Immanence: Nothing can be in the mind except an image or perception. The senses are only conduits through which these images