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Philosophy of Knowledge & Basic Financial Calculations

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Epistemology: Understanding Knowledge

Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that studies problems related to knowledge.

Key Concepts in Epistemology:

  • Knowledge: True knowledge or knowledge in the strict sense; understanding phenomena.
  • Innate Ideas: Ideas believed to be present since birth.
  • Empiricism: Argues that perception is the main source of our ideas.
  • Rationalism: Maintains that reason or understanding also provides some ideas without recourse to sensory experience.
  • Criterion of Truth: The essential feature and main value of knowledge. We appreciate and value knowledge primarily for its truth.
  • Correspondence Criterion: The oldest criterion, holding that a proposition is true if it corresponds with the facts.
  • Consistency Criterion: A proposition
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St. Thomas Aquinas on Human Nature and Divine Existence

Classified in Philosophy and ethics

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Anthropology and Knowledge

Anthropology

Man is a substance composed of body and soul. The body is mortal, the soul is immortal. In this sense, Aquinas is closer to Plato, who speaks of the immortality of the soul and not the body. Aristotle's hylemorphic theory (where body is the subject, and soul is the form) is also influential, although there are Aristotelian elements.

The doctrine of creation points to the relation between God and the rest of us; these beings are contingent. They exist, but they could not exist. This leads St. Thomas to affirm the distinction between essence and existence. The essence is what a thing is, and existence is that it is. The only being in which essence and existence are identical is God.

The assertion that all created... Continue reading "St. Thomas Aquinas on Human Nature and Divine Existence" »

Genealogy, Language, and Morality: Deconstructing Truth and Reality

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Genealogical Method

Trace origins and assess how worldviews arise.

Genealogy of Language

A culture-critical conception of knowledge can deconstruct language.

Language, Reality, Truth

  • Language is an approximation of reality.
  • Truth is knowing objective and universal reality.
  • Genealogy challenges language, asserting it stems from life experiences (e.g., pain, pleasure).
  • Language doesn't mirror reality directly; it's a medium, an art form based on metaphor.

Logic

Violence against fundamental human instincts can't yield knowledge. We construct metaphors of reality, subjecting individuals to universal questions. Logic, however, invents order in chaos, reflecting our need for security. It's not objective, depending on individual experiences.

The Concept of Metaphor

Sensation... Continue reading "Genealogy, Language, and Morality: Deconstructing Truth and Reality" »

Descartes' Discourse on Method: Shaping Modern Thought

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Descartes' Discourse on Method: Key Insights

Part 2: The Quest for Method and Certainty

This text delves into the second part of René Descartes' seminal work, Discourse on Method. Here, Descartes primarily addresses the fundamental problem of method. He advocates for abandoning all opinions not yet proven by reason and proposes four foundational rules to guide our thinking. Drawing inspiration from the mathematical model, Descartes posits that reason, when used properly, is a foolproof tool capable of knowing everything. This method, he argues, should apply to all sciences. However, since all other sciences derive their principles from philosophy, philosophy itself must adopt this method to build a scientific foundation.

Part 4: The Discovery

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Metaphysics, Society, and the State: Key Concepts

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Characteristics of Metaphysics

Metaphysics is always a knowledge of principles. It aims to analyze the first principles of reality, those from which all others are derived and that allow us to understand what we mean when something *is*. It has a character that lies in analyzing reality and trying to find what constitutes the being of concrete things. It allows you to exercise a kind of radical critique that never stops.

Metaphysics Has a Claim to Totality

It seeks to overcome the differences of particular things. It is not content with partial solutions or with a limited specialty. It wants to analyze all of reality to find its meaning. It flows into a particular world picture, which explains what is considered real.

Metaphysics Considers Human

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Aristotle's Philosophy: Ethics, Politics, and Logic

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Aristotle's Philosophy: Ethics, Politics, and Logic

Thought and Intellect

Thought, the highest function of the soul, projects into language and thought. Intelligence is the highest form of the soul. Aristotle distinguishes two aspects of intelligence:

  • Understanding: Patient and receptive.
  • Intellect: Active, editing, and creating.

Ethics and Politics

Aristotle believed that happiness (felicity) is the ultimate goal, though its definition varies among individuals (some seek wealth, others honor). He explains that happiness consists in the exercise of a uniquely human activity, distinct from vegetative functions. We might translate virtue as human excellence. Aristotle offers several definitions of virtue, specifying that it is a habit by which one

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Plato's Core Concepts: Agathon, Eros, and the Idea of Unity

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Three Basic Ideas in Plato:

The Good (Agathon)

The concept of the Good is central to Plato's philosophy. The higher the idea, the better it is. The Good is the ultimate reason for excellence. Plato uses the word Agathon, which doesn't just mean good morals or actions, but also excellence. The highest form of the Good is appropriate or inappropriate. The idea of the Good, when applied to the social world and politics, is identified with the idea of Justice [Justice = OK].

Plato compares the Good with the idea of the Sun. The sun illuminates and gives life to everything. Similarly, the idea of the Good illuminates and gives meaning to all other ideas. The Good provides existence, identity, and perfection to all things knowable. It is the principle... Continue reading "Plato's Core Concepts: Agathon, Eros, and the Idea of Unity" »

Exploring Ethics, Morality, and Existential Questions

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Ethics and Morality: A Philosophical Exploration

Defining Ethics and Morality

Ethics is the philosophical reflection on morality, residing in the realm of thought. Morality, on the other hand, is lived experience—how we act. While often used synonymously, they represent distinct concepts. Morality encompasses life's choices, while ethics delves into the reasoning behind those choices. Being demoralized implies an inability to make decisions, while living morally means being a fully realized person, ready to face any challenge.

Moral Structure and Content

All individuals possess a moral structure, the capacity to choose between alternatives and justify their selections. This makes us accountable for our choices. Moral content comprises the norms,... Continue reading "Exploring Ethics, Morality, and Existential Questions" »

Descartes' First Meditation: Foundations of Doubt and Reality

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Descartes' First Meditation: The Seeds of Doubt

The Unreliability of Sensory Experience

René Descartes' First Meditation begins with a warning about the uncertainty of previous opinions regarding the method of science. To establish a firm foundation for knowledge, Descartes aims to destroy ancient beliefs by subjecting them to doubt. This necessitates questioning the very foundations of our opinions, particularly since our senses can sometimes deceive us.

A critical examination of the senses reveals their potential to mislead us as a primary way of learning and acquiring knowledge. While the senses are often considered the foundation of knowledge—as everything we perceive has been learned through them—they are not always reliable. It would... Continue reading "Descartes' First Meditation: Foundations of Doubt and Reality" »

Understanding Truth: Theories and Perspectives

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Truth: Theories and Perspectives

2.4 Against the Problem of Knowledge and Truth

Parmenides distinguished two ways: truth and opinion. Connecting with this idea, Plato argued that there was a kind of true knowledge, while error belongs to the sphere of opinion. Marx and Hegel argued that error and falsehood are constituent elements of the process of knowledge. They signaled that there were false and ideological conceptions that have attempted to be presented as true.

Positions on the Subject-Object Relationship

  • Idealism: The criterion of truth is about the subject that creates or constructs the object. Reality cannot be known directly. The cognitive structure of the human being is imposed and determines how to see things.
  • Realism: The criterion of
... Continue reading "Understanding Truth: Theories and Perspectives" »