Origins of Philosophy: From Mythos to Rational Methods

The Transition from Mythos to Logos

The creation of philosophy is rooted in the shift between the Greek concepts of mythos and logos, both of which relate to the notion of duty or account. However, they represent distinct approaches to understanding the world:

• Mythos: These are related stories concerning the creation of the cosmos and humanity. They explain the regularity of the world through force. This content was considered sacred, hidden, and mysterious, accessible only to a few.
• Logos: This emerged as a tool to search for the truth through public discussion, open debate, and the development of a critical spirit. It is used to persuade through reasoning.

The philosophical position arises from wonder and doubt. It seeks to understand the common problems of the creatures that make up the universe. In this view, the universe is a fixed reality—nature—that can be analyzed and understood.

The Nature of Philosophy: In Search of Truth

Philosophy is characterized by the love of wisdom. The act of philosophizing is driven by our admiration for the subject and the discovery of our own ignorance. The philosopher stands in the middle ground between the wise and the ignorant. First, if there is no reason for the latter to seek wisdom, the wisdom of the few may go unnoticed. There are two primary sources of philosophical knowledge:

1. Reasoning: This is varied and provides the ability to unify ourselves and expand our capacity to understand universal reality.
2. Senses: Data gathered from our sensory experiences.

The Search for Happiness and the Good Life

Philosophy also asks how to be happy within this universe. The notion of the wise person involves knowing the truth in addition to knowing how to live a good life. Philosophy performs a double duty: acquiring knowledge and knowing how to live correctly. This dual role persists today, though it carries many modern nuances.

The Rational-Empirical Method

This method identifies two sources of knowledge: senses and intelligence, which operate on two levels: the sensitive and the understandable. The senses provide the first level of data, where reality is varied and changing. Intelligence uses intuition and reasoning to understand the permanent reality behind these changes. This process identifies the substance, or the fundamental basis of things, and their causes. This method moves the mind from physical experience and movement toward ultimate ends.

The Empiricist Method

The empiricist method relies on two sources: experience and reasoning. While reasoning is suitable for developing formal sciences, philosophy and non-formal sciences rely on experience to verify claims. The empiricist condition states that the origin and value of our knowledge derive from the senses. Consequently, research utilizes induction-based methods.

The Rationalist Method

Rationalism places the majority of its weight on reasoning. This is based on two primary statements: first, true knowledge does not come from external feelings but from the mind itself; second, our most relevant and real ideas are products of reasoning. In this framework, reasoning is the primary criterion for knowledge, and the preferred method is deduction.

Transcendental Methods