This document provides a summary of various philosophers and their ideas. It discusses early Greek philosophers like Thales, Socrates, and Plato. It then covers Aristotle, Thomas Hobbes, René Descartes, Baruch Spinoza, Gottfried Leibniz, George Berkeley, David Hume, and Immanuel Kant among others. For each, it briefly outlines their key ideas and contributions to philosophy such as Descartes' "I think therefore I am" and Kant's distinction between a priori and a posteriori knowledge. The document aims to concisely introduce these major figures and some of their most important philosophical concepts.
Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person - Introduction to PhilosophyJuan Miguel Palero
This is a powerpoint presentation that discusses about one of the core subjects in the k-12 curriculum of the Senior High School: Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person. On this presentation, it discusses about the definition, history and nature of the philosophy.
This presentation explains methods of some of famous philophers and about their methodolgy.
Presentation is focoused on basic four philosphers. But name of some famous philosphers is listed.
Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person - Introduction to PhilosophyJuan Miguel Palero
This is a powerpoint presentation that discusses about one of the core subjects in the k-12 curriculum of the Senior High School: Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person. On this presentation, it discusses about the definition, history and nature of the philosophy.
This presentation explains methods of some of famous philophers and about their methodolgy.
Presentation is focoused on basic four philosphers. But name of some famous philosphers is listed.
Philosophy, which literally means “the love of wisdom,” is one of the oldest disciplines in history. There are many ideas about philosophers and what they do. Some have even considered the field to be a science that deals with logic and reason. Either way, many famous philosophers have made their contributions known to the world through their writings and their students. Below is a list of the greatest thinkers of all time along with their most important theories about human nature and other pondering of the world.
Philosophy module 1 - The Meaning and Method of Doing PhilosophyRey An Castro
Philosophy Module 1: The Meaning and Method of Doing Philosophy of Rey An C. Castro, LPT., was created as a tool for teaching Philosophy in senior high school students.
The author aims to help educators and students in teaching and learning Philosophy.
Philosophy, which literally means “the love of wisdom,” is one of the oldest disciplines in history. There are many ideas about philosophers and what they do. Some have even considered the field to be a science that deals with logic and reason. Either way, many famous philosophers have made their contributions known to the world through their writings and their students. Below is a list of the greatest thinkers of all time along with their most important theories about human nature and other pondering of the world.
Philosophy module 1 - The Meaning and Method of Doing PhilosophyRey An Castro
Philosophy Module 1: The Meaning and Method of Doing Philosophy of Rey An C. Castro, LPT., was created as a tool for teaching Philosophy in senior high school students.
The author aims to help educators and students in teaching and learning Philosophy.
Chapter 1. Three Things to Know before You Dive into Philosophy.docxsleeperharwell
Chapter 1. Three Things to Know before You Dive into Philosophy
Chapter 1
Three Things to Know before You Dive into Philosophy
Copyright by Paul Herrick, 2020. For class use only. Not for distribution. The chapters you are about to read online this quarter are excerpted from a textbook that will be published later this year. This chapter: 28 pages of reading.
Part 1. How Philosophy Began
1.1 From Mythos to Logos
In all ages of recorded history, human beings around the world have asked fundamental questions. Why are we here? Why does the universe exist? What is truth? How do we distinguish knowledge from opinion, reality from illusion, right from wrong? What is justice? Universal questions like these are fundamental in the sense that the answers we give to many other questions depend on the answers we have already given to these. The “fundamental questions of life,” as they are sometimes called, are important because the answers we give form the foundation of our worldview—our general understanding of the universe and our role within it. And whether we realize it or not, the choices we make in life all reflect, to one degree or another, our worldview.
At the beginning of the sixth century BC, most people around the world turned to their society’s myths (from the Greek root mythos) for answers to the fundamental questions of life. The ancient myths presented authoritative answers in the form of colorful, easily memorized stories that could be handed down orally from generation to generation. Here are three, from ancient Egypt, China, and Africa, respectively.
· A god named Khnemu, depicted as a man with a ram’s head, built an egg. When the egg hatched, the sun popped out. Khnemu then “sculpted the first man on a potter’s wheel.” This is the origin of man.[endnoteRef:2] [2: . “Khnemu (Khnum),” Ancient Egypt: The Mythology, last updated April 11, 2017, http://www.egyptianmyths.net/khnemu.htm.]
· In the beginning “there was darkness everywhere, and Chaos ruled. Within the darkness there formed an egg, and inside the egg the giant Pangu came into being. For aeons, safely inside the egg, Pangu slept and grew. When he had grown to a gigantic size he stretched out his huge limbs and broke the egg. The lighter parts of the egg floated upwards to form the heavens and the denser parts sank downwards, to become the earth. And so was formed earth and sky, Yin and Yang.”[endnoteRef:3] [3: . “Chinese Myths: Pangu and the Creation of the World,” Living Myths, last updated April 12, 2016, http://www.livingmyths.com/Chinese.htm.]
· In the beginning there was only darkness, water, and the great god Bumba. One day Bumba, in pain from a stomach ache, vomited up the sun. The sun dried up some of the water, leaving land. Still in pain, Bumba vomited up the moon, the stars, and then some animals: the leopard, the crocodile, the turtle, and, finally, some men. This is the origin of man.[endnoteRef:4] [4: . “African Creation Myths,” last modified Jul.
Chapter 1. Three Things to Know before You Dive into Philosophy.docxketurahhazelhurst
Chapter 1. Three Things to Know before You Dive into Philosophy
Chapter 1
Three Things to Know before You Dive into Philosophy
Copyright by Paul Herrick, 2020. For class use only. Not for distribution. The chapters you are about to read online this quarter are excerpted from a textbook that will be published later this year. This chapter: 28 pages of reading.
Part 1. How Philosophy Began
1.1 From Mythos to Logos
In all ages of recorded history, human beings around the world have asked fundamental questions. Why are we here? Why does the universe exist? What is truth? How do we distinguish knowledge from opinion, reality from illusion, right from wrong? What is justice? Universal questions like these are fundamental in the sense that the answers we give to many other questions depend on the answers we have already given to these. The “fundamental questions of life,” as they are sometimes called, are important because the answers we give form the foundation of our worldview—our general understanding of the universe and our role within it. And whether we realize it or not, the choices we make in life all reflect, to one degree or another, our worldview.
At the beginning of the sixth century BC, most people around the world turned to their society’s myths (from the Greek root mythos) for answers to the fundamental questions of life. The ancient myths presented authoritative answers in the form of colorful, easily memorized stories that could be handed down orally from generation to generation. Here are three, from ancient Egypt, China, and Africa, respectively.
· A god named Khnemu, depicted as a man with a ram’s head, built an egg. When the egg hatched, the sun popped out. Khnemu then “sculpted the first man on a potter’s wheel.” This is the origin of man.[endnoteRef:2] [2: . “Khnemu (Khnum),” Ancient Egypt: The Mythology, last updated April 11, 2017, http://www.egyptianmyths.net/khnemu.htm.]
· In the beginning “there was darkness everywhere, and Chaos ruled. Within the darkness there formed an egg, and inside the egg the giant Pangu came into being. For aeons, safely inside the egg, Pangu slept and grew. When he had grown to a gigantic size he stretched out his huge limbs and broke the egg. The lighter parts of the egg floated upwards to form the heavens and the denser parts sank downwards, to become the earth. And so was formed earth and sky, Yin and Yang.”[endnoteRef:3] [3: . “Chinese Myths: Pangu and the Creation of the World,” Living Myths, last updated April 12, 2016, http://www.livingmyths.com/Chinese.htm.]
· In the beginning there was only darkness, water, and the great god Bumba. One day Bumba, in pain from a stomach ache, vomited up the sun. The sun dried up some of the water, leaving land. Still in pain, Bumba vomited up the moon, the stars, and then some animals: the leopard, the crocodile, the turtle, and, finally, some men. This is the origin of man.[endnoteRef:4] [4: . “African Creation Myths,” last modified Jul ...
Philosophy Of Realism (Defination And Brief History)JOHNY NATAD
Explaination of this paper are mostly copeid from the Four Philosophies and Their Practices in Education and Religion. 3rd Edition by Donald J. Butler. We used this in our report presentation in MPA.
Read| The latest issue of The Challenger is here! We are thrilled to announce that our school paper has qualified for the NATIONAL SCHOOLS PRESS CONFERENCE (NSPC) 2024. Thank you for your unwavering support and trust. Dive into the stories that made us stand out!
Unit 8 - Information and Communication Technology (Paper I).pdfThiyagu K
This slides describes the basic concepts of ICT, basics of Email, Emerging Technology and Digital Initiatives in Education. This presentations aligns with the UGC Paper I syllabus.
Safalta Digital marketing institute in Noida, provide complete applications that encompass a huge range of virtual advertising and marketing additives, which includes search engine optimization, virtual communication advertising, pay-per-click on marketing, content material advertising, internet analytics, and greater. These university courses are designed for students who possess a comprehensive understanding of virtual marketing strategies and attributes.Safalta Digital Marketing Institute in Noida is a first choice for young individuals or students who are looking to start their careers in the field of digital advertising. The institute gives specialized courses designed and certification.
for beginners, providing thorough training in areas such as SEO, digital communication marketing, and PPC training in Noida. After finishing the program, students receive the certifications recognised by top different universitie, setting a strong foundation for a successful career in digital marketing.
June 3, 2024 Anti-Semitism Letter Sent to MIT President Kornbluth and MIT Cor...Levi Shapiro
Letter from the Congress of the United States regarding Anti-Semitism sent June 3rd to MIT President Sally Kornbluth, MIT Corp Chair, Mark Gorenberg
Dear Dr. Kornbluth and Mr. Gorenberg,
The US House of Representatives is deeply concerned by ongoing and pervasive acts of antisemitic
harassment and intimidation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Failing to act decisively to ensure a safe learning environment for all students would be a grave dereliction of your responsibilities as President of MIT and Chair of the MIT Corporation.
This Congress will not stand idly by and allow an environment hostile to Jewish students to persist. The House believes that your institution is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the inability or
unwillingness to rectify this violation through action requires accountability.
Postsecondary education is a unique opportunity for students to learn and have their ideas and beliefs challenged. However, universities receiving hundreds of millions of federal funds annually have denied
students that opportunity and have been hijacked to become venues for the promotion of terrorism, antisemitic harassment and intimidation, unlawful encampments, and in some cases, assaults and riots.
The House of Representatives will not countenance the use of federal funds to indoctrinate students into hateful, antisemitic, anti-American supporters of terrorism. Investigations into campus antisemitism by the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means have been expanded into a Congress-wide probe across all relevant jurisdictions to address this national crisis. The undersigned Committees will conduct oversight into the use of federal funds at MIT and its learning environment under authorities granted to each Committee.
• The Committee on Education and the Workforce has been investigating your institution since December 7, 2023. The Committee has broad jurisdiction over postsecondary education, including its compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, campus safety concerns over disruptions to the learning environment, and the awarding of federal student aid under the Higher Education Act.
• The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the sources of funding and other support flowing to groups espousing pro-Hamas propaganda and engaged in antisemitic harassment and intimidation of students. The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is the principal oversight committee of the US House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under House Rule X.
• The Committee on Ways and Means has been investigating several universities since November 15, 2023, when the Committee held a hearing entitled From Ivory Towers to Dark Corners: Investigating the Nexus Between Antisemitism, Tax-Exempt Universities, and Terror Financing. The Committee followed the hearing with letters to those institutions on January 10, 202
Francesca Gottschalk - How can education support child empowerment.pptxEduSkills OECD
Francesca Gottschalk from the OECD’s Centre for Educational Research and Innovation presents at the Ask an Expert Webinar: How can education support child empowerment?
Introduction to AI for Nonprofits with Tapp NetworkTechSoup
Dive into the world of AI! Experts Jon Hill and Tareq Monaur will guide you through AI's role in enhancing nonprofit websites and basic marketing strategies, making it easy to understand and apply.
A Strategic Approach: GenAI in EducationPeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
6. Many were teachers who trained the children of the wealthy.2 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
7. PHILOSOPHERS Thales:Traditionally considered the first ever western philosopher. None of his writings survived. Zeno:founder of Stoicism which denies the importance of all bodily conditions. The only factor seen as essential to human happiness was virtue.He believed that a divine lawgiver had a fixed plan for the universe. Happiness resulted from accepting whatever life brought; even misfortune. Also believed that all people were alike and should be treated well. Heraclitus (ca. 540 – ca. 480 BCE): “One cannot step twice in in the same river.” His message was that reality is constantly changing , it’s an ongoing process rather than a fixed and stable product. All reality is fleeting and impermanent. “The unapparent connection is more powerful than the apparent one.” 3 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
8. PHILOSOPHERS SOCRATES (469-399-BC): Socrates, Ancient Greek, changed philosophy from a study of natural science to ethics and politics, but didn't write anything. The Socratic Method is a question and answer technique of studying which was designed to make people examine their beliefs. Socrates is famous for arguing that one must know himself, that the unexamined life is not worth living. Therefore it is a cruel irony that he was condemned to death for corrupting the youth he was teaching to search the truth. 4 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
9. PHILOSOPHERS PLATO (429 - 347 B.C.): Ancient Greek, student of Socrates, most influential philosopher of all time. Plato based his philosophy on two principles “Truth and simplicity” Plato was a brilliant man, one of the greatest philosophers of the past 2,500 years. Both Socrates and Plato knew that a good society must be founded on wisdom derived from truth and reality. In The Republic-Plato outlines his ideas of the ideal society. He believed no one should have wealth or luxury, and all should do what they are best suited to. 5 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
10. PHILOSOPHERS 6 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009 Platoalso had a good understanding of human nature. He later began to develop his own philosophy - The fundamental aspect of Plato's thought is the theory of "ideas" or "forms." Plato, like so many other Greek philosophers, was stymied by the question of change in the physical world. Plato's philosophy developed largely from that of his teacher Socrates. Under their influence Greek philosophy shifted its focus from problems of the physical world to ethics, politics, knowledge and ideas. In his great books, The Laws and The Republic, Plato elaborated his doctrines of education, the role of laws and the structure of the ideal state.
11. PHILOSOPHERS ARISTOTLE(384 BC – 322 BC): Ancient Greek, student of Plato, second most influential philosopher of all time. Tutor to the young prince of Macedon, Alexander the Great. Works: The Nichomachean Ethics, Metaphysics and the Politics. “The first philosophy (Metaphysics) is universal and is exclusively concerned with primary substance ...” (Aristotle) Aristotle was the first philosopher to formalize the subject of Metaphysics. As he explains, Metaphysics is the study of the One Substance (God/Nature) which exists and causes all things, and is therefore the necessary foundation for all human knowledge. 7 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
12. PHILOSOPHERS Aristotle(and Leibniz)thought that One Substance must have properties that cause matter's interconnected activity and Motion. "Since nature is a principle of motion and change, and since our inquiry is about nature, we must not overlook the question of what motion is. For without understanding motion, we could not understand nature.” Aristotle believed that the world could be understood at a fundamental level through the detailed observation and cataloging of phenomenon. Therefore his ideas are very important, for within them are the clues to the solution of this most profound of all problems, 'what exists',and what it means to be 'human'. That is, knowledge must be based on fundamental empirical evidence. As a result of this belief, Aristotle literally wrote about everything: poetics, rhetoric, ethics, politics, meteorology, embryology, physics, mathematics, metaphysics, anatomy, physiology, logic, dreams, and so forth. 8 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
13. PHILOSOPHERS William of Ockham (1285–1349?)Scholastic: Science of simplicity “Entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily” Commonly known for Ockham’s razor - the idea that in judging among competing philosophical or scientific theories, all other things being equal, we should prefer the simplest theory. Scientists currently speak of four forces in the universe: gravity, the electromagnetic force, the strong nuclear force, and the weak nuclear force. Ockham would certainly nod approvingly at the ongoing attempt to formulate a grand unified theory, a single force that encompasses all four. The ultimate irony of Ockham’s razor may be that some have used it to prove God is unnecessary to the explanation of the universe, an idea Ockham the Franciscan priest would reject. 9 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
14. Thomas Hobbes (1588 – 1679): Political Philosopher “The life of man [is] solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” Referring to the original state of nature, a hypothetical past before civilization, Hobbes saw no reason to be nostalgic. Thomas Hobbes saw Society as a giant machine (perpetually in motion), thus the title of his great work, The Leviathan, which is founded on Mechanics (the Motion of Bodies / Matter). In Leviathan, Hobbes argues that the natural state of man (without any civil government) is war, ... “the life of man solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. ... The condition of man ... is a condition of war of everyone against everyone.” (Hobbes, Leviathan) According to Hobbes - Men, In pure self-interest and for self-preservation, entered into a compact by which they agreed to surrender part of their natural freedom to an absolute ruler in order to preserve the rest. 10 PHILOSOPHERS Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
15. PHILOSOPHERS René Descartes (1596 – 1650): Father of Modern Philosophy“ Work: A Discourse on Method Meditations and Principles Descartes began his philosophy by doubting everything in order to figure out what he could know with absolute certainty. Although he could be wrong about what he was thinking, that he was thinking was undeniable. “I think therefore I am” – “Cogito ergo sum” “I think I exist as a material body and there are other material things including other thinking things (human)” “one common space” Upon the recognition that “I think,” Descartes concluded that “I am.” On the heels of believing in him, Descartes asked, what am I? His answer: a thinking thing (res cogitans), as opposed to a physical thing, extended in three-dimensional space (res extensa). So, based on this line, Descartes knew he existed, though he wasn’t sure if he had a body. It’s a philosophical cliff-hanger. 11 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
16. PHILOSOPHERS Spinoza (1632 - 1677): Pantheism - work: EthicsFamous Philosopher - (Baruch) Benedictus de Spinoza Metaphysics / One Infinite Substance (God, Nature, Space) & the Interconnected Motion of Matter 'Deus sive Natura' (God or Nature) “.... we are a part of nature as a whole, whose order we follow.” (Ethics, 1673) Baruch Spinoza was born in Amsterdam in 1632 into a Jewish family. He had a Jewish education, resisted orthodoxy and was later excommunicated of heresy and changed his name to Benedictus de Spinoza in 1656 . The Christians didn't think much of Spinoza either (though his whole philosophy is based on God) and the orthodox accused him of atheism. Due to such ill treatment and unpopularity, his main philosophical work 'Ethics' was published posthumously. 12 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
17. PHILOSOPHERS Spinozalived a simple and noble life polishing lenses, displaying an indifference to money, fame and power. As Spinoza writes; “A free man, who lives among ignorant people, tries as much as he can to refuse their benefits. .. He who lives under the guidance of reason endeavors as much as possible to repay his fellow’s hatred, rage, contempt, etc., with love and nobleness.” (Ethics). “When a number of bodies of the same or different size are driven so together that they remain united one with the other, …those bodies are called reciprocally united bodies (corpora invicem unita), and we say that they all form one body or individual, which is distinguished from the rest by this union of the bodies.” (Ethics) 13 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
18. PHILOSOPHERS Leibniz Gottfried Wilhelm (1646 – 1716): Rationalist “We live in the best of all possible worlds.” Famous for his justification of evil and his ideas on substance. Works: Discourse on Metaphysics, Monadology, Theodicy. Voltaire’s famous novel Candide satirizes this optimistic view. And looking around you right now you may wonder how anyone could actually believe it. But Leibniz believed that before creation God contemplated every possible way the universe could be and chose to create the one in which we live because it’s the best. According to Leibniz God could have created a universe in which no one ever did wrong, in which there was no human evil, but that would require humans to be deprived of the gift of free wills and thus would not be the best possible world. 14 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
19. PHILOSOPHERS Bishop George Berkeley (1685 – 1753): Idealist “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?” As an idealist,Berkeley believed that nothing is real but minds and their ideas. Ideas do not exist independently of minds. Through a complicated line of reasoning he concluded that “to be is to be perceived.” Something exists only if someone has the idea of it. Though he never put the question in the exact words of the famous quotation, Berkeley would say that if a tree fell in the forest and there was no one (not even a squirrel) there to hear it, not only would it not make a sound, but there would be no tree. The good news is, according to Berkeley, that the mind of God always perceives everything. So the tree will always make a sound, and there’s no need to worry about blipping out of existence if you fall asleep in a room by yourself. 15 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
20. PHILOSOPHERS David Hume (1711 - 76):Empiricist The Philosopher David Hume is famous for making us realize that until we know the Necessary Connection / cause of things then all human knowledge is uncertain, merely a habit of thinking based upon repeated observation (induction), and which depends upon the future being like the past. “I cannot find, I cannot imagine any such reasoning. But I keep my mind still open to instruction, if any one will vouchsafe to bestow it upon me.” (Hume, 1737) David Hume is one of the most elegant of the philosophers, so his quotes are well worth reading from a purely literary sense. He is also one of the most important philosophers to write on metaphysics, as he makes it clear that until we know the causal connection between things all knowledge is empirical / inductive and thus uncertain (the current state of modern physics). 16 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
21. PHILOSOPHERS Immanuel Kant (1724-1804): Famous Philosopher KANT :Considered to be the greatest of the modern philosophers, his influence is all-pervasive in almost every area of philosophy. Works: Critique of Pure Reason, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. Famous metaphysicist throughout the history of philosophy, and there is no doubt that his 'Critique of Pure Reason' is the most comprehensive analysis of Metaphysics since Aristotle's pioneering work which founded this subject. Unfortunately for humanity, Kant made one small, and yet fundamental, mistake. Kant is correct that Space is a priori, or first necessary for us to have senses (which are a posteriori). His error is to assume that Time is also a priori or necessary for us to sense the motion of matter in Space. He writes: “There are two pure forms of sensible intuition, as principles of knowledge a priori, namely space and time.” 17 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
22. PHILOSOPHERS Kant : The solution to this error is to realize that the exact opposite is true, that Space considered in itself contains wave motions. Consequently, the two pure forms of sensible intuition, as principles of knowledge a priori, are namely Space and Motion : Space is a Wave-Medium and so contains within it a second thing, Wave Motion. Therefore we move from the Metaphysics of Space and Time to the Metaphysics of Space and Motion and finally unite these two things that give rise to all other things. Fichte:Follower of Kant, one of the founders of nationalism. 18 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
23. PHILOSOPHERS G.W.F. Hegel (1770 – 1831): German Idealism “The owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of the dusk.”meaning that philosophy comes to understand a historical condition just as it passes away. Philosophy cannot be prescriptive because it understands only in hindsight. Hegel’s poetic insight says that philosophers are impotent. That is only after the end of an age can philosophers realize what it was about; and by then it’s too late to change things. Only after the end of an age can philosophers realize what it was about; and by then it’s too late to change things. HEGEL: Argued that all history was progressing towards a perfect state of being. Works: Phenomenology of Spirit, the Philosophy of Right. It wasn’t until the time of Immanuel Kant that the true nature of the Enlightenment was understood, and Kant did nothing to change the Enlightenment; he just consciously perpetuated it. According to Hegel, all reality is Reason. The reality of Reason has a universal necessity. “Reason is the conscious certainty of being all reality.“(Hegel) Marx(1818 – 1883) found Hegel’s apt description to be indicative of the problem with philosophy and responded, “The philosophers have only interpreted the world differently, what matters are to change it.” 19 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
24. PHILOSOPHERS Søren Kierkegaard (1813 – 1855): Existentialism Works: Either/or, Sickness unto Death, Fear and Trembling. Kierkegaard: First major objector to Hegel considers being a founder of existentialism. “The Truth shall set ye free, but first it shall make ye miserable.” In a memorable scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indy deduced that the final step across his treacherous path was a leap of faith. “Who is also aware of the tremendous risk involved in faith – when he nevertheless makes the leap of faith – this [is] subjectivity … at its height” There is a leap of faith in Kierkegaard's theory of stages of life, The final stage, the religious stage, requires passionate, subjective belief rather than objective proof, in the paradoxical and the absurd. So, what’s the absurd? That which Christianity asks us to accept as true, that God became man born of a virgin, suffered, died and was resurrected. 20 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
25. PHILOSOPHERS Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 – 1900): Postmodern Pilosophy “God is dead.” Actually, Nietzsche never issued this famous proclamation in his own voice but rather put the words in the mouth of a character he called the madman and later in the mouth of another character, Zarathustra. NIETZSCHE: Mostly a moral philosopher, famously rejected traditional Christian and Jewish morality as 'slave morality'. Works: Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Beyond Good and Evil. Though Nietzsche himself was an atheist. “Dead” is metaphorical in this context, meaning belief in the God of Christianity is worn out, past its prime, and on the decline. God is lost as the center of life and the source of values. 21 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
26. PHILOSOPHERS John Dewey(1859 – 1952): Pragmatism American philosopher, psychologist and educational reformer whose ideas have been very influential. Dewey, along with Charles senders Peirce and William James, is recognized as one of the founders of the philosophy of pragmatism and of functional psychology. He was a major representative of the progressive and progressive populist philosophies of schooling during the first half of the 20th century in the USA. Dewey is known best for his publications concerning education, but also wrote about many other topics, including experience and nature, artand experience, logic and inquiry, democracy, and ethics. In his advocacy of democracy, Dewey considered two fundamental elements—schools and civil society—as being major topics needing attention and reconstruction to encourage experimental intelligence and plurality. Epistemology - Main article: knowing and the known The terminology problem in epistemology and logic is partially due, to inefficient and imprecise use of words and concepts that reflect three historic levels of organization and presentation: self action, interaction and transaction. 22 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
27. PHILOSOPHERS Sartre, Jean-Paul (1905-1980): Famous French existentialist. Works: Being and Nothingness. Quotes: Being and Nothingness (1943) - Its primary question is: “What is it like to be a human being?” Sartre's answer is that human reality consists of two modes of existence: of being and of nothingness. The human being exists both as an in-itself (en-soi), an object or thing, and as a for-itself (pour-soi), a consciousness. “The existence of an in-itself is 'opaque to itself … because it is filled with itself.' In contrast, the for-itself, or consciousness, has no such fullness of existence, because it is no-thing.” Sartre sometimes describes consciousness of things as a kind of nausea produced by recognition of the contingency of their existence and the realization that this constitutes Absurdity. 23 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
28. PHILOSOPHERS Albert Camus (1913 – 1960): Existentialism - Philosopher of the Absurd - Works: The Plague, TheRebel , The Myth of Sisyphus, etc. “There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide.” Camussolution to the philosophical problem was to recognize and embrace life’s absurdity. Suicide, though, remains an option if the absurdity becomes too much. Indeed Camus’ own death in a car crash was ambiguous. Was it an accident or suicide? For Camus, the absurd hero is Sisyphus, a man from Greek mythology who is condemned by the gods for eternity to roll up a stone up a hill only to have it fall back again as it reaches the top. For Camus, Sisyphus typified all human beings: we must find a meaning in a world that is unresponsive or even hostile to us. Sisyphus,Camus believed, affirms life, choosing to go back down the hill and push the rock again each time. Camus wrote: “The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” There are more recent important philosophers, like Rawls, Nozick, Searle, Singer, and so on, but it's too early to tell if they belong on this list yet. 24 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
29. PHILOSOPHERS In conclusion, here are some philosophy terms: Epistemology: The philosophy of knowledge. Ethics:Branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such Metaphysics: Meta means above; this is the study of the nature of things above physics. Aesthetics:The philosophy of art. Concerned with questions like why do we find certain things beautiful … Philosophy of Education:experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character, or physical ability of an individual. Philosophy of History: Fairly minor branch although highly important to Hegel and those who followed him, most notably Marx. It is the philosophical study of history. 25 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
30. PHILOSOPHERS Philosophy of Language: Ancient branch of philosophy. Basically concerned with how our languages affect our thought. Philosophy of Law, also called Jurisprudence: Collection of rules imposed by authority. Logic:The study of the proper methods of thinking and reasoning. Philosophy of Mathematics: Study of mathematics concerned with issues such as, is mathematics real or created by us. Philosophy of Mind:attempting to ascertain exactly what the mind is, how it interacts with our body, do other minds exist, how does it work, and so on. Philosophy of History:Fairly minor branch although highly important to Hegel and those who followed him, most notably Marx. It is the philosophical study of history. Philosophy of Politics: Closely related to ethics, this is a study of government and nations, particularly how they came about, what makes good governments, what obligations citizens have towards their government, and so on. Philosophy of Religion: Theology is concerned with the study of God. Philosophy of religion is concerned with best religious practices and how religion shape our life, but where Theology uses religious works, like the Bible, as its authority, philosophy likes to use reason as the ultimate authority. Philosophy of Science: Study of science concerned with whether scientific knowledge can be said to be certain, how we obtain it. 26 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009
31. PHILOSOPHERS 27 Philosophy and Philosophers - A summary - Riquette Mory 10/4/2009 Plato Aristotle The thoughts of these two great philosophers were the base of later philosophies