Core Philosophical Concepts: Thought, Knowledge, Human Nature
Human Needs and the Search for Meaning
Humans look beyond basic needs; they seek meaning in life. The term Cosmos expresses the universal harmony governed by laws.
Myth (Mito) vs. Logos
- Myth (Mito): Imaginative stories about origins, often featuring anthropomorphic characters representing natural elements. Common sense understanding.
- Logos: Word, speech, reason. Represents a shift towards rational explanation.
Mythical Thought
Homer observes the naturalization of gods. Early thinkers like Thales proposed explanations based on material principles (e.g., “the earth is full of springs”).
Characteristics of Mythical Thought:
- Explanations based on natural elements and imaginary beings.
- Anthropomorphic models.
- Simplistic explanations based on imagination.
- Finalist and dogmatic explanations.
Rational Thought
This approach seeks explanations based on observable natural phenomena.
Characteristics of Rational Thought:
- Rejects anthropomorphism.
- Emphasizes order and necessity.
- Requires consistent and logical explanations.
- Focuses on causal explanations.
- Relies on critical discourse and verifiable evidence.
Philosophy and Knowledge
Philosophy is distinct from science. In philosophy (F), the question is often more important, whereas in science (C), the answer holds more weight. During the Renaissance, philosophy and science began to separate, with science emphasizing experiments.
Key Concepts in Knowledge
- Skepticism: Denies the human capacity to achieve absolute truth.
- Deduction: Useful for logical proofs but not always directly applicable to discovering truths about the real world.
- Induction: Generalizing from known facts; however, complete knowledge (coneixement) through induction alone may never be fully achieved.
Branches of Philosophy
- Theoretical Philosophy: Concerns thoughts and reflections. Deals with truth and knowledge (“What can I know?”).
- Practical Philosophy: Involves methods and procedures. Focuses on human action and societal life.
Scope of Philosophical Inquiry
Theoretical Scope: Knowledge and Reality
- Realism: A widely accepted theory stating that reality exists independently of our minds. Example: “The snow is white” is true regardless of observation.
- Idealism: Argues that reality is fundamentally mental or conceptual; things have no existence independent of thought. Each person conceives or imagines reality.
- Empiricism: Posits that all knowledge originates from sensory experience.
- Critical Realism: Suggests we do not perceive reality directly but rather filtered through our own subjectivity. Example: How something appears visually differs from its appearance under a microscope.
Practical Scope: Ethics and Politics
Reflections on the morality of human action and life in society.
- Ethics: Proposes models for a good life and provides criteria for moral action.
- Politics: Questions the legitimacy of power and aims to introduce rationality into its exercise.
Metaphysical Scope: Fundamental Questions
Addresses profound issues affecting human beings:
- Meaning of Life:
- Immanent Sense: Meaning found within life itself.
- Transcendent Sense: Meaning located in another world or higher reality.
- Nihilistic View: Denies any inherent meaning; existence is absurd.
- Positivist View: Considers the question of life’s meaning itself meaningless.
- Death
Responses to Knowledge Claims
- Dogmatic Response: Beliefs are held as absolutely true. Accepting explanations without question (e.g., from a teacher).
- Skeptical Response: Asserts the impossibility of attaining knowledge, leading to doubt and uncertainty. Claims we can never know anything with certainty. Radical skepticism can prevent critical inquiry.
- Critical Response: Positioned between dogmatism and skepticism. Defends the existence of truth but maintains that all claims must be subject to examination and critical review.
- Prejudice: Being absolutely sure of something one does not actually know.
Understanding Human Beings
Nature and Characteristics
- Humans are rational and emotional animals, sometimes acting irrationally.
- We are social yet potentially conflicting (insociable) beings.
- Human Activities: Thinking, classifying (typifying), knowing, acting, creating art, working.
Composition: Mind and Body
- Dualism: Conceives humans as composed of two distinct substances: a material body and an immaterial soul or spirit (Spiritualism).
- Monism: Proposes a single reality or substance.
- Materialism: Only the material body exists.
Origins of Humanity
- Creationism: Conceives the human being as the result of divine creation. Associated with Fixism (the prevailing theory from Aristotle to the 19th century), which defended the fixed character of species and denied evolution.
- Evolutionism: Views life as a gradual process of species evolution, primarily based on the mechanism of natural selection acting on favorable mutations.
Hominization and Humanization
Key processes in human development include:
- Neoteny: Retention of juvenile features into adulthood.
- Bipedalism: Walking upright on two legs.
- Increased Learning Ability: Enhanced capacity for acquiring knowledge and skills.
- Culture: The accumulated transmission of social experience. Human culture is notably open, flexible, and polymorphic (varied in form).