Evolution of Human Knowledge: From Myth to Reason
Rational Knowledge
Animals possess instinctive behavior, a predetermined set of actions governed by biological laws common to all species. This innate and specific practical knowledge allows them to adapt and survive. In contrast, humans are characterized by their need to transcend instinct. We are called rational animals because we need to understand and interpret our environment, find meaning in our existence, and seek knowledge.
Pre-Rational: Magic and Myth
Magic attempts to solve practical problems through rituals and spells, often accessible only to privileged individuals. Magic is based on the belief that all things have spirits (animism).
Myth is a narrative, a symbolic sacred legend recounting events related to natural and social phenomena. Myths justify actions, values, and human customs, serving as a model for behavior. These narratives are accepted by society based on the authority of tradition. The main goal of myth is to provide a comprehensive explanation of the universe and the individual.
Stages of Mythological Explanation
- Fetishism: Idols are attributed a life similar to humans, but more powerful.
- Polytheism: All phenomena depend on the will of several gods who also influence people.
- Monotheism: All phenomena depend on the will of a single God.
The Source of Rational Knowledge
In Greece, during the 6th century BC, people began to question myths. Myths depended on the unpredictable whims of the gods and failed to explain the regularities observed in nature. This led to the need to explain reality through reason. Thus arose rational knowledge, based on explaining events through logical reasoning.
Pre-Rational vs. Rational Knowledge
| Feature | Pre-Rational | Rational |
|---|---|---|
| Justification | Imagination | Reason |
| Explanation | Supernatural | Natural |
| Basis | Tradition, Arbitrariness | Regularities, Causality |
| Style | Symbolic | Realistic |
The Senses and Reason
Rational knowledge is divided into two faculties of knowledge:
- Senses: Provide immediate observation of reality.
- Reason: Understands and interprets data from the senses, deriving relationships between phenomena (cause and effect) and predicting consequences.
The Great Philosophical Questions Through History
Metaphysical Period (6th Century BC – 14th Century AD)
Research focused on reality, both physical and human, seeking a principle capable of explaining the existing order. Philosophy was born as a critique of traditional knowledge and myths.
- Pythagoras coined the term philosophia (love of wisdom).
- Socrates initiated philosophy by famously claiming to know nothing.
- Plato was a student of Socrates.
- Aristotle gave meaning to philosophy, basing it on wonder and amazement at existence.
Philosophy emerged as the search for truth through reason. Human action should be guided by theoretical knowledge, while practical knowledge arises from and because of things.
Cosmological Phase (6th – 5th Century BC)
The central theme was the universe and nature. Despite physical changes, an underlying order existed, and the aim was to discover and translate it into law.
- What is the principle or cause of everything real?
- What are things made of?
- How do you explain changes in people?
- Is order governed by purpose or by chance?
Anthropological Turn (5th Century BC)
The focus shifted to man:
- What is man?
- Can man know the truth?
- What constitutes moral virtue?
- What political system will guarantee justice?
- What is the human being’s place in the universe?
Christian Thought (1st – 19th Century AD)
Arising after the fall of the Roman Empire, Christian thought developed in the same locations as Roman culture. It is based on a set of beliefs where the source is God, the main tool is faith, and the primary goal is salvation. Theocentrism places God as the creator of the universe.
- Nature and existence of God?
- How do creatures relate to their creator?
- How to reconcile reason and faith?
- What is the structure of reality?
- What is the nature of people?
- How is divine law reflected in the natural, moral, and political order of the world?
Epistemological Period (15th – 18th Centuries)
Philosophers focused on unresolved questions about reality, researching the nature of reality and human faculties (reason and senses).
- Emerged during the Renaissance.
- Independence of reason from faith.
- The scientific revolution was a major turning point.
Key Elements of the New Science
- Heliocentrism: The sun is the center of the universe.
- Mechanism: The order of reality is a perfect machine whose elements and laws of operation can be precisely known.
- Mathematization of Reality: A quantitative view of reality.
- Experimentation: Not only to understand nature better but also to dominate and transform it.