Exploring Philosophy: Myths, Knowledge, and Modern Thought
What is a Mythical Tale?
A mythical tale is a fantastic story, full of symbols and metaphors of great beauty, handed down through generations or the result of a collective effort. Myths explain the origin of the world and answer questions about the ‘beyond,’ telling a story that exists in another time.
Social Functions and Anthropological Myths
Myths reveal an esoteric truth, often strange, that requires interpretation. Sometimes a social group is responsible for its interpretation and thus becomes an authority. Myths maintain social cohesion: the society that created them is reflected in them, finding recognition in their words, to the extent that we can say a society exists while sharing a series of mythical stories.
Characteristics of Rational Discourse
Rational discourse was the triumph of the human community in explaining the nature of gods and other forces, freeing them from foreign powers to reason.
Features of the Concept of Logos
Logos means ‘word,’ ‘argument,’ and ‘reason.’ It denotes a language that expresses rational knowledge.
What is a Cosmogony?
Cosmogony is the science or system that studies the origin and evolution of the universe.
How Did Philosophy Emerge as a Discipline?
Philosophy was born in ancient Greece (5th century BC). A philosopher seeks wisdom to understand reality and the nature of things.
General Features of Philosophical Discourse
- Philosophy aims to achieve rational, coherent knowledge that can be critiqued.
- Philosophy combats ignorance, superstition, and pseudoscience, moving away from subjective opinions and mere beliefs.
Knowledge, Opinion, and Belief
- Knowledge (Saber): This is the domain of information available at a given time, allowing for appropriate action. There are two types:
- Disinterested knowing, aiming to learn reality as it is.
- Knowing how to do something, seeking a practical application of knowledge.
- Opinion: Knowledge founded on insufficiently substantiated reasons, sometimes taking the form of a personal belief.
- Belief: Personal adherence to an idea, theory, or claim, based on faith, which may arise from naivety, prejudice, opinion, or error.
Features of Philosophy
Philosophy is based on rational, well-argued knowledge. It is second-degree knowledge, using information provided by first-degree sciences. It performs radical criticism, always analyzing the ultimate foundations of knowledge, reality, humans, and human action. It is holistic and integrative, seeking to unify knowledge, unlike specialized sciences.
Philosophy as ‘Second-Degree Knowledge’
Philosophy is a rational, second-degree science. It considers what first-degree sciences provide, analyzing factual knowledge and well-defined objects in detail. Philosophy maintains a perspective, a distance from first-degree knowledge.
Forms of Alternative and Complementary Knowledge to Philosophy
- Science: Philosophy is not science, although it considers scientific results and external world data.
- Religion: Subjective belief (faith) based on revealed truth and sacred texts.
- Literature: Invents stories and builds characters without requiring actual existence, based on human imagination, present in all cultures.
Portrait of Immanuel Kant
German philosopher Immanuel Kant distinguished between theoretical and practical uses of reason. He embraced Newtonian physics and the need to combine reason and experience to achieve knowledge. He made the practice of philosophy a means to personal freedom. His influence has been decisive in modern philosophy.
The Four Questions of Philosophy
- What can I know?
- What should I do?
- What can I expect?
- What is man?
What Does ‘Metaphysical’ Mean?
It means addressing issues and problems beyond physical reality, going beyond natural sciences to study particular aspects.
Practical and Theoretical Philosophy
- Theoretical Philosophy: Analyzes general questions about the structure of reality and human knowledge.
- Practical Philosophy: Studies human action and its purpose.
Ethics and Aesthetics
- Ethics: Analyzes human behavior and proposes guidelines for good conduct, based on initial thoughts about the universe created by humans.
- Aesthetics: Studies artistic creation as a fundamental component of being human and the meaning of beauty.
What is Modernity?
Modern philosophy developed during the 17th and 18th centuries. The Scientific Revolution, led by Galileo and Newton, was central in shaping a new form of philosophical and mathematical thinking. Science gained favor over many previous areas of study. The modern era closes with the Enlightenment, extending throughout Europe, promoting new values of modern rationality and preparing for the fall of the old regime.
Main Philosophical Problem in the Middle Ages
The development of a feudal society marked by the influence of Christianity.
Fundamentals of 20th-Century Thought
- The domain of technology.
- The welfare state, resulting from major social changes.
- The globalized world, coinciding with the appearance of vast poverty pockets.
What Does the Term ‘Philosophy is Always Current’ Mean?
This term suggests that philosophy continually addresses relevant and timeless questions, adapting to contemporary challenges while maintaining its core principles.