From Myth to Reason: An Introduction to Philosophy

Posted on Mar 12, 2025 in Philosophy and ethics

1 – The Discovery of Reason

Mythic stories are fantastic narratives full of symbols and metaphors of great beauty. Myths explain the origin of the world and answer questions that lie beyond. Transmitted from parents to children, they have a function of social cohesion, reflecting the society that created them.

Rational Discourse: In the 7th and 6th centuries BC, Pre-Socratic philosophers began to explain the world differently from myths, using reason and natural elements. This marked the beginning of rational thought. The earliest forms of philosophy criticized ideas that exceeded rational capacity.

2 – Philosophy

The Legacy of Greece: Greece was the birthplace of ancient democracy. The Greeks adopted customs from the peoples of India, Egypt, and Mesopotamia, but they were original. Their civilization was the first to use the term “philosophy.”

The first known philosopher was Pythagoras. When asked about his profession, he responded that he was a philosopher, explaining that philosophers simply observe events to understand them.

3 – Philosophy, Knowledge, and Ignorance

Surprise and Questions:

  • Any form of knowledge arises from curiosity and the surprise caused by the unknown.
  • Besides the ability to be surprised, knowledge requires the ability to ask questions.

The most radical difference between myth and reason is the ability to create arguments.

Opinion and Belief: There are two types of knowledge:

  1. Disinterested knowledge, aiming to understand reality.
  2. Knowledge for action, seeking a practical application of what is known.

Their enemies are:

  1. Ignorance: Not knowing anything.
  2. Opinion: A viewpoint or judgment without a strict basis, appearing as knowledge.
  3. Belief: A personal commitment to a theory, forming the basis of that commitment.

Wisdom: Wisdom unites knowledge, happiness, and truth. Philosophers do not possess it but search for it as a distant ideal.

4 – A Special Activity: Features of Philosophy

  1. Why-Interrogative: Philosophy seeks a coherent and grounded understanding, but no one ever fully knows.
  2. Second-Degree Knowledge: Philosophy requires knowledge of data from various sciences but goes beyond them.
  3. Constant Criticism: Philosophy reviews foundations and the latest hypotheses, questioning their existence. This criticism is radical.
  4. Integrative Knowledge: Constructing a whole can be dangerous if not properly grounded, but it is a requirement of philosophy.

Other Forms of Knowledge:

  1. Science
  2. Religion: A personal belief.
  3. Literature: A magnificent product of human imagination.

5 – The Great Themes of Philosophy

The Four Big Questions:

  • What can I know?
  • What should I do?
  • What may I hope?
  • What is man?

The first is answered by metaphysics, the second by ethics (which studies moral issues), the third by religion, and the last encompasses the set of problems addressed by anthropology.

Branches of Philosophy:

Philosophy includes the following topics:

  1. Metaphilosophy: The most abstract and primary theoretical reflection, analyzing philosophy itself.
  2. Anthropology: Discusses the traits of human beings, from their evolutionary origins to theories explaining their destiny.
  3. Metaphysics: Addresses problems arising from physical reality that go beyond the study of the sciences.
  4. Theory of Knowledge (Epistemology): Examines the limits of philosophy, the origins, and claims of knowledge and truth.

The World of Practice:

  1. Ethics: The first reflection on the universe created by human beings, examining problems of human behavior and proposing guidelines for good conduct.
  2. Aesthetics: Examines artistic creation as a fundamental behavior of human beings, exploring the meaning of what is considered beautiful.
  3. Social and Political Philosophy: Examines problems arising from the origin and constitution of society, work, law, etc.