Nietzsche: Philosophy, Culture, and 19th-Century Ideas
Nietzsche’s 19th-Century Philosophical Roots
Nietzsche’s life spanned the second half of the nineteenth century. This analysis examines the historical, cultural, and philosophical events of that period which relate to his philosophy, seeking the roots that nourished the key elements of Nietzsche’s thought.
Nihilism & 19th-Century Dominant Ideologies
Nietzsche’s nihilism, encompassing both its challenging and affirmative aspects, expresses the sense of crisis that Western society of the era felt
Read MoreCore Concepts in Western Philosophy: Socrates to Epictetus
Philosophical Questions and Answers
Socrates: Wisdom and the Examined Life
What is the source of Socrates’ wisdom, and what does he claim to know? How does this connect with Socrates’ claim that the unexamined life is not worth living for a human being?
Socrates’ wisdom comes from his understanding that he knew very little. He is known for stating that he does not claim to know what he does not know. He believed that many people held false wisdom, claiming knowledge they didn’t possess, which
Understanding Moral Values and Rules
Moral Values
As we act, we have to choose and decide what we will do. This choice is not usually made randomly, but guided by our reason. If we have several possibilities, we favor the possibility we prefer because it has “something” that makes it more estimable than the other options. That “something” is its value. For example, the generosity of a friend, the beauty of a painting, the usefulness of a pen, etc. As we can see, there are different kinds of values (economic, aesthetic, religious, moral
Read MorePhilosophical Perspectives on Consciousness and Reality
Understanding Consciousness
Psychological Perspective
Being aware, being aware of.
Moral Perspective
Will or practical reason.
Epistemology
Reason.
Kant’s Transcendental Idealism
Transcendental Method
Conditions for the possibility of human knowledge.
Innate vs. A Priori
Differences between the innate (substance) and the a priori (function).
Transcendental Knowledge
Transcendental knowledge is properly stated a priori. Transcendental and the a priori are opposed to empirical-psychological and a posteriori.
Consciousness
Read MoreKey Concepts in Cartesian Philosophy: Definitions
Alma (Res Cogitans)
Res cogitans, sustancia pensante, sustancia espiritual finita. Es simple porque no se descompone en partes y, por tanto, inmortal e independiente del cuerpo. Principio consciente. Según Descartes, el alma es más fácil de conocer que el cuerpo.
Certeza
Acto del espíritu por el que se reconoce con claridad y distinción la verdad. Es la seguridad y convicción del sujeto ante la verdad. Fundamento y garantía de la evidencia. Descartes se refiere a la evidencia de lo ciertamente
Read MoreNietzschean Philosophical Concepts
Tragic Artist
For Nietzsche, reality is vital; life becomes the object of his faith, and the question arises: the origin of all concrete and changing things. Reality is real, if pure becoming. The concept cannot grasp it, but metaphor can, since it does not provide an objective meaning but accepts subjectivity and asserts multiplicity (Nietzsche’s perspective). For Nietzsche, one must grasp something through metaphor, not concept.
Tragedy is the highest form of art, art that affirms reality and man
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