Understanding Key Concepts in Philosophy and Culture

Posted on Mar 10, 2025 in Philosophy and ethics

Key Concepts in Philosophy and Culture

Item 1: Philosophy

  • Philosophy: The word philosophy comes from the Greek sophia, meaning love of learning.
  • Philosophy, in addition to knowledge, is an attitude and an activity.
  • Classical philosophy often takes an idealistic and organismic approach to the questions raised.
  • Renaissance philosophy launched a scientific revolution.
  • The philosophy of the Enlightenment (17th and 18th centuries) was expressed in two main streams: empiricism and rationalism.
  • The interdisciplinary nature of philosophy means that it organizes ideas from different disciplines.
  • Philosophy is also a method of clarifying and learning, providing a structured way to access knowledge and develop thinking.
  • Philosophy provides the individual freedom of thought, fostering a character in dialogue, critical and curious.
  • Philosophy often maintains a critical attitude, trying to dismantle prejudices and misconceptions present in our culture.
  • Myth: An explanation of some aspect of reality that is characterized by religious elements.
  • Comte’s three states of humanity are: theological or fictitious, metaphysical or abstract, and positive or scientific.
  • Dogmatism: The theory that the truth is something unique and unchanging that we cling to.
  • Skepticism: The theory that detailed analysis is needed before deciding on the truth.
  • Moral Relativism: A position about right that says when someone begins to investigate and reflect, they immediately note that there is no universally valid code.
  • Moral Universalism: A position about right that tells us that moral standards must be valid for all individuals.
  • Natural Law: States that justice is a result of the order and laws of nature.
  • Rationalism: States that the origin of knowledge is reason.
  • Empiricism: States that the origin of knowledge is based on sensory experience.
  • Civility: The set of qualities that enable us to live in society.
  • Aristotle defines human beings as a “political animal.”
  • Tolerance: To respect beliefs and qualities of others, and accept differences.

Item 2: Culture and Human Evolution

  • The natural aspect of human beings is a result of information we receive genetically.
  • The critical steps of human evolution are bipedalism and language.
  • The Neolithic Revolution is characterized by sedentary lifestyles, domestication, and agriculture.
  • Culture: Social, symbolic, plural, learned, and historical.
  • Culture is social, meaning it is a process that is created and inherited collectively.
  • Culture is symbolic, meaning that humans are the only animals endowed with speech.
  • Culture is learned, meaning that the acquisition of a culture requires the education of individuals.
  • Sophists: Thinkers who are characterized by relativism.
  • Making decisions based on consensus means that decisions must be approved by all or most.
  • Segregation: To marginalize or banish those who are different.
  • Assimilation: The belief that diversity is tolerable but tends to be eliminated.
  • Integration: The acceptance of differences equally.