Let's take a look at Descartes' probably best-known concept, which still resonates today and is often regarded as the essential basis of epistemology: "COGITO ERGO SUM." "I think, therefore I am." René Descartes He established this insight as the first foundation of his philosophy, because at its core, "Cogito, ergo sum" serves as the fundamental truth in Descartes'...
The terms "a priori" and "axiom" are both important in philosophy and logic, but they stand for different concepts: A Priori The term "a priori" refers to knowledge or justifications that are independent of experience. "A priori" knowledge is based on logical conclusions and not on empirical evidence. In contrast, the "a...
Alfred Lansing's book Endurance Shackleton's Incredible Voyage [635 Days in the Ice: Shackleton's Expedition] is by far one of the best books I have read in recent years. Not only the subject matter but also the way it is written is incredibly authentic. In order to roughly summarize the story but not to anticipate too much, I will not go into details....
Alan Watts is known for his interpretation and integration of Eastern philosophies into Western thought. A good example of this is the following view, which is strongly influenced by Eastern thought, particularly Buddhism, and, interestingly, has certain similarities with Schopenhauer's philosophy despite the different contexts and conclusions. "Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through...
Philosophical discourse on the nature of reality, consciousness and being has long been a complex and nuanced field. Two prominent figures in this field, Arthur Schopenhauer and Immanuel Kant, offer profound insights that are both in agreement, or at least convergent, and different in interesting ways. At the center of their philosophies is the...
Precisely because Hegel is known for his moving world view, it is not exactly surprising that he also thought about eternity. In common parlance, eternity is an ultimate state. The eternal progression of time and the resulting never-ending, eternally continuing existence. But it is even less surprising that...
By redefining thinking about the nature of the universe, Descartes revolutionized not only the world of philosophy, but the entire world. Previously, Aristotelian physics had been the dominant worldview of the Western world, which, simply summarized, presupposed a universe full of purposes and inherent qualities. Everything had a fixed purpose that it followed or goals after...
The Categorical Imperative in the consumer society If we look at our consumer-driven society, we quickly realize that it does not conform to Kant's moral concepts. This would only be possible in two ways. Either if we only consumed as much as we needed and no more - because if everyone consumed exactly as much...
As we know so far, Hegel was particularly known for his non-static philosophy. In his eyes, the world was always changing and no event could be considered without another. Everything in Hegel's world is related to the other. Just as his being and his nothingness are empty in themselves and...
The Copernican revolution in philosophy, which Kant said he initiated, is indeed a significant turning point in the history of human thought. It is based on the realization that our understanding of the world is not exclusively shaped by the world itself, but also by the way we perceive it...
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