Precursors to Kant

2019 ◽  
pp. 8-18
Author(s):  
David Baggett ◽  
Jerry L. Walls
Keyword(s):  
John Locke ◽  
Rene Descartes ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Blaise Pascal ◽  
Christian Tradition ◽  
Moral Argument ◽  
Thomas Reid ◽  
René Descartes ◽  
Final Causes ◽  
Conception Of The Good

Although Kant is often thought of as the first significant moral apologist, hints and intimations of the moral argument can be found before him. Plato’s conception of the Good has been thought congenial to a theistic conception, and Aristotle’s robust teleological conception of reality and sturdy commitment to final causes resounded with much of the later Judeo-Christian tradition. Augustine and Aquinas, in particular, were committed religious believers and thinkers who forged clear connections between their theism and key moral ideas found among such Greek thinkers as Plato and Aristotle. The contemporary Frenchmen René Descartes and Blaise Pascal both saw the relevance of the afterlife to fundamental questions of the moral quest. John Locke and Thomas Reid were both drawn to an early version of the “coincidence thesis,” according to which well-being and virtue go together. In all of these ways the stage was set for Kant’s landmark work.

The Price of Truth: Reciprocity, Giving, and Generosity in the Philosophy of René Descartes

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 147-170
Keyword(s):  
Moral Philosophy ◽  
Rene Descartes ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Other ◽  
Economic Science ◽  
Homo Oeconomicus ◽  
Intellectual Activity ◽  
René Descartes ◽  
Economic Thinking ◽  
Selfish Interest

The article provides a comparison of the concept of homo œconomicus with the core theses of René Descartes’ moral philosophy. The first section draws on the work of the contemporary Western philosopher Anselm Jappe in which Descartes’ philosophy is held to be the cornerstone of the established view and current scientific definitions of homo œconomicus as the fundamental and indispensable agent of capitalistic relations. As opposed to this “common sense” position in the modern social sciences, the second section of the article builds upon Pierre Bourdieu’s Anthropologie économique (2017) to demystify the notion of homo œconomicus. The article then examines some aspects of modern philosophical anthropology that show odd traces of Descartes’ thinking and that are regularly applied in economic science as well as in the critique of economic thinking as such. These are the concepts of mutuality, giving, exchange and generosity, and they are regarded as central to the philosopher’s moral doctrine.The author concludes that the philosophical doctrine of generosity has very little in common with the bourgeois ideology of utility which implies an instrumental relationship between subjects: in Caretesian moral philosophy the Other is neither an object of influence nor a means to achieve someone’s personal goals nor a windowless monad. Generosity certainly has its economic aspects, but these do not include accumulating wealth in the bourgeois sense. It is more in the realm of the aristocratic practice of making dispensations. All throughout his life Decartes may be viewed as exhibiting a peculiar kind of nobility in which the desire to give, endow and sacrifice outweighs any selfish interest. The vigorous pursuit of well-being gives way to a quest for the leisure required to pursue intellectual activity, and care for oneself does not preclude attending to and loving the Other, whatever form it may take.

scholarly journals John Locke and a Rene Descartes Epitaph

2015 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 260-263
Author(s):  
F. Waldmann
Keyword(s):  
John Locke ◽  
Rene Descartes ◽  
René Descartes

scholarly journals PAPPUS DE ALEXANDRIA

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (20) ◽  
pp. 08-17
Author(s):  
Lucicleia Chagas Magno ◽  
Miguel Chaquiam ◽  
Ruan Wenderson De Oliveira Sousa ◽  
Ruan Wenderson De Oliveira Sousa
Keyword(s):  
Rene Descartes ◽  
Blaise Pascal ◽  
Isaac Newton ◽  
René Descartes

Este trabalho tem como objetivo presentar vida e obra de Pappus de Alexandria, com destaque em seu teorema, e teve como base a seguinte questão de pesquisa: Qual a contribuição de Pappus de Alexandria à Matemática? Os caminhos foram percorridos tensdo como objetivo apresentar vida e obra de Pappus de Alexandria, com destaque em seu teorema. Neste sentido, a pesquisa, de cunho qualitativo, foi amparada em métodos bibliográficos, durante a qual foram revisados estudos de Chaquiam, (2017); Chaves (2013); Estrada, Sá et al (2000); Gillispie e Pereira (2007); Garnica e Souza (2012); Jones (s/d); Miguel e Miorim, (2002) e Roque (2012). Desse modo, com a execução dessa pesquisa foi possível observar que os trabalhos produzidos por Pappus de Alexandria, apresentam grandes contribuições à Matemática, em particular á Geometria, e também, a outras áreas de conhecimento, como na geografia, música, hidrostática, alquimia e na astronomia, além disso, sua principal obra, a Coletânea, e seu famoso teorema serviram como fonte de informação e inspiração para outros matemáticos, os quais contribuíram para a construção e aprimoramento de novos conhecimentos matemáticos, dentre eles, podemos citar René Descartes, Pierre de Fermat, Blaise Pascal, Isaac Newton e G. W Leibniz. Por conseguinte, percebeu-se que a História da Matemática é um ramo que estuda a evolução dos conteúdos matemáticos dentro do processo histórico-cultural, sendo um importante instrumento para o ensino de Matemática, principalmente, para a construção de conceitos, por isso torna-se essencial, também, o estudo e a utilização de biografias de personagens que contribuíram de alguma forma á Matemática, além de ser uma forma interessante de despertar o interesse dos estudantes pela Matemática e pela História da Matemática e, muito mais, fazer uso da história da matemática como recurso didático no processo de ensino e aprendizagem da matemática.

scholarly journals Tradução: Dissertação sobre a liberdade (Étienne Bonnot de Condillac)

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guilherme Augusto Guedes ◽  
Nelson Carvalho Neto
Keyword(s):  
John Locke ◽  
Rene Descartes ◽  
René Descartes ◽  
Etienne Bonnot De Condillac

É célebre o raciocínio “Penso, logo existo”, enunciado pelo filósofo francês René Descartes (1596-1650) na quarta parte de seu Discurso do Método, como sendo o primeiro princípio de sua Filosofia. Além de não podermos duvidar que o sujeito que pensa existe, para Descartes a mente humana é dotada de certas ideias, impressas por Deus, que lhes são inatas. Um dos primeiros a criticar a teoria do conhecimento e o inatismo cartesiano foi o filósofo inglês John Locke (1632-1704), porém, foi seu discípulo francês Étienne Bonnot de Condillac (1714-1780) quem esboçou as críticas mais radicais contra o sistema filosófico de Descartes.

Freiheit zur Wahrheit

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Rometsch
Keyword(s):  
John Locke ◽  
Rene Descartes ◽  
René Descartes

How do our perceptions come about? If our ways of forming them is deterministically given, skeptical objections can no longer be warded off. We might as well be calibrated for errors. If, instead, our cognition works unbounded and free, there is no compulsion to fall prey to error. It is therefore advisable to understand cognitive formation as a plurimodal interaction of activities of perception, imagination and verbalization, the course of which is never determined by the conditions under which it currently stands. Further, we should not describe ourselves as mere "res cogitans," no matter what the philosophical intentions: there is no sense in assuming that we are determined to perform activities of cognition only. In dealing with two major historical examples, these assumptions are developed and tested. It is shown why René Descartes unexpectedly champions them, and which consequences ensue from John Locke´s disregarding them.

The Problem of the External World in René Descartes, Edmund Husserl, Immanuel Kant and the Evil Genius

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-66
Author(s):  
Robert Elliott Allinson ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Immanuel Kant ◽  
David Hume ◽  
Argument Structure ◽  
John Locke ◽  
Edmund Husserl ◽  
Rene Descartes ◽  
External World ◽  
George Berkeley ◽  
René Descartes

The need to prove the existence of the external world has been a subject that has concerned the rationalist philosophers, particularly Descartes and the empiricist philosophers such as John Locke, George Berkeley and David Hume. Taking the epoché as the key mark of the phenomenologist—the suspension of the question of the existence of the external world—the issue of the external world should not come under the domain of the phenomenologist. Ironically, however, I would like to suggest that it could be argued that the founder of the phenomenological school of thought, Edmund Husserl, also did not avoid the question of the existence of the external world. What I would like to suggest further is that Immanuel Kant grants himself illicit access to the external world and thus illustrates that the question of the external world is vital to the argument structure of the first Critique.

scholarly journals De digitale verdeners (vid)under

2003 ◽  
Vol 19 (36) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Angela Ndalianis
Keyword(s):  
Science Fiction ◽  
Rene Descartes ◽  
Blaise Pascal ◽  
Lord Of The Rings ◽  
Special Effects ◽  
René Descartes

I tidens blockbusterfilm spiller digitale special effects en stadig større rolle. Fra at have været et ‘usynligt’ redskab, der muliggjorde impone- rende stunts som bussen, der flyver over et hul i motorvejen i Speed, har digitale effekter erobret hovedrollen. Siden den morfende termi- nator i Terminator 2: Judgment Day og de realistiske dinosaurer i Jurassic Park har digitale elementer opnået en stjernestatus, der ofte overgår skuespillernes. Således er den digitale Gollum i Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers mere troværdig end de øvrige ‘fysiske’ stjer- ner. De amerikanske blockbusterfilm, der anvender en iøjnefaldende brug af digital æstetik, er ofte science fiction- og fantasy-film, der af den kritiske teori har været anset for “usundt slik for øjet.” Forfatteren viser, hvordan filmens digitale undere kan sættes i relation til Rene Descartes’ tanker om underet/det vidunderlige, der hensætter tilsku- eren i en æstetisk undren, der fører til en intellektuel trang til forståelse (som første gang stjernesystemet lod sig se i en kikkert). Samme und- ren bliver hos Blaise Pascal en ’afgrund’ (une abîme), der indgiver ære- frygt og fører os til det religiøse og mystiske, til overvejelser over natu- rens undere og Guds natur. Det digitale liv er ikke blot æstetik; det får sit eget, uforudsigelige liv - som de digitale figurer i The Two Towers der er programmeret til at slås, men foretrækker at flygte, og derfor må re- programmeres. Det digitale liv udfordrer os med intet mindre end over- vejelser over naturens orden, menneskets natur, teknologiens rolle, livet, døden og fremtiden.

scholarly journals Presentación del editor invitado Reflexiones filosóficas sobre el color

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (10) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
Luis Xavier López Farjeat
Keyword(s):  
Rene Descartes ◽  
Arthur Schopenhauer ◽  
Thomas Reid ◽  
Isaac Newton ◽  
René Descartes ◽  
Siglo Xx

¿Qué es el color? Muchos físicos, químicos y filósofos han tratado de responder. Y posiblemente todos tengan algo de razón. Sin embargo, cada teoría, cada filosofía del color, arroja nuevas interrogantes y plantea dificultades. En este volumen hemos querido abordar el problema del color o de la percepción del color bajo la óptica de pensadores cuyas aportaciones en esta materia han sido poco exploradas: Teofrasto, René Descartes, Isaac Newton, Thomas Reid, Arthur Schopenhauer y algunos fenomenólogos del siglo xx, como Wilhelm Schapp o Adolf Reinach —por mencionar tan sólo dos de los muchos nombres que aparecen en el agudo análisis elaborado por Alejandro Vigo sobre filósofos pertenecientes a la tradición husserliana y post-husserliana.

scholarly journals Four different views of scientific knowledge and the birth of modern relativism: The very important challenge facing reformed churches in a Western world

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolaas J. Gronum
Keyword(s):  
Immanuel Kant ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
John Locke ◽  
Rene Descartes ◽  
Western World ◽  
Western Thought ◽  
René Descartes ◽  
Important Challenge ◽  
Reformed Churches ◽  
Aristotle's Metaphysics

Theologians are used to pointing the finger at European continental postmodernism when dealing with modern relativism. This article addresses a problem that is seldom highlighted within theology: modern relativism is the result of a series of epistemological discussions that took place during the early Enlightenment between scholars such as Rene Descartes, John Locke and Immanuel Kant. They were reacting, in part, to Aristotle’s metaphysics and logic. When the whole picture unravels, one immediately sees that modern relativism is deeply ingrained in Western thought. In other words, modern relativism will not gather dust after the demise of postmodernism. To the contrary, this article would argue that modern relativism will continue to pose serious challenges to reformed churches in future. Pastors who want to engage with Western audiences will benefit from being made aware of this. Hopefully this will encourage theologians to re-evaluate the relevancy of reformed theological constructs in societies that are deeply steeped in relativist thought.

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