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David R.
@dav_rr748
Questioning what we know
- René Descartes wrote in 1641, "I think; therefore I am." Descartes realized that we could never be sure that our perceptions are true - Your memories could be invented. Your room could be a hallucination. - But he knew with certainty that he existed. The fact that he could ask questions meant that he existed.
- About a hundred years later, David Hume showed that we could never be sure that our understanding of cause and effect is true. No matter how often something occured in the past, it is impossible to prove that it will happen in the future.
- Immanuel Kant built on Descartes' and Hume's ideas and said there is a difference between our perception of something and the thing in itself. I can see a tree, I can touch it and experience it, but I can never know the tree or experience life as the tree experiences life. I can only interpret the tree through my own senses.
All this is a way to show that whatever you believe you know to be true - you don't. Human understanding is too limited. We should then be careful what we choose to accept as true.
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10 schools of philosophy and why you should know them
Nihilism
Nihilism means "nothing." It is the lack of belief in meaning or substance in an area of philosophy.
- Moral nihilism argues that moral facts cannot exist.
- Metaphysical nihilism ar...
Existentialism
Existentialism originates from Soren Kierkegaard and Nietzche. It focuses on the problems produced by existential nihilism. For instance:
- What is the point of living if life has no inherent purpose?
- How do we face the knowledge of our inevitable demise?
Existentialism emphasizes individual existence, freedom and choice.
Stoicism
Stoicism was popular in ancient Greece and Rome and is practiced by many in high-stress environments.
Stoicism focuses on how to live in a world where things don't go as planned. The idea is to accept all the things beyond your control and to focus on what you can control.
Yahya Patel
@yahyap
What Is Nihilism | Philosophy Definition
Nihilism
Nihilism is a thought process that argues that all aspects of life lack a specific meaningful essence.
Apart from life, Nihilism rejects meaning in beliefs, value structures, state power, or...
The Origins of Nihilism
- Nihilism originated during 300 B.C.E. where certain discussions by the Buddha related to our actions having no meaning or consequences in this world.
- The Greek statesman Demosthenes also contributed to its origins.
- The modern understanding of nihilism is associated with Friedrich Nietzsche, who said all aspects of life are subjective, not objective, also adding that this belief will lead to the destruction of all value structures.
Types of Nihilism
- Moral Nihilism says true morality does not exist, and that good or bad actions are not different by the law of nature, but only by our understanding.
- Existential Nihilism says all goals, aspirations, influences and actions ultimately become meaningless.
- Metaphysical Nihilism tells us that the physical world is an illusion, and our senses just manipulated sensations and signals going into our brain.
- Political Nihilism goes against all kinds of political establishments and government laws.
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