Aristotle Defines philosophy As the way to access knowledge. According to the philosopher, this knowledge is acquired through logical and structured thinking.
However, to understand this statement, one must first understand the difference between knowledge and belief.
Knowledge is the product of a questioning process, which provides clear answers, such as"how much is two plus two?"Or"at what speed does the universe expand?"
Also, the natural sciences are responsible for the study of this knowledge, based on experiences and known as empirical knowledge.
On the other hand, beliefs are convictions that answer questions that do not have a clear or obvious solution, such as"what is the purpose of my existence?"Or"why does evil exist?". In this sense, beliefs have a big role In defining our potential
Considering the above, the philosophy originated in Greece and was the object of interest of several scholars, among whom Aristotle (384 - 322 BC) points out. For the Greek philosopher, philosophy was the basis for understanding the axioms that make up knowledge.
The word philosophy comes from the Greek terms"phileo"and"sophia", and could be translated as"love for wisdom". In this sense, philosophy differs from knowledge because it seeks the truth, regardless of the usefulness of this"truth."
In broad terms, Aristotle's works have shaped philosophy for centuries, marking a before and after in his study and appreciation. It is for this reason that the characteristics of the philosophy of this author are defined below.
Characteristics of the philosophy of Aristotle
To set the philosophy in motion, and to think logically, Aristotle proposed to execute a series of steps.
To begin with, objects should be observed and described. Subsequently, the human being could extract knowledge of these objects through deductive and inductive reasoning.
In deductive reasoning, a conclusion is reached after having studied the premises; The validity of these arguments does not depend on empirical knowledge but on the logic with which the premises are evaluated. On the other hand, in the inductive reasoning, the premises are extracted from a given conclusion.
An example of deductive reasoning is the syllogism, proposed by Aristotle. The syllogism is a type of argument that has two premises and a conclusion.
Of the two premises, the first presents a universal proposition, while the second is a more specific statement within the universal proposition. Here are three examples of syllogism:
- All human beings are mortal (Universal Proposition)
- Aristotle is a human being (specific statement)
- Aristotle is mortal (Conclusion)
Types of knowledge according to Aristotle
Aristotle argues that there are three types of knowledge: to begin with, Tekhene and Phronesis . " Empeiria"refers to experience,"tekhene"refers to technique, while"phronesis"refers to moral and ethical virtue.
These three modes represent forms of approach to empirical knowledge, emphasizing the utilitarian meaning of this knowledge.
The difference between"knowing what"and"knowing why"
According to Aristotle, philosophical thinking differs from other types of reasoning since philosophy seeks to answer the why of our beliefs, while for other reasoning it is enough to know that we believe in something. Take the following two sentences as examples:
- I know that reading books in my spare time is better than watching TV.
- I know why reading books in my spare time is better than watching TV.
The first sentence reflects a person's opinion on how leisure time should be used; However, the reasons for this position are not presented. For its part, the second sentence reflects that the issuer can provide reasons to defend his statement.
In this sense, philosophy distinguishes between emotions and reasons, the pursuit of which is the main objective of philosophical thought.
The philosophy of nature
Aristotle considers that the universe is a bridge between two extremes: in one extreme, there is form without matter; At the other extreme, there is matter without form.
To explain the passage from matter to form, Aristotle proposes"the philosophy of nature." Movement is the key to this process. Aristotle distinguishes four types of movement:
1 - The movement that affects the substance of a thing, above all, its beginning and its end.
2 - The movement that generates changes in the quality of a thing.
3 - The movement that generates changes in the quantity of a thing.
4 - The movement that generates locomotion.
Transcendence of the philosophy of Aristotle
Aristotle, disciple of Plato, continues the line of thought of its teacher. In the history of philosophy, you can find two experiences that generate the need to philosophize: wonder and doubt.
Thus, the Greek philosopher Plato (428 - 348 a.C.) wrote in his book Theaetetus That astonishment is the chief characteristic of a man who loves wisdom, that is why it constitutes the principle of philosophy.
The experience of astonishment shows that the first approach to knowledge is, in fact, not knowing, since it is impossible to be astonished at an event or element that is known and understood. You can learn more about the Works of Plato By consulting this link.
References
- What is philosophy? Retrieved on March 11, 2017, from philosophyproject.org.
- Deleuze and Guattari (1991). What is philosophy? Retrieved on March 11, 2017, from faculty.umb.edu.
- Aristotle (2008) Retrieved on March 11, 2017, from plato.stanford.edu.
- Aristotle (s.f.) Nicomachean Ethics . Retrieved on March 11, 2017, from socserve2.socsci.mcmaster.ca.
- The idea of philosophy in Aristotle . Retrieved on March 11, 2017, from zubiri.org.
- Aristotle . Retrieved on March 11, 2017, from infoplease.com.
- Aristotle - Philosopher. Retrieved on March 11, 2017, from biography.com.
- Aristotle (384-322 B.C.E.). Retrieved on March 11, 2017, from iep.utm.edu.