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Modernism: The Epistemic Shift

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Key Questions

  • How do we acquire true knowledge?
  • Can reason or experience provide certainty?
  • What is the relationship between the mind and reality?

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Philosophical Tools

  • Methodological Doubt: Questioning everything to find indubitable truths.
  • Rationalism and Empiricism: Debating whether reason or sensory experience is the primary source of knowledge.
  • Scientific Experimentation: Systematically testing hypotheses.

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Conceptual Frameworks

  • Cogito, ergo sum: Establishing self-awareness as proof of existence.
  • Monism and Dualism: Exploring the nature of mind and matter.
  • Transcendental Idealism: Proposing that the mind actively structures our experiences.

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Evolution of Thought

With the rise of science, philosophers began to question the foundations of knowledge. René Descartes doubted everything except his own consciousness, leading to “I think, therefore I am.” Baruch Spinoza proposed a monistic universe where God and Nature are one, emphasizing rational understanding. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz introduced the concept of monads—simple substances that form the fabric of reality.

John Locke argued that the mind is a blank slate, with knowledge coming from experience. George Berkeley suggested that existence is perception, and David Hume doubted causality itself, emphasizing skepticism. Giambattista Vico proposed that humans can only truly understand what they have created, highlighting the importance of history and culture.

Immanuel Kant sought a middle ground, suggesting that while our experiences are shaped by innate categories of understanding, we can never know things-in-themselves. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel introduced the dialectical method of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis, viewing history as the unfolding of the Absolute Spirit.

This shift towards epistemology and the nature of mind influenced the development of the scientific method, which is fundamental in programming and AI for building and validating models.

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Key Philosophers

  • René Descartes: Initiated modern philosophy by doubting all but his own existence, emphasizing reason.
  • Baruch Spinoza: Advocated for a deterministic universe where everything is interconnected through a single substance.
  • Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz: Proposed monads and the idea that we live in the “best of all possible worlds.”
  • John Locke: Proposed that the mind is a blank slate (tabula rasa) and knowledge comes from experience.
  • George Berkeley: Argued that to be is to be perceived, emphasizing the role of the observer.
  • David Hume: Challenged the notion of causality and emphasized empirical skepticism.
  • Giambattista Vico: Emphasized the importance of culture and history in understanding human nature.
  • Immanuel Kant: Bridged rationalism and empiricism, asserting that the mind structures our experiences.
  • Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel: Developed the dialectical method, viewing reality as a process of development.
  • Adam Smith: Known for “The Wealth of Nations,” he explored economics, moral philosophy, and the concept of the invisible hand.
  • Charles Darwin: Introduced the theory of evolution by natural selection, profoundly impacting views on human nature and society.