Here we will begin our studies on western thought. From ancient Athens to 19th century Europe, we will discuss the ideas that shaped our understanding of reality, knowledge, ethics, and existence.
This guide will cover the basics of the western canon regarding philosophy.
John Green discusses how philosophy teaches critical thinking, logical reasoning, and helps us examine life's fundamental questions.
1. Plato's Republic (Book VII - Allegory of the Cave)
2. Descartes' Meditations (especially 1 & 2)
3. Hume's Enquiry (Section IV on causation)
4. Kant's Prolegomena
5. Nietzsche's Genealogy of Morals
The foundation of Western philosophy begins in ancient Athens with two towering figures.
Must Read: The Republic, Symposium, Phaedo
Main Ideas: Theory of Forms - the physical world is a shadow of perfect, eternal Forms. The famous Allegory of the Cave illustrates how most people mistake shadows for reality. Only through philosophy can we ascend to true knowledge.
Legacy: Founded the Academy, established philosophy as a discipline, influenced all subsequent Western thought.
Must Read: Nicomachean Ethics, Politics, Metaphysics
Main Ideas: Rejected Plato's transcendent Forms for immanent forms within things. Developed formal logic, virtue ethics (the Golden Mean), and the concept of eudaimonia (human flourishing).
Legacy: His systematic approach to knowledge influenced science, logic, ethics, and politics for millennia.
Philosophy meets theology as Christian thinkers study faith and reason.
Philosophical Significance: Introduced concepts of linear time, personal God, free will, and salvation. The tension between Greek reason and Biblical revelation would define medieval philosophy.
Key Themes: Faith vs. reason, the problem of evil, divine providence, human nature and sin.
Must Read: Confessions
Main Ideas: Synthesized Platonic philosophy with Christianity. Developed theories of time, memory, and the self. His introspective method pioneered the philosophical autobiography.
Famous Quote: "Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee."
Legacy: Shaped Christian philosophy for over a thousand years.
The Age of Reason brings new methods and radical doubt.
Must Read: Discourse on Method, Meditations on First Philosophy
Main Ideas: Methodological doubt, doubt everything until you find certainty. "Cogito ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am). Mind-body dualism.
Legacy: Father of modern philosophy, established the centrality of the thinking subject.
Must Read: Ethics, Demonstrated in Geometrical Order
Main Ideas: Monism, everything is one substance (God/Nature). Determinism, free will is an illusion. True freedom comes from understanding necessity.
Legacy: Radical thinker who influenced Enlightenment and modern pantheism.
Must Read: An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding
Main Ideas: Empiricism, all knowledge comes from experience. Skepticism about causation, the self, and induction. Emotions, not reason, drive human behavior.
Legacy: Awakened Kant from "dogmatic slumber," influenced modern skepticism.
Must Read: Critique of Pure Reason, Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics
Main Ideas: Synthesis of rationalism and empiricism. We can only know phenomena (appearances), not noumena (things-in-themselves). Categorical imperative in ethics.
Legacy: Revolutionary "Copernican turn" in philosophy, influenced all subsequent thought.
John Green discusses how Enlightenment thinkers revolutionized our understanding of reason, freedom, and progress.
The century of grand systems and radical critiques of reason.
Must Read: Phenomenology of Spirit
Main Ideas: Dialectical method (thesis-antithesis-synthesis). History as the progressive unfolding of Spirit. The real is rational and the rational is real.
Legacy: Influenced Marx, existentialism, and continental philosophy.
Must Read: The World as Will and Representation
Main Ideas: The world as we know it is representation, but its essence is blind, irrational Will. Life is suffering, art provides temporary escape.
Legacy: Influenced Nietzsche, Freud, and modernist literature.
Must Read: The Ego and Its Own
Main Ideas: Radical individualism - all abstractions (God, State, Humanity) are "spooks" that oppress the unique individual. Proto-existentialist themes.
Legacy: Influenced anarchism and existentialism.
Must Read: Fear and Trembling
Main Ideas: The leap of faith, subjective truth, anxiety and despair as human conditions. Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac as paradigm of faith beyond reason.
Legacy: Father of existentialism, influenced 20th century theology and philosophy.
Must Read: On the Genealogy of Morals, Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Main Ideas: "God is dead" - critique of Christian morality. Master/slave morality, will to power, eternal recurrence, the Ubermensch.
Famous Quote: "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster."
Legacy: Profound influence on 20th century thought, postmodernism, and culture.
How 19th century thinkers challenged the Enlightenment's faith in reason and progress.
Philosophy involves discourse of ideas and paradigms. Feel free to leave your information to join us in thoughtful discussion.