If something has characterized philosophy throughout history, it has been the large number of thought paradigms that it has created.
Among the great thinkers The most original, brilliant and even crazy philosophical theories have been born and many of them have left a mark on our way of interpreting reality and our personal relationships.
Not all philosophical theories have had the same weight; Some have been quickly forgotten, while others, outdated or not, continue to resonate in our consciousness and help us understand part of our experiences at certain times. Below we will give a brief review of them.
1. Plato’s theory of ideas
This ancient Greek philosopher is one of the most remembered for the influence he has had on Western culture hundreds of years before it existed.
The belief that the senses deceive us and that reality exists independently of our opinions and points of view was formulated in Plato’s theory of ideas in an extensive way, which distanced this thinker from the sophists, who professed a relativism that was very convenient for doing business with oratory courses.
On the other hand, this philosophical theory has its roots in Plato’s particular conception of reality: for him, what really exists are perfect ideas of things, and what we usually understand by matter is nothing more than a mirage, an imperfect reflection of those essences they try to imitate.
2. Nietzsche’s theory of eternal recurrence
German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche He expressed his vitalist thought through his theory of eternal return This is based on the idea that the life we should aspire to is one that we would like to repeat infinite times, not only in relation to what happens around us, but also including our thoughts and emotions in that loop. eternal.
Descartes was one of the main representatives of dualism, the doctrine according to which reality is composed of at least two elements of the same hierarchical category that are independent of each other.
This French thinker, in particular, extensively developed a theory according to which in each human being there is a body and a spiritual substance that directs it and that is the source of our consciousness.
4. Pragmatic theory of William James
William James was not only one of the most important philosophers of his time, but he was also one of the founders of psychology as a science. One of his most revolutionary ideas was that our beliefs have a real effect on the type of life we experience. Believing in one thing or another can be what leads us to die or to build very good living standards. His way of thinking was a call to act as if our actions make a difference to allow this norm to be fulfilled thanks to our aspirations and beliefs.
5. Mary Wollstonecraft’s Equitable Education Theory
In the 18th century, common sense dictated that men and women should receive a different education that adapted to their different “natures.” This idea was questioned by Mary Wollstonecraft, who did something revolutionary: she questioned the idea that the fact that men and women behave differently means that this should be the case in all cases or even socially promoted.
In short, this reference of early feminism pointed out that, regardless of our biological characteristics, we are all human beings and by default We deserve equal treatment regardless of any discrimination
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was one of the greatest critics of the Enlightenment, and he questioned the idea that scientific progress produced more social well-being in terms of human development and standards of living for all. Instead, he pointed out that the creation of societies marked by the complexity of personal relationships and the creation of hierarchies and norms could represent a setback.
For this thinker, the effect of the development of civilizations could make let’s stop taking into account the humanity of people and we begin to treat them as resources to obey a “common good.” This dynamic was opposed by the idea of the noble savage, embodied by boys and girls who, not having been fully socialized, would behave in a more ethical and purer way than adults corrupted by conventions, at least according to this author. .
On the other hand, that does not mean that Rousseau believed that at some point in our history the absence of civilization brought peace. It is, in any case, a hypothetical situation that serves to exemplify the way in which, according to this philosopher, society brutalizes us.
Subsequently, the noble savage theory has been highly criticized by great leaders of evolutionary psychology, such as Steven Pinker. However, this idea remains a symbolic reference in our way of thinking.
7. Hume’s fork
David Hume is probably the most important representative of empiricist philosophy, according to which knowledge is constructed through our experiences and interactions with reality, and not so much through reflection and isolation.
One of his great contributions to history was his theory about the fork of knowledge. This establishes that knowledge is composed of demonstrative statements, which are self-evident, and others that are probable and that tell us about properties of the world around us. The former are fundamentally governed by formal logic, while the latter are generated by experience. The first ones are always true, but they do not tell us anything about what happens in nature, while the second ones do tell us about specific aspects of our lives, but they do not have to be true.
For Hume, it is necessary know the limitations and advantages of each of these two forms of knowledge so as not to mix them and reach conclusions that will make us fall into trouble.
8. Spinoza’s metaphysical theory
Benedictus de Espinoza was one of the great philosophers of 17th century Europe, and proposed a mystical vision of the world around us. His conception of the divine led him to defend the idea that all elements of nature are equally sacred and spiritual, since all of them form, at the same time, God. For Spinoza the soul was not something exclusive to human beings, but was everywhere: in plants, in rocks, in landscapes, etc.
9. The mystique of numbers of the Pythagoreans
The Pythagoreans were a Hellenic sect whose relationship with the world of mathematics went far beyond purely intellectual interest. They believed that everything in nature follows the rules of numbers , and that the essence of everything that exists lies in these elements. Thus, mathematics was conceived as the sacred element that structured matter and ideas.
This devotion to numbers and their relationships can be understood if we take into account that mathematics seems to describe the formal mechanics of the world: its laws apply at any time and in any place, so that they seem to create “the form” of the subject.
10. Lao Tzu’s theory of the tao
Lao Tzu is one of the most influential figures in Chinese history, and for good reason; He developed a conception of nature that is based on the idea that everything flows just as it should, without human intervention According to this philosophy, what is desirable is not to interfere with the natural development of things, moderate one’s ambitions and live with humility without straying from the path of virtue.
