Introduction to Philosophy

<p>The third of the "British Empiricists" is John Locke, also known for his political philosophy and his Treatises on Government (check out our episode on the second treatise). Locke's Essay Concerning Human...

<p>Hume's Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding is much shorter than the Treatise but is known to be more precise and clear. Hume argues for an empiricist and instrumentalist approach to knowledge. He emphasized the...

<p>Kick off the new season Rationalism vs. Empiricism with the empiricist David Hume. A Treatise of Human Nature explores the nature of human understanding and the passions. Sections cover topics like inference, belief...

<p>Plato's Republic explores the nature of justice. Socrates, through dialogues with various interlocutors, investigates different definitions of justice, ultimately arguing that a just life is superior to an unjust...

<p> Plato's Meno primarily explores the question of whether virtue can be taught. Socrates and Meno engage in a discussion that examines various definitions of virtue, ultimately concluding that it is neither innate nor...

<p>Plato's Crito is a dialogue depicting a conversation between Socrates.and his friend Crito in prison, shortly before Socrates' execution. Critourges Socrates to escape, emphasizing the negative consequences for Crito...

<p>Plato's Apology is a transcription of Socrates' defense speech at his trial in Athens. Socrates recounts accusations leveled against him, including impiety and corrupting the youth. He defends himself by explaining...

<p>Plato's Phaedo is a dialogue exploring the immortality of the soul. Socrates, awaiting execution, presents various arguments for the soul's pre-existence and continued existence after death, engaging his disciples in...

<p>This text is an excerpt from Plato's Timaeus, a dialogue focusing on cosmology and the creation of the universe. Socrates, Critias, and Timaeus discuss the ideal state, leading to Critias recounting a legend from...

<p>Plato's Symposium is a dialogue exploring the nature of love through speeches given by various characters at a banquet. The text provides an introduction analyzing the dialogue's structure and philosophical depth...

<p>Plato's Allegory of the Cave, uses the metaphor of prisoners chained in a cave, only seeing shadows projected on a wall, to illustrate the difference between perception and reality. The prisoners mistake shadows for...

<p>Book 12 of Aristotle's Metaphysics discusses his conception of the unmoved mover, an eternal and immaterial being. The unmoved mover is the ultimate source of all motion and change in the world. He argues that the...

<p>Season Finale!! Aristotle critiques earlier philosophical attempts to explain the fundamental principles of reality using numbers. Aristotle argues against the idea that numbers, either as abstract entities or as...

<p>Aristotle's Metaphysics Book 13 discusses the philosophical problem of substance. Aristotle tackles the existence of mathematical objects, such as numbers and geometrical figures, and explores arguments for and...

<p>Aristotle examines multiple meanings of key terms, including "beginning," "cause," "element," and "nature," analyzing their various applications and relationships. He further defines concepts like "necessary," "one,"...