Goodwin McDonald )sect 9) Final post 2: the progression of western philosophy

Western philosophy kept developing with Aristotle.  He begin writing on subjects now known as physics, biology, meterology and other natural sciences.  This created a foundation for a search for wisdom.

Philosophy- The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, esp. when considered as an academic discipline.

It became a very broad subject and started branching out so many different categories covering everything from mathmatics to science to ideas on love and religion.  There were many great philosophers of this time from Aristotle, Plato and Socrates to Augustine and Pythagorus.



Modern Western philosophy started developing during the renaissance era.  Descartes were one of the big time playres in the field with his infamous quote "I think therefore I am".  This qoute was a large break through.  It can mean so many other things.  For example it creates an idea that even if something can be proven to exist just the idea and having a difinition for it is enough to say its still exist.  Just because we can't prove God exist we have still invented an idea of God and rules and practices associated with it.  That seems to be enough to show it exist.  Galileo and Francis Bacon were also big philosophers at the time making huge breakthroughs in science at the time.  With the help of Galileo and Francis Bacon, Descartes was able to make the scientific method.  The idea of individualism and self determination was being developed at this time.

"A man must make his opportunity, as oft as find it." and "A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds."- Francis Bacon

Not only was science progressing at this time but there were many great writers adding to the ideas of Western Philosophy.  Shakespeare was a huge writer at this time creating many poems and plays appealing to the emotions of man.  Love was a big subject of his developing very dramatic, romantic and cynical themes in his plays that appealed to everyones emotions.  His plays covered the themes of love, religion, honor, pride, and so on.  Chaucer was also a writer at this time and made a huge contribution by writing Cantebury tails.  Cantebury tails was a story of many different types of people going on a journey together and sharing there experiences and thoughts during this journey

Western philosophy kept developing into what it is today through authors like Locke, Adam Smith, Kant, Melvilles "Moby Dick", Darwin, Marxs, and Freud.  Through these authors they made many break throughs and great writings that defined Western civilizations thoughts and reasons.  In my final post I'll compare ideas of Western philosophy to the ideas of Eastern Philosophy.