When the name Pythagoras is mentioned, most people (who have taken a geometry or another higher mathematics course) automatically think ¡§the Pythagorean Theorem¡. But what many people do not know is that Pythagoras contributed a lot more than just ¡§a theorem¡ to the world of mathema...

Pythagoras The Greek philosopher Pythagoras of Samos is responsible of great advances in the study of astronomy, mathematics and the theory of music. A tyrant ruled Samos at the time and Pythagoras fled to southern Italy at about 532 BC. In Croton, Pythagoras founded a religious school that al...

1. Plato's Life In order to better understand Plato's philosophy on life we must first learn about his background. Plato was born in Athens, Greece in 427 B.C. He was the youngest son of Ariston and Perictione, who were both from very well respected and wealthy families. When Plato wa...

While the great philosophical distinction between mind and body in western thought can be traced to the Greeks, it is to the seminal work of René Descartes (1596-1650) [see figure 1], French mathematician, philosopher, and physiologist, that we owe the first systematic account of the min...

Nietzsche: The Man and His Philosophy The book I read on Friedrich Nietzsche was essentially broken down into four separate parts. Part one of the book consisted of Nietzsche as a child, schoolboy, and a student. The second part of the novel discussed Nietzsche and his life as a profes...

IMANUEL KANT 1724-1804 Born in Konigsberd in East Prussia on April 22, 1724, Immanuel Kant has been one of the most influential philosophers in the history of Western philosophy. His contributions to metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics have had a dynamic impact on almost every philos...

Although Plato's theory of the ideal world is rather different from Pythagoras philosophy of numbers it shares a lot of the same principles. As Plato came after Pythagoras he took up a lot of Pythagoras's thoughts and believes. What gave rise the Pythagorean sect was the peoples yearnin...

In 407 B.C Plato, a Greek Philosopher became a student of Socrates. He turned these great teachings of Socrates in to a career of his own. He was a son of wealthy and influential Athenian parents. When his master teacher died, Plato travelled to Egypt and Italy, where he studied with students of ...

Prof. Ambuel Regarding the Interaction Involving Mind and Body Descartes was a fervent supporter of dualism. However, having argued that the mind and body are two completely different substances, he still believed that they were capable of causal interaction. Claming that the essence of matter ...

When I was a child I viewed everything from a child's point of view. If I was afraid of the dark it was because I believed that monsters dwelled under my bed and in my closets. If I was afraid of loud noises it is because I believed with all my little heart that they led to danger. As I aged an...

Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime. This is one of the most profound philosophical statements ever made. Aristotle was influenced by the short upbringing of his parents, particularly that of his father, who died when he was only ten years old. His father was a doctor. Aristotle was ra...

Understanding the World through the Study of Knowledge The study of knowledge, better known as epistemology, is the area of philosophy that investigates the nature, sources, limitations, and validity of knowledge. Epistemology was brought about during the time of the Enlightenment during the 17th-...

Over the course of history there have been many great philosophers with different views on reality. Rene Descartes, a renound philosopher of his time, was born near Tours on March 31, 1596, and died at Stockholm on February 11, 1650.Descartes made many contributions to philosophy, although there are...

ABU HAMID AL-GHAZALI Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali (1058-1111 CE) is regarded by scholars as an Islamic intellectual giant. He is one of the greatest teachers and interpreters of Islam, other than Muhammad. Born in 1058 CE in Tus, (in what is now known as Khorasan, Iran), he was a well educated man, havin...

Almost everyone has heard of the two great philosophers, Plato and Aristotle. Few people though, know much about their life long achievements. Their own personal beliefs and philosophies. In order to understand them, we must fist examine the background of the two philosophers. Plato was born to...

Immanuel Kant was born in Konigsberg, which is now Kaliningrad, Russia, on April 22, 1722. He was the son of a saddler. (Copleston, 1960) Kant received his education at the Colleguim Fredericianum and the University of Konigsberg. While attending the college, he studied mostly the classics, an...

FUTURE OCCURENCES In An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, David Hume demonstrates how there is no rational way to make any claims about future occurrences. According to his way of thinking, knowledge of matters of fact comes from previous experience. From building on this rationale, H...

Socrates is a noteworthy and important historical figure as a philosopher, because of his and his pupils' influence on the development of the philosophical world. His teachings, famous arguments, and ideas began the outgrowth of all later western philosophies. Born in 469 BC just outside of Athens,...

Individuals who possess the ability to lead the thought patterns of the masses shape culture and society and are responsible for the way philosophy is viewed and lived presently. A figure in the history of classical Greek philosophy is Aristotle. Some of his major contributions to Western philosop...

Rene Descartes In the 17th century, the French philosopher Rene Descartes came up with "Cogito ergo sum" or "I think, therefore I am". This became the first principle in his philosophy. He formed the "Cartesian Method" which has "powerfully influenced the developm...

As one of the greatest Greek philosophers, Socrates had a passionate concern to discover valid guidelines for leading a just life and to prove that justice is better than injustice under all circumstances which in effect gave a new direction to Greek philosophy and teaching. Compared to mo...

No matter how advanced or more knowledgeable we are compared to ancient civilizations, we cannot say that what they contributed did not affect us directly. From simple things such as fire, to more complex things such as the concept of time, or complicated architecture, ancient inventors and other ...

David Hume was one of the greatest thinkers in Western History. He was an 18th century philosopher who looked at the world in logical terms. He was a realist who, through philosophy, sought to distinguish between the impression of human experience and the ideas, which are ch...

Philosophical Language Language expands your mind and your world. The philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein once said, "The limits of my language are the limits of my world." Barbara Mellix might think that Wittgenstein said this merely because of his race and whereabouts. Mellix is a black...

Descartes and Socrates -- What Knowledge Is Two Approaches to Knowledge The concept of knowledge, what it is, what it means, and how it is gained, has been debated for literally centuries. Philosophers, historians, social scientists have questioned the components of knowledge and its acquisiti...