Russell, Frege, Wittgenstein, and others were all members of the Vienna Circle. Their work influenced many philosophers including Carnap, von Wright, Quine, and Davidson. Logical positivists wanted to establish a foundation for scientific knowledge. They thought that...
Philosophy
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Language as a tool
Analytical Philosophy is the dominant form of philosophy in the English-speaking world. It is often associated with the Vienna circle. Logical Positivists believed that logic could give us certainty about the world. By the mid-twentieth century, analytic philosophy...
Linguistics
Analytical Philosophy became increasingly interested in the nature of language as the 20th Century progressed. These philosophers wanted to analyze what it means to say something is true or false, and what it means to think about something. So they turned their...
Universal grammar
An essential question that preoccupied the field of linguistics was the common grammatical structure of all human languages. As the most prominent ideologist in this field, Chomsky's early insights were that children become proficient in the native language of their...
Artificial intelligence
Since Alan Turing’s pioneering paper in 1950, many have tried to define and demonstrate the limits of Artificial Intelligence. One widely accepted definition comes from philosopher John Searle, who defines AI as any system that exhibits intelligent behavior. Today,...
Philosophy and science in the 20th century
Philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience were all born out of philosophical ideas about the nature of reality. As the pace of progress accelerated during the Scientific Revolution, however, the natural sciences began to replace metaphysics. By the end of the 19 th...
Scientific answers to metaphysical questions
Einstein’s theories of relativity changed everything we thought about our reality. His ideas showed us the true nature of space and time. He showed us that there is an underlying structure behind the phenomena we see around us. He showed us that all matter is made of...
New philosophical questions
Einstein’s theories brought an end to a lot of metaphysical speculation, but the physics that he pioneered has also posed fresh questions. It appears to confirm or at least complement many of the philosophies of other great thinkers. The definition of matter, for...
Falsifiability
In philosophy, the problem of induction is the philosophical question of whether inductive reasoning can ever justify absolute certainty in knowledge. Many thinkers throughout history have tried to answer this question, including the natural philosopher Francis Bacon,...
Paradigm shifts
In the 20th century, there was a revolution in the philosophy of science. After Karl Popper published his groundbreaking book "Logik der Forschung" in 1934, he started to question the idea that science progresses through continuous improvement. He saw that sometimes...
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The social contract
The social contract, as suggested by Thomas Hobbes, is an actual or hypothetical compact, or agreement, between the ruled or between the ruled and their rulers, defining the rights and duties of each. In primeval times, according to the theory, individuals were born...
Voltaire and the encyclopédistes
The theories of Hobbes and Locke influenced a series of new political movements in France by the 18th century. Some intellectuals argued that the monarchy should be replaced by a more representative government, which gave political philosophy a new distinct voice....
Freedom
John Locke’s views on the nature of freedom of action and freedom of will have played an influential role in the philosophy of action and in moral psychology and so did the ideas of Hobbes. Albeit different, political philosophy decentered it’s focus towards ‘freedom’...
Revolution: replacing old monarchies
In Europe, the beginning of the 18th century saw the rise of a number of revolutionary ideas. These changes included the questioning of any divine right to rule and the need for governments to represent the people rather than act directly. The first revolution in...
Rationalism
Rationalism had its roots in ancient Greece. However, it wasn’t until the Renaissance that it began to gain momentum. It was during this time that the Scientific Revolution took place, which sparked a widespread interest in science and technology. Scientists such as...
Free Course in Semiology
A completely and truly free course on Semiology (Semiotics). Learn about the meaning of signs, how and why did the field emerged. What is the relationship between the street signs and the signs that we use every day - words.
