PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY & SCIENCE & MIND & LIFE AND WISDOM & ECONOMICS

Fathers of history

Herodotus & Thucydides

Theories of history

great men theory, social history, history of ideas, historical materialism

great men theory

This theory, popularized by thinkers like Thomas Carlyle, suggests that history is primarily shaped by the actions of great individuals—leaders, conquerors, thinkers, and innovators—whose decisions and charisma significantly influence the course of events.

social history

This approach focuses on the lives and experiences of ordinary people rather than great leaders or events. It emphasizes social structures, class dynamics, and the impact of cultural, economic, and political forces on everyday life.

history of ideas

This theory examines the development of ideas, philosophies, and ideologies over time, focusing on how thought and intellectual movements influence historical developments. A theory developed by Karl Marx, which suggests that the material conditions drive historical change, rather than ideas or individual actions.

historical materialism

A theory developed by Karl Marx, which suggests that the material conditions (such as economic structures, class relations, and technology) drive historical change, rather than ideas or individual actions. According to Marx, history progresses through class struggle and economic systems, from feudalism to capitalism to socialism.

Cyclical and linear visions of history

everything repeats in history or history never repeats and only goes forward

Cyclical View

This perspective suggests that history repeats itself in cycles. Civilizations rise and fall in predictable patterns, often influenced by natural or cosmic forces.

Linear View

This view, prevalent in Western thought, asserts that history moves in a straight line and does not repeat itself. Historical events lead to progress or decline, but each event is unique and leads to the next.

Theory of progress, catastrophe and anti-historicism

it gets better, it gets worse or there are no universal laws on it

Theory of Progress

This theory argues that history is a linear progression toward improvement. It suggests that human societies gradually advance in terms of technology, moral values, and governance.

Theory of Catastrophe

This theory argues that history moves toward periods of crisis or collapse. This theory suggests that societies go through cycles of growth and decay, and ultimately, catastrophic events such as wars, economic collapse, or environmental disasters lead to the end or transformation of civilizations

Anti-Historicism

This view rejects the idea that history follows any consistent or predictable laws. It argues that history is a collection of disparate events, and there are no universal truths or laws governing historical development.

Components of scientific method

observation, hypothesis, experiment, law, theory

Falsificationism of Karl Popper

it is only scientific if you can prove it wrong

Scientific revolution of Thomas Kuhn

there are periods of „normal science” and „scientific revolutions” where scientific paradigm is replaced with another

Examples of scientific revolutions

heliocentric theory replacing geocentric one with Copernicus, theory of relativity replacing Newtonian physics

Dualism and its versions

mind and body are two different entities – either made of different substance, mind emerges from the brain (or from material reality itself) producing unique mental states or is just a brain’s side effect

Monism and its versions:

reality is made of just one substance: matter (physicalism), mind (mentalism) or a super-reality encompassing both (neutral monism)

Free will - determinism:

we have no free will and are determined (different factors are given)

Libertarian free will:

we are actually able to choose between options

Compatibilism:

we are free in that we act as we want, but what we want is determined

Case of Phineas Gage:

A injury suffered to his brain due to accident contributed to change of his personality, showing the link between mind and brain. He was a railroad worker who suffered severe brain damage when an iron rod was accidentally driven through his skull, specifically damaging his prefrontal cortex.

How did economy as a discipline emerge

it happened when people started noticing non-obvious regularities in the patterns of production, consumption, distribution and exchange that can be used to advance economy and create more wealth

Branches of economy:

macroeconomy, microeconomy, econometrics

Macroeconomics def

Studies the overall economy at a large scale. It focuses on how economies grow, contract, and respond to shocks.

Microeconomics def

Examines individual markets, businesses, and consumer behavior, focusing on supply and demand

Econometrics

Uses mathematical models, statistics, and data analysis to study economic relationships and predict future trends

Austrian economics and Keynesianism

two approaches to economy emphasizing non-interventionism and stimulating economic cycles by the state

Austrian Economics

Advocates for free markets, minimal government intervention, and individual decision-making. markets self-regulate through natural economic cycles, government interference disrupts efficiency and causes unintended consequences

Keynesian Economics

Argues that government intervention is necessary to stabilize economic cycles.

Malthusianism

idea that since food production grows arithmetically and population grows exponentially, further population growth will lead to overpopulation, hunger and civilizational collapse

Characteristics of stoicism

Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, Boethius – art of accepting the world as it is, letting go of one’s desires and fixations, achieving inner peace

Characteristics of Epicureanism

Epicur, Lucretius – active pursue of happiness and pleasures, materialism and atheism, not caring about future death

Existentialism

in the face of meaningless or cruel reality, one needs to remain authentic, maintain his/her humanity and develop one’s own individuality. It is a philosophy of personal freedom and responsibility that responds to a world often seen as meaningless or absurd

Famous existentialists

atheist (Albert Camus, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre) and Christian (Søren Kierkegaard, Fiodor Dostoyevsky)