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Noticia Preliminar
The book "Teoría del Conocimiento" by Johannes Hessen is an introduction to the problems of knowledge.
It provides a comprehensive overview of various viewpoints and solutions related to knowledge.
Hessen's work is valuable for those seeking a general understanding or for those preparing to study specific philosophical texts.
Francisco Romero highlights Hessen's book as an exceptional work for initiating readers into the difficult problems of gnoseology.
Hessen was born in 1889 and his "Teoría del conocimiento" is the result of his lectures at the University of Cologne.
Hessen's other publications include works on St. Augustine, Hegel, and contemporary philosophical currents.
Prólogo
The book is based on lectures given by the author at the University of Cologne.
The author aimed to present problems and possible solutions clearly, with critical examination and a personal stance.
The book distinguishes itself by using the phenomenological method, discussing intuition in detail, and developing the special theory of knowledge along with the general theory.
The author aligns with Nicolai Hartmann in believing that the ultimate sense of philosophical knowledge is discovering portents rather than solving enigmas.
Introducción
Essence of Philosophy: Theory of knowledge is a philosophical discipline; defining its position requires understanding philosophy's essence.
Methods to Define Philosophy:
Using the meaning of the word (etymology).
Collecting and comparing essential definitions from philosophers.
Examining the historical content of philosophy itself.
Historical Content and Essence: Wilhelm Dilthey's method involves extracting the concept of philosophy's essence from its historical content.
Overcoming Circularity: Overcoming the circularity requires starting with a general representation of philosophy held by any cultured person.
Common Traits of Philosophical Systems: Despite differences, systems like Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Leibniz, Kant, and Hegel share a tendency toward universality and an intellectual attitude.
Universal Orientation: Philosophers adopt a universal viewpoint, encompassing the totality of objects, differing from specialists.
Rational Character: Philosophy is essentially cognoscitive; it aims to know and understand.
Historical Evolution of Philosophy:
Socrates: Founder of Western philosophy, emphasized reflection and knowledge to guide human life.
Plato: Extended philosophical reflection to all areas of human consciousness, including practical and theoretical knowledge, integrating values such as truth, goodness, and beauty.
Aristotle: Focused on scientific knowledge and the study of being; his philosophy is primarily a conception of the universe centered on metaphysics.
Post-Aristotelians (Stoics and Epicureans): Shifted back to reflection on the spirit but narrowed focus to practical matters, creating a philosophy of life.
Modern Era (Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz): Resumed focus on knowledge of the objective world, with philosophy viewed as a conception of the universe.
Kant: Revived the Platonic type, emphasizing self-reflection and critical reasoning, presenting philosophy as a reflection on values and a critical foundation for knowledge.
19th Century (Schelling and Hegel): Saw a return to the Aristotelian type within German Idealism, leading to materialism, positivism, and a renewed Kantian approach (neo-Kantianism).
Contemporary Philosophy: Marked by a return to material and objective concerns, including inductive metaphysics and philosophies of intuition (Bergson, Husserl, Scheler).
Conception of the Self vs. Conception of the Universe: These two elements antagonize each other, and philosophy oscillates between them. Philosophy is a combination of both.
Philosophy as Self-Reflection and Rational Conception: Philosophy is an attempt to achieve a conception of the universe through self-reflection on theoretical and practical values.
Philosophy and Other Cultural Functions: Philosophy relates to science, art, religion, and morals; it is both theoretical (like science) and directed toward the totality of reality (like art and religion).
Positions of Theory of Knowledge: Our essential definition divides philosophy into:
Theory of science: A reflection on theoretical conduct.
Theory of values: A reflection on the practical conduct of the spirit.
Conception of the universe: A broader understanding of the universe.
These are further divided into disciplines such as metaphysics, ethics, aesthetics, philosophy of religion, logic, and theory of knowledge.
Theory of Knowledge in Philosophy: Theory of knowledge is a part of the theory of science, specifically the material theory of science, which deals with the material principles of human knowledge.
Scope of Theory of Knowledge: General theory investigates the reference of thought to the object in general, special theory critically examines the fundamental principles and concepts.
History of the Theory of Knowledge:
No independent theory of knowledge in Antiquity or Middle Ages.
Emerged in the Modern Age, founded by John Locke, emphasizing origin, essence, and certainty of human knowledge.
Key figures: Locke, Leibniz, Berkeley, Hume, Kant.
Kant's Contribution: Kant's Critique of Pure Reason (1781) aims to provide a critical foundation for scientific knowledge of nature, using the transcendental method.
Neokantianism: Arose in opposition to the metaphysical treatment of theory of knowledge, emphasizing epistemological problems but risking reducing philosophy to just the theory of knowledge.
Primera Parte: Teoría General del Conocimiento. Investigación Fenomenológica Preliminar
Theory of Knowledge Defined: A philosophical explanation and interpretation of human knowledge; requires careful examination through observation and description.
Phenomenological Method: Focuses on grasping the general essence of knowledge through self-reflection on lived experiences.
The Knowledge Phenomenon:
Subject and Object: Knowledge involves interaction between consciousness and an object, wherein the two remain separate.
Dualism: Dualism of subject and object is essential to knowledge.
Correlation: Subject and object are correlated and only exist relative to each other within knowledge.
Irreversible Functions: The roles are not reversible; the subject apprehends, and the object is apprehended.
Subject-Object Action: Apprehension involves a transcendence of the subject into the object's sphere, resulting in an