Author: Boethius
-
Epistemology – Part 2: Truth
As I stated earlier in Part 1, epistemology is the study of knowledge, or how we know what we know. Since the time of Plato and Aristotle, JTB (justified true belief) has been the standard understanding of knowledge. And even though JTB is not a sufficient condition for knowledge, JTB is a necessary condition for…
-
Epistemology – Part 1: Knowledge
Epistemology is a branch of philosophy that deals with what we can know and the nature of our knowledge. The Greek term episteme means “knowledge.” Therefore, epistemology is the study of knowledge, or how we know what we know. Since the time of Plato and Aristotle, JTB (justified true belief) has been the standard understanding…
-
Jesus the Christ
“Pilate wrote a notice and had it placed on the cross: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS Lots of the Judeans read this notice, because the place where Jesus was crucified was close to the city. It was written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek” (John 19:19-20 The New Testament for Everyone). For over…
-
Constitution Day
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. (Preamble to the…
-
Thinking Logically
A Deductive Argument is an argument where (if valid) the conclusion follows necessarily from the premises; it moves from general to particular. Premises are the claims, principles, reasons, or alleged facts cited in support of the conclusion. A Deductive Argument is sound when it is valid and all its premises are true. Deductive reasoning, when…
-
Logic and Logos
Logic is a way to think so we can come to correct conclusions by understanding implications and the mistakes people often make in thinking. Logic is also the study of the methods and principles used to distinguish good (correct) from bad (incorrect) reasoning. For example, there are three principles of logic. (A is A) (A…
-
Philosophy of Art and Aesthetics
In his book Beauty: A Very Short Introduction, Roger Scruton notes at the beginning of the eighteenth century, the philosophy of art became aware of itself and named itself ‘aesthetics’ after the Greek term aisthesis for sensation. This was in keeping with a much older view that beauty is the object of a sensory delight…
-
Hebraic and Hellenistic Philosophy
In his book The Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture, Yoram Hazony invites readers to think beyond the reason-revelation dichotomy. Whereas the reason-revelation dichotomy may succeed in encapsulating the uniqueness of the New Testament, Hazony argues it is more difficult to make this distinction when applying the dichotomy to the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). This is because…
-
Reason and Revelation
Philosophical reasoning is an essential tool used by theologians to develop and explain coherent theological concepts, principles, and doctrines. The classical tradition of philosophy remains the primary dialogue partner with theology in the domain of catechetics. And in the encyclical Fides et Ratio by John Paul II, faith and reason are like two wings on…
-
Theism and Theodicy
To think about theism and theodicy is the equivalent of pondering God and the problem of evil. Theism is typically synonymous with belief in one God, as in monotheism. (The three major monotheistic religions are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.) More specifically, theism refers to belief in a personal-creator God who is both active in the…