For St. Thomas Aquinas, any material substance (unlike immaterial, for example, angels) is a metaphysical unity made of matter and form. The substantial form is what configures or organizes the matter into this substance and not any other. For a human being, our substantial form is our soul. Human souls are rational. Therefore, according to … Continue reading Aquinas On Soul – Brief Notes
Book Review: P. Adamson “Al-Kindi”
A review of philosophy professor Peter Adamson's 2007 book on al-Kindi, the 9th-century Arabic polymath and philosopher.
Rationality As The Effortful Way To Knowledge
Although we intuitively understand the meaning of such terms as 'reason' and 'rationality', these concepts are not unequivocal (e.g. this SEP article on bounded rationality lists at least 7 accounts of rationality and says that the list is not exhaustive). Moreover, these concepts often have a normative connotation where being rational and reasonable is considered good, valuable, … Continue reading Rationality As The Effortful Way To Knowledge
“All Are Ennobled by Truth” Quote by al-Kindi
The first Arabic philosopher, 9th century thinker al-Kindī, said that truth and wisdom are valuable regardless of where they come from. What did he mean?
Creation Tale or thoughts after reading The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
Beginnings are a good time to remember how it all started, how you came to where you are now. Here, I revisit one of my first articles posted on humanfactor.blog back in August 2019.
Don’t Discard Your Ideas
One of the practical things I have learned during my philosophy studies is that it is wise not to judge your ideas immediately when they come to you. There is a real risk of creating a habit of suppressing your creative thought. Our minds are adaptive and learn to respond to the environment. So, if … Continue reading Don’t Discard Your Ideas
How beliefs are different from actions?
In our daily lives, it is common for us to think and talk about actions in normative terms. I should do this, I'd better not do that, for different reasons, depending on the situation. Actions are amenable to such regulating, normative attitudes because we can choose how to act, we have control over our actions. In other words, our … Continue reading How beliefs are different from actions?
Musings on the Ends Justifying the Means
Photo by Bradyn Trollip on Unsplash The controversial idea that the end justifies the means is well known. Many would claim they do not agree, some might say that it's the only way how to get anything done, others prefer the middle way. Yet, it is during times of crisis that our purported convictions are … Continue reading Musings on the Ends Justifying the Means
Is Transhumanism Very Human?
"Transhumanism, social and philosophical movement devoted to promoting the research and development of robust human-enhancement technologies. Such technologies would augment or increase human sensory reception, emotive ability, or cognitive capacity as well as radically improve human health and extend human life spans. Such modifications resulting from the addition of biological or physical technologies would be … Continue reading Is Transhumanism Very Human?
Self-Knowledge Through Justification
How do you know that you know something? When does a belief or opinion become knowledge? Often an intuitive response to this is - when I can offer justification, proof, for my belief. Justification seems to play a silent but crucial role in our understanding of what counts as knowledge. However, there is more. When you justify … Continue reading Self-Knowledge Through Justification
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