1848-1925 Frege, Gottlob German mathematician and logician, who founded modern mathematical logic, in which he developed an analysis of quantified statements and formalized the notion of a ‘proof’ in terms that are still accepted today.
1859-1938 Husserl, Edmund Viewed as the “father” of the philosophical movement known as phenomenology, which can be roughly described as the sustained attempt to describe experiences (and the “things themselves”) without metaphysical and theoretical speculations.
1872-1970 Russell, Bertrand British philosopher, logician, and social reformer, founding figure in the analytic movement in Anglo-American philosophy, and recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950. Russell’s contributions to logic, epistemology, and the philosophy of mathematics established him as one of the foremost philosophers of the 20th century. To the general public, however,
1879-1955 Einstein, Albert German-born physicist who developed the special and general theories of relativity and won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect, which was important in the development of quantum mechanics.
Today’s political arguments often pit Capitalism vs. Socialism, simplistically treating them as a binary choice. They are not. There are three main dimensions to how either approaches the social contract: (1) ownership — private vs. public, (2) control of production and distribution — collective vs private contract, and (3) distribution of the material outcomes —
From Plato & Aristotle until Machiavelli (1532),political philosophy rested on notions of virtue residing in the rulers and the ruled. Machiavelli changed the paradigm; the primary goal is the preservation of order. Thomas Hobbes, in Leviathin 1571, produced the four parts of the contract theories, which have been evident ever since: a description of the
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1885-1962 Bohr, Niels Danish physicist who is regarded as one of the foremost physicists of the 20th century. He was the first to apply the quantum concept of discrete values, to the problem of atomic and molecular structure. For that work he received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1922.
1889-1951 Wittgenstein, Ludwig When a small child, who does not yet speak, falls and bumps his little head, there is no doubt as to what the cries and tears mean. That is natural language. It is only later that little one, now a rambunctious little boy comes in from playing, possibly with those familiar tears
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The clearest expression, for me, seems to be in Paul’s letter to Rome. He is expounding on righteousness by faith and then makes the interesting point that God’s very nature can be found in the study of His creation. (Rom 1:20 NIV) For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and
What does the Bible say about epistemology (how to KNOW)? Read More »
Fifteen years ago I wrote down a few questions, mostly regarding faith and science. What does the Bible say about epistemology? What are the reasons for believing the Bible is true? Is there any other system of belief that is equivalent to the Bible’s moral teachings? Does science, in fact, contradict the Bible? Can science
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