The Knowledge of Modern Philosophy

What does it mean for our philosophy, especially when he reportedly 'dying'? Indeed, in an age of increasingly widespread this pragmatism, the philosophy appears to have meant nothing, because he did not produce exchange value, not produce the popularity of blinding arrogant middleclass people. Philosophy is not aphorisms that gushed from the mouth of a motivator, nor a spiritual spray gushing from a popular religious teacher, who sometimes are able to make our arid souls become calm again-even if only for a moment. He did not promise anything other than 'anxiety' long, which tends to be wasted than K-Pop concert or sipping a cup of coffee at a cafe famous. Because philosophy, quoted the words of Bambang Sugiharto, is a commonplace activity of thinking, but it is also not easy.

The philosophers of modern times asserted that knowledge does not come from scripture or religious doctrine, nor of the rulers, but from the man himself. But about which aspects that play a role there are different opinions. Rationalism assume that the source of knowledge is the ratio: the truth must come out of the ratio (reason). The flow of empiricism, on the contrary, believes that experience that the source of knowledge, both inner as well as the senses. Then a stream of criticism, which is trying to integrate both a different opinion of it.

Rationalism pioneered by Rene Descartes (1596-1650 AD). In the book Discourse de la Methode in 1637 he stressed the need for a workable method as a solid foundation for all knowledge, namely to doubt everything, methodically. If the truth is resistant to test this radical skepticism, the truth is 100% sure and become the foundation for all knowledge.

Century Modern philosophy has a different complexion with the philosophy of the medieval period. The difference lies mainly in the political power and the authority of science. If the Middle Ages the authority of the absolute power held by the Church by dogma-dogma, then in modern times the power authority is the ability of the human mind itself. Humans in modern times do not want to be bound by any authority, except by the powers that be to himself. No binding force that is religion in church, as well as a king with absolute political power.

The first modern philosopher asserts that knowledge does not come from scripture or dogmas of the Church, nor is it derived from feudal rule, but from the man himself.

This century marked the emergence of the Renaissance, which was then in its development appears flow Rationalism, Empiricism, and so forth. To further clarify the history of the emergence of these schools and their thoughts, will be described in detail in the following discussion.

1. History of the Birth of the Renaissance

The medieval period ends at the moment is not clear because the boundaries of philosophical thinking too subtle, but some experts argue that the period of renaissance that was the limit, the demarcation between the medieval and the modern age.

In Latin, the Renaissance comes from the word re and nasci means rebirth, means that regenerates the classical culture, the Greek and Roman cultures. The term is commonly used by historians to designate various periods of intellectual awakening, particularly in Europe, and more specifically in Italy, throughout the 15th century and the 16th. The term was originally used by the celebrated historian, Michelet and developed by J. Burckhardt (1860) for a concept that refers to a period of history that is individualism, revival of antique culture, invention and the human world, as opposed to the period that the medieval period. The work of philosophy in this century is often called the philosophy of renaissance.

Renaissance is a past era of progress and change that implies for the development of science. Zaman who witnessed the launching of the reform movement towards oneness and supremacy of the Roman Catholic church, along with the development of Humanism

Thus, the Modern Age philosophy preceded by the Renaissance. Actually essentially Renaissance, in philosophy, is no different from the Modern era. The characteristics of the Renaissance philosophy exist in modern philosophy. The first figure is the modern philosophy of Descartes. In philosophy we find the characteristics of the Renaissance. Feature, among others, is to revive the Greek rationalism (renaissance), individualism, humanism, free from the influence of religion and others. Nevertheless, the experts prefer to call Descartes as a figure of rationalism. Deployment is not wrong, but it is not only Descartes can be regarded as a figure of rationalism. The first rationalist and serious in modern times was Descartes.

2. History of the Birth of Rationalism

With the ongoing nature of the human mind and the growing ways of investigation in this modern age, people can answer many questions without concocted myth. According to A. Comte, in human development, after the stage of myth, humans evolved in stages philosophy, the ratio has been formed, but have not found a method of thinking objectively. The ratio is operational but less objective. In contrast to the theological stage, at this stage of human philosophy tries to use the ratio to understand object of superficially, but the object has not entered a definitive methodological.

Rationalism there are two kinds: in religion and in philosophy. In the field of rationalism is opposed to the authority of religion, in philosophy of rationalism is opposed to empiricism.

Rationalism in religion usually used to criticize the teachings of religion, rationalism in philosophy especially useful as a theory of knowledge. As opposed to empiricism, rationalism found in part and an important part of knowledge comes from the discovery of sense. The most obvious example is our understanding of logic and mathematics.

3. History of the Birth of Empiricism

Knowledge gained by deductive reasoning turned out to have a weakness, then comes another view based on concrete experience. Those who develop knowledge based on concrete experience is called adherents of empiricism.

Radical empiricism holds that in fact one can only acquire knowledge from experience using outer senses. Empiricism a doctrine philosophy which emphasizes the role of experience in acquiring knowledge and the knowledge itself, and downplays that sense. The term empiricism is taken from the Greek discuss empiricism which means try or experience. As a doctrine, empiricism is opposed to rationalism. To understand the contents of this doctrine must be understood first two fundamental characteristics of empiricism, namely the theory of meaning and theory of knowledge.

Understand empiricism considers that true knowledge is the knowledge obtained directly from concrete experience. According to empiricism understand this, these natural phenomena are concrete and can be captured by human senses. With the help of senses, man managed to collect very much knowledge. Adherents of empiricism construct knowledge by using inductive reasoning.