Philosophical knowledge is a term used to refer to a set of specific reflexive and existential knowledge These have been brought together over a long period of time, which implies that they also have a contemplative nature. They formulate issues related to the existence of the human being, in certain aspects it shares similarities with religious knowledge .

These two knowledge are distinguished in the objective that each one tries to achieve. In the case of religious knowledge, it implies the understanding of the divine and sacred, whereas philosophical knowledge focuses its search on explaining human nature .

Philosophical knowledge has a long tradition, for which several branches of thought have been created that are organized in schools or groups. Some of these theories have revolutionized the way of thinking of the collective, according to their influence in their respective times. Philosophical knowledge is still used today to understand the existence of the world.

Since the beginning of human civilization one of the common interests has been represented in the capacities of human thought. This type of knowledge raises various questions, questions the origin , purpose, reason for being and also the reality of the world.

What is philosophical knowledge?

Philosophical knowledge names a series of knowledge and conclusions that have a reflective character. Deductive, contemplative and critical methods are used . Philosophical reasoning has always been focused on finding the origin and purpose of the existence of human beings. But also, it reflects on the world and its reason for being.

This type of knowledge has several forms of acquisition. An example is epistemology that refers to a branch of philosophy , which precisely focuses on understanding how knowledge works as such.

It differs from other types of knowledge in its purpose and methodology. Thus it is possible to differentiate, despite the similarities, of scientific and religious knowledge . In the case of the scientist, an experimental method is applied that will always seek to demonstrate the existence and nature of human life and of God. In the religious, an attempt is made to explain a truth, and on some occasions mechanisms that have limits are established.

Types and characteristics 

There are several types of philosophical knowledge, which are organized in various branches of philosophy This means that they focus their efforts and objectives on trying to explain certain topics. What they are are described below:

  • Metaphysics study nature as well as its components, structures and principles. This is a type of philosophy that aims to define the limits between the real and the unreal, for this reason identity, existence and being are verified.
  • Epistemology is a philosophical theory of knowledge that studies knowledge, it is also responsible for studying nature.
  • Epistemology is similar to gnoseology, however it differs in that it maintains a historical, psychological and sociological perspective of a reality. In an objective way, certain issues are valid and justified once they are analyzed.
  • Logic constitutes a formal science that studies, valid, demonstrates and argues on notions such as paradoxes, thoughts, truths and other principles.
  • The ethics is also called philosophy moral . Study human behavior defining concepts that try to explain and understand how it works. Terms such as moral and immoral, virtues and duties are used.
  • Aesthetics tries to understand the essence and beauty of anything that can be perceived.
  • Philosophy political studies the relationships in a community , understands the goal of a society. Use terms like politics, government, freedom, justice, laws, status, and rights.
  • The philosophy of language is a branch that studies language from the meanings of each fundamental concept. References are taken to later carry out translations.
  • Mental philosophy , also called philosophy of the spirit, studies the human mind. To do this, try to understand aspects such as emotions , beliefs, feelings and ideas.

This is a type of knowledge that is considered to be pure, this is due to its reflective nature. No particular methodology is used to check, no experiments or praxis are used. Scientific knowledge is based on rational thinking, which in turn depends on the laws of logic . Other general characteristics are described below:

  • It is systematic because it orders and chooses in a rigorous way walls that will be used to analyze various topics.
  • It is analytical as it tries to understand reality in detail. Several thematic categories are established, in addition to particular concepts and theories. In this way you begin to study a specific topic.
  • It is rational because it uses reason and logic. Emotions are avoided, all thinkers and philosophers access knowledge understanding it in a practical and objective way.
  • It is historical because it is linked to a historical context. This means that historical facts are taken into account, and how they influenced the social and political issues of the moment is analyzed.
  • It is global because it encompasses various subjects of study, disciplines, and varied sciences.
  • It is critical since it always maintains a position that questions and raises doubts. This is a useful tool because it identifies any contradictions in philosophical discourse.

7 practical examples

There are several treatises on philosophy that serve as examples to understand how philosophical knowledge works. These have been created at different stages in the history of mankind, various civilizations have made important contributions to this topic.

One of these ancient civilizations is Greece, from there come thinkers like Aristotle, Plato and Socrates ; they still have an important influence on Western thought today. Below are 7 practical examples to understand this type of knowledge:

1 The syllogisms of Aristotle

This important thinker of Greek origin proposed a reasoning mechanism that is useful in determining the validity of an argument. They still have an influence on current philosophy, because it is considered to constitute the foundations of philosophy as a social science.

2 The heliocentric model

Throughout history there have been various interpretations of how the solar system is constituted. One of the scientists who formulated theories related to this issue was Nicolás Copernicus . The heliocentric model meant a true revolution at the time, this is because it contradicted the idea formulated by Aristotle several centuries earlier. In addition, at that time the model of the Greek thinker was the one accepted by the scientific community.

3 The future of the modern world

Various philosophical theories have been formulated about the future of humanity. One of these projections has as its author Slavoj Zizek , this was an important philosopher of Slovenian origin. His proposal focuses his attention on describing what could happen in the future with respect to capitalism during the 21st century.

4 The death of God

Some philosophical treatises are considered to be controversial because of the issues they try to analyze and enact. Friedrich Nietzsche was one of the most prominent philosophers of the 19th century, partly due to his views on religion. One of his works is the proclamation of the death of God.

5 Evolutionary theories 

This is a good example of how sometimes two types of knowledge show similarities in their treatises. Charles Darwin was an important English explorer and scientist, his ideas about the evolution of species meant a before and after for science, but also for religion.

He applied a rigorous investigation, observation and analysis of natural phenomena. In this way he came to the conclusion that certain specific events in nature respond to adaptation needs. Genre a controversial theory at the time, because it questioned religious ideas about the origin of life .

6 The empirical philosophical knowledge 

Several examples of how information is acquired through personal experiences can be mentioned . These depend on perception, as well as the practice of certain activities, reflective aspects are combined to understand how they work. This is the case of learning a language, writing, numerical language, words and terms to refer to elements of the environment.

7 Theological or philosophical knowledge 

In this case, the deep analysis made of phenomena and issues that are difficult to verify is mentioned, however, we continue to reflect on them. This is the case with the existence and miracles of Jesus Christ. It is also still a subject of study to understand the theory of the creation of the universe in 7 days.

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Alexa Clark specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She has experience in listening and welcoming in Individual Therapy and Couples Therapy. It meets demands such as generalized anxiety, professional, love and family conflicts, stress, depression, sexual dysfunction, grief, and adolescents from 15 years of age. Over the years, She felt the need to conduct the psychotherapy sessions with subtlety since She understands that the psychologist acts as a facilitator of self-understanding and self-acceptance, valuing each person's respect, uniqueness, and acceptance.

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