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Questions tagged [philosophy]

the use of reason in understanding such things like the nature of the real world and existence, the use and limits of knowledge, and the principles of moral judgment

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How do repeating historical conflicts get resolved? [closed]

History is full of conflicts which persist over generations. Inter-Christian religious wars drive more than a century of conflict that spanned the globe. Inter-Empire wars over colonization rights ...
user129506's user avatar
13 votes
3 answers
410 views

What is the origin of the subdivisions of Heaven and Hell?

Isra and Mi'raj is the name of the journey of the prophet Muhammad, where he witnessed heaven and hell, describing their structure as well as the punishment and rewards that lay beyond. Hell and ...
astabada's user avatar
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6 votes
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How accurate is Russell on liberalism versus fanaticism in war?

After the second world war, reflecting on the rule of empiricism versus various kinds of dogmatism in political philosophy, Bertrand Russell writes (Philosophy and Politics, 1947; emphasis mine): ...
Artem Kaznatcheev's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
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More Scientific Discoveries Outside Academia Past 50 Years? [closed]

I heard someone claim there have been more scientific discoveries outside of academia, in industry, the past 50 years than in academia. Is this true? Has anyone tried to quantify this?
Geremia's user avatar
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15 votes
1 answer
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What were the responses to Copernicus' heliocentric theory?

Popular explanations often mention that the "Catholic Church" had a problem with Copernicus and his heliocentric theory, neglecting that even a scientific disagreement at that period would likely have ...
jdj081's user avatar
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7 votes
2 answers
860 views

What literary or philosophical works did the ancient Egyptians have that have influenced ancient civilizations or the modern word?

We all know of the Roman and Greek literary and philosophical works which still resonate to this day and read by many. As a an ancient and long old civilization, what works of equal importance do we ...
The Byzantine's user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
660 views

Republican thought in the Middle Ages

I wonder if there were any books written in the Middle Ages that argued the case for a republic versus a monarchy. On the opposite side we can find Dante's De Monarchia (and probably many others) who ...
Felix Goldberg's user avatar
11 votes
3 answers
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Did Chinese Hundred Schools of Thought influence Ancient Greek Philosophy?

As a beginning student of Chinese I am also learning a bit more about Chinese history. As such I am more and more impressed by the quality of thought that has been left behind by Chinese philosophers ...
Drux's user avatar
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56 votes
13 answers
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Is history always written by the victors?

The famous "history is written by victors" saying argues that the victors overwhelmingly influence historical accounts. Are there any examples of history written by the(or THE) losers?
Jayaram's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
160 views

Was the French philosopher Pierre Bayle a Calvinist believer or an atheist?

European Enlightenment: The 17th century's most read philosopher produced sharp and honest literature. Yet until today the question seems to be unanswered where he really belonged (Bayle enigma).
Ben Oehler's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
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Tolstoy's view of history

Tolstoy's view of history as propounded in his book "War and Peace" is that the forces that shape historical events are infinitely many and unknowable. He posits that a leader is in no ways more ...
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9 votes
3 answers
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What is "Theoretical History"?

This question is highlighting something I have been meaning to ask, but haven't known how to go about it: What is the contemporary knowledge of the theoretical history? I'm particularly interested in ...
BrotherJack's user avatar
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-5 votes
3 answers
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Was there a text as revolutionary regarding humanitarism as the New Testament in a pre-Christian era? [closed]

EDIT: I added "humanitarism" to the title for a lack of a better word - for me it's clear that Jesus teaching was far more radical than even today's humanitarism (one of the consequences is that ...
RobertLee's user avatar
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14 votes
6 answers
2k views

Why did non-monarchic rule meet with so little success in ancient China?

In the ancient world, the states around the Mediterranean were ruled by various forms of monarchy, aristocracy and democracy, each of which had varying levels of success. Meanwhile, in China, monarchy ...
lins314159's user avatar
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