Classical English philosophy refers to a set of philosophical systems and schools of thought founded by British philosophers in the 17th and 18th centuries. Philosophers of this period were primarily concerned with empiricism, positivism, and natural theology, and developed many important ideas and theories in the fields of epistemology, ethics, political philosophy, and metaphysics. This article will focus on the definition, characteristics, and representative figures of classical British philosophy.
OneDefinition and characteristics of classical English philosophy
1.Definitions:
British classical philosophy refers to a set of philosophical systems and schools of thought established by English philosophers from the 17th to the 18th centuries. During this period, philosophers based on empiricism and positivism addressed the problems of human understanding, morality, politics, and the universe, and criticized and transcended metaphysics and natural theology.
2.Features:
1) Empiricist emphasis. Philosophers in classical English philosophy believed that human knowledge was superior to sensory experience and observation, emphasizing the acquisition of true knowledge and wisdom through the analysis and reflection of sensory data.
2) Positivist tendencies. Classical English philosophy emphasizes the importance of facts and experiments, and advocates the verification and proof of truth and knowledge through observation and empirical evidence.
3) Natural theological concerns. Some of the classical British philosophers have made a discussion on the question of God and religion, put forward the idea of natural theology, and combined religious belief with rational thinking.
IIA representative of British classical philosophy
1.Hume.
1) Main idea: Hume is one of the most important exponents of English classical philosophy. He delved into epistemology and ethics, developed concepts of impressions and ideas, and reduced ethics to Xi and emotions. He also critiques the concepts of causality and self-awareness.
2) Representative works: "Research on Human Understanding", "Theory of Human Nature", "Research on Moral Principles", etc.
2.Locke.
1) Main idea: Locke asserted that human knowledge is acquired through sensation and experience, and criticized the idea of a priori knowledge. He also emphasized the human rights and social contract theory of the individual, which had a profound impact on political philosophy.
2) Representative works: "Theory of Human Understanding", "Treatise", etc.
3.Burke.
1) Main ideas: Edmund Burke is one of the important representatives of British classical philosophy. He made important explorations in the fields of political philosophy and aesthetics. Burke emphasized the importance of tradition, history, and culture, and advocated for social and political change based on inheritance and experience, and opposed excessive rationalism and abstract theory.
2) Representative works: "Lectures on Aesthetic Philosophy", "Reflections on the French Revolution", etc.
4.Berkeley.
1) Main idea: Berkeley was an important conceptualist who criticized the concept of material entities and asserted that all existence is known to the mind or God. He proposed"Only existence is in the mind"The view that the existence of an object is dependent on the perception of the perceiver.
2) Representative works: "Principles of Human Knowledge", "New Theory of Vision", etc.
5.Smith.
1) Main idea: Adam Smith was one of the founders of British economics, he proposed the theory of market liberalism in economics and emphasized laissez-faire economic policies to achieve economic prosperity and social welfare.
2) Representative works: "The Wealth of Nations", "Theory of Moral Sentiments", etc.
Summary
Classical English philosophy is a set of philosophical systems and schools of thought founded by British philosophers in the 17th and 18th centuries, with the characteristics of empiricism, positivism and natural theology. During this period, these philosophers conducted in-depth research and research on the problems of human knowledge, morality, politics, aesthetics, and economics, and put forward many influential theories and views. Their ideas not only injected new thinking into the philosophical field of the time, but also had a profound impact on the philosophy, politics, culture and economics of later generations.
By gaining an in-depth understanding of the exponents of classical British philosophy and their ideas, we can better understand and explore human epistemic, moral and social issues. The theories and perspectives of these thinkers have provided important inspiration and reference for us to think about and solve contemporary challenges, and have also shaped the development of modern society and culture to a large extent.
The influence of British classical philosophy continues to this day, and the universality and profundity of its ideas and theories have made it an important chapter in the history of world philosophy and have made important contributions to human thinking and social progress.