The Great Books of the Western Canon, organized by Mortimer J. Adler in the Syntopicon, span 102 enduring ideas—ranging from Truth, Beauty, and Justice to Democracy, Love, and God. These categories trace the intellectual tradition of the West, connecting philosophy, literature, history, science, and theology. Together, they map the recurring questions and principles shaping human thought across centuries.
The Nature of Religious Truth: A Philosophical Inquiry The quest for truth is perhaps the most enduring human endeavor, underpinning all philosophy, science, and indeed, religion. Yet, the very notion of religious truth presents a unique and often perplexing challenge to our understanding. Unlike empirical facts or mathematical certainties, religious...
The Logic of Judgment: Navigating the Architecture of Thought Summary At its core, judgment is the fundamental act of the mind by which we affirm or deny something about reality. It is the crucible where concepts meet, and propositions are forged. Logic, far from being a mere academic exercise, serves...
The Logic of Opinion and Knowledge: Navigating the Labyrinth of Belief Summary: In the grand tapestry of human thought, few distinctions are as fundamental yet frequently blurred as that between opinion and knowledge. This article delves into the critical role of logic in discerning these two states of belief, exploring...
The Logic of Hypothesis Testing: A Philosophical Inquiry In the grand tapestry of human inquiry, the formulation and testing of hypotheses stand as a cornerstone of our quest for knowledge. This article delves into the logic underpinning this process, exploring how rigorous reasoning transforms a mere hypothesis into a systematic...
The Ethical Labyrinth of Lying: Navigating Truth and Sin The act of lying, at first glance, seems unequivocally wrong. Yet, the human experience is replete with situations where the line between honesty and deception blurs, forcing us to confront profound ethical questions. This pillar page delves into the philosophical and...
The Indispensable Core: Why Knowledge Demands Truth Knowledge, in its most profound sense, is not merely a collection of facts or a set of strong convictions. It is a state of justified understanding, inherently reliant upon the bedrock of truth. Without truth, what we claim as knowledge devolves into mere...
The Enduring Enigma: A Philosophical Look at the Nature of Religious Truth Summary The truth claimed by religion presents a unique and often perplexing challenge to philosophical inquiry. Unlike empirical or rational truths, religious truth frequently relies on revelation, faith, and personal experience, transcending the purely verifiable. This article explores...
The Logic of Judgment: Navigating the Architecture of Thought A Clear Path to Understanding Our Assertions At its core, judgment is the mental act by which we affirm or deny something about reality – an assertion that two concepts are either connected or separated. It is the crucible where raw ideas...
The Nature of Truth in Science is not a static, absolute declaration, but rather a dynamic, empirically-grounded, and perpetually refined understanding of reality. It is a provisional form of Knowledge, built upon rigorous observation, testable hypotheses, and a commitment to falsifiability, constantly evolving as our tools and insights into the...
The Unyielding Pursuit: The Logic of Dialectic and Truth The quest for Truth has long been the bedrock of philosophical inquiry, and perhaps no method has been as rigorously debated, yet profoundly effective, as the Dialectic. Far from being a mere argumentative trick, dialectic, when properly understood, is a sophisticated...
The Indispensable Distinction: Navigating Opinion Towards Truth At the heart of philosophical inquiry lies a fundamental challenge: discerning what is merely believed from what is genuinely known. This article explores the crucial distinction between opinion and truth, arguing that while opinions are subjective and often fleeting, truth aspires to an...
The Unyielding Foundation: Why Truth is Necessary for Knowledge In the grand pursuit of understanding, few concepts are as fundamental, yet as frequently debated, as the relationship between truth and knowledge. At planksip.org, we contend that truth is not merely a desirable attribute of knowledge, but an absolute necessity....