Plato, Artistotle and Scientific Theory
Philosopher Stephen Toulmin talks about Plato's preference for theories that take a mathematical form. Professor Toulmin adds that this preference was carried over to modern times, so that a discipline like psychology might be deemed inferior to the...
Descartes and the Greeks (Part One)
Philosopher Stephen Toulmin draws parallels between Descartes and Plato, arguing that both lived in a perilous time during which they tried to demonstrate "... in a quasi-mathematical way that we have a system of ideas which carry a certainty on the...
Descartes and the Greeks (Part Two)
Philosopher Stephen Toulmin talks about the origins of differing branches of philosophy. On the one hand, Professor Toulmin notes, there have been those like Plato and Descartes, who have wanted theoretical certainty above all else. On the other han...
Descartes and the Greeks (Part 3)
Philosopher Stephen Toulmin concludes his discussion of the contrasting origins of philosophy, focusing here on Aristotle. Professor Toulmin notes that Aristotle had grown up in a medical family and was more impressed by the pragmatic underpinnings ...