A Critique of the Premises Underlying the Philosophical Ideas of Thought

Abstract

Hidden within the thoughts of each age are the basic ideas that compose them, and which resonate deeply as the philosophical ideas of the age. Therefore, a philosophical critique of the underlying premises of thought is not merely a critique of the basic beliefs, logic, modes, and concepts constituting thought; rather, it also points toward a critique of its deeper philosophical ideas. A critique of the philosophical ideas that constitute thought points directly to a premise, or a critique of philosophy itself. This mainly encompasses reflections on several key questions such as the basic questions of philosophy, metaphysics, the history of philosophy, and the spirit of the time (Zeitgeist). This means that the critique of the basic philosophical ideas that constitute thought should include an examination of the premises of basic beliefs about life, an exploration of the basis of empirical knowledge, a reflection on the scale of historical progress, and an inquiry into the criteria for evaluating truth, goodness, and beauty. This will enable the transformation of our worldviews, modes of thought, value concepts, aesthetic tastes, and our entire way of life, thus shaping and guiding a new Zeitgeist. A critique of the underlying premises of philosophy is a critique of the bases and principles constituting thought itself. Hence, it necessarily points toward the core ideas that regulate human thoughts and behaviors, i.e., a critique of our worldviews. That is the most direct and appropriate entry point into the theoretical essence of philosophy, and therefore into the development of a critique of the premises of philosophy.