‘Jonathan Dolhenty’ Archives
What is Intellectual Insanity?
America's War With Reality, Truth, & Morality By Jonathan Dolhenty, Ph.D. Ideas have consequences. A philosophy is a set of ideas about basic things like reality, truth, and morality. Therefore, philosophies have consequences. Some of the consequences of some philosophies are not good for human beings. Insanity, in the sense of being out [...]
Truth and Certainty
By Jonathan Dolhenty, Ph.D. We have a knowledge of reality. Reality is presented to us by our senses through the medium of percepts and our intellect fashions concepts or ideas which are representations of reality in an abstract and universal manner. But mere percepts and concepts do not as yet constitute knowledge; they are the raw materials [...]
Objective Experiences and Subjective Experiences
By Jonathan Dolhenty, Ph.D. We could all save ourselves a great deal of time and trouble, not to mention headache and heartache, if only we would learn the distinction between objective and subjective propositions, between public context and private context, between objective knowledge and subjective introspection or belief, and between what [...]
Dolhenty: Have We Lost Our Common Sense?
By Jonathan Dolhenty, Ph.D. The world is in a desperate state of affairs. Social institutions – the family, schools, and churches – are falling apart. Society is breaking up into warring factions. Truth has become irrelevant and unfounded rumors and opinions take precedence over facts and knowledge. There are no genuine standards of [...]
What is Philosophical Realism?
by Jonathan Dolhenty, Ph.D. Philosophy is the attempt to understand the most basic facts about the world we inhabit and so far as possible to explain these facts. This enterprise is not the exclusive concern of certain specialists, but one in which every human being is deeply involved, whether or not he is clearly conscious of it. Every way [...]
A Brief on the Perennial Philosophy
BY JONATHAN DOLHENTY, Ph.D. Our understanding of common sense can be approached in two ways. First, there is the wide, popular meaning of common sense. Here common sense is the conglomeration of generally helpful opinions and beliefs, more or less well founded, more or less mixed up with error and prejudice, which make up the voice of the [...]
What Do We Mean By Applied Philosophy?
by Jonathan Dolhenty, Ph.D. Classical realists generally define the academic discipline of philosophy as the study of all reality in its ultimate causes and principles through the use of human reason alone. We also differentiate various branches of philosophy, such as metaphysics, ontology, epistemology, logic, ethics, and so forth. We also [...]
Thomas Aquinas: The Directing Principles of Knowledge
Topics: A. General notion of the directing principles of knowledge B. Origin and nature of these principles C. Logical and real value A. General notion of the directing principles of knowledge Our knowledge consists of judgments, connected and coordinated with one another. The progressive life of the mind moves by a regular process [...]
The Philosophy of the Sophists
By Jonathan Dolhenty, Ph.D. I. Background Information The second period of Greek philosophy occupies the entire fourth century before Christ. The problem which claims the interest of thinkers during this period is no longer the cosmological question, but man in his concreteness, namely, in his knowledge, his morality, his rights. The [...]
Plato: Ethics
BY JOHNATHAN DOLHENTY, PH.D. The ethics of Plato is an application in practice of the principles which had been reached in the metaphysical field. We know that the soul, which was happy in the contemplation of the ideal world, now finds itself imprisoned in the body and impelled by the pleasures of sense. To give in to these impulses would mean [...]
Thomas Aquinas: Group Life and the State
Topics: A. The fundamental principle of group life B. The Unity of the group and the inalienable rights of its members C. The family D. Origin of authority in the State E. Government is an officium or duty F. The Sovereign People and its Representatives G. The duties of the Sovereign, and the Legislative Power H. Social Justice and the [...]
Truth and Certainty, by Jonathan Dolhenty
By Jonathan Dolhenty, Ph.D. We have a knowledge of reality. Reality is presented to us by our senses through the medium of percepts and our intellect fashions concepts or ideas which are representations of reality in an abstract and universal manner. But mere percepts and concepts do not as yet constitute knowledge; they are the raw materials [...]
An Overview of Natural Law
BY JONATHAN DOLHENTY, Ph.D. Natural law theory is one of the most important theories in the philosophy of Classical Realism. It is also widely misunderstood by many who have either not taken the time to study it or have heard of it and dismissed it as a "medieval" relic. What I want to do here is merely sketch out a general presentation of [...]
What Form of Government Do We Have Anyway?
by Jonathan Dolhenty, Ph.D. I remember some years ago when a certain group of political activists used to go around promoting the idea that "America is a republic, not a democracy; Let's keep it that way." That particular slogan disturbed me because it was misleading to those not accustomed to thinking critically about what they read or heard [...]
Philosophy of Education: An Example of Applied Philosophy
by Jonathan Dolhenty, Ph.D. Applied philosophy involves the application of philosophical principles and concepts to the practical affairs of the human condition. Philosophers have written widely on such topics as science, law, politics, religion, history, and education. They have sought to have an influence on the definitions, ideas, methods, [...]
Dolhenty on Man’s Rational Nature
Radical Academy Moment, Jonathan Dolhenty, Ph.D. Philosophy, the loving quest of wisdom, the tireless pursuit of knowledge to its deepest origins and roots, comes into being, first and foremost, because the human mind is forever seeking to know, and to grasp the ultimate how's and why's of what it knows. Man has a quenchless thirst for [...]
What is Philosophy? Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty
Introduction to Dr. Dolhenty's Mini-Course in Classical Realism (of the Theistic not Secular Tradition) 1. The Name Philosophy The word philosophy is a combination of two Greek nouns, philia which means “love” or “friendship,” and sophia which means “wisdom.” A philosopher, consequently is “a lover of wisdom.” Translating [...]
A Theory of Public Nonsense
By Jonathan Dolhenty, Ph.D. An analysis of nonsense in areas as broad as social behavior, political policy, and science can be complex and intimidating. Since this is so, it seems both necessary and relevant to have some sort of conceptual framework we can use to help us as we plow our way through a sometimes complicated jungle of words, [...]
What is Intellectual Insanity? America’s War with Reality, Truth, and Morality
Ideas have consequences. A philosophy is a set of ideas about basic things like reality, truth, and morality. Therefore, philosophies have consequences. Some of the consequences of some philosophies are not good for human beings. Insanity, in the sense of being out of touch with reality, truth, and objective morality, is one of the bad [...]
