1.Western philosophy was made famous by great philosophers like Pythagoras,Socrates,Plato and Aristotle;just to mention a few names that may be familiar to us. The common characteristic of their method of thinking was to make inquiry and to conduct investigation on subjects that they love to know. They were searching for knowledge for its own sake; and for the sake of nothing else. Thereby they were caught in an endless search,because they were searching for something unknown to them. Also,to know is a human instinct;and instinct is not something that can be satisfied.
2.Early challenges to these philosophers came from the Sophists. Protagoras and Gorgias were among the great names at that time. The Sophists claim that all that we human can know are things reported by our senses;nothing beyond this. Even so,we have no ability to tell whether those things reported by our senses are true or false. Gradually thinkers following this line of thinking are being labelled as the Sceptics. Some of them have even taken the extreme position by saying that knowledge is impossible;but obviously this is self-defeating.
3.Next came Descartes. Descartes challenges the Sceptics by introducing: I think, therefore I am. From here Descartes took philosophy back again to endless search. And Bertrand Russell considers Descartes to be the father of modern philosophy.
4.But this endless search is far from being useless. It may well be the cause for the West to emerge as the leader of this World.
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