The philosophical currents are disciplines that have been originating throughout the years in the history of philosophy. It should be noted that these govern the actions or 'how to live' of a person, in some cases the application of one would also depend on the culture in which the individual operates.
Each one has its period of origin, as well as an author who gave conceptualization and reflection to the idea, this being key in the formation of currents. Although they may be an extensive number and currently have various interpretations, there are some that are pioneering and stand out, both for what they mean and for their creative philosopher.
Another curious and important fact to highlight is that normally the philosophical currents occurred in groups of thinkers who were called in turn "philosophical school", this due to the need to group together to share similar traits and coincide in the way of thinking and thus be characterized under a name or label that represents them.
For example, in the philosophical movement From 'the illustration', which occurred in the 18th century and was based on highlighting the force of reason, the philosophical current of rationalism formulated by René Descartes originated and was characterized by denying everything regarding the senses, by believing them subjective and misleading; positioning reason above them as a source of knowledge of exact science.
Of course there are currents that totally expose the opposite of the one previously exposed. Another of the outstanding schools of thought is anarchism, which according to authors originated not only within the framework of the ideas of the Enlightenment but also from the French Revolution. This judgment is based on free social organization and not on the part of the State since they do not believe in the power and domination of one man over another man; being also faithful believers in human rationality and how it influences your progress.
Later, more philosophical currents and their counterparts began to be formulated, that is, another thought that would refute, allowing the beliefs and questions of the thinkers to be foreseen. After the enlightenment movement, the group of 'positivism' emerged that lasted a year, from the 19th to the 20th century and mainly exposed that the human spirit had already surpassed three states that included the theological, metaphysical and positive state. That is to say, refusing for the most part the spiritual, they were against ideas, debating them with facts, putting above all the experimental instead of the theoretical.
This is just a small review and idea to put in context about what the currents are and the way in which they occurred, however, they are much more than that.
The most outstanding philosophical currents
Empiricism
Such a current arose in the modern age and is a theory of knowledge, in which it is stated that all learning occurs from experience, giving recognition to sensory perception in the creation of ideas. His most important supporter was David Hume.
It is worth adding that such a term comes from the Greek ?????? (verbatim, experience) and the Latin translation is experience, derived from the word experience.
Another of its derivatives is the Greek and Roman term of empirical, which refers to doctors who achieve their skills from practical experience and not only with instruction in theory.
Rationalism
It seeks to affirm that the human mind already has prior knowledge or principles without necessarily having had experience. As mentioned above it was promulgated by René Descartes, in Continental Europe.
Idealism
As its name allows it to foresee, it is one of the philosophical currents that is based on subjectivity and its representations, denying or rejecting the existence of everything related to the outside world. To make it more understandable, this current defends that something could not exist if there is not a thinker who is aware of it. In the same way, to know it or learn about it, we must mainly take into account the consciousness, ideas and thoughts.
Such a theory has variants, as are objective and subjective idealism. The first states that ideas exist by themselves and that they are known or learned through experience. Among the most prominent representatives of this thinking are Leibniz, Hegel, Bernard Bolzano, Dilthey.
In contrast, for the subjective, thinkers believe that ideas exist in the mind of the individual and that there is no external world that works on its own. The defenders of this hypothesis were Descartes, Berkeley, Kant, Fichte, Mach, Cassirer and Collingwood. In this specifically one can also find the radical version which professes that "things do not exist for themselves but only things exist for us" and a moderate version that "affirms that things are the color of the glass with which they are looked at."
Positivism
As discussed above, it is primarily responsible for reject or refute the human being, that this has principles or a purely metaphysical sense. Being rather a believer in objective science and the laws of research.
It arose in France in the 19th century by Saint-Simon, Auguste Comte, and de John Stuart Mill; then it spread throughout the rest of Europe. However, it is said that its first precursor between the 16th and 17th century was Francis Bacon.
Stoicism
More focused on the universal and moral; this current preaches the importance of the domain and control of the facts, the passions, among other things that usually disturb the existence of a subject, in order to use both courage and the reason of personal character.
It is one of the oldest and dates from the XNUMXrd century BC. Until the end of the XNUMXnd century AD. C. And its most important stage was during the Hellenistic period. The founder of Stoicism was Zeno of Citio and among his noted supporters are Cicero, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Sixth Empiric.
Structuralism
Although its term clearly does not state that it is one of the philosophical currents as such, according to hypotheses it can be intuited that it does and it is based on the fact that it must go beyond what happens empirically, being a kind of method to analyze language, culture and society.
The initiator and the most important representative of the theory was Claude Lévi-Strauss in the 40's.
Phenomenology
This stream study everything that happens in the world -Descriptively- from some phenomenon or group of these that has occurred. It is said that this comes from a union between empiricism and idealism. Its relevant representatives were Husserl, Merleau-Ponty, Sartre, Heidegger.
Materialism
It is the philosophical current that, as its name indicates, affirms that everything is material, rejecting what is of spiritual essence such as the soul, the future and the existence of God. Sensitive ideas are valid because they are also material. According to researchers, it could be recognized as the opposite of idealism.
Epicurus and Marx are among the supporters of such a current.
Existentialism
Different from the others that were represented as a philosophy of things, this one is pertinent to man as such, exposing him as a figure of free self-production that exists only in the Universe without the existence of any God. This current is based on the analysis of the human condition, freedom, emotions and the meaning of life in general.
At this point it is important to note that it is not a philosophically systematized or conformed theory, in fact, it is said that its supporters do not fully agree with conventional philosophy.
Over the years it has been quite variable and today there are three versions that include Christian existentialism, agnostic existentialism and atheist existentialism. The pioneers were Pascal, Kierkegaard, Sartre, Camus, Heidegger.
Skepticism
Mainly it focuses or is based on the questioning of things, a permanent doubt that rejects the affirmation of things or the existence of these, unless it is proven with objectionable evidence.
Diogenes Laercio, Hume or Berkeley were the most important representatives of this discipline.
Cynicism
Current founded in ancient Greece, during the XNUMXth century BC. C. that was based on the action of rejecting what was socially and morally accepted conventions. The cynical life centered on the belief that happiness was achieved by living simply and fully, according to nature.
To refer to what they exposed or to refute something with which they did not agree, they used the resources of satire, irony and gesture. It was founded by Antisthenes and one of his most important disciples was Diogenes of Sinope.
Romanticism
It should not be confused with the art movement. In this discipline of life, it was believed in a force capable of knowing the whole, the absolute. It is characterized by an exaggeration of the sensations of nature, describing them as the true attitude of human consciousness.
Its objective is to vindicate feelings, freedom and other terms that relate nature to man and divinity. Main supporters were Hegel, Schelling and Fichte.
Dogmatism
The opposition of skepticism and idealism is considered, based on the supposed power of the object in relation to the subject. This affirms that the human mind is capable of knowing the truth. One of the greatest representatives of this current was Spinoza.
Criticism
It is based on the claim to be able to establish limits of absolute knowledge through systematic investigations of the conditions of the possibilities of thought. This epistemological doctrine was expounded by Immanuel Kant.
Currents of political philosophy
Contractualism
It is known as one of the modern political philosophical currents and is based on the fact that individuals must reject the belief that the State and society are something natural. Seeking that there is an established pact between those who begin to form part of the new society and somehow find the union and freedom and equality. Its greatest exponents were Rousseau, Kant, Hobbes, Spinoza and Locke.
Utilitarianism
One of the philosophical currents that exposes that what is good and morally accepted both for the individual and for society, is useful. In addition to being a foundation of good, happiness is also attributed to it.
Although the foundation is attributed to Protagoras de Abdera, the greatest exponents were J. Bentham and JS Mill, who believed that utility produces advantages, pleasure and other happiness, which reduces the possibility of suffering or reducing pain, suffering and damage.
Communism
This form of government believes in social organization without the existence of private properties, class differences, among other doctrines that prevent equality among all. Trying to achieve the liberation of man.
Of the most important representatives are Plato, Marx, Engels and Fourier.
Socialism
It is based on the fact that both the properties and the administration of the means of production are in the hands of the working classes with the aim of achieving an organization in society that develops political, social and economic equality. Marx and Proudhon were the most important exponents.
Liberalism
One of the political philosophical currents that affirms that the State must eliminate the benefit of the market, while the political side must enact the principle of freedom, making the State protect individual freedom, since that is what it is based on.
Resulting in little intervention of the State in the social and economic affairs of individuals. Locke's Rawls and Montesquieu were the most prominent representatives.
libertarianism
This current is extremist and exposes that each individual has a right to himself, so there should not be a State or it should be eliminated. Nozick was one of the pioneers highlighted.
Other relevant philosophical currents
Among them the sophists stand out; Platonism who were the followers of Plato; the peripatetic school that were the followers of Aristotle and the disciples of Epicurus known under Epicureanism.
The School of Mileto, founded in the XNUMXth century BC. C., its members were Tales, Anaximander and Anaximenes. The Eleatic school which was a pre-Socratic school with great importance in the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries BC. Its most important members were Parmenides of Elea and Zenón de Elea.
The Pythagoreans, who based that the essence of all things are numbers. Others no less important are the mega school, founded by Euclides in his hometown of Megara; the Cyrenaica school, founded by Aristipo de Cirene and focused on ethical issues, and the Neoplatonic school, created by Ammonio Saccas. It should be noted that Saint Augustine of Hippo inscribed Neoplatonic ideas to Christian ideas.
Neoplatonism, humanism, postmodernism and deconstruction are currently registered.