Philosophy at Enem has the characteristic of not being as interdisciplinary as other disciplines; she is very content. If you don't know where to start, Toda Matéria will help you in this endeavor. Let's go together!
For an excellent performance in the test it is necessary to clarify some ideas. Keeping in mind a chronology that has as its starting point the Philosopher Thales of Miletus (c.624-546 a. C.) to this day, we have noticed some changes in the characteristics of Philosophy over the centuries that will make up some of its main periods:
- ancient philosophy
- Medieval/Christian Philosophy
- modern philosophy
- Contemporary Philosophy
ancient philosophy
By Ancient Philosophy we understand two periods related to ancient Greece, the birth of Philosophy with philosophers prior to Socrates and, with the coming of Socrates, the Classical Period.
Pre-Socratic Philosophy
Philosophy was born in ancient Greece from a long path of maturation of logical-rational thinking (
logos) and the gradual abandonment of the explanations for the world given by myths, the so-called mythical consciousness.Philosophy is born from human curiosity and the desire to understand the workings of the universe. The very word Philosophy means "love of knowledge", "love of wisdom".
Moved by this "love", the first philosophers sought to understand the origin of all things and rationally explain the relationship between men and nature. Because of this, they are often identified as Natural Philosophers or Philosophers of Nature.
These philosophers, lovers of knowledge, wanted to explain the origin of nature (physis) and of human beings, through logical explanations and no longer using the fantasies and fables of myths. For this, they devoted themselves to the search for the substance or the original principle (arche) generator of everything that exists.
| Key Concepts for Enem |
|---|
| Philosophical Consciousness (logical-rational thinking), the logos. |
| Original Principles (arche) - water, fire, air, earth, apeiron, atom, number, etc. |
| Nature (physis) |
Classical Philosophy
The classical period, Socratic period or anthropological period, is the period of turning and establishment of Philosophy. As a consequence of the growth and development of the city-states (polises), there is the emergence of public life. Issues relating to interactions within the polis began to play a prominent role in the thought and philosophical production of the period.
Philosophers, who previously dedicated themselves to unraveling the mysteries of nature, are now occupied with understanding the relationships between men and their role in the polis.
There are three main representatives of this period:
- Socrates - known as the "Father of Philosophy", precisely because he represents the shift in focus of Philosophy, inaugurates the anthropological period (anthropoid = "human"; logos = "reason", "speech"). The relationships between human beings come to represent the object of study of Philosophy. The philosopher sought to strengthen the philosophical attitude (critical attitude) against opinion and common sense (doxa) and created a method for the search for knowledge (Socratic method), which consisted in overthrowing preconceptions and trying to erect valid knowledge about the issues under debate.
- Plato - disciple of Socrates, responsible for most of the writings about Socrates, since he was against writing in the production of knowledge. Plato's philosophy (Platonic) is also a great milestone and had an influence on the construction of Western thought. Your Cave allegory (or myth of the cave) is an important text for the perception of what is the search for knowledge and the role of the philosopher. Platonic dualism (world of ideas) is always a topic to be explored.
- Aristotle - the greatest of Plato's critical disciples, classified several areas of knowledge (politics, ethics, poetics, logic, etc.) dedicating a great deal of attention to each of the themes.
These three authors fall into Enem with a relative frequency, they should not be left out.
| Key Concepts for Enem |
|---|
| Common Sense vs. Critical Sense |
| Cave myth |
| Platonic Dualism |
| Ethics and Policy |
Want to know more? All Matter helps you:
- Common Sense: what is it, examples, critical sense
- Cave myth
- Platonism, Plato's Philosophy
- ethic
- Political Philosophy
- Aristotelian Logic
Medieval Philosophy
Medieval philosophy was an extensive period of philosophical production, but two philosophers have a highlight and are a recurrent presence in the Enem tests: Santo Agostinho and São Tomás de Here in the.
Among other things, the philosophers of the period sought to unite Faith and Reason. Philosophical production should be in accordance with the scriptures (Holy Bible). They developed the idea that rational knowledge has limits and that the dogmas (unquestionable truths) of religion surpass these limits and guide thought. Reason is subordinate to Faith in Medieval Philosophy.
The priest-philosophers, as they are also called, were important for the rescue, conservation and documentation of classical Greek philosophy. From a rereading of Greek thought, allied to the dogmas of the Church, they developed Christian Philosophy. Its main periods were:
patristic - began in the early centuries, with the aim of strengthening the Christian faith. He sought in Greek philosophy the concepts that would serve as a basis for the development of Christianity. The influence of Platonic thought is a very strong mark of the period. As, for example, the relationship between soul and body in which the body is the place of error (associated with sin) and imprisons the soul, which is pure and perfect (associated with eternity). Main philosopher: Saint Augustine.
- scholastic - began around the 11th century and, as it is a thought produced and developed within the medieval universities, received the name "scholasticism" because it was produced within the universities, schools. The studies of Christian philosophy developed and had in the Aristotelian thought a fertile field for the appropriation of concepts. The Faith-Reason union, in the form of Theology, becomes an important mark of thought. Main philosopher: Saint Thomas Aquinas.
| Key Concepts for Enem |
|---|
| faith and reason |
| Soul |
| Christian morality |
There are more texts very useful for you:
- Christian Philosophy
- Saint Augustine
- Saint Thomas Aquinas
modern philosophy
From the Renaissance onwards, a new way of thinking about the world began. The human being assumes the central role in the relationship with knowledge and becomes the center of the universe: Anthropocentrism.
Philosophy, which had remained an instrument of religion, seeks to move away from faith and religion in order to produce neutral and impartial knowledge. There is an important separation between knowledge and faith, known as the "Age of Reason".
It is a period very well represented in the Enem tests. So let's separate them into areas.
Theory of Knowledge
The theory of knowledge is the study of the conditions and possibilities of human knowledge. To perform a good test, it is necessary to know some main philosophers and currents of thought:
- discards - "father of modern scientific thought" has in his method (Cartesian Method) the foundations of Science. A rationalist, he understands that knowledge is obtained from reason.
- Hum and - empiricist philosopher, radical defender of the empiricism. It is important to keep in mind that for Hume, like other empiricists, knowledge originates from experience, from senses and perceptions.
- Kant - German idealist, differs from Descartes in trying to establish the limits of reason. For him, you cannot know the thing in itself and knowledge is built from thought, its relationship with phenomena and what is likely to be known. In this way, Kant sought to harmonize Cartesian rationalist thinking with English empiricism. Kant is responsible for transcendental idealism.
Politics
The change in thinking at the time was reflected in Philosophy and in political philosophy is an extremely important field. It was necessary to adapt the ways of understanding to this new period where human beings and their relationships assume a prominent role.
In the questions of Political Philosophy of Enem, the following stand out:
Machiavelli - your book The prince it marks the separation between morality and the state. The prince (government) acts from a logic and principles that are different from those of the people. Hence his famous phrase that "the ends justify the means".
Hobbes, Rousseau and Locke - these philosophers discussed the origin of the State and the natural right of human beings. O state of nature, in which individuals lived without social organization or state, living from their own interests, respecting only the freedom given by nature. Subsequently, human beings abandoned this natural freedom to live in society (social contract), regulated by the State, assuming civil freedom (within the rules of the State).
Montesquieu - responsible for thinking about the tri-partition of power, the three powers (executive, legislative and judiciary).
ethic
- Kant - representative of enlightenment, seeks to resolve moral issues rationally, without resorting to religion. It appears in matters relating to ethics with its Categorical Imperative. In it, the philosopher states that we should only act if we can think that our action can become a rule or law of nature. In a second formulation of the Imperative, he states that human beings must always be understood as the objective of actions and never as a means to achieve something.
- Bentham - representative of utilitarianism, like John Stuart Mill, says that actions should generate as much happiness as possible, increasing everyone's well-being. His panopticon, surveillance device, was taken up by philosopher Michel Foucault.
| Key Concepts for Enem |
|---|
| Reason - Enlightenment - Scientific Method |
| Articles of Incorporation - state of nature |
| Rationalism x Empiricism |
| Categorical Imperative |
Want to know more? All Matter helps you:
- Thomas Hobbes
- Biography of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and main works
- John Locke
- Social Contract: definition in Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau
- Machiavelli's Prince
- The three powers: executive, legislative and judiciary
- Rationalism
Contemporary Philosophy
Contemporary Philosophy comprises the entire period from the modern age to the present day, from Hegel The Bauman, between others.
There are several topics covered and the philosophers cited.
We can think of a division between issues related to the philosophical tradition itself and, for example, new challenges, such as those found in bioethics and issues related to sustainability. These questions require a more general view from students about the themes.
It is important for the student to keep in mind the historical and social development of humanity associated with current issues, and from there, dialogue with some philosophers.
| Key Concepts for Enem |
|---|
| Criticism of modernity |
| post-modernity |
| scientism |
| Existentialism |
| Consumerism/Sustainability |
Want to know more? All Matter helps you:
- Existentialism: what it is, characteristics and main philosophers
- What is Consumerism?
- Alienation in Sociology and Philosophy
- Liquid modernity: summary and main concepts
Summary: How Philosophy Falls in Enem
Philosophy has a very important role in Enem. Often forgotten or left out, she is responsible for a very expressive number of questions in the Human Sciences test (1st day).
Over the years, there has been a growing presence of issues pertaining to the discipline. In the last three years, the number of philosophical appearances in Enem remained at the revealing number of 8 questions.
That is, whoever is preparing for Enem cannot leave our dear Philosophy aside. Therefore, we have approximately 2600 years of production to study in a few months. Therefore, it may be necessary to look for some shortcuts and Toda Materia wants to help you with that.
In our analysis, since 2009, around 70 Philosophy questions were counted in the Enem tests and we can see some trends.
We managed to make a general overview of Philosophy in Enem and provide a basis for an excellent test. Good job and good luck!
Want to know more about Enem? Check out the other articles from Toda Matéria:
- Subjects that most fall in Enem
- Commented issues of Philosophy that fell in Enem
- News that may fall on Enem
- Brazilian Philosophers You Need to Know
- Podcasts to study
