Since ancient times the thinkers aspired to outlining area of philosophical knowledge and to allocate the main issues of life which are subject to judgment. As a result of development of philosophical thought the main question of philosophy was formulated. In the center of consideration of this science the relation between the material and spiritual beginnings was put.
Main question of philosophy
The main question of philosophy sounds so: what initially – matter or consciousness? The speech goes about the relation of inner world to material here. As one of founders of Marxist philosophy Friedrich Engels specified, all philosophers are divided into two big groups. Each scientific camp in own way answers the main question of philosophy.
Depending on what beginning thinkers considered primary, they began to be called idealists or materialists. Representatives of idealism claim that spiritual substance existed before a material world. Materialists consider the main beginning of all real the nature in all its manifestations. It should be noted that both of these currents are not uniform.
For all history of existence of philosophy her main question underwent several modifications and was formulated differently. But every time at statement of such question and at its permission the thinkers were forced is free or to involuntarily adhere to one of two possible parties even if they tried to reconcile among themselves idealistic and materialistic views in concepts of philosophical dualism. In the concrete formulation the main question of philosophy for the first time was raised only by representatives of Marxist philosophy. Before many thinkers tried to replace a question of a ratio of spirit and matter with other approaches, for example, a problem of mastering the elements or search of meaning of human life. Only the German philosophers Hegel and Feuerbach closely approached the correct interpretation of the main philosophical problem.
Question of cognoscibility of the world
The main question of philosophy has also the second party which is directly adjoining a problem of identification of the beginning which is primary. This other side is connected with the relation of thinkers to an opportunity to learn surrounding reality. In such statement the main philosophical issue sounds so: how thoughts of the person of the world belong to the most this world? Whether thinking is capable to reflect truly reality? Those who essentially reject cognoscibility of the world in philosophy are called agnostics. Affirmative answer on a question of cognoscibility of the world can be found both at materialists, and at idealists. Representatives of idealism consider that combinations of feelings and feelings on the basis of which the logical designs which are going beyond human experience are under construction are the cornerstone of cognitive activity. Philosophers materialists consider a source of knowledge of the world objective reality which exists irrespective of consciousness.