Philosophy studies knowledge, existence, and reality from Greek "love of wisdom". Philosophers' teachings remain relevant through thousands of years
Comte met Saint-Simon in 1817, who appointed him his secretary. He borrowed ideas on history, industrial society, and spiritual power from Saint-Simon. Comte broke with Saint-Simon in 1824, but remained influential in Paris intellectual circles
Descartes combined mechanics, physics, and mathematics in natural philosophy. He met Isaac Beeckman in 1619, who introduced physico-mathematics. Descartes wrote Rules for the Direction of the Mind in the 1620s. Method is defined as reliable rules that guide knowledge acquisition
Philosophy of science studies foundations, methods, and implications of science. Distinguishing science from non-science is central philosophical question. Science relies on falsifiability and empirical verification. Scientific theories must be coherent and make sense of observations
Born in Vienna in 1902 to Jewish parents who converted to Lutheranism. Left school at 16 to study philosophy and mathematics at Vienna University. Initially joined Marxist party but later abandoned it after 1919
Francis Bacon developed modern scientific method in Novum Organum (1620). Method replaced Aristotle's Organon as foundation for modern science. Bacon believed his work had religious purpose, seeking to understand God's creation