Vol. 14 No. 2 (2024): RES 2.2024

In the 18th century, it became central to determine the limits of conceptual knowledge. Leibniz, after observing that there is nothing in the mind that has not passed through the senses, except the mind itself, recommended studying the structure of the mind, paying special attention to its obscure dimensions. In doing so, he went a step beyond Descartes, who proposed the pursuit of clear and distinct ideas within a mathematical model of truth.
What is clear to one person may not be clear to another; where most see something uniform, others may perceive relevant distinctions and nuances that alter the meaning of what seems evident. Christian Wolff made important distinctions within these obscure dimensions of the mind, and his psychological metaphysics diverged from the mathematical model of thought. When Baumgarten further developed these ideas, he proposed the study of the procedures of the mind's obscure dimension. In doing so, he discerned the need to develop aesthetics and saw the necessity of deciphering these new signs, thus proposing the study of semiotics and hermeneutics.
If students are not exposed to such information—which is often absent from simplistic anthologies—they are left without the tools to better think through problems. They may earn their diplomas, but they fall short in competence.

ISSN 2238-362X