Philosophy 100 Midterm

Philosophy

the rational attempt to formulate, understand, and answer fundamental questions.

Metaphysics

what is truly real? Study of being nothing/something; who am i? (berkeley's metaphysics is called subjective idealism: reality consists of finite or created minds)

Ontology

subdivision of metaphysics that focuses on the study of being as such/ nature of being, deals with the kinds of things that exist (material/immaterial)

Argument

sequence of statements used to support, back up, prove, or give reasons for something
1) premises (statement supporting the conclusion)
2) statements (sentences that assert something to be true or false)
3) conclusion (statement in an argument that is supported or backed up by other statements)
*inductive: if conclusion provides new information other than premises
*deductive: if conclusion is inferred solely from the information in premises

deductive arguments:

1. modus ponens
if p then q
p
therefore q

2. modus tollens
if p then q
not q
therefore not p
3. hypothetical syllogism
if p then q
if q then r
therefore if p then r
4. Disjunctive Syllogism
p or q
not p
therefore q

p or q
not q
therefore p
5. Dilemma
p or q
if p then r
if q then s
therefore r or s

Materialism

the metaphysical view holding that matter alone is real. Negatively, it is the denial of the existence of immaterial, mental, and spiritual reality. Also refers to a value system that prizes material goods and possessions above other things.

DENNET

Idealism

[PLATO] metaphysical theory that only ideas (minds and mental events) are real or that they are more real, valuable, and enduring than material things. Idealistic is sometimes used to refer to a person who lives by ideals or to a view based on principle. Idealist→ideas are ultimately what's real

Dualist

DESCARTES difference between mind and matter, believes in material and immaterial

Monist

only believes in one nature to reality, Pluralist: (BERKELEY) believe in more than 2

Process Ontology

Lao Tzu - change/becoming; the view that change is a basic feature of reality and that all aspects of reality are interrelated, nothing is totally independent

Realism

DESCARTES (indirect realism) The view that objects exist apart from a mind that knows them.

direct: reality exists apart from human sensations, our senses put us directly in touch with this reality

indirect: our sensations represent physical reality. we are only directly in touch with senses of physical reality

Functionalism

A theory about the mind, holding that mental states are completely defined as functions of physical processes

functionalist theories take the identity of a mental state to be determined by its causal relations to sensory stimulations, other mental states, and behavior.

what makes something a thought, desire, pain (or any other type of mental state) depends not on its internal constitution, but solely on its function, or the role it plays, in the cognitive system of which it is a part.

ARISTOTLE view of the soul

Determinism

The belief that every event has a cause--that is, for every event, there is a set of conditions such that, if the conditions are repeated, the event is repeated.

BLATCHFORD

Behaviorism

The view that mental states are either equivalent to the behaviors of an organism or the dispositions to behave. learning through others

RUSSELL/skinner

Interactionism

The theory that the mind and body, though they are two distinct and different substances, nevertheless can causally affect one another. DESCARTES

Logic

the study or the norms or rules that ought to guide our reasoning if we wish to think clearly.

logical reasoning: 1. analysis of argument
2. criticism of arguments/evaluation of arguements
3. construction of arguments

Common fallacies or weak forms of argumentation

1. False Analogy: alleged similarities either do not hold or are not relevant to the conclusion
2. Begging the question: assuming as true what needs to be proved
3. Black and white thinking: someone falsely limits alternatives, extreme
4. Appeal to authority: assuming a claim is true from a fact that some alleged authority supports it
5. Hasty generalization: generalizing from unrepresentative or insufficient cases
6. Ad hominem: an attempt to discredit a position by discrediting the person holding it (because of person characteristics)

[Plato] and the Allegory of the Cave

Purpose: there is a reality beyond what you know, pursuit of knowledge, people think they live in different realities, Philosophy--> pursue wisdom, education

2 levels, shadow-->surface (real)

SUN = FORMS = ULTIMATE REALITY

Platonic Forms

universal/eternal, perfect ideas, ultimate reality, SUN, soul/mind

(Berkeley) and Subjective Idealism

against des.

REALITY:
1. created mind
2. infinite mind (God)
3. ideas

-everything is an idea (extreme idealism)
-all physical objects require mind-perception

3 types of knowledge: IMAGINATION, IDEAS, MEMORY

Descartes and the Meditations

REALITY
1. certainty (know absolutely) (god exists)
2. mind/body are separate entities
2. body vs. mind - CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP
BODY: divisible, can't picture a chilliagon but yes a triangle
MIND: indivisible, pure understanding (chilliagon = concept)

-if mind/body not separate, God is an evil deceiver but God is perfect and good

How does something immaterial influence something material??

1. physical objects exist outside the mind
2. cogito ergo sum = i think, i am
3. must be a perfect good god
4.material things are essentially different from mental things
5. mind exists as a mental substance

the body is unthinking, needs the mind to properly function

Mind/Body Problem: Browning Cole

mind = body, no separation

male - mind (knowledge)
female - body (material)

Mind/Body Problem: McCloskey

Gender/sex/mind/body are more connected than what descartes says

Gender and sex are socially constructed, MALLEABLE

Mind/Body Problem: Anzaldua

-borderlands
-mestizaje (mixed)

Question of Self vs. No-Self: Descartes

Self is a thinking thing, mind/soul --> eternal

"ego" "subject"

Question of Self vs. No-Self: Buddha

-No self/soul
-name is a label
-chariot: no essence of chariot
we are an amalgamation of various things (ie consciousness)
-detach yourself from "world" "things"--> free from suffering
-no unifying substance

Question of Self vs. No-Self: Hinrichs

-Brain is a living computer that has awareness, understanding
-self: mind/brain are different
-questions Descartes view on self
-Brain is simply material that makes mind

hardware-->software
brain-->mind

the mind is not a substance, it is subjective experiences that a brain creates

computer is made of static cells, hardware is unchanged by information (software) but the brain is changed by information.

Question of Self vs. No-Self: Parfit

-split brain: two streams of consciousness: when dominant hemisphere is destroyed, subdominant hemisphere still allows consciousness; other beliefs: two persons involved, sharing the same body
-EGO THEORY: ego at center of a person, extreme-> soul
a person's continued existence cannot be explained except as the continued existence of a particular EGO or subject of experiences.
-BUNDLE THEORY: cannot explain unity of a whole life by referring to a person. explain by series of experiences, events; DEATH is end of series --> causality: relationship between experiences and memory; DENIES EXISTENCE OF PERSONS

Problem of Free Will (Sarte and Blatchford)

Hard (blatchford) vs. soft

hard: DETERMINISM - predetermined, controlled by higher, set of conditions - every event

Sarte: existentialism - existence precedes essence, we choose what we want to do, we create who we are

RADICAL FREEDOM: responsible for our actions and all of humans actions

anguish -> deep responsibility

"in choosing myself, I choose man."

forlornness -> god is dead, apriori goodness
bad things happening is our own doing

condemned to be free-> our actions determine what is good/bad in the world