philosophy people

Thomas Hobbes (intro)

English. leviathan. self interest/egoism/greediness as human nature

John stuart mill (intro)

countered Hobbes. focused on benevolence. we desire knowledge over ignorant bliss

Aristotle (intro)

“rational” animals capable of acquiring knowledge. pursue happiness and knowledge which are mutually supportive. all members in a category share the same essnece

plato (intro)

reason as defining part of humans. tripartite theory of the soul

socrates (intro)

to know good is to do good. agreeing on definitions in philosophical conversations. his method

descartes (intro)

innate ideas. studying consciousness and thought to understand human nature

Aristotle (logic)

logic not as a unique discipline. first true philosopher of science. three laws of thought

Francis bacon

scientific method. inductive reasoning

Charles Darwin (logic)

conflict between science and religion. natural selection. applying inductive reasoning. collecting empirical evidence

Thomas Kuhn (logic)

paradigms. normal science working within a paradigm

David Hume (logic)

criticising accounts of cause and effect/causality. circular reasoning

spinoza (metaphysics)

monist. everything is made of god. mind and body are different attributes to the same substances.

plato (metaphysics)

realist. forms. what is learned is actually recalled through the innate knowledge of the forms. allegory of the cave

laze (metaphysics)

Chinese mystic. coined taoism. living a simple life in harmony with tao

descartes (metaphysics)

substance dualist. extended and thinking substances. substance theory of the self

Martin Heidegger (metaphysics)

ontology, concept of being

John locke (metaphysics)

empiricist. theory on personal identity. mind as a blank slate. continuing consciousness

Sartre (metaphysics)

project theory of the self

David Hume (metaphysics)

bundle theory of the self

Paul riccoeur (metaphysics)

narrative theory of the self

Karl Marx (metaphysics)

religion as a form of social control

nietzsche (metaphysics)

criticised the existence of absolute truths, moral absolutes, and a definitive god. knowledge is subjective. driving force behind existence is self-overcoming

Blaise pascal (metaphysics)

a wager

intelligibility (metaphysics)

- philosophical notion that things change but not in a uniform manner, two stones don’t change in the same way under same/similar conditions. 

John locke personhood

thinking intelligent being capable of reason and reflection. conscious inseparable from being. human biology does not make a person

dan dennett personhood

six basic characteristics

Mary anne warren personhood

essential characteristics. self motivated activities. problem solving, awarness

annette baie personhood

person reflects the biases of the designer. we are to dependant and responsive to those around us.

Aristotle (epistemology)

empiricist, foundationalist, forms but they are not innate. world is made of matter (physically sensed), and the immatariel (the essence of materiel things). evidence from the senses. objective truth

plato (epistemology)

rationalist. sensory input changes and is unreliable. knowledge is acquired through reason and the innate forms. knowledge is justified true belief. truth is fixed and independent of individual subjectivity. separate world of forms (knowledge) and senses (perception)

socrates (epistemology)

equated knowledge with virtue. his method asks probing questions to help individuals examine their own beliefs and values

descartes (epistemology)

rationalist. foundationalist. doesn’t accept anyone else’s word as truth. I think therefore I am. doubted his own existence, evil genius theory. denied the existence of the real world. our minds make rational inferences to gain understanding

kant (epistemology)

epistemological phenomenalism. we can never know objects in the world as they truly are. bridging the gap between empiricists and rationalists. the human mind binds sensory input and knowledge gained from reason. this interaction is truth

kongfuzi (epistemology)

 a wise person only claims to know what they know and not anything more. Gaining knowledge is a lifelong process.

Chomsky

focused on linguistics. deep structure of language is hard wired in humans.

hume (epistemology)

skeptic and empiricist. questioned causation and induction. against a prori knowledge, it must be gained through the senses. objects do not exist outside senses perception. bundle theory; objects are a bundle of characteristics.  humans can never make links between events or know for sure that something will happen as a result of something else.

Aquinus (epistemology)

matter and essence are bound up in physical objects. knowledge begins with the senses and grows with reason. the world reflects god’s orderly nature

Hegel (epistemology)

anti foundationalist. coherence theory. beliefs are true when they are consistent with a pre-established belief or body of knowledge.

correspondence theory

Hegel. beliefs are true when they agree with reality. a more common sense approach to truth.

pragmatic theory

truth is neither fixed or absolute. create truths on the basis if somethig works, is successful or useful. truth should be judged according to consequences.

phenomenalism

kant. we can never know objects as they truly are. our perspective interacts with the world. interaction between reason and the senses creates knowledge.

subjective idealism

developed by Berkley. what is perceived as real or true only exists in the mind

representative theory of perception

locke. ideas in the mind are simply representations of physical objects.

locke (epistemology)

empirics and foundationalist. representative theory of perception

sophists

believe perception is reality, for you. Someone else’s reality will be different.