PHIL-120

Intro Notes

What is Philosophy

Love of wisdom

To think critically about questions that matter

Philo- greek for Love

Sophia- greek for Wisdom

Thinking

Amusement vs. Entertainment

Amusement: “to be inspired by” (like mueseum)

Entertainment: “to engage the mind”

Critically thinking

Opinions are nice but arguments are better

Critical thinking is building a better arguement

Questions, Questions that matter

Learn to ask good questions

What is the purpose/value of asking that question

What does philosophy do?

Identifies the wisdom in the true, hood and “beauty”

Objective truth

Helps form a rational, consistent, and justified world view

Seeks clarity in concepts

Examines assumptions to ask justified questions

Four main categories of Ethics

Theory

Ethics

Metaphysics

Value

Theory

Clarify/analyze consepts (“what do you mean”)

Ethics

The right/wrong thing to do

Epistomology

Examines cross roads of faith, reason, truth, belief, knowledge

Epist- greek for knowledge

“how do I know something”

Logic

Good questions asked after times of crisis

Usually good to do before

Laws of Logic

Doesn’t need justification

Law of Non-Contradiction

Law of Identity

Law of the Excluded Middle

Law of Non Contradiction

“For any property (F), nothing can be both F and not -F at the same time in the same way”

Simple: Something can’t both be or not be in the same way at the same time

Ex. “God is Real” and “God isn’t Real” can’t both be wrong

Law of Identity (“Helper Law”)

Something is what it is and not something else

Ex. Politicans are liars, Jessica isn’t a politician, therefore Jessica isn’t a liar

Law of the Excluded Middle

Something is either true or false, not “kind of” true or “kind of” false

Arguments

Concise set of premises that lead to a conclusion

Not majority vote or decided on feelings

Most times in simple sentences

Deductive Argument

Relation between premises/conclusion is logical

Truth guarentees truth in conclusion

Ex. All Golden Retrievers are dogs, some pets are Golden Retrievers, therefore some pets are dogs

Validity

Argument is valid as long as the premises conform with the laws of logic

Soundness

Argument that has a sound premises

Like a boat (the more sound the argument is, the more it can float)

Cogency

Argument is valid if the other person can see it’s validity

Believing in an argument IS NOT understanding an argument

Logical Fallicies

Unsound premises in an argument that negate the premises to the conclusion

Circular Reasoning (“Begging the Questions”)

Conclusion is “smuggled” in one or more of premises

The conclusion can still work, just not a good argument

Equivocation

When a term is used in two different premises in two different ways

“Appeal to Pity”

Argument plays into emotion, makes other person feel bad

Ad Hominem

Personal Attacks