Midterm crash course

Philosophy

• 2 greek words - Philos (love) and Sophia (Wisdom)

  • meaning love of wisdom

  • “special kind of knowledge”

    • involves knowing how to use this knowledge for the betterment of our world, attainment of good

• uses human reason to investigate the ultimate causes, reasons, and principles which govern all things

• study of general and fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language

• every study or subject EVER originated from this

• a way of thinking about the world, the universe, and society

Why do we study philosophy?

• enhances problem solving capabilities

• helps us analyze concepts, definitions, arguments, and problems

• contributes to our capacity to organize ideas and issues, to deal with questions of value, and to extract what is essential from large quantities of info

Pythagoras

• 570 BCE to 495 BCE

• mathematician and scientist

• formulated the Pythagorean theorem

Heraclitus

• 535 BCE - 475 BCE

• everything exists based on a higher order or a plan - logo

Democritus

• 460 BCE - 370 BCE

• study of the causes of natural phenomena

Diogenes of Sinope

• 412 to 323 BCE

• advocate of living a simple and virtuous life

Epicurus

• 341 BCE - 270 BCE

• Philosophy could enable man to live a life of happiness - hedonism

Socrates

• 470 BCE - 399 BCE

• foremost philosophers of ancient times

• made Socratic method

Socratic method

series of questions that let the learner examine and analyze their knowledge

• like prodding or making follow up questions to get the bigger picture. Think questionnaire sa research

Plato

• 427 BCE - 347 BCE

• Student of Socrates - wrote his mentor’s teachings and incorporated some of them into his own ideas

• Theory of Forms

• Dialectic method

• Founded the idea of school or academy - an institution of higher learning

  • The idea of a school system. Having numerous subjects for your to find your interest and make a contribution to society

Theory of Forms

• metaphysics

• everything that exists is based on an idea or template that can only be perceived in the mind

• A blueprint to make or a be a very good set of something - a standard.

• there are two worlds the world of physical objects and the world of forms

  • physical: what we see around us

    • imperfect, changing, contemporary

  • forms: abstract concepts and ideas

    • perfect, unchanging, eternal

    • what we want something to be → something the physical world must strive to be — a standard

    • the idea that everything that exists was based on these abstract concepts and ideas, which can only be perceived in the mind

dialectic method

• method of inquiry

• two opoosing ideas are discussed in an attempt to arrive at a new knowledge

• establishing truth through argumentation

• ex. in Thunderbolts*, a bunch of anti heroes become legitimate superheroes. But what makes you say that they are? How can you say that they’re not STILL anti heroes, or worse, villains? What good did they do to classify them as heroes?

Aristotle

• 384 BCE - 322 BCE

• student of Plato

• all ideas are based on perception and our reality is based on what we can sense and perceive

• studies in logic — formal process of analyzing reasoning

  • gave rise to deductive reasoning

    • general to specific'

  • Contributed to the scientific method

Thought experiments

exercises of the imagination → we consider scenarios that address different aspects of our world

aims to get us to reflect upon some of our intuitive and unquestioned assumptions

The experience machine

• robert nozick

• about the importance of being connected to reality

• regarding the idea of hedonism

• Imagine a machine that could give you any experience (or sequence of experiences) you might desire. When connected to this experience machine, you can have the experience of writing a great poem or bring about world peace or loving someone and being loved in return. You can experience the felt pleasures of these things, how they “feel from the inside”. You can program your experiences for…the rest of your life. Would you choose to do this for the rest of your life?…Upon entering you will not remember having done this; so no pleasures will get ruined by realizing they are machine-produced.” 

The trolley problem

• philippa foot

• regarding ethics

• idea of utalitarianism

eternal recurrence

• friedrich nietzche

• time repeats itself in an eternal loop and that the same events will continue to occur in the exact same way over and over again

the evil genius/evil demon

• rene descartes

• epistemology

• a malevolent God/evil demon/ evil genius of utmost power and cunning has employed all his energies to deceive someone

• the being presents an illusion of our external world

6 main divisions of Philosophy

1. logic

2. epistemology

3. ethics

4. metaphysics

5. aesthetics

6. political philosophy

logic

• deals with nature of thinking and reasoning using empirical support and information

  • reliable information which are valid and objective

deductive reasoning

• type of logic

• universal to particular

inductive reasoning

• type of logic

• specific truth to general

• particular to universal

epistemology

concerned with the definition of knowledge and related concepts such as the sources and criteria of knowledge

organization of knowledge

ethics

• from greek work “ethos” → character or custom

• study of what is right or wrong in pursuit of beauty and goodness

metaphysics

• greek works “meta” → beyond and “physikon” → nature

• concerned with the nature of ultimate reality — hence the term “meta” in fandom. This is where it came from

Aesthetics

• derived from Greek word “aesthetikos” → one who is perceptive of things through his sensations, feelings, and intuitions.”

• essence of perception and ugliness

Political Philosophy

• looks up on the society, politics, and the people that makes it whole

• believes that society is inseparable to politics

Methods of Philosophizing

• determining the truth or drawing conclusions from a statement using various philosophical methods

Truth

• something philosophers grapple with

• FACT THAT HAS BEEN VERIFIED

• at the heart of every inquiry

• what precisely happened

knowledge

• clear awareness and understanding of something

• the gathering of knowledge based on evidence and accounts

facts

• propositions or statements which are observed to be real or truthful

• easily verfiable

claims

• not evidently true or immediately known to be true

• further examination required to establish truthfulness

3 theories of truth

• correspondence theory

• coherence theory

• pragmatic theory

correspondence theory

• states that a proposition is true if it corresponds to the facts

• relates to facts that make the statement true

• proposition to fact

coherence theory

• states that if a proposition coheres with other propositions taken to be true then it is true

• proposition to verified proposition

pragmatic theory

• if it works it works

• if it works, dont change it

three perspectives regarding truth

1. a belief is true if it can be justified or proven through the use of senses

   • can be subjective

2. a belief or statement is true if it based on facts

3. getting a consensur or having people agree on a common belief

opinions

• personal beliefs. judgements, or evaluations that reflect one’s perspectives

• go beyond providing facts

conclusion

a judgement based on certain facts

beliefs

expresses convictions that are not easily and clearly explained by facts

explanations

assume the claim to be true and provide reason why the statement is true

scientific method

• aka empirical method

• determining truth or knowledge through experimentation, inductive and deductive reasoning, and hypothesis or theory

critical thinking

• meaning to judge or discerning

• ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking

• careful, reflective, rational, and systematic

bias

• personal views of person presenting it

• not errors in reasoning but it influences which affects the views of people

Man

• generally represents the entire human race

human

• humans (homo sapiens)

• the most common and widespread species of primate, last surviving species of the genus Homo

human being

a culture bearing primate classified in the genus Homo, especially the species H. sapiens

person

• an indiv with self awareness, determination, rational mind, and the ability to interact with others

human person

• a physical body and includes a soul, mind and spirit

• have rights and privileges

rationality

• core element in the human person

• human persons are ____ being capable of logical thought and reasoning

self consciousness

• core element in the human person

• self awareness and introspection are essential, involving reflecting on ones existence, thoughts, and experiences

• reflection of thoughts/experiences

moral agency

• core element in the human person

ability to make moral and ethical decisions

continuity of identity

• core element in the human person

a person remaining the same and retaining the same memories and self awareness over time

embodiment

• core element in the human person

personal identity is tied to having a physical body

relationality and social nature

• core element in the human person

human persons are social beings!!! → defined by relationships

autonomy and free will

• core element in the human person

the ability to make independent choices and exercise free will

1. a machine

• characteristic of the human person

• ability to do tasks efficiently and effectively

2. an animal

• characteristic of the human person

• as part of animal kingdom

• no qualitative difference

• biological drives

• knowledge is gained not by studying the human person but experimenting with animals!!!

3. an economic being

• characteristic of the human person

• economic forces are human’s motivation

• never ending needs and wants

• material dimension

• basic needs = satisfied

3. a sexual being

• characteristic of the human person

• sexuality is the key to understanding human beings

id

• freud’s understanding of human nature

• basic body functions or drives

ego

• freud’s understanding of human nature

• actual self

• humbling ur super ego

• meditates demans of ego and super ego

• realistic side

super ego

• freud’s understanding of human nature

• ideal self

• provide standards for judgement and for future aspirations

libido

• powerful sexual drive that seeks gratification

• all human behavior is sublimation or modification of this energy

4. a free being

• human freedom and human will as the essence of human personality

• freedom from restraint

• information as basic as human needs

5. social being

fundamental members of society

we need others

embodied spirit

• body and soul of a human are inseparably united

Aristotle’s belief on embodiment

• his account on the human person is a reaction agaisnst plato

• they are inseparable

• the soul is the principle of life

Plato’s belief on embodiment

• human person is composed of body and soul ad they are separable and independent

• the human person is just a soul imprisoned in a body

• when a body dies, the sould goes back to the “world of forms” → cue theory of forms

• the human person is not an embodied spirit

vegetative soul

• plants

• growth

• reproduction

• nutrition

sensitive soul

• animals

• mobility

• sensation

rational soul

• human beings

• reason

Thomas aquinas’ human person as embodied being

• saw the human as an embodied being

• humans are viewed as a unified combination of body and soul in his concept of the human person

1. hylomorphism

• all material substances are composed of matter and form

• matter (body): physical aspect of a person

• form (soul): the spiritual aspect that gives life and identity

• the soul is the form of the body, meaning it is what gives the body its particular structure and capabilities

2. unity of body and soul

• aquinas emphasized the unity of body and soul

• viewing humans as single beings where the soul animates and informs the body

3. rational soul

• human soul as rational, distinguishing it from other living beings

• encompasses the three powers": vegetative, sensitive, and intellective

4. immortality of the soul

• believed in the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the body for complete human restoration in the afterlife

5. the soul’s dependency on the body

• interdependence of body and soul in human life where intellectual activities are linked to sensory experiences that require bodily organs

6. moral and ethical implications

• the body is essential for personal identity and moral actions, with physical and moral well being closely linked

7. theological context

• aligns with the Christian belief in the incarnation, emphasizing the sanctity of the human body created by God