14 Feb Philosophy Figure essay Instructions: Select any philosopher named in the text between pp. 1 ? 272. You may choose a philosopher
Assignment #5 – Philosophy Figure essay
Instructions:
Select any philosopher named in the text between pp. 1 – 272. You may choose a philosopher prominently featured in the text (though not the same one you wrote about in Assignment #2)This philosopher that you find in the attachment CANNOT be Socrates, Plato or Aristotle.This philosopher must be one mentioned in the text except for the three figures above. or you may choose someone who is mentioned only very briefly (such as Bertrand Russell on p. 254).4 key requirements
1.Your essay should focus on carefully explaining key ideas and contributions of the philosopher. 2. Discuss what other philosophers or events influenced this philosopher 3. and what influence this philosopher has had on others. 4. Finally, offer your own evaluation of the ideas presented by this philosopher.5. 7 peer-reviewed sources are required.Cite sources 7 peer-reviewed sources, the textbook and the powerpoint lecture note. Objectives:Assignments have the following objectives:
- Identify and describe key concepts relevant to a theme presented in the assignment prompt.
- Explore ideas in philosophical depth beyond the presentation of course material.
- Examine course material in order to develop an informed investigation of your perspectives on a theme presented in the assignment.
- Research scholarly sources to help explore and expand students’ perspectives and develop critical thinking skills.
- Develop a cogent argument to support your position.
Expectations:
PHILOSOPHY 1001
PPT 4
Mind, Matter, Materialism
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TERMS TO KNOW
- Metaphysics
- Materialism
- Mechanistic Materialism
- Determinism
- Descartes
- Mind
- Dualism
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What do you think this cover story is going to be about?
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OTHER REALITIES
Plato conceived of a “Being World” but could mind or soul or spirit be another reality?
- What is thought?
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Can you measure thought? Does thought have weight or shape? What is it?
Have you ever wondered if everything was just a dream?
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DESCARTES (1591-1649 EARLY MODERN AGES)
Philosophy takes a turn with Descartes
Descartes, a good example of how thought can change
Often, when someone finally gets fed up with the way things are, they strike out on a new path.
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DESCARTES
Rene Descartes (Day-cart)
1546 -1649 Father of Modern Philosophy
- 1. French mathematician and scientist- (Cartesian Mathematics)
- 2. Set out to create new definitive kind of philosophy
- 3. Proposed mind and matter as two realms of reality and set out to prove their reality
- Famous quote, “I think therefore I am.”
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DUALISM
Descartes’ dualistic philosophy encounters the same difficulty of Plato …
How do the two realm of reality interact?
[Descartes solution- a gland in the brain is the mixing point between the two realities.]
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MATERIALISM (CH. 5)
Matter: the substance (atoms/molecules) that things are made of
Descartes thought matter was a reality but that “mind” was another reality apart from it. But other philosophers think matter is the only realm of reality. This way of thinking is called Materialism.
only one realm of reality- matter
nothing “transcends” human beings
even what we think of as thoughts or the soul are made up of matter.
[contemporary definition of materialism: focus on wealth and possessions. ]
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SOME MATERIALISTS
Democritus (460-370 BC) – father of atomic science
Epicurus (341-270 BC) believed the soul was matter and would disperse at death
Hobbes (1588-1679AD) believed in God but human beings were only material
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MECHANISTIC MATERIALISM
Only one realm of reality- matter
All matter operates by fixed laws of nature
(Copernicus and Newton, added to this notion.)
Le Metrie – Man a Machine – 1748
– Thoughts, feelings, emotions etc. are all parts of the human machine.
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DETERMINISM
Materialism leads to Determinism
All things are caused by other things. (causation)
If the universe is only material, nothing outside of the material world can act upon it or change the universe
Conclusion : All things are the way they could only be
All things about people are the way they could only be
So we could say – the universe is deterministic
What are the implications of Determinism for your life and society?
(Hard Determinism/Soft Determinism)
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DETERMINISM
B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) – Behavioral Psychologist
Skinner “an example of someone with physicalistic view of mind and a pervasive view of causal determinism” – Ed. L. Miller
- humans are product of (deterministic) environment and have no “free will”
- therefore, to get a person (or society) to change, condition their mind instead of trying to change their “will.”
- Questions/implications; if humans are not autonomous, who decides how they should be changed? If humans have no will, can they be justifiably held accountable for their actions?
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IMPLICATIONS OF MATERIALISM ?
- If there is a transcendent reality
- Then there is philosophical justification for:
- Truth/Meaning and purpose
- Human value and dignity
- Consistent/absolute morality
- Therefore: expect people to be responsible for self
- Without a transcendent reality the above items can be theorized about but are difficult if not impossible to justify intellectually.
- Issue to ponder: If we can’t justify human value or absolute morality- how might we deal with the questions of there being too many people on the planet?
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SCIENTISM
- Scientism is a belief in the universal applicability of the scientific method and approach, and the view that empirical science constitutes the most authoritative worldview or the most valuable part of human learning—to the exclusion of other viewpoints. Scientism is for the most part an extension of the belief of materialism.
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METAPHYSICS
Metaphysics is the study of reality. It asks
what is there, or what is real?
Some think there is more than one reality
Some think there is only one reality- materialism
What are the implications of both ways of thought?
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THINGS TO KNOW
- Can you describe how Materialism leads to Determinism?
- Can you discuss some of the implications of Materialism and Determinism?
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TERMS TO KNOW
- Metaphysics
- Materialism
- Mechanistic Materialism
- Determinism
- Descartes
- Mind
- Dualism
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Philosophy Ppt 7
Rationalism and Empiricism
Come Together
Immanuel Kant
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The Rationalism Empiricism Impasse
Rationalism – knowledge through reason and innate Ideas (but how do you prove that?)
Empiricism- knowledge comes to blank slate mind by experience through the senses
(but the senses can deceive us.)
Radical Empiricism of David Hume, backdrop for Kant (can only know our perceptions)
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Immanuel Kant
1724-1804 Konigsberg, East Prussia
Mathematician
Reacted to Hume’s radical empiricism
Kant thought we could know reality with certainty- just didn’t know how.
Was able to combine Rationalism and Empiricism
The properties of the mind (innate/rationalism) construct what we call perception (knowledge through experience/empiricism)
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For More On Kant
Khan Academy Three Part Video
Kant on Metaphysics and Space
https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/wi-phi/wiphi-history/wiphi-kant/v/kant-on-metaphysical-knowledge
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Kantian Terms
a priori (prior to) knowledge before – innate or not needing empirical experience
a posteriori (posterior) knowledge after – from empirical experience
Analytic knowledge
Statements true in themselves – barking dogs bark
Synthetic knowledge
Synthetic statements – give info about reality – water freezes at 32’
If can accept some of both kinds of statements as true
Realize the innate qualities of mind make the experiential knowledge (perception) possible.
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Example
-All people “perceive” things in space and time
space and time are “universal” concepts
where did the universal concepts come from?
the mind universally constructs perception within space and time – (innate quality) but utilizes the senses as well
Kant has 12 categories like space and time
(Remember Chomsky and language?)
Need senses to learn language
Mind already has faculty to organize it
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Kant’s Two Worlds or Realms
Phenomenal- sense world
Tends toward determinism- laws of nature
Noumenal – realm that must exist but can’t prove
Our minds/thoughts can change Phenomenal world
Leaves the door open for free agency, ability of human beings to choose right or wrong action (crucial idea for Kantian Ethics)
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Impact of Kant
“Copernican Revolution” -Kant
-Hume- mind conforms to objects
-Kant – objects conform to mind
Impacted all philosophy after him
“Greatest Epistemologist of all Times”
Brings Rationalism and Empiricism together in a new way.
Saved Science
There is certainty of knowledge about phenomenal or natural world
Greatly challenged faith – the limit of reason
We cannot know for sure of anything outside the phenomenal world.
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Impact of Kant cont’d
If can’t know Noumenal world for sure
Can’t know if God exists for sure
For those who accept this- faith becomes “blind”
Faith knowledge- since can’t be known for sure, becomes invalid or no bearing on reality
People of faith – feet in two worlds
Contemporary Issues
Evolution vs. Intelligent Design debate
Kant believed there was a Noumenal world – God-
Couldn’t prove it but thought it must necessarily exist (left back door open) because morality is evident
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Impact of Philosophy
How does the philosophy of people like Kant affect us?
If accepted by large enough/ influential enough group, eventually becomes established “truth” that eventually influences what we are taught and think
More of Kant to come
For Ethics- The categorical imperative
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Terms/ Things to Know
A priori – knowledge before – rationalism
A posteriori – knowledge after- empiricism
Immanuel Kant was called “the greatest Epistemologist of all times” because he found a revolutionary was to argue for the combination of Rationalism and Empiricism.
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End
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