What is Philosophy?
The attempt to acquire at true beliefs, usually
about “big”, or
“deep” topics, usually by using arguments
What are the main branches of philosophy?
metaphysics, ethics, logic, epistemology
What is logic?
the study of arguments and forms of reasoning
What is an Argument?
Set of sentences with premises intended to supporta conclusion
What is a Premise?
reasons, evidence, support.
What are some key words for Premises?
Look for “because”, “since”, “if”
What is an Conclusion?
the point one is trying to establish
What are some key words for Conclusions?
ook for “therefore”, “so”, “hence”
What is the first step in evaluating an argument?
do the premises support the conclusion?
What is the second step in evaluating an argument?
are the premises true?
How is an argument valid?
The premises support the conclusion because IF they are true, the
conclusion MUST be
true—the conclusion logically follows, that
is, the argument is valid.
How is an argument Sound?
If the premises of a valid argument are true
What does support mean?
Support is when the premises support the Argument, also making it sound. Some arguments do not have support.
What is a counterexample?
A case in which what the premise says is false
What is a Fallacy?
error in reasoning—an illogical, irrational inference
What is a deductive argument?
the argument claims to produce its conclusion with necessity—the conclusion is claimed to follow with certainty
What is an inductive argument?
the argument claims to produce its conclusion with some likelihood—the conclusion is claimed to be likely given the premises
What is A priori Knowledge?
known “independently of experience, in the way you know the truths of mathematics”
What is A posteriori or Empirical Knowledge?
somehow derives from your experience
What are some examples of A Priori Knowledge?
all triangles have three sides, 2+2=4, all effects have causes
What are some examples of A Posteriori Knowledge?
here are 8 planets, salt dissolves in water, a window in Chapel of Memories is triangular
Who is David Hume?
One of the greatest philosophers, Scottish, (1711-1776), wrote Treatise on Human Nature
What is Humes problem with induction and why does he think it is not rational to believe the principal of the uniformity of nature?
A creature with excellent vision, a perfect memory, and an ideal capacity for reasoning but with no other mental capacities would know nothing about the unobserved. She might know that the sun has risen in the past, but she will have no way of knowing that the sun will rise tomorrow. You cant probe the sun will rise tomorrow just because It has always done so in the past. That follows the principal of the uniformity of nature.
what is Epistomology?
the study of knowledge
What is the topic "Traditional, standard analysis of knowledge"
knowledge is justified, true, belief
What are Gettier cases as counterexamples to standard analysis of knowledge.
Broken Clock:Suppose you believe, and it is true that it is 10:30.
Your justification is the clock that just happened to stop working,
at
10:30 the day before. The clock has a great record of accurate
telling the time.
Many will think you do not know that is it
10:30, although you have a true, justified belief.
What is a skeptical Hypothesis?
plausible scenario where our beliefs about reality are completely false, yet we cannot tell the difference between that illusion and real life.
what are some examples of skeptical hypothesis?
dreaming, simulation, brain in a vat
What is Descartes famous line?
cogito ergo sum which means I think, there for I am
What were Descartes three things that made him not believe in absolute certainty?
His senses being a stick in the water may curve, sometimes he would dream and dreamt that he had woken up, and a evil demon changing his thoughts so he wouldn't get anything right.
What was a doubt behind Descartes thinking?
unified "I" who owns that thought. To say "I think" already smuggles in the assumption of a substantial self, which is exactly what the doubt was supposed to leave uncertain. Thought could, in principle, occur without a single enduring thinker behind it.
What is External World Skepticism?
It is the view that we do not have certain knowledge of the outside world because we only have our own perceptions, not the world itself.
Who is GE Moore?
A Philosopher who came up with the " here's a hand view".
What is the "Heres a hand view"
It is a view that proves that external world skepticism is false, He put up his two hands and made gestures with them, this proving that the hand is part of the external world.
What is the topic the problem of other minds mean?
It means that everyone has their own experiences, could be in the same exact situation with someone but they could take or think about it differently.
What is an example of problem of other minds?
Me and you saw a lime and a strawberry and call it the same color, doesn't mean we see the same color as each other.
What is Qualia(Qualitative Character)?
“what it’s likeness” of a sensation—
what it feels like
What is an example of Qualia?
maybe falling in love kind of feels like falling, or
anxiety
feels like a dagger in the chest,
What is Idealism?
it is mental, spiritual,
immaterial, or soulful
What is Physicalism?
roughly, everything that exists is
physical or material
What is Esse est percipi?
to be is to be perceived
What was Berkleys idealism and reasons he gave to support it?
The only things we precieve or what our mind and ideas are. Like warmth, cold, pleasure, pain, visual shape, color, sounds.
What was Berkley's other idea.
Things are always there because god is always watching.
What is Cogency?
It is when the premises are true and the argument is strong.