Friday's Lecture Notes: Class 9:30-10:20

The Disciplines of Philosophy

Metaphysics: beyond/with science of nature

-meta: Greek word meaning "beyond, with"

-physics: the science of nature, from Greek word "phusis" meaning "nature"

When we study natural things we make assumptions

Assumptions

i.e. when we study a rat... -That it's alive

-That cause & effect exist

-Instinct -it's just there/it's part of survival/it's in the brain/

it follows form & function/it is learned from parents

Where does philosophy come from?

-Philosophers make their own systems & challenge each other

-Philosophy is a history of debate

-Same in politics: What is the best form of government?

Refresher of Wednesday

-Reflective Question

-Play between knowing and not knowing

-Origin of Question

-Wonder & perplexity

-Have to know to question

-Philosophy is the ground for all various disciplines from science to the arts

Branches of Philosophy- Metaphysics

Metaphysics- concerned with the ultimate structure of reality Common Cosmology

-What is the origin of the universe & what is first cause? (Cosmology) Big Bang. But what caused the Big Bang?

-Does life have a meaning or end? (Teleology) What is nature of being human?

-Does God exist? (Theology)

-What can we say exists? (Ontology) Plato: We all come from Eros (desire)

Examples of Problems in Metaphysics

Mind-Body problem: How are mental processes related to physical states? Traditionally answered with some kind of dualism

-Large part of philosophy is getting away from this dualism

The Question of Universals(Abstract Objects): Do general attributes exist independent of particular ideas? Is there a universal desk that exists outside of any independent desk? Does 3 exist?

Essence: required characteristics of a given object

Appearance: unique manifestation of the objects

Accidents: properties of an object that compromise its appearance, but are not necessary to its essence

Epistemology- nature of knowledge

-episteme: Greek word meaning "to know"

-logos: Greek word meaning "word", has come to mean "science"

How is knowledge justified? What are the different sources of knowledge?

Propositional knowledge (know that) vs. Know How or knowledge by acquaintance

Apriori: knowledge independent of experience

Aposteriori: knowledge through experience

Analytic: true by nature of meaning in itself -i.e. all unmarried men are bachelors

Synthetic: distinct subjects & predicates -Alex is a bachelor