1st way
argument from motion
1.our senses prove that some things are in motion
2.nothing can actually move itself, it must be moved by another thing
3.If something can only move if acted upon by something else, there must have been an original mover who caused th
2nd way
argument from efficient cause
1) we percieve a series of efficient causes in the world
2) nothing exists prior to itself/ it cannot be the cause of itself
3) If a previous cause doesn't exist, neither does the result
4) If the first thing in a series does
3rd way
argument from possibility and necessity
1) In nature it is possible for things to go into being and out of being (ie Contingent beings)
2) assume every being is a contingent being
3) for every being, there is a time it didn't exist
4) therefore, it is pos
4th way
argument from gradation of being
1) there is a change(gradation) found in all things
2) description of the degree requires reference to the uttermost case
3) the maximum in any category is the cause of all in that genus
4) therefore there must be somethin
5th way
argument from design
1) natural bodies all work towards some goal
2) most natural things lack knowledge
3) what lacks intelligence must be directed by something with intelligence
4) therefore, some intelligent being must exist to direct non-intelligent be
argument from dreaming
1. I often have perceptions very much like the ones I usually have in sensation while I am dreaming.
2. There are no definite signs to distinguish dream experience from waking experience.
therefore,
3. It is possible that I am dreaming right now and that
argument from deception
1. We believe that there is an all powerful God who has created us and who is all powerful.
2. He has it in his power to make us be deceived even about matters of mathematical knowledge which we seem to see clearly.
therefore,
3. It is possible that we ar
evil demon argument
1. Instead of assuming that God is the source of our deceptions, we will assume that there exists an evil demon, who is capable of deceiving us in the same way we supposed God to be able.
Therefore, I have reason to doubt the totality of what my senses te
wax argument
wax may melt and change color, but we are still aware that it is wax, because we understand and grasp the concept of wax.
how would descartes answer the question "is knowledge possible"?
-Knowledge must be possible because just us knowing our own existence is knowledge. Descartes also states that because we know that God would not deceive us, our knowledge of the world must be true.
epistemology
How do we know what we know? How can we be certain?
Rationalism
you can have knowledge without direct experiences
-Descartes
-deductive
-a priori
we are born with innate ideas
Empiricism
everything we know, we now through experiences
-hume
-inductive
-a posteriori
born with tabula rasa (blank slate)
common sense skepticism
you don't automatically accept something as true
who often uses philosophy? why?
philosophers to test commonly used methods
methodological skepticism
the process of questioning ones own beliefs as true or false
major argument for absolute skepticism? problem?
nothing can possibly be known as true or false
problem=it is a contradiction because even knowing that we can't know anything is still knowing something
Descartes first certainty
i think, i exist
humes empiricism holds that
-cause and effect
--- A is the cause of B if A occurs before B
-A is contiguous with B in some way
-A is necessarily connected with B
problem with induction
There is no way to know if what has happened in the past will continue to happen in the future (ie the turkey example)
What two categories can the perception of the mind be divided into, and how are they distinguished from each other?
-perceptions of mind can be divided into ideas and impressions. Ideas are less lively while impressions are much more lively realistic perceptions.
what is humes argument that the relation of cause and effect cannot be discoverable by reason, only experience?
-the only way the relation of cause and effect could be discoverable by reason, is if we assumed the future is based off of the past, which is disproved by hume.
Analytic
always true
synthetic
sometimes true
hume had a limited skepticism of ...
knowledge
relations of ideas
analytic statement
matters of fact
synthetic statement
two constitutive elements of standpoint epistemology
- the notion of a standpoint
-the notion that some standpoints are epistemically privileged
what is distinctive about womens cognitive style
women are distinct in the fact that they use their hearts as well as their brains and hands. Theyir emotional involvement is distinctive.
How did feminists employ Marxism's tools to create their own standpoint epistemology?
-Marxism claims that lack of bias is a necessary condition for knowledge, which was modified by feminists. Feminists tae a much less traditional version of marxism.
What is soft determinism? and what is wrong with it?
-soft determinism is the belief that all human behavior is determined, but humans are still free to make decisions based off their desires.
-Whats wrong with it? some argue that internal states are caused or determined by your free will.
three parts of soft determinism
-1- all human behavior is determined
-2- voluntary behavior is free
-3- behavior is based on acts of the agents will
What is simple indeterminism and what problems do it and determinism face?
-simple indeterminism is saying that one event does not necessarily cause another event to happen (our lives are not total determined and caused by chance)
problem with simple indeterminism?
-people could blame themselves for a situation that is not necessarily their fault.
problem with determinism?
-people could use this as an excuse for all their actions.
What is the point that the free will discussion turn on?
-The conditions that are necessary and actually cause that choice to be made
-what causes a person to choose
Blatchfords main point?
-All humans lives are completely determined and we have no free will, therefore we should not be held guilty for our actions.
Why should we not blame someone for his or her conduct?
-because a persons actions are predetermined based off of their heredity and environment.
-Blatchford believes that they were destined to make the decision that they made
meaning that the heredity and environment is too blame for a persons actions.
What does "Existance precedes Essence" mean?
-we exist first, then make choices that defines who we are, then lice our lives as we choose.
What is the first principle of existentialism?
-man is nothing else but what he makes of himself.
Why did Sartre claim that "In choosing myself, I choose man"?
when you make a decision, you are saying "this is how any person should handle this situation
What is meant by "anguish"?
A man feels anguish because he realizes that he not only chooses for himself, but for everyone, and has no way of knowing if his decisions are the right ones.
What does forlornness mean?
-God does not exist and we have to face the consequence of this.
Why did Sartre say that we are condemned to being free?
-we are condemned in the sense that we are responsible for the person that we choose to be.
What does Sartre mean by despair?
-We despair because we have to go through life making decisions when we have no idea what the consequences of our decisions are going to be, and we are responsible for accepting the consequences.
Anselms argument for the existence of God
-a)God is a being that no greater can be conceived
-b)we understand what it means to speak of God
-c)we can conceive of such a beings(God) existence in reality
-d)if we understand what it means to speak of "X", then "X" exists in understanding
-e) therefo
Guanilos counter-argument
-Anselms reasoning indicate that anything we can understand and imagine could exist in real life. His example is that any island that we could imagine exists in real life, which isn't true.
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