Summary
Summary philosophy notes
- Module
- Philosophy
- Institution
- The University Of Kent (UKC)
overall notes exam prep
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
Content preview
PhilosophyMORAL REALISM,
THEORY SUGGESTING THST THERE ARE A SET O FMORAL PRINCIPLES,
TIMELESS, UNTOUCHABLE AND UNCHANGABLE REGARDLESS OF HISTORY
MORAL RELATIVISM,
DEPEND ON WHETHER INDIVIDUALS BELIEVE IS RIGHT, THEY REQUIRE
Normal Incredulity
Occurs when encountering ordinary evidence which makes our belief
uncertain, which alters our behavior.
This form of doubt is sensitive to further ordinary evidence, and
therefore can be overcome if ground of doubt are removed.
Philosophical Incredulity
Ordinary evidence makes a belief more likely to be true, by invoking
a skeptical scenario. This form of skepticism is not a practical
purpose rather a theoretical purpose, therefore does not alter the
way we act. Rather than a focus on a specific belief, philosophical
doubt tends to extend to a whole set of beliefs.
René Descartes
Mathematician
Dualist: the conception of something conceptually into two opposed
aspects.
Method of Doubt
Descartes formed this theory, in the hope of removing error from his
system of beliefs, and to be able to establish knowledge with no
doubts. For this he would need to eliminate all previous opinions
that have any form of doubt.
The senses
“I have found that my senses have derives, it is unwise to trust
completely those who have derived us even once”
Descartes claims that on occasion he has found that his senses have
derived, and that it would be unwise of him to continue to trust a
mechanism, such as his senses, if they have already deceived him
more than once. This is due to the fact that his argument has been
interpreted as to state that as the senses have deceived him in the
past, therefore they will continue to do so in the future.
The Dreaming
“There is never any reliable way of distinguishing being awake from
being asleep”
At that period of time, there was yet to exist oneirology, the
science of dreaming. Due to this, there was no way of
differentiating between a sleeping/dreaming state, and a state of
awareness/awake.
The Evil Demon
“I shall suppose that some malicious, powerful cunning demon has
, done all he can to deceive us..”
While the first two waves of doubt are personal deceptions which
occur due to person beliefs or thinking, the final wave of doubt
suggests that the entire world is not being seen as it is truly.
Descartes final wave of doubt assumes that there is an Evil Demon so
powerful as to be able to deceive us about everything, this can
include seeing the sky as blue, and the grass as green while it
might actually be a purple sky, and pink grass. Except, it can also
include judgements of basic mathematics such as 1+1 being =3 instead
of 2.
Cogito ego sum
Descartes ends the skepticism by stating that while he can doubt the
existence of his body, he cannot doubt the existence of himself,
this means that he is a substance which can think. As a dualist, he
concluded that his mind exists independently of his body.
Representative Realism
A person cannot perceive the external world as it really is, and can
only perceive it as our own interpretations and ideas. One can only
be directly aware of our own sense data.
Criticism
Appearance, The View of Perception
Representative realism shows they world as it really appears,
through sense data and reality.While sense data can be perceived
directly, reality can only be perceived representatively. This means
that we cannot compare the worlds appearance to what the world
really is, therefore meaning that we cannot determine that our
perception is a similar, or good perception.
Existence, Trap of Solipsism
Representative Realism states that one can only be directly aware of
ones own sense data, and can never be accessible to the physical
world itself. Except, if one is not able to access the physical
world, there would be actual evidence of the worlds existence,
therefore questioning the existence of the world itself.
Defence, Locke
People have a lack of choice over their experiences, which shows
that people were meant to follow a general path given to us, to
exact certain situations, and avoid others.
Locke’s second defence, is the coherency of a multitude of senses.
This is shown through the comparison of each person sense data of
certain objects, orphans of existence. Due to the increases
similarities, and lack of distinguishable differences, on can
insinuate that the physical world does exist in a sense
independently of us.
Defence, Russel
As an instinctive belief, one can assume that our sense data has
corresponding objects in the physical world. Due to this, we can
simplify our experiences and sense data, and use that as the
fundament of the external world. Therefore, we can accept that the
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller nadagaroub. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £8.39. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
62890 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now