We've done an awful lot for the first week, so well done if you haven't weakened yet!
First of all we read the 'First Meditation' from Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy' (probably the most read philosophy book ever written - but not the best!) and we saw how Descartes sets out to test the validity of the 'knowledge' he thinks he has. He decides to use a form of extreme scepticism: everything he thinks he knows is subjected to the test 'can I be completely certain it is true?'
He gives examples of three different ways in which he may be wrong about how he perceives the world. Firstly he uses the argument from illusion; (sticks appearing bent in water etc.) to show that his senses are not reliable. Secondly he suggests he could be dreaming: the argument from dreaming. And thirdly he considers that a malignant demon may be deceiving him deliberately about everything: the argument from deception. (The Matrix / brain in a vat business)'
In the Second Meditation he goes on a bit more about all the doubt stuff (Cartesian doubt / extreme scepticism) and then fairly quickly arrives at the point where he concludes that all he can really be sure of is that he is a 'thinking thing' an 'I" that thinks. This is the famous 'cogito' 'I think therefore I am' (cogito ergo sum) Even if he is being fed all his thoughts by the 'malignant demon' he can still be sure that it is him he must exist in order to think these thoughts. So he can't be certain that anything he thinks is true, but he can be certain he is thinking those thoughts! :)
We also learned the meaning of ‘epistemology’, it is the study of knowledge: what can we know and how can we know it? And how can we know we know it!! :)
We also learned how to distinguish 'a priori' statements of knowledge from 'a posteriori' ones: think of 'a priori' as meaning 'independent of experience'. If you could lie in a floatation tank, deprived of all sensory input, and still be certain a statement is true, then you know it 'a priori'. You don't need to and check. If you need to check the truth of a statement (even if you couldn't actually check it e.g. there is genuinely a creature that lives deep in the Atlantic Ocean that bears an uncanny resemblance to 'Spongebob Square-Pants') then it's claim is 'a posteriori'.
These terms, and the distinction between 'analytic' and 'synthetic' propositions will become very important very soon.
HOMEWORK:
We also learned how to distinguish 'a priori' statements of knowledge from 'a posteriori' ones: think of 'a priori' as meaning 'independent of experience'. If you could lie in a floatation tank, deprived of all sensory input, and still be certain a statement is true, then you know it 'a priori'. You don't need to and check. If you need to check the truth of a statement (even if you couldn't actually check it e.g. there is genuinely a creature that lives deep in the Atlantic Ocean that bears an uncanny resemblance to 'Spongebob Square-Pants') then it's claim is 'a posteriori'.
These terms, and the distinction between 'analytic' and 'synthetic' propositions will become very important very soon.
HOMEWORK:
Read to end of Meditation 2.
Write brief summary of Descartes ‘wax’ example': what is the point he's trying to make? Use Philosophy online summary if you're stuck.
Due Monday
If you are serious about doing Philosophy you really ought to try to buy (and read) these two books. They will be useful throughout the A Level - course. 'The Classics' is probably the first one to get as it's a fairly gentle introduction, but 'The basics' is also very, very useful. Get them both if you possibly can!
Philosophy: The Classics
BUY BOOKS
If you are serious about doing Philosophy you really ought to try to buy (and read) these two books. They will be useful throughout the A Level - course. 'The Classics' is probably the first one to get as it's a fairly gentle introduction, but 'The basics' is also very, very useful. Get them both if you possibly can!
They seem to be cheapest here (but I hate Amazon!)
Philosophy: The Classics
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