| Clear and Distinct Ideas | Descartes uses the idea of clear and distinct ideas to find truth. All truth or fact start with a clear and distinct idea, then everything else can be deducted from that. He says, “Give me certainty or give me skepticism.” |
| Cogito ergo sum | “I think therefore I am” Descartes argues that one must doubt everything that one cannot be absolutely sure of. Descartes contends that the only thing humans can be sure of is their own existence. From there on they must form clear and distinct ideas to discover truth. For example, I have a clear and distinct idea of a perfect being. Thus the perfect being, or God, must exist |
| Ortonlogical argument (Descartes’ version) | All perfect qualities leads to the all perfect god. Descartes claims that he has a clear and distinct idea of a perfect being, God, and since it is more perfect to exist both in mind an reality this perfect being must exist. Therefore God exists. |
| Method of doubt | Descartes says that we must doubt everything we cannot be absolute sure of. He observes, “Give me certainty or give me skepticism.” We become sure of things through clear and distinct ideas” |
| Rationalism | Kant: believe that the universal principles of reason can be applied a priori throughout all time and space, whether we experience it or not. The order of mind and that of nature are one. (Plato, Descartes, Leibniz, Spinoza) |
| Empiricism | All knowledge begins with experience; all experience is grounded in sense perception. No innate ideas. All that can truly be said to exist is what can potentially affect our sense organs. It is the opposite of rationalism. |
| Problem of Induction | Induction is to generalize from past experience to some conclusion, often a quasi-universal principal. All ravens have been black. Or, the sun will rise everyday. Such inferences presuppose the uniformity of nature that is the future will be like the past. It assumes the uniformity of nature: Hume |
| Hume’s theory of knowledge: | all knowledge comes from experience, that we can infer that we know the future will be like the past. In fact, we have not experienced the distant past, let alone the future. For Hume all knowledge is based off of sense experience. Objective. |
| Synthetic a priori judgments (and why they are important | A non-analytical truth that everyone agrees is necessarily true. (A straight line is the shortest distance between two points.) Kant points out there is nothing in the concept of “straight line” that has anything to do with distance. Solution to the problem of induction. |
| Transcendental argument | direct evidence to the existence of a transcendent thing. a transcendental argument looks for the necessary prior condition s to both the fact and experience of x. |
| Categories of understanding | Kant’s categories of understanding fall under phenomena (or possible objects of experience) in his theory of cognition. They include judgments on quantity, quality, and modality. |
| Forms of intuition | Kant’s categories of understanding fall under phenomena theory of cognition. They are Space and time and necessary possible for existence. |
| Pragmatism: | The true meaning of a belief and the practical bearing that it has on life. They are continuously questioning one’s belief. Pierce believes in a community of inquires. If two beliefs have the same outcome than pragmatically they are the same! |
| A priori method: | are universal laws of nature. A priori means without experience |
| Methods of authority, tenacity, and science: | Authority is allowing someone to tell you what to do, Tenacity is forming your own truth and sticking with it (tradition), and science is experimenting to find the answers. |
| Aristotle’s concept of species and its implications (Dewy): | To know the species is to know the essential nature of one thing; to know the essence is to know something eternal, perfect and unchangeable; dewy survival of the fittest always changing. |
| Formal and final causes | Formal cause determines the final cause, the formal is like the blue print or pattern leading to the final cause. |
| Deduction, induction, and abduction | Deduction is mathematical, induction is learning from experience, and abduction is evidence to reach a wider conclusion, best guess by the smartest people in the field. |
| Perice on the value of doubt: | you have to doubt everything, it keeps you objective and forces inquiry. |
| Pragmatic concept of truth: | founded by a community of inquirers. Truth is true based on consequences. Belief Action Consequences habit |
| Ethics of belief: | Clifford, consider the consequences of all of your beliefs it’s not consequences it’s an example that your having and the intentions. You must inquire all of the consequences before doing it. Ship owner |
| Theological suspension of the ethical | Kirkeerguard- some times god suspends the action because he’s higher than us; Abraham example it’s ok because god knows best, more faith something requires the better it is. |
| The absurd | Faith is better because it’s absurd. It is the way of life most difficult, and so the most worthy. It requires the highest commitment, passion and decisiveness. |
| Subjective vs objective thinking: | Kerikeerguard: subjective thinking replaces objective thinking, objective religious beliefs are objectively uncertain, not empirically verifiable. |
| Darwinian critique of essentialism (Aristotle): | Dar. Nature has no permanent essence, everything is in constant flux and changing for survival of the fittest. Aristotle- everyone should have a higher goal. |
| Spirit of Revenge | Human beings are prone to the spirit of revenge, attitude adjustment. |
| Eternal return of the same: | The circle thing, you get back what you put in |
| Superman (overman): | God died and now we have to discover a new reason of existence. Once you realize that god is dead and you go through the 3 metaphysics to become the superman. |
| Spirit of Gravity: | You always have something bringing you down and you’ve got to keep a positive attitude. Like the hunchback |
| The Last Man: | The last man was a weak-willed individual, one who is tired of life, takes no risks, seeks only comfort and security.The last man would be the product of socialism, democracy and other egalitarian belief systems. |
| Nietzsche’s critique of the Good and the just: | Man is the cruelest animal and likes to see people suffer. |
| Nietzsche’s concept of redemption: | Challenge the dragon, thou shalt, should be I will. Find redemption from the mundane |
| Zarathustra’s most abysmal thought: | Small man, the last man, will also eternally return, the last man lives the longest. |
