Comment on the following:


The common paradox I gave you in class:

"This very sentence that I am now uttering is false".

Let the above sentence = X

If X is true, then what it says is the case so X is false.
If X is false, then since it is exactly what is says, it's true.



Bertrand Russell's Paradox about sets.

Sets can be members of other sets.  For example a set of all desks in the room is also a set of all objects in the building.

Some sets can be members of themselves.  For example the set of all objects on page 57 is an object on page 57.

The set of all sets in a set and so a member of itself.

Some sets are clearly not members of themselves.  The set of all people is not a person The set of all desks in the room is not a desk in the room.

NOW

consider the set of all sets that are not members of themselves (x).  Is X a member of itself?

If it is a member of itself, then it is one of those things that is not a member of itself, therefore it is not a member of itself.

If it is not a member of itself, it is one of those things that is not a member of itself, so it is a member of itself.

Comment on the one or both of the following questions in epistemology:

-Do we learn from experience through our senses, or do we learn from set a-priori truths that already exist and then we reason forward?

-Can human experience exist divorced completely from metaphysics?

Paradigm Shifts – A Major Change in How We Look At Something.

-They can be in science, society, philosophy, anything

-This change usually has almost a “pop” effect – like the idea just popped (although there’s a process behind the pop).

A few examples:

-The Reformation:  Information is now for everyone

-Flat Earth – The Earth is no longer flat.

-The Heliocentric Theory:  Earth is NOT in the center.

-The Age of Empiricism:

-A theory of epistemology

-Led to physics as respected vs. frowned on.

-Industrial Revolution: Machines come out of nowhere.

-Plate tectonics: Continents move

-Collapse of Soviet Block - Europe is back to one

-Flat Earth II – We’re back to being flat “technologically speaking”.

In the old days mom said, Bobby eat your peas because someone in China wants that food.  Now the wise mom says Bobby, try not to be wasteful and eat all the peas you choose to take, but if you don’t eat them realize that no one will starve because of it because starvation is a problem of distribution of resources.  But Bobby, do worry about studying because someone in China wants your job! 

Theories of Epistemology:

Rationalism:  Descartes 1560-1650

-He was wealthy, very smart, very religious, and a little crazy

-Predecessor to Empiricism

-True knowledge is known only from deduction of self-evident principals.      

-Self Evident Principals = “Intuition” and come from God

(which is interesting because the feminist philosophers have a high regard for “intuition” as well).

          : 2 + 2 = 4 is self-evident

          : “__________” is a line and not a set of keys or a rock.

-When you take things you know from Intuition and apply them to other situations through deductive reasoning, you have “Absolute Undisputable Truth”.

-Deduction:  The process of reasoning – beginning with self-evident principals

Method Of Doubt/ Radical Doubt:  Truth must be certain so you must ask these specific questions

          -Does the mind accurately represent the reality?

          -How do I know this is not an illusion?

          -Am I being deceived? (by the deceiver)

Doubt everything first, then let that process lead to truth.  The old way was to accept things first (flat Earth, Geocentric Universe), and then build your philosophy around it (Scholasticism).

  He was criticized – and this bothered him greatly.  It was a great “moral dilemma” for him.

His Grand Conclusion:  The Cogito Ergo Sum:  I can’t actually know if you exist.  I can’t know if the physical world I seem to be a part of is real.  The only thing I know for sure is that I think.  Since I think, that makes me not unreal – so I am real.  Therefore:  I think, therefore I am.

Empiricism:  (Locke, Berekley, and Hume) 1600-1700

Predecessor to Newtonian Science – Paved the way for science to be respected.

-Metaphysics is not as important:   Hume:  “its garbage”.

-True knowledge comes from the senses, NOT reasoning out some sort of “first truths”.

-Locke:  Mildest of three

          -Put the emphasis on experience over reason.

          -Tabula Rasa

          -Even though ideas may “seem to be universal” (Innate) that does not prove anything.

          -Said that there are Primary Qualities of Reality and Secondary Qualities of Reality – a mind-world connection.

Berkeley: 

-All experience is in the mind. 

-There is no Mind-World connection.

-We only know objects indirectly through perception.

-In the end God rescues us and keeps the world from falling apart.

Hume:

-Radical, Skeptical, but popular and nice – had many friends

-Metaphysics, Free Will, God, Innate knowledge are all self-created.

-We have no certain knowledge about the world, only what we “feel” might be true

-Old Way:  Higher knowledge based on reason and the spiritual

                   Lower Knowledge based on experience and the physical

                   (notice the Plato in the above)

-Hume:       There is nothing but experience.

Experience proves nothing.

All experience can be doubted.  All action can be based on cause and effect and it all has “deniability”.

-We get “Impressions” from the most vivid experiences

-We create psychological pictures form the impressions “ideas”

-So everything in the end is nothing more than a feeling

-Analytical Truths – Nothing in experience can refute them.

          -They are demonstratively certain

          -They are true in the “absence of experience”

-Matters of Fact – Based on Analytic Ideas, but not analytic.  These are math and geometry and that’s it.

They all have “deniability” – “The sun shall rise”. They give us a “good feeling” of what is, but not certainty of what is.

Logical Positivism:  A lifestyle of living “Humean”.  You live as if the only things that matter are those things that can be directly experienced and connected analytically.

Empiricism’s Contribution:  It integrated the acceptability of science to the Church to the degree that Newton could work freely.

 

Lemon Exercise

Comment on one question below.
You can also comment on other comments


-What do you think the meaning of the Lemon exercise was, and how does it attach to philosophy?

-What did you think about Anthony Falikowski, and now that you have met him will it influence you any when you read the book?

September 14th Questions

-These are Due September 18th.
-They are worth up to ten points - five points for an entry and I'd like everyone to make two entries at two different times.

Use what you have learned about philosophy so far and comment on one, two or all of these.  Read other comments and comment on the comments.



1)  We make ourselves rich by making our wants few (Henry David Thoreau).
2)   Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on it's ability to climb a tree, it will spend it's whole
      life believing it is stupid  (Albert Einstein).
3)   Some dream of lofty accomplishments.  Others stay awake and make things happen.

Assignment Due Friday August 28th.

I saw this at the Creativity Center in Dubuque.

At first glance (“Prima Facie’), these all seem to work together.  Philosophically, however, some would argue that “Feel and See” are largely different concepts than “Think and Wonder”.   In fact, some would argue that they are in two totally different camps of epistemology.  How so???  Comment on that.  

Don’t worry about being right or wrong, just comment on it.  Feel free to comment more than once, to comment on other people's comments and to respectfully agree and disagree with each other. 

August 24th 2015:

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was an extremely famous painter world-wide (probably the most famous in the 20th Century).  He was born in Spain but lived a lot of his life in France.  He is known for Cubism, which is kind of like using squares and rectangles to make various paintings; and Surrealism, which is artwork that sort of tries to tie reality and dreams together. 

He was kind of a brassy person, and he always had a lot to say.  He had a lot of famous quotes about art, and they get used a lot - sometimes in philosophy.  

In the quote below, and applying it to life in general, rather than just art comment on these two things:

1) Do you agree with this quote, disagree or some of both?

2) Why?

You can comment on other people's answers, as long as it's appropriate and you can also re-comment after you already commented.

 

Notes Chapter 5

ETHICS

Moral Responsibility

       -Dante P. 274

       -No Escape from Moral Responsibility: 

It’s a-priori

Having No Morals is a Moral

 Standard

 

 

Plato: Balance and Character Ethics

          -Two Horses: “Spirit” and “Appetite”, held by “Rationality”.

                   -Everyone has physical and mental needs and that’s okay

                   -The key is “balance”

                   -A “tyrant” is someone who is out of balance

          -Teleology = Purpose

                   : Timaric:                      Athlete, achiever

                   : Oligarchical:               Materials

                   : Philosopher:               Finding Balance

: Democratic:                       Jack of all trades

-Everyone has a purpose (like Stoicism)  Don’t judge a stapler on how well it   shovels snow.

The Republic:  Plato’s book on the perfect government

           

 

Big Questions In Ethics:

1. Are true ethics based on Altruism, or Self Preservation?
2. What is the role of Pleasure in Ethics?
3. What is the role of Duty in Ethics?
4. Are Ethics Set or do they change – Or some of Both?  

 

Utilitarianism

Was A Social Reform in England

            : Child Labor

            :Rise of Middle Class

Kings Made the Law, and it could be “arbitrary and capricious”

Need for “objective” rules

Blends with the French and American Revolutions

Was an idea ready to “pop” – Paradigm shift

Utility leads to Collective morality and democratic laws

            -The rise of Unions is a utilitarian movement

            -Pragmatism is Utilitarian

            -Public Education

Mill:  It is vain to talk about the interest of the individual without talking about the interests of the community (what does this mean) ?

 

 

 

Problems with Utilitarianism:

-You may be “conditioned” to it because you are American

-It is somewhat an argument for “relative” and “Situational” ethics.

-It puts pleasure at the core.  (may not be a problem).

-No action is necessarily right or wrong.  Actions are moral if they maximize the net value of utility

-The Ends sometimes justify the Means

 

Freud’s Outlook on this:

            -Social Setting determines what’s “acceptable”

            --There is a “Competition” between desire and acceptability

            -“Violation” leads to guilt and moral suffering

            -People go to great extremes to avoid guilt.

                        :Make something unacceptable, acceptable

                        :Find a “Moral Authority” to agree with you

                       

 

 

b: Conclude that all Morals are relative (justification)

                        : Deny it  (repression and neurosis).

 

Two Big problems with Moral Relativism:

            -The principal of Non Contradiction.

            -Some things appear to be self-evidently wrong or right.

 

Kant:

            Absolute Truth:  Logically Consistent, Universal, Unconditional

            Duty regardless of Consequences, Happiness, Self, or Balance

            Ends never justify means

            Actions are correct and done from Duty – for Duty’s sake

 

 

Continuum between Universalism and Relativism:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hard                    Soft                                                                                                                                        Relativism    

Universalism      Universalism                                                                                    

 

Morals vs. Acts of Prudence and Preference 

            -To avoid punishment is not moral

            -To look good is not moral

            -To have a “bent” or “preference” is not moral

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXISTENTIAL ETHICS    Nietzsche

Reality is an art form

Morality is man-made

We determine our own morality as we are ultimately free

All attempts to explain it is taking an easy way out of the problem

Since we create our own morality, create it well

Continuously transfer passion into creativity through strength, courage and pride

 

Intuition Ethics -  Noddings

Intuition is often greater than reason

There are exceptions to all moral rules

Relationship is often greater than truth

Care is often more important than duty

 

Objectivism:  Is Selfishness Okay?

 

Altruism…………………………………………………………………………………………….Objectivism

                                                                                                                       

-Altruism is a form of selfishness

-Altruism is, in the end, destructive

-Man must live for his/her own sake

-Rational selfishness is, in the end, productive and benefits everyone

Philosophy Readings Chapter 5:  This is also posted in the blog:  niccphilosophy101@blogspot

Introduction: Page 274, first 2 paragraphs

Plato:  282-284, 288, 292-296

Utilitarianism:  Bottom of 297-305

Kantian Ethics:  Middle of 308-318

Feminist Ethics: 320-322; 327-330

Nietzsche:  334-346

Rand:  346-353

Assignment due Monday February 23^rd.  30 points

2 points each questions.  This assignment is based on the above readings. 

Each answer needs at least two sentences.  Some questions will require more thought than others. 

 

1. What do you think Dante’s statement means on the left side of page 274?
2. According to Plato, how do “appetites”  “spirit” and “reason” work together?
3. What do you think about that?  (question 2)
4. According to Plato, what’s the difference between a Timarchic, an Oligarchic, and a Democratic personality?
5. Give your best shot at explaining Jeremy Bentham’s idea of utilitarianism in a paragraph.
6. How does “duty” fit into Kant’s thinking about ethics?
7. What’s a “maxim”?
8. What’s the “categorical imperative, and what does it mean?
9. Why does Noddings believe that there are times when the relationship is more important than the truth, and how do you feel about that?
10. What’s “universalizability”, and does Noddings generally reject it?
11. What does Nietzsche think about Christianity?
12. What’s the “will to power”?
13. Explain the difference between Master Morality and Slave Morality.
14. What’s “objectivist Ethics”?
15. Why does Rand say that unselfish interest in the welfare of others (altruism)  is inhumane?

 

Stoicism: (from the Porch) 

Roman Empire’s Main Philosophy for over 500 Years.

 

Can be “kind of” negative, “kind of” orderly, “kind of” comical, “kind of” connected

 

Pre-Stoicism Ideas:

 

                -Skepticism:       Generally a questioner of the “status quo”.

                                -Sophists:            Life is a bunch of twisted words.

                                -Thesbians:         Live is “tragedy”, and it is always a “comic”.

 

                -Cynicism:           Cynosarges (lived in a wine barrel).  This was the extreme version.

                                -All materials are worthless and evil for the human spirit.

                                -All powerful people are evil.

                                -Organized society is a joke.

 

Named Founder of Stoicism is Zeno

 

                                -The skeptics and cynics were “too radical” for the majority.  Zeno created an acceptable

                                  form of skepticism and cynicism which changed and evolved as Rome changed and

  evolved.

 

-Fate:  Everything is a part of “Fate”.  “If it’s meant to be it will be”.

 

-“Meaningful Coincidence” – Things don’t happen by chance.

 

-Stoicism prefers the “Non-Emotional”.  It’s your fate, so deal with it.

 

-Logos:  Order, Control

Everything is connected and all answers are connected.

                                           Everything works in a “ordered system” with the universe and with mankind. 

                                                                -We need Cesar to be Cesar and ditch diggers to be ditch diggers

-Both are acting out their fates.  Both have meaningful purpose.

                               

                                -Critics of Stoicism argued that it was a ploy to hold Rome together.  It’s your “Fate” to

                                  Be a peasant and follow Cesar.  Enjoy the role you have, and don’t question stuff too

  Much.

 

 

 

 

HEDONISM and EPICURIANISM  (Two Greek Philosophies Based on Pleasure).

 

Hedonism:  Pure Pleasure.

                -Aristippus founder – student of Plato. Went on his own.

               

                -Physical Pleasure = The Meaning of Life.

-The more intense the pleasure, the more meaning and purpose.

-Enjoy Pleasure without guilt, follow natural desires.

 

                -The Roman’s actually took this “to the next level”, and some of them somehow made

                  It fit in with Stoicism.

 

 

Epicureanism: Controlled Pleasure. 

 

-Epicurus (341 – 270 BC) Studied under Plato and Aristotle, but rejected many things.

                                -Started his own school (The Garden).

                                -Everyone was equal in The Garden.  First to treat women equally.

                -All  Pleasure is good, but not all pleasure should be chosen.

                                -Momentary Pleasure

                                                -Kinetic Pleasure has a diminishing return.

                                                -Some momentary pleasure causes lasting pain.

                                                                -some pain created from pleasure is physical.

                                                                -some pain created form pleasure is mental.

                                -Lasting Pleasure

                                                -Grows rather than diminishes.

                                                -Based on Static Circumstances.

                                                -Based less on physical, more on mental and spiritual

                                                -Ataraxia:  The lack of physical pain and mental anguish.

                                                                -A constant life of not having troubles.

                                                                -A belief that pleasure = purpose (same as Hedonism)

                                                                -A belief in moderation and balance must exist.

Questions:

                -Do some Americans Participate in Hedonism?  Do some Americans Participate in Stoicism?

                -Do we mix the two?

                -What does it mean when the founding fathers say “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”?             

                -Do we let principles guide our actions, or do we create principles that justify our actions?

                -Is there some of both?

                -Does it matter?

 

 

. Existentialism: 

-The idea that we create our own purpose.

-The idea that we have complete Free Will.

-The lack of Fate.

-Usually Atheistic in Nature.

-A Modern Philosophy – Non-Greco-Roman.

-Underpinnings with Kierkegaard (1600ds), but came alive

  With Sartre’ (1950’s).

 

Kierkegaard:

            -Was A Thiest

            -God Designed us before he created us.

            -The creativity we have is part of God’s Plan.

            -God gave us Free Will that we can choose to do either good or evil with.

            -We control “Most” stuff we do.

                        -Occasionally God “Elects” someone to perform general function of his plan.

                        -Examples Kierkegaard gave were Abraham and Paul.

            -There wasn’t really “fate” as in Greco-Roman Culture, but limited election.

-For Kierkegaard:  Essence Precedes Existence.

 

Sartre’s Version:

            -Absence of Fate, therefore NOTHING is pre-determined.

                        -Therefore, EVERYTHING is by CHANCE

-There is TOTAL FREE WILL.

                        -When wrong occurs it is ridiculous to ask “why”.

-Nothing is a nice package of neat answers like what the Roman Stoics followed.

                        -Life is meaningless, other than the meaning we assign to it.

-Therefore we create our own purpose and meaning.

                        -We do this both individually and COLLECTIVELY.

 -We are not good or evil by nature, but by choice.

            -Since we create purpose and meaning, we are therefore RESPONSIBLE for our choices.

                        -No one can “make” you to be happy or angry.

                        -No action by anyone else can make you experience any emotion other than

                          what you choose.

            -Collective Choices are actually a result of individual choices, making all choices

              extremely important.

            -Therefore, complete freedom is a Huge Burdon, because we now know that we are

               Responsible and accountable. The only freedom we don’t have is the choice to not be

              free.  This is why Sartre’ made the famous statement: “You are Condemned to be

  free”. 

 So for Sartre’  Existence Precedes Essence. 

-You exist first, then you have essence.

-Unlike a paper-cutter who’s essence existed in someone’s mind first.

 

 

Deists:  Another Option of Determinism and Free Will

            -Deism has some fairly good American Company as most of the writers of the

              Constitution and the Bill of Rights were Deists to some degree.

            -They advocated for Free Will, but they were Thiests, and they were somewhat

              moderate in their views of the argument.

            -God is a watch-maker who makes a watch and then throws it down and lets it

               tick on its own for the most part, but not all the time. 

-The idea of the Constitution was Inspired to some degree, but also man-designed.

-There’s mostly free-will, but there is also a divine plan.

 

 

       Determinism -------------------------------------------------------------------------------FREE WILL

      

Find the Answer                                                                                                     Create the Answer

              

                                                    Many Philosophers are Both

                                                                    (Dualism)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buddhism

 

Siddharta Guatama (560-480 BC)

                -Said to have lived in extreme luxury until his 30’s.

                -Said to have lived in unproductive self-indulgence.

-He became bored.

-He went on 4 secret trips to find out what the “real world was”.   Buddhism is about his findings

 on his trips, and interpretation of what other’s thought his sayings meant. 

-But really hardly anything is actually known about him.

 

Major Elements of Buddhism:

4 Truths:

1. Everyone Suffers.
   1. Physical Suffering is more obvious.
   2. Dukkha:  Anxiety, Anguish, Persistent Dissatisfaction.
2. Suffering is caused by “Attachment”.  Attachment creates “Bad Karma”.
3. “Enlightment” Cures suffering and creates “Good Karma”.
   1. Enlightment is like a journey on a raft.
   2. The raft exists in simple daily life.
   3. The raft moves toward Nirvana.
      1. Nirvana is being unattached.
      2. Nirvana is being “Totally Awake” (some define Buddhism by this).
      3. Nirvana is found in the “Middle Way”.

                    Ascetic----------------------------------------------X---------------------------------------------------Indulgence

                                                                                          The Middle Way

                Other Things about Buddhism:

                                -Buddhism is the only major religion without a deity.

 

                                -Some consider being “Totally Awake” a good definition of Buddhism.

                                                -Awakeness comes from Controlled Living.

                                                                -Simplicity.

-Meditation.

-Concentration.

-Denial (but not too much or you lose the Middle Way).

-Compassion.

 

                                -Buddhism is deterministic as everything has a cause; but Buddhism is not “Dogmatic”. 

                                  It does not have to be the same for everyone.

 

-There is a “thirst” or  “desire” to either have or avoid.

 

                                -Cessation – The process of getting rid of the desire and creating a re-education of

                                  desire toward God and Enlightment.

 

                                -Anatta – No Self.  Self is a fiction that we invent.

                               

                                -Anicca – Nothing is permanent. 

  -Everything is in continuous change.

  -Process is all there is. 

  -Actions are greater than stability.

 

 

Depak Chopra – Present-Time Buddhist

                -Very Wealthy, Has His own Web Site, Has a camp for relaxation and Eastern medical techniques

                -His 7 Statements:

                                -Give to get.

                                -Detatch.

                                -Show Compassion and work off bad Karma.

                                -Create good Karma now.                           

-Do more with less.

                                -Bring all forces together with compassion at the core.

                                -Continue the Process.

 

Stephen Covey – Recently deceased American Christian - Organizational/Leadership Speaker:   He wrote:  The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.   

                                -Be Proactive

                                -Begin with the End in Mind

-Put First Things First

                                -Think win-win.

                                -Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood.

                                -The Whole is Greater than the Sum of Its Parts – so Synergize.

                                -Renew.