DOCSLIB.ORG

Think by Simon Blackburn

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Think by Simon Blackburn Think by Simon Blackburn Chapter 1c Knowledge Descartes is a A. skeptic B. rationalist C. epiphenomenalist D. empiricist Rationalism vs. Empiricism In the introduction we were introduced to the word “empirical,” which means “based on experience. These are the two classically opposing points of view in the study of knowledge: Rationalism: knowledge is based on reason. Empiricism: knowledge is based on experience. Hume’s Critique About 80 years or so after Descartes died a Scottish philosopher named David Hume made a crushing critique of Descartes’ methodology. (p.40) Hume’s critique of Descartes method of doubt is essentially just that it is doomed to fail from the beginning. He claims that even if we find something like the self that is indubitable, we will never be able to advance past that, because we are still doubting all the basic principles of reasoning that we would need to do so. Rationalism vs. Empiricism again Hume trusted reason, but he rejected rationalism. For Hume, our knowledge of the world is dependent on experience. This makes him an empiricist. Descartes vs. Hume Just about everyone agrees that both reason and experience are required for knowledge in an ordinary sense. Hume and Descartes understand this, too. Their debate is about the ultimate foundation of knowledge. Is the trustworthiness of experience ultimately based on reason? Or is the trustworthiness of reason ultimately based on experience? The difference between a rationalist and an empiricist is: A. Rationalists believe in reason, but empiricists believe in experience. B. Rationalists believe that the foundation of knowledge is reason, but empiricists believe that the foundation of knowledge is experience. C. Rationalists believe in the Cartesian Circle, but empiricists reject the Cartesian Circle. D. Rationalists are foundationalists, but empiricists like Hume question the very possibility of a foundation for knowledge. Foundationalism Hume and Descartes actually agreed that knowledge requires a foundation. They just disagreed on what sort of foundation could be supplied. Descartes believed that knowledge required an absolutely certain foundation, one that could not possibly be wrong. Hume believed absolute certainty about the world is impossible. For example, Hume thinks it is impossible to prove that the past is a guide to the future. Nevertheless, he thinks this assumption is what all empirical knowledge is based on. Hume argued that Descartes made a mistake in believing that: A. our beliefs need a foundation. B. in believing that evil demons and such might exist. C. in requiring that the foundation of knowledge be beyond doubt . D. knowledge of the world can not be achieved. Webs Blackburn points out (p.44) that some philosophers disagree with the whole foundationalist perspective. This is nicely captured by a famous quote from the early 20th century Austrian philosopher Otto Neurath: We are like sailors who on the open sea must reconstruct their ship but are never able to start afresh from the bottom. Neurath’s point Neurath’s analogy captures Hume’s point that it’s really impossible to doubt everything at once. This would require getting out of the ship. But he takes Hume’s point further by observing that none of our beliefs are really foundational in the sense of being self- evident or self-justifying. Any belief we have can be questioned, just like any plank in a ship could be found rotten and in need of replacement. Coherentism Philosophers who reject foundationalism are often called coherentists. Coherentists basically believe that knowledge is not a matter of our beliefs all resting on a firm foundation. Rather, knowledge is a matter of our beliefs fitting together or cohering in an optimum way, like the pieces of a jig saw puzzle. Problems with coherentism But the jig saw analogy is troublesome, because, unlike a jig saw puzzle, we don’t have any assurance that there is one best way for our beliefs to fit together. If there are multiple way that our beliefs can fit together, but only one way that the world actually is, then its hard to see how coherentism can be right. Otto Neurath rejected A. Rationalism B. Empiricism C. Foundationalism D. Coherentism Example Blackburn gives you an example from the early 20th century British philosopher Bertrand Russell. (p.46). Russell asked: “How do I know that the world did not come into existence just a few moments ago complete with the delusive traces of a previous age?” This seems like an insane question, but it is a logical possibility. (In fact, what is really weird about this is that there are reasons for thinking it is likely.) The point The point is that: Descartes’ evil demon world. Russell’s delusive memory world. Putnam’s brain-in-a-vat world. Our ordinary scientifically informed conception of the external physical world. are all equally coherent, but they can’t be all equally correct, since they clearly contradict each other. So, despite its appeal, coherentism is not a theory of knowledge that provides an answer to Descartes’ skeptical concerns. Conclusion What both Descartes and Hume showed us is that if we take private experience as our starting point for a theory of knowledge, then we are probably doomed to skepticism. Most contemporary philosophers and scientists will point out that the one reason for beginning with private experience- that it can not be doubted- is not obviously correct. So it seems like it makes more sense to simply begin with the unprovable assumption that there is an external world, and go on to inquire into its actual nature. This is a hard enough task, as we’ll see in Chapter 7. Descartes’ one certainty, that he exists as a thinking thing, was ultimately A. based on wishful thinking. B. not adequate to serve as a foundation for human knowledge. C. discovered to have been implanted by the evil demon. D. adopted by even his strongest critics..
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Putting Reasons in Their Place José Ángel Gascón
    Document generated on 09/29/2021 9:19 a.m. Informal Logic Putting Reasons in their Place José Ángel Gascón Volume 40, Number 4, 2020 Article abstract Hilary Kornblith has criticised reasons-based approaches to epistemic URI: https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1075226ar justification on the basis of psychological research that shows that reflection is DOI: https://doi.org/10.22329/il.v40i4.6070 unreliable. Human beings, it seems, are not very good at identifying our own cognitive processes and the causes of our beliefs. In this article I defend a See table of contents conception of reasons that takes those empirical findings into account and can avoid Kornblith’s objections. Reasons, according to this account, are not to be identified with the causes of our beliefs and are useful first and foremost in Publisher(s) argumentation instead of reflection. Informal Logic ISSN 0824-2577 (print) 2293-734X (digital) Explore this journal Cite this article Gascón, J. (2020). Putting Reasons in their Place. Informal Logic, 40(4), 587–604. https://doi.org/10.22329/il.v40i4.6070 Copyright (c), 2020 José Ángel Gascón This document is protected by copyright law. Use of the services of Érudit (including reproduction) is subject to its terms and conditions, which can be viewed online. https://apropos.erudit.org/en/users/policy-on-use/ This article is disseminated and preserved by Érudit. Érudit is a non-profit inter-university consortium of the Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and the Université du Québec à Montréal. Its mission is to promote and disseminate research. https://www.erudit.org/en/ Putting Reasons in their Place JOSÉ ÁNGEL GASCÓN Department of Philosophy Universidad Católica del Maule Talca, Chile [email protected] Abstract: Hilary Kornblith has Résumé: Hilary Kornblith a critiqué criticised reasons-based approaches to les approches raisonnées de la justifi- epistemic justification on the basis of cation épistémique en se basant sur psychological research that shows that des recherches psychologiques qui reflection is unreliable.
    [Show full text]
  • Descartes' Arguments for Distinguishing Mind and Body
    © Michael Lacewing Descartes’ arguments for distinguishing mind and body THE KNOWLEDGE ARGUMENT In Meditation II, having argued that he knows he thinks, Descartes then asks what kind of thing he is. Discussions of identity seek to establish the essential properties of something, what makes it the thing that it is. The question ‘what am I?’ can be answered by considering the question of what it is for me to exist. Descartes is trying to identify his essence, those properties which, if he lost them, would mean he was no longer what he is. (An island, for instance, must be surrounded by water. If the water dried up, joining it to the mainland, it would cease to be an island.) He remarks that he can continue to doubt whether he has a body; after all, he only believes he has a body as a result of his perceptual experiences, and so the demon could be deceiving him about this. But he cannot doubt that he has a mind, i.e. that he thinks. So he knows he exists even though he doesn’t know whether or not he has a body. From this Descartes concludes that it is possible for him to exist without a body. He is essentially a mind, not a body. He would not necessarily cease to be himself if he ceased to have a body, but he would necessarily cease to be himself if he didn’t have a mind. APPEAL TO GOD’S OMNIPOTENCE Descartes’ argument so far is that minds can exist without bodies. However, on its own, it doesn’t establish dualism.
    [Show full text]
  • Veritism, Values, Epistemic Norms (Rysiew)
    late-stage version 1 Veritism, Values, Epistemic Norms PATRICK RYSIEW 1. Introduction Stephen Grimm observes that “[a]mong contemporary epistemologists, perhaps the most prominent way to make sense of our epistemic evaluations is in teleological terms” (Grimm 2009, 243). Specifically, many epistemologists take it that what has fundamental value in the epistemic domain is truth -- or, more properly, true belief. From this, the teleological account of epistemic appraisal to which Grimm refers naturally follows: other epistemic goods besides true belief -- justification, evidence, reasons, and so on -- have epistemic value because they are appropriately related to that telos.1 (There is, of course, significant disagreement as to what the appropriate such relation is, exactly.) Such a truth-oriented approach to understanding epistemic value and assessments is a core theme of Epistemology and Cognition, and indeed of Alvin Goldman’s epistemological writings as a whole. Thus, in the former work, we’re told that “[t]he central epistemological concepts of appraisal…invoke true belief as their ultimate aim” (1986, 3), that “true belief is a prime determinant of intellectual value” (ibid., 98), and that the appropriate criteria of epistemic rightness are all truth-linked (ibid., 116). In later works, the same underlying idea, now dubbed ‘veritism’, is defended: “the cardinal [epistemic] value, or underlying motif, is something like true, or accurate belief” (2012, 52); and various intellectual virtues (2002) and public institutions and practices
    [Show full text]
  • These Disks Contain My Version of Paul Spade's Expository Text and His Translated Texts
    These disks contain my version of Paul Spade's expository text and his translated texts. They were converted from WordStar disk format to WordPerfect 5.1 disk format, and then I used a bunch of macros and some hands-on work to change most of the FancyFont formatting codes into WordPerfect codes. Many transferred nicely. Some of them are still in the text (anything beginning with a backslash is a FancyFont code). Some I just erased without knowing what they were for. All of the files were cleaned up with one macro, and some of them have been further doctored with additional macros I wrote later and additional hand editing. This explains why some are quite neat, and others somewhat cluttered. In some cases I changed Spade's formatting to make the printout look better (to me); often this is because I lost some of his original formatting. I have occasionally corrected obvious typos, and in at least one case I changed an `although' to a `but' so that the line would fit on the same page. With these exceptions, I haven't intentionally changed any of the text. All of the charts made by graphics are missing entirely (though in a few cases I perserved fragments so you can sort of tell what it was like). Some of the translations had numbers down the side of the page to indicate location in the original text; these are all lost. Translation 1.5 (Aristotle) was not on the disk I got, so it is listed in the table of contents, but you won't find it.
    [Show full text]
  • Contrastive Empiricism
    Elliott Sober Contrastive Empiricism I Despite what Hegel may have said, syntheses have not been very successful in philosophical theorizing. Typically, what happens when you combine a thesis and an antithesis is that you get a mishmash, or maybe just a contradiction. For example, in the philosophy of mathematics, formalism says that mathematical truths are true in virtue of the way we manipulate symbols. Mathematical Platonism, on the other hand, holds that mathematical statements are made true by abstract objects that exist outside of space and time. What would a synthesis of these positions look like? Marks on paper are one thing, Platonic forms an­ other. Compromise may be a good idea in politics, but it looks like a bad one in philosophy. With some trepidation, I propose in this paper to go against this sound advice. Realism and empiricism have always been contradictory tendencies in the philos­ ophy of science. The view I will sketch is a synthesis, which I call Contrastive Empiricism. Realism and empiricism are incompatible, so a synthesis that merely conjoined them would be a contradiction. Rather, I propose to isolate important elements in each and show that they combine harmoniously. I will leave behind what I regard as confusions and excesses. The result, I hope, will be neither con­ tradiction nor mishmash. II Empiricism is fundamentally a thesis about experience. It has two parts. First, there is the idea that experience is necessary. Second, there is the thesis that ex­ perience suffices. Necessary and sufficient for what? Usually this blank is filled in with something like: knowledge of the world outside the mind.
    [Show full text]
  • Quine's Naturalized Epistemology, Epistemic Normativity
    Quine’s Naturalized Epistemology, Epistemic Normativity and the Gettier Problem Dr. Qilin Li ([email protected]; [email protected]) The Department of Philosophy, Peking University Beiijing, P. R. China 100871 W. V. Quine is one of the most prominent advocates of the naturalistic approach to epistemology and he argues that epistemology should be naturalized and transformed into a sub-discipline of psychology and hence a chapter in science. In his famous paper “Epistemology Naturalized,” Quine starts to compare epistemology with the logical and set-theoretical studies of the foundations of mathematics. Similar to the studies of the foundations of mathematics, as Quine suggests, epistemological studies, which are “concerned with the foundation of science” (Quine 1968, p. 69), can be divided into two sorts— one is conceptual and the other is doctrinal. Quine further argues that the conceptual ones are concerned with meaning of our material object concepts, which are clarified by reducing them into sense experience concepts; and, on the other hand, the doctrinal ones are concerned with truth of our material object beliefs, which are established by deducing them from the premises about observations. According to Quine, both sorts of studies in traditional epistemology are doomed, since traditional epistemology shows no real advantages over sciences, especially psychology. Thus, Quine advocates that we should abandon this traditional epistemology; but this does not imply the death of epistemology per se, since epistemology can still go on “in a new setting and a clarified status” (Quine 1 1968, p.82). We should embrace this new epistemology, i.e., naturalized epistemology, which “falls into place as a chapter of psychology and hence of natural science” (Quine 1968, p.82), in other words, unlike traditional epistemology, new epistemology “is contained in natural science, as a chapter of psychology” (Quine 1968, p.83).
    [Show full text]
  • Philosophical Scepticism 2018
    The University of Manchester Research Philosophical Scepticism and the Aims of Philosophy DOI: 10.1093/arisoc/aox017 Document Version Accepted author manuscript Link to publication record in Manchester Research Explorer Citation for published version (APA): Beebee, H. (2018). Philosophical Scepticism and the Aims of Philosophy. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, 118(1), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1093/arisoc/aox017 Published in: Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society Citing this paper Please note that where the full-text provided on Manchester Research Explorer is the Author Accepted Manuscript or Proof version this may differ from the final Published version. If citing, it is advised that you check and use the publisher's definitive version. General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the Research Explorer are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. Takedown policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please refer to the University of Manchester’s Takedown Procedures [http://man.ac.uk/04Y6Bo] or contact [email protected] providing relevant details, so we can investigate your claim. Download date:02. Oct. 2021 AUTHOR-ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT; PLEASE DO NOT CITE Forthcoming in The Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, 2018 Philosophical Scepticism and the Aims of Philosophy1 Helen Beebee Department of Philosophy, University of Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK Abstract I define ‘philosophical scepticism’ as the view that philosophers do not and cannot know many of the substantive philosophical claims that they make or implicitly assume.
    [Show full text]
  • Divine Omnipotence in Descartes' Philosophy
    City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 6-2014 Divine Omnipotence In Descartes' Philosophy Alfredo Rodriguez Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/274 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] DIVINE OMNIPOTENCE IN DESCARTES’ PHILOSOPHY BY ALFREDO RODRIGUEZ A master's thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Liberal Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, The City University of New York 2014 © 2014 Alfredo Rodriguez All Rights Reserved ii This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Liberal Studies in satisfaction of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts. Professor Douglas Lackey Date Thesis Adviser Professor Matthew K. Gold Date Executive Officer THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iii Abstract Divine Omnipotence in Descartes’ Philosophy by Alfredo Rodriguez Adviser: Professor Douglas Lackey The present thesis explores various aspects of Rene Descartes’ doctrine of divine omnipotence within the context of his overall philosophy and with reference to his medieval heritage. This thesis shows that, contrary to his multiple and explicit statements that God’s power cannot be limited in any way, Descartes took a more nuanced position on divine omnipotence that incorporated aspects of the widely accepted medieval position that God’s goodness is a constraint on his power.
    [Show full text]
  • Knowledge and Its Place in Nature by Hilary Kornblith
    Think by Simon Blackburn Chapter 1b Knowledge According to A.C. Grayling, if “cogito ergo sum” is an argument, it is missing a premise. This premise is: A. Everything that exists thinks. B. Everything that thinks exists. C. Everything both exists and thinks. D. Everything either thinks or exists. Descartes’ ultimate aim was to prove that we can only know ourselves as thinking things and nothing else. A. True B. False Reminder of what Descartes was trying to do. Descartes was trying to put human knowledge on a firm foundation. Ultimately he hoped to be able to prove that the majority of things that we believe at a common sense can be proven correct. Problems with the cogito argument itself The cogito argument is actually very simple to troubleshoot. Put formally, the argument is this. 1. I think. 2. Therefore, I exist. It is true that if I think (e.g., by doubting my own existence) then I must actually exist. But the real question at issue is whether there really is an I, a particular, stable entity, that thinks. Reformulation We could reformulate Descartes’ argument along these lines: 1. Thinking is occurring. 2. Therefore, a thinking thing exists. Now the premise is clearly true, but, as we just showed, the conclusion may still be doubted. Recap So Descartes famous cogito argument: I think, therefore I am. is actually not a proof of his own existence as a thinking thing. What Descartes has plausibly shown us that we can not doubt that thinking is occurring while we are actually thinking.
    [Show full text]
  • Mathematics, Time, and Confirmation
    Mathematics, Time, and Confirmation Ulrich Meyer Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics University of Cambridge, 1995 Submitted to the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy in partial fulfil- ment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. September 2001 Author: ................................. .. .... Department of Linguistics aKPhilosophy August 10, 2001 Certified by: .......................... Robert C. Stalnaker Professor of Philosophy Thesis Supervisor Accepted by: .............. Vann McGee Professor of Philosophy Chair, Committee on Graduate Students @Ulrich Meyer 2001. All rights reserved. The author hereby grants permission to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to reproduce and distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis in whole or in part. MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY OCT 11 2001 ARCMly LIBRARIES Mathematics, Time, and Confirmation by Ulrich Meyer Submitted to The Department of Linguistics and Philosophy on 10 August 2001 in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy ABSTRACT This dissertation discusses two issues about abstract objects: their role in scientific theories, and their relation to time. Chapter 1, "Why Apply Mathematics?" argues that scientific theories are not about the mathematics that is applied in them, and defends this thesis against the Quine-Putnam Indispensability Argument. Chapter 2, "Scientific Ontology," is a critical study of W. V. Quine's claim that metaphysics and mathematics are epistemologically on a par with nat- ural science. It is argued that Quine's view relies on a unacceptable account of empirical confirmation. Chapter 3, "Prior and the Platonist," demonstrates the incompatibility of two popular views about time: the "Platonist" thesis that some objects exist "outside" time, and A.
    [Show full text]
  • The Oberlin Colloquium in Philosophy: Program History
    The Oberlin Colloquium in Philosophy: Program History 1960 FIRST COLLOQUIUM Wilfrid Sellars, "On Looking at Something and Seeing it" Ronald Hepburn, "God and Ambiguity" Comments: Dennis O'Brien Kurt Baier, "Itching and Scratching" Comments: David Falk/Bruce Aune Annette Baier, "Motives" Comments: Jerome Schneewind 1961 SECOND COLLOQUIUM W.D. Falk, "Hegel, Hare and the Existential Malady" Richard Cartwright, "Propositions" Comments: Ruth Barcan Marcus D.A.T. Casking, "Avowals" Comments: Martin Lean Zeno Vendler, "Consequences, Effects and Results" Comments: William Dray/Sylvan Bromberger PUBLISHED: Analytical Philosophy, First Series, R.J. Butler (ed.), Oxford, Blackwell's, 1962. 1962 THIRD COLLOQUIUM C.J. Warnock, "Truth" Arthur Prior, "Some Exercises in Epistemic Logic" Newton Garver, "Criteria" Comments: Carl Ginet/Paul Ziff Hector-Neri Castenada, "The Private Language Argument" Comments: Vere Chappell/James Thomson John Searle, "Meaning and Speech Acts" Comments: Paul Benacerraf/Zeno Vendler PUBLISHED: Knowledge and Experience, C.D. Rollins (ed.), University of Pittsburgh Press, 1964. 1963 FOURTH COLLOQUIUM Michael Scriven, "Insanity" Frederick Will, "The Preferability of Probable Beliefs" Norman Malcolm, "Criteria" Comments: Peter Geach/George Pitcher Terrence Penelhum, "Pleasure and Falsity" Comments: William Kennick/Arnold Isenberg 1964 FIFTH COLLOQUIUM Stephen Korner, "Some Remarks on Deductivism" J.J.C. Smart, "Nonsense" Joel Feinberg, "Causing Voluntary Actions" Comments: Keith Donnellan/Keith Lehrer Nicholas Rescher, "Evaluative Metaphysics" Comments: Lewis W. Beck/Thomas E. Patton Herbert Hochberg, "Qualities" Comments: Richard Severens/J.M. Shorter PUBLISHED: Metaphysics and Explanation, W.H. Capitan and D.D. Merrill (eds.), University of Pittsburgh Press, 1966. 1965 SIXTH COLLOQUIUM Patrick Nowell-Smith, "Acts and Locutions" George Nakhnikian, "St. Anselm's Four Ontological Arguments" Hilary Putnam, "Psychological Predicates" Comments: Bruce Aune/U.T.
    [Show full text]
  • A Framework for Understanding Naturalized Epistemology Amirah Albahri
    Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2011 A Framework for Understanding Naturalized Epistemology Amirah Albahri Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES A FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING NATURALIZED EPISTEMOLOGY By AMIRAH ALBAHRI A dissertation submitted to the Philosophy department In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2011 Amirah Albahri defended this dissertation on November 7, 2011 The members of the supervisory committee were: Michael Bishop Professor Directing dissertation Michael Kaschak University Representative Michael Ruse Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the dissertation has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii To, My Mother (Mariam, Mero, Dai Marwan) Shafi, Tareq and Yaser. Saying ‘thank you’ is not enough. I owe you everything. You have always been there for me, and I will always be there for you. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. vi List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. viii Abstract .........................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]