Epistemology TIPS 1. What is Truth & Knowledge? 2. How can one determine truth from falsehood? 3. What are the pre- suppositions to knowledge?
What is Truth? -The two kinds of Truth (pg 147) 1). A priori = truth understood before experience * Necessary truths: cannot possibly be false. 2). A posteriori = truth understood through experience * Empirical truths: a matter of fact, but can imagine circumstances that would make them false.
Rationalism vs. Empiricism Rationalism: Knowledge is based on reason -Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Kant, Hegel -Human reason can provide final answers to the most basic questions. Innate ideas Empiricism: Knowledge comes from experience -Locke, Hume, Mill, Russell -Humans are born as a “blank slate” (tabula rasa)
Presuppositions of Knowledge Descartes: “I think, therefore I exist.” Five senses gather experiences Principal of Universal Causality: “Everything that happens has a cause.” Are there more presuppositions of Knowledge?
Nature of the Two World View Define what the two-world view is (p.155) Respond to Gorgias’ quote on p. 157 Define Skepticism
Rene Descartes ( ) How does Descartes begin his exploration of Truth? What is his first indubitable claim? How does this statement lead to him ‘knowing’ the world? Summarize Descartes’ view of Truth and how he knows it exists. What questions do you have? What criticisms do you have of his methods/conclusions?
David Hume ( ) What 2 assumptions does Hume make? How is Hume’s attempt to prove existence different than Descartes? How is Hume’s conclusion different than Descartes? Explain Hume’s negative argument against Universal Causality (p.161) Summarize Hume’s view of Truth What questions do you have about Hume’s view? What criticisms of his methods or conclusions do you have?
Immanuel Kant ( ) What is synthetic a priori knowledge? Explain what Kant means. How does Kant attempt to resolve Hume’s skeptical arguments? You needn’t summarize Kant; he is someone that requires great study to truly understand; thus, simply answer the following: What is your understanding of Immanuel Kant’s theories and why is he such an important philosopher?