Review Descartes & Nietzsche Cartesian skepticism –Motivated by evil-demon fantasy—too broad Needs a premise he cannot doubt –I think: denying it is a pragmatic contradiction (paradox?) –Conclusion I exist follows as a matter of sentence form Cartesian dualism –Only proved thinker thinking thoughts Bodies, other minds? Needs an argument God refutes demon and warrants “clear and distinct” reasoning—science. Cartesian skepticism –Motivated by evil-demon fantasy—too broad Needs a premise he cannot doubt –I think: denying it is a pragmatic contradiction (paradox?) –Conclusion I exist follows as a matter of sentence form Cartesian dualism –Only proved thinker thinking thoughts Bodies, other minds? Needs an argument God refutes demon and warrants “clear and distinct” reasoning—science.

Ontological Argument Only proof with “ideas” only as premises –The idea (definition, meaning, concept) God God =df the uniquely perfect being Perfect=df has all positive attributes (predicates) Exist 有 is an attribute of its subject (Parmenides?) »Can be translated but the trick doesn’t work! »No problem with exists 有 is positive? God lacks existence (in reality)=not God Neither a predicate adjective nor a verb Role in modern logic  operator Only proof with “ideas” only as premises –The idea (definition, meaning, concept) God God =df the uniquely perfect being Perfect=df has all positive attributes (predicates) Exist 有 is an attribute of its subject (Parmenides?) »Can be translated but the trick doesn’t work! »No problem with exists 有 is positive? God lacks existence (in reality)=not God Neither a predicate adjective nor a verb Role in modern logic  operator

Nietzsche: Rational Desperation Fear of loss of meaning, purpose –Existential angst—suspension over nothing –Death of God myth  loss of special status Desperate resort to grammatical tricks Needs strength of will –The overman overcomes the fear and loss –Or change perspective  Zhuangzi See as ultimate freedom (from gravity:God:absolutes) Fear of loss of meaning, purpose –Existential angst—suspension over nothing –Death of God myth  loss of special status Desperate resort to grammatical tricks Needs strength of will –The overman overcomes the fear and loss –Or change perspective  Zhuangzi See as ultimate freedom (from gravity:God:absolutes)

Genealogy of Morals No reliance on metaphysics (God, Forms, Reality) –Free creation—presuppose values –Genealogy to appreciate the range Master-slave morality types –Resentment, anti-, don’t, evil, sin: slave type –Affirm, do, good-bad master type No reliance on metaphysics (God, Forms, Reality) –Free creation—presuppose values –Genealogy to appreciate the range Master-slave morality types –Resentment, anti-, don’t, evil, sin: slave type –Affirm, do, good-bad master type

QuestionsQuestions Quiz and coffee tutorial (brief) Back to Ontological argument Quiz and coffee tutorial (brief) Back to Ontological argument

Argument Analogy Ontological: perfect  exist –Difficult to see why invalid Argument in same form –with true premises and false conclusion Perfect island objection –And perfect anything –Return of Plato’s forms Ontological: perfect  exist –Difficult to see why invalid Argument in same form –with true premises and false conclusion Perfect island objection –And perfect anything –Return of Plato’s forms

Reality and Good or Power? Reality is interpretation –The myth of the original text My Zhuangzi expresses my will to power over text –Not wrong and others right—all seek power over it –Control it; use it Interpretations: not getting close to reality Only power conferring stories Science as another myth –A power conferring way to interpret reality Reality is interpretation –The myth of the original text My Zhuangzi expresses my will to power over text –Not wrong and others right—all seek power over it –Control it; use it Interpretations: not getting close to reality Only power conferring stories Science as another myth –A power conferring way to interpret reality

How Reality Became Myth David Hume and Immanuel Kant –Hume attacks Descartes “clear” science Cannot rationally prove causation –Identity (no substantial “I” think) –Value—can’t get an “ought” from an “is” Immanuel Kant—Aristotle equal –Salvages rationalism: we can know cause Structure of mind imposed on a manifold –Thing in itself and thing as perceived David Hume and Immanuel Kant –Hume attacks Descartes “clear” science Cannot rationally prove causation –Identity (no substantial “I” think) –Value—can’t get an “ought” from an “is” Immanuel Kant—Aristotle equal –Salvages rationalism: we can know cause Structure of mind imposed on a manifold –Thing in itself and thing as perceived

Kant: Numenon/Phenomenon The mind structures phenomenal reality –Imposes space, time, cause, identity –But value, obligation from the noumenon Can’t be perceived but really there Truths of a third category—not analytic or empirical Problem—image of mind filtering realilty –It is a causal, time-space, identity picture These can’t apply to the noumenal world The mind structures phenomenal reality –Imposes space, time, cause, identity –But value, obligation from the noumenon Can’t be perceived but really there Truths of a third category—not analytic or empirical Problem—image of mind filtering realilty –It is a causal, time-space, identity picture These can’t apply to the noumenal world

Positivism: Freedom from Value An early 20 th century movement: Science –Only scientific statements meaningful –Value claims are non-cognitive, meaningless Nietzsche predicts the position –20 th century Existentialism rebelled against it An early 20 th century movement: Science –Only scientific statements meaningful –Value claims are non-cognitive, meaningless Nietzsche predicts the position –20 th century Existentialism rebelled against it

The Real World Is a Myth The Real World Is a Myth Plato (the sun) attainable to the wise Christianity (A woman! A promise) Kant (a skeptical possibility) source of obligation Positivism (value unknowable, so meaningless) Nietzsche (abandon real/apparent distinction) Plato (the sun) attainable to the wise Christianity (A woman! A promise) Kant (a skeptical possibility) source of obligation Positivism (value unknowable, so meaningless) Nietzsche (abandon real/apparent distinction)