Philosophy is… …Seeking after wisdom or knowledge, esp. that which deals with ultimate reality, or with the most general causes or principles of things and ideas and human perception and knowledge of them, physical phenomena (natural philosophy) and ethics (moral philosophy)- Concise Oxford Dictionary …An activity- the attempt to understand the general principles and ideas…
Existentialism: a philosophical movement that focuses on individual autonomy and the necessity of making reasoned decisions for oneself. Jean-Paul Sartre, (1905-1980) French author and philosopher Best-known proponent of humanistic existentialism Marxist advocate of political causes French resistance fighter of WWII Winner of the Nobel Prize for literature Sartre was an atheist who believed that human…
Nietzsche attacked traditional ethical theories, especially those rooted in religion. He rejected the view that people are ultimately accountable only to God. He did so because he believed that human life had no moral purpose except for the meaning that human beings gave it. Nietzsche was extremely critical of most traditional ethics. He called Utilitarianism…
Ethical Relativism: there are no common, universal, or objective values. Moral values are developed by individual peoples, groups, or cultures to fit their unique conditions. Relativists say that all moral rules are equally acceptable, because there is no way of judging between them. They do believe in moral right and wrong, but they do not…
Correspondence Theory Best known, most widely used conception of truth Maintains there is a relationship (correspondence) between people’s internal beliefs and realities in the external world (truth means agreement between thought and reality) Belief is true if it agrees with fact or coincides with the physical world or objective reality Truth claims should be checked…
Born in Scotland (1711-1776) Adopted and refined some of Locke’s theories In addition to philosophy, was a historian and essayist Some call him “the most important philosopher ever to write in English” Hume’s Answer to the Quarter Experiment: When you are observing something, like a quarter, for instance, you are not observing the quarter but…
In the Hellenistic and Roman periods after Plato, there were two kinds of Skeptics, and they were something like rivals: the Academics and the Pyrrhonists (stemming from Pyrrho of Elis, c. 360 – 270 B.C.). Sextus Empiricus was the last great Pyrrhonist. The Academics, according to Sextus, maintained that “all things are inapprehensible,” whereas the…
He argued that it is only through the free investigation and testing of ideas that knowledge can be moved forward. He believed that it is not generally possible to prove the truth of any theory or idea with certainty. We can have only probable knowledge, and search for evidence with examples that support our views.…
We examine the ideas developed by scientific philosophers, and the questions they asked, including: What are the characteristics of a good scientific method? How do we know if knowledge is supported by data? What is a “cause”? What role does observation and reason play in science and in everyday life? Is science purely rational and…
Critical thinking -involves two major tasks: judging the value of information and judging the strength of arguments. We decide what to believe or do based on making such judgments. Relevance Determining whether the information or arguments presented have any bearing on the matters at hand Irrelevant information or argument should be rejected. Examples: A charge…
Inductive Generalization uses specific examples to draw general conclusions. People use inductive generalizations to observe situational patterns which they project on new cases. What pattern do you see in the following premises? Premise: In the 1950s, one out of five households in North Bay had a television set. Premise: In the 1970s, four out of…
He does not believe that science proceeds from one advancement to another, in an even and unbroken process. Kuhn’s view is that scientists work within an unquestioned theory or set of beliefs: Mental Paradigm This mental paradigm (accepted view) shapes scientists’ thinking as they work. Within this set of beliefs, scientists search for information and…
Socrates 470-399 B.C,- NEVER wrote anything Gave philosophy its preeminent method- Socratic method or questioning (form of inquiry and debate between individuals with opposing viewpoints based on asking and answering questions to stimulate rational thinking and to illuminate ideas) Believed knowledge does not come from memorizing facts & repeating them True wisdom comes from being…
Metaphysics Studies the nature of being; the makeup, working and organization of reality in general. Often looks at aspects of being that cannot be observed and measured, such as God and virtue Basic questions include: What is being? What are its fundamental features and properties? Logic & the Philosophy of Science Logic deals with the…
Currently popular are definitions of family based on what they do rather than who comprises them. These definitions reflect a desire to include groups that do not fit the traditional man-woman-child model. These definitions are most suited to the study of the interrelationships of individuals and families in this course. The Vanier Institute of the…
We know very little about Shakespeare’s life during two major spans of time, commonly referred to as the “lost years.” The lost years fall into two periods: 1578-82 and 1585-92. The first period covers the time after Shakespeare left grammar school until his marriage to Anne Hathaway in November of 1582. The second period covers…
Shakespeare died in 1616 on his birthday, which was April 23, at Stratford-upon-Avon, which is in England. He died when he was 52. We have two different sources. The first one says his cause of death was unknown. The second one says he died after drinking with his theater friends. He was buried at the…
In 1989, the Cold War was declared officially over at a meeting between the U.S.A. and U.S.S.R.- Who Won? “The end of the Cold War is our common victory”- Mikhail Gorbachev “Ronald Reagan had a higher claim than any other leader to have won the Cold War for liberty and he did it without a…
With onset of Cold War in late 1940s began 2nd Red Scare. This included: House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was est. in WW2 to investigate ‘unpatriotic behavior’- late 1940s devoted to catching Communists -Highest profile investigation into Hollywood motion picture industry- produced a list called ‘The Red Channels’ identifying suspected Commies in Hollywood High…
Definition: Period from 1900 – 1920 during which reformers sought to improve government, regulate businesses, help workers and help the poor. Theodore Roosevelt (Republican) VP for William McKinley, became president at age 43 when McKinley assassinated in 1901- youngest ever Wanted to give all Americans a ‘Square Deal’- a more just and equitable society Much…