Descartes
What was Descartes' philosophy? Explain what it is
Rationalism: the view that regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge. Holding that reality itself has an inherently logical structure, the rationalist asserts that a class of truths exists that the intellect can grasp directly
Define monism
one infinite substance—God or Nature—is the only substance that exists
What did Locke believed knowledge consists of? How would he use these concepts to explain a unicorn?
Simple ideas: from our senses, Complex ideas: combinations of simple ideas
Simple: horses, horns, lighting and reflection of water can give mirage of the divine
Complex: horse with horn + aura of sunlight = magical unicorn
What did Hume think about philosophy?
He believed that most philosophical claims were ultimately useless nonsense, going as far to joke that philosophy should be abandon in favor of rearing sheep.
Which philosopher inspired Kant to create critical philosophy?
Hume
What culture did the Renaissance aim to revive?
Classic Greek culture
Define pantheism
a doctrine which identifies God with the universe, or regards the universe as a manifestation of God.
What was Locke's philosophy? Explain what it is
Empiricism: all knowledge is derived from sense-experience
What did Hume think of causal claims?
They were nonsense
What is the categorical imperative?
commands or moral laws all persons must follow, regardless of their desires or extenuating circumstances
What aspect of dualism made it an acceptable philosophy to the Catholic Church
It separated the soul from the body, allowing the soul to still be part of God
After being cast out of his Jewish community, did his philosophy change?
No, he stood by his ideas
What is tabula rasa
Latin word meaning "blank slate," the thought that the human mind at birth is like a blank sheet of paper
What are the two types of claims on Hume's fork, describe them
Analytic and Synthetic statements. Analytic: based on reason and logic (all sisters are siblings), Synthetic: based on sense experience (the sky is blue)
What is critical philosophy?
The exercise of critical thinking skills to clarify problems, issues and concepts. The goal of this philosophy was to critically analyze empiricism and reconcile it with rationalism
How did the role of the church impact scientists like Copernicus and Galileo in Descartes' era?
Galileo and Copernicus directly undermined the authority of the church and challenged scripture, therefore the church was hostile and refused to let go of their hold on knowledge
Under monism, is the presence of god denied?
No, Spinoza believed monism to be the view that only one substance exists, God.
What is social contract theory?
A theory states that people live together in society in accordance with an agreement that establishes moral and political rules of behavior. Some people believe that if we live according to a social contract, we can live morally by our own choice and not because a divine being requires it.
Why did Hume argue that reason could not be used for morals?
Moral decisions are often driven by emotions, therefore morality should be based on emotions rather than reason
What is transcendental idealism?
The theory that ideas don’t just come from experiences. They transcend, or go beyond, experiences due to the innate categories of the mind. (We can look at the sky and see it's blue, but we can't look at the same sky and change it into pink just by thinking about it)
What was Descartes famous saying that was proof of his own existence?
I think, therefore I am
How did Spinoza explain the concept of the mind's material and world
That they consisted of the same thing but were arranged differently
What was the purpose of Locke's most famous work, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding?
It addressed if we could rely on what our senses tell us and where do our ideas come from
What is inductive reasoning?
Using past observations to make inferences about the future
What was Kant's reasoning on the existence of innate knowledge works?
Kant analyzed the central claim of empiricism: that knowledge is acquired from experience through sense data. However, we have knowledge of concepts such as time, space, and causality that are not learned from our senses. Therefore, Kant reasoned we have innate concepts in our minds from birth.