Modern Philosophy

1. Modern Philosophy Part One

2. Historical & Conceptual Background of the Modern Era • Renaissance Humanism • Renaissance • Humanism • Rebirth of Interest in Greek & Roman Literature • Technology • Other Trends • Protestant Reformation • The Church • Martin Luther (1483-1546) • Social & Political Changes • Religion • Commerce

3. Background • The Rise of Modern Science • Background • Copernican Revolution • Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) • Galileo (1564-1642) • Implications of the New Science • Galileo • Primary Qualities • Secondary Qualities • Mechanical Explanations Replace Teleological Explanations • Elimination of Final Causes & Good

4. background • A New Approach to Philosophy • Sweeping Away the Past • The Search for a Perfect Philosophical Method • Rationalism • Empiricism

5. Argument Basics • Argument Concepts • Defined • General Assessment: Reasoning • General Assessment: Are the Premises True?

6. Deductive Arguments • Introduction to Deductive Arguments • Defined • Use • Assessment • Valid/Invalid, Sound/Unsound • Some Common Valid Deductive Arguments • Reductio Ad Adsurdum • Defined • Form #1/Form #2 • Example

7. Inductive Arguments • Introduction to Inductive Arguments • Defined • Assessment • Strong & Weak Arguments

8. Analogical Argument • Introduction • Definition • Uses • Form • Informal • Strict Form • Premise 1: X has properties P, Q, and R. • Premise 2: Y has properties P, Q, and R. • Premise 3: X has property Z as well. • Conclusion: Y has property Z.

9. Analogical Argument • Assessment • The strength of the argument depends on • The number of properties X & Y have in common. • The relevance of the shared properties to Z. • Whether X & Y have relevant dissimilarities. • Example

10. Argument from/by Example • Introduction • Defined • Form • Informal • Form Premise 1: Example 1 is an example that supports claim P. Premise 2: Example 2 is an example that supports claim P. Premise n: Example n is an example that supports claim C. Conclusion: Claim P is true.

11. Argument from/by Example • Standards of Assessment • Standards • The more examples, the stronger the argument. • The examples must be relevant. • The examples must be specific & clearly identified. • Counter-examples must be considered.

12. Argument from Authority • Introduction • Defined • Use • Form • Premise 1: Person A is an authority on subject S. • Premises 2: Person A makes claim C about subject S. • Premises 3: Therefore, C is true.

13. Argument from Authority • Assessment • Standards • The person has sufficient expertise in the subject. • The claim is within the expert’s area of expertise. • There is an adequate degree of agreement among experts. • The expert is not significantly biased. • The area of expertise is a legitimate area or discipline. • The authority must be properly cited.

14. Thomas hobbes (1588-1679)background • Background • Personal Information • Influence: Galileo’s Works • Influence: Euclidean Geometry • Influence: English Civil War • The Leviathan (1651) • Physics & Philosophy • Goal & Method • Empiricism • Metaphysical Materialism • God • Ontology

15. Thomas hobbesphysics & Philosophy • Types of Philosophy • First Philosophy • Special Sciences • Political Science • Epistemology & Psychology • Thoughts • Sensations • Imagination & Memory • Association • Language • Humans • Nominalism & Reasoning

16. Thomas hobbes • Metaphysics • Determinism • Human Behavior • Voluntary Motions • Hobbes account of Deliberation • Ethics • Morality & Materialism

17. Thomas Hobbesphysics & politics • View of Politics • Experience • Conclusions Drawn From Experience • Method • The State of Nature • State of Nature • Egoism • Natural Laws • Natural Laws • The Laws • The Sovereign

18. Thomas hobbesPhysics & politics • Social Contract • The Contract • The Sovereign • Rights & Morality • Reaction

19. Thomas hobbesimpact & problems • Impact • Impact • Problems • Perception • Consciousness • Freedom, Purpose & Values

20. Rene Descartes (1596-1650)background • Life & Works • Life • Works • Agenda • Motivation • Travel • Inward Focus • Goals

21. Rene descartesmethod • Methodology • Mathematics • Intuition • Deduction • The Meditations on First Philosophy

22. Rene descartesFirst Meditation • First Part • Start & Goal • Method • Doubting the Senses • Senses • Dream Problem • Painter Analogy • Math: Skeptical Pause • God & The Demon • God • The Demon

23. Rene DescartesSecond Meditation • Skepticism & Certainty • Method • Skepticism • The Foundation of Certainty: I am, I exist • The Self • Goal • Rejected: The Body as Self • A Thing That Thinks • Rejected • Human Body • Air, Wind, Fire, Vapor, or Breath

24. Rene DescartesSecond Meditation • Knowledge of His Existence is not via the Imagination • Certainty • The Wax Example • The Wax • How the Wax is Known • Language & Errors • Perception & Inference • The Wax Proves He Exists • Conclusion

25. Rene Descartesthird meditation • Truth & God • Standard of Truth: Clear & Distinct • External Things • God & Deception • Does God Exist? • Is God a Deceiver? • Ideas • Division of Thoughts • Ideas& Truth • Source of Ideas • Ideas of External Objects

26. Rene Descartesthird meditation • External Objects: Instructed by Nature • External Objects: Ideas do not Depend on His Will • External Objects: Resemblance • Ideas, Reality & Causes • Ideas & Reality • Objective Reality • Principle: The cause must contain at least as much reality as the effect. • Formal Reality • Eminent Containment • Causes of Ideas • Regress Argument for Archetypes

27. Rene Descartesthird meditation • Method: Trying to find an idea he cannot be the cause of. • He could be the cause of his ideas of secondary qualities. • He could be the cause of his ideas of primary qualities. • God • God • Substance & Infinity Argument • Infinity, God and Comprehension • Descartes considers he might be the cause. • Why Descartes cannot be the cause.

28. Rene Descartesthird meditation • More on God • Goal • He is lacking, so he cannot be the author of his own being. • Infinite Parts Argument • Regress Argument • Several Causes • Parents • Idea of God • God is not a deceiver/

29. Rene DescartesFourth meditation • God & Reason • God is not a deceiver. • Reason • The Cartesian Circle • The Possibility of Error • Points of Certainty

30. Rene DescartesFifth meditation • Third Proof of God • The Proof • Unique to God

31. Rene DescartesSixth meditation • The External World • The Problem • Descartes as the cause. • God as the cause. • External objects cause the ideas. • Illusions • Nature of Objects

32. Rene DescartesCartesian dualism • Dualism • Substance • Two Substances: Mental & Physical • Meditations: Doubt • Meditations: Different • Humans & Animals • Dualism • The Cartesian Compromise • Reconciliation • The Dualist Solution: The Body • The Dualist Solution: The Mind

33. Rene DescartesCartesian dualism • Interactionism • Mind-Body Problem • Ship & Pilot Analogy • The Pineal Gland

34. Rene DescartesProblems & Impact • Problems • Natural Light • Principle & Doubt • Infinity • Contamination Problem • Interactionism: Arnold Geulincx (1624-1669) • Parallelism • Interactionism: Nicolas Malebranche (1623-1662) • Occasionalism • Blaise Pascal

35. Rene DescartesProblems & Impact • Impact • Certainty • Universal Science • Reconciling Science & Religion • Artificial Intelligence