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Belief, Truth, & Knowledge

Belief, Truth, & Knowledge. The Challenge of Skepticism. What do you see?. What do you see?. Which centre circle is bigger?. Optical Illusions. We all see things differently - especially morality Senses can deceive us and lead us astray

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Belief, Truth, & Knowledge

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  1. Belief, Truth, & Knowledge • The Challenge of Skepticism

  2. What do you see?

  3. What do you see?

  4. Which centre circle is bigger?

  5. Optical Illusions • We all see things differently - especially morality • Senses can deceive us and lead us astray • Conscience is formed and developed based on our beliefs. • Why do we have beliefs? What are they? • How do you know that you are here and not dreaming?

  6. Beliefs • Beliefs are your map of reality - they are the lenses through which you perceive the world. • your beliefs are the most important part about you • beliefs have started wars, bridged communities, ended slavery, and so forth • Beliefs + Desires = Actions • Problem: there is such thing as False Belief • we want our beliefs to be true - connects us to reality • Philosophers have encouraged us to therefore examine our beliefs

  7. Knowledge • Knowledge is an attainment concept • Ex: In basketball we shoot in order to score. Shooting is the activity; Scoring is the attainment intended • In life, we believe in order to know. Believing is the activity; Knowledge the intended attainment • Knowledge = Properly Justified True Belief • You cannot know something unless you truly believe it. • Belief alone isn’t sufficient for knowledge - you can’t believe something that is false either.

  8. TruthRelativism vs. Rationalism • Truth is our anchor in the world. • believing a truth is like hitting the target whereas a falsehood is like missing the mark • How do we find truth? With Reason. • Reason connects us to reality and as we will see there are two different ways of reasoning - Empiricism & Rationalism • The Philosophy of Relativism claims that all so-called truth is relative - no absolute truth • Very seductive because it can often serve as a very persuasive excuse for very bad behaviour

  9. Skepticism, the foundation of Relativism • Skepticism is based on the attitude of doubt. • True knowledge is uncertain, therefore there is no absolute truth. • Religions determine right & wrong and all concepts of right & wrong are invented by humans. • Better to use inquiry - all questions lead to discovery. • “Doubt is the vestibule which all must pass, before they can enter into the temple of truth.” • Charles Caleb Colton

  10. Rationalism • Belief is inevitable in human life and it is Rational. • Empiricists believe that all knowledge is attained through sensory experience whereas Rationalists believe that all knowledge is rooted in reason. • Rationalist statements are true without the use of senses. (If A is greater than B, and B is greater than C, then A is great than C) • Cause and Effect - (yes remember Aquinas) - rock hitting window - we don’t see the cause yet we believe it happened.

  11. Back to: Belief, Knowledge and Truth • We believe that humans have the ability to form their conscience according to moral principles of right and wrong, which will then lead them to make rational reasonable judgements. • At the foundation of this is the belief that: • We are rational beings. • We have the ability to reason. • We have the ability to make decisions freely. • There is such a thing as right and wrong. • We have the ability to know what is right and wrong. • It is better to do what is right rather than what is wrong.

  12. Let’s Practice! • Rationalism ____ • Skepticism ____ • Empiricism ____ • Moral Relativism ____ • all knowledge is rooted in sensory experience. • all knowledge is rooted in reason and cause and effect. • a philosophy of doubt. • a philosophy which claims there is no absolute truth.

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