Introduction to Philosophy

Rationalism

Reasoning from Inner World to Outer Reality

  1. Two main theories of knowledge
    1. Empiricism: "The position stressing the role of experience"
    2. Rationalism: "The position which stresses the role of intellect or reason as the basis for knowledge."
  2. Two types of information available:
    1. sense data (a posteriori)
    2. definitional (a priori)
  3. Plato and the epistemology of his metaphysic
    1. Saw reason as the most important separation between humans and animals
    2. Fulfilling reason must be what would lead to human happiness.
    3. Reason must attain to knowledge
      1. But the world around us is changing
      2. Thus can yield only opinion.
  4. The advantages to the soul on the death of the body
    1. The body exists in the world of being
    2. Senses from the world of being can misfunction
    3. The soul's search for knowledge is bothered by the encumbrance of the body.
    4. Compare Paul: 1 Cor 13:9, 12 "For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.... Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."
  5. Innate Ideas
    1. Some principle which the mind finds already "pre-installed"
    2. Not Instinct
      "Biological mechanisms which guide or necessitate behavior expedient for survival"
    3. Case of Children
      1. Pick them up, not taught
      2. Where do they encounter two quantities which are exactly equal? No where!
      3. Where could they get knowledge of squares, circles, etc.? Realm of Forms.
  6. Descartes
    1. Wanted knowledge to be as precise as geometry
    2. Attempted to secure a method which would give us such knowledge
      1. Starts with basic, undoubtable truths
      2. A type of foundationalism
    3. Two operations of the intellect which can gain us truth
      1. intuition -- gives us the fundamental truths
      2. deduction -- allows us to derive more truths (see 225)
    4. Interaction of the two operations give us indubitable starting points and rules for deriving further knowledge (Geometrical Method)
  7. Chomsky's rationalistic view of language
    1. The most impacting contemporary rationalist
    2. Noticed how Children learn and use language. @
    3. The structure of language is determined by the structure of the human mind.
    4. The structure of the human mind is biologically determined.
  8. Problems with Chomsky's view of language
    1. How is it we come to know all these innate structural rules of grammar?
    2. Do these structural rules arise because of common human experience?
  9. Animal Language @


A Little on Language

Communication Systems

  1. A mode of Communication. (sound, visual, chemical)
  2. Semanticity. (meaning vs. "blubzcbk")
  3. Pragmatic Function. (Survival, influence)
  4. Interchangeability/reciprocality (interchange of speaking and listening)
  5. Traditional Transmission (standardized signal code, whether innate or learned)

True Language Systems

  1. Productivity (generating the unsaid and unheard)
  2. Displacement (space & time)
  3. Arbitrariness ("cat", "chat", "koshka")





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