Epistemology

1) Plato has the theory of forms, in which he believed there are two realities. The first Reality, would be the world that we live in, and the second would be the non-physical world where the forms would actually exist. For example: a cylinder exists in the non-physical world, but in our world the toilet paper role would be a copy to represent the form of a cylinder. Locke offers the casual theory of perception. It’s the belief that we start life with a blank slate. He claims that there is…

Analysis of “Knowing What You Believe” by Quassim Cassam Introduction: In the article “Knowing What You Believe” by Quassim Cassam talks about how the transparency account doesn’t support epistemically immediate. He defends the views about that the belief of P is epistemically inferential and therefore not immediate, which he bases it the transparency. Cassam starts by defining the notion of transparency and gives three questions in which he plans to answer. Then he continues on to talk about…

What are human beings? What is our purpose in life? These are some of the questions that come to our minds as human beings. How do we begin to understand these thoughts? As self-conscience individuals, we turn to philosophy to help comprehend these questions. One may ask themselves what is philosophy? Three words to sum up philosophy, Love of Wisdom. Philosophy takes our curious minds to answer abstract questions. Philosophy can not only play a role in school, but it can also benefit lives of…

• The scientific bodies of knowledge and scientific ways differ from other cultures. The way people view science in Yupiaq culture in southwestern Alaska is very different from the science we use in the United States. • We have adopted Western science in our curriculum in the elementary school system. Students are partaking in controlled experiments, replicability, and alleged objectivity which is practiced in a science laboratory which differs from what the indigenous people are doing. •…

Throughout history, philosophers have been known to use skepticism as a method to justify their theories of existence and knowledge. Such philosophers like Descartes who wrote in his meditations that by doubting everything one is able to establish a foundation based upon certainty. However, others philosophers like G.E Moore and Barry Stroud reject Descartes and continue on to explain their foundations and ideas on the connection between knowledge and existence. Certainty and The Problem of the…

Descartes’ main goal with his first meditation is to provide a new foundation of the sciences. He claims that the foundation of the sciences lies within our minds and is exclusive of our senses. To prove this theory, Descartes uses the method of logical doubt, in which he states “if I am able to find in each one some reason to doubt, this will suffice to justify my rejecting the whole” (Descartes, 6). This means that, if he can find the slightest doubt regarding a fact, he can therefore can…

Christopher Nolan’s imaginative and visually stunning thriller Inception is one of the most ingenious movies I have ever seen. The plot, editing and actors are all spectacular. I have seen the movie several times, yet each time I watch the movie I pick up on something new I had previously missed. However, I never knew that there were philosophical references in the movie until this assignment was given. I have learned that these references specifically come from epistemological problems,…

1A.) Descartes attempted to prove or examine the nature of physical objects as well as non physical objects and essentially discover whether or not they were true. He believed in mechanical philosophy, which can be explained when examining his method of doubt, and his views on the nature of the self. Descartes had a three step method of doubt which had the intention of discovering what can be found to be real or true. To sum this up, he wanted to discover what can be held as a base for certainty…

Plato has a deep understanding of human nature and perception. He uses his literary work the “Allegory of the Cave” to support his theory of forms. He argues that the material world, the world where we use our senses, is an unreliable way to view the world. Relying on your physical senses alone makes you blind. You are not allowing yourself to see the entire world if you only use your senses. The only way to see the true world is through abstract or philosophical thought he called ideas. Ideas…

Many people today try and find ways to explain how God exists, and that is no different from when Rene Descartes was alive. Rene Descartes was born in France but later moved to Holland where free thought was tolerated. One night, to avoid the cold, Descartes locked himself in an oven where he had a series of revelations which he claimed came from God. In this paper, I will discuss Descartes argument for Gods existence. In argument one of his meditation of proving God’s existence, Descartes says…