Theory of mind

Created in 1981 by Hilary Putnam the Brain in a Vat theory is about a science fiction possibility of our brains quite literally being in a vat. Hilary Putnam uses referencing or representation, the Turing Test, the rules of language and a host of examples to establish that the statement “we are brains in a vat” is a self-refuting statement. He asks the question “Could we, if we were brains in a vat in this way, say or think that we were?” (Putnam 1981, p7) and comes to the conclusion that we…

in taste, great art could be ugly in both its subject matter and its depiction. Western history, reality itself, created by God was conceived of as beautiful. The definitive voice in the identification of beauty with an ultimate reality was Plato theory. Beauty, in which is the exhibit itself in all and only beautiful things. Beauty itself is not just the truth of beautiful things according to Plato. Many theorists have insisted that art is not about accurate representation, but instead is…

he concept of free will is one that intensely creates the definition of what it means to be a human. Individuals treasure the idea that they have the freedom to decide the outcome of their lives and abilities. It’s a theory that gives us control and responsibility of our own lives and distinguishes humans from other animals. Throughout the books The Study of Human Nature by Leslie Stevenson and Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the case of free will took two distinct paths. The first…

Spiritual Journey For my paper, I will be covering and exploring scientific theories that are then applied to my personal life experiences to form a sort of hybrid story/academic research paper, which I feel suits perfectly my strong character traits of constant hesitation. I will bring to mention my personal philosophies, past/present dependency problems, acute depression, and individual spiritual experiences which were able to defy my understanding of science, and thus exist without…

The age of the brain and mind has ushered in a host of new disciplines, set to unveil some of the mysterious processes of the brain. Cognitive science, in particular, is an interdisciplinary area of study - combining psychology, anthropology, computer science, linguistics, neuroscience, and philosophy – that focuses on the mind. A subdivision of cognitive science, called the cognitive science of religion, explores the connection between religious experience and the mind. As Christians, we must…

Philosophy ("love of wisdom") is the study of general and fundamental problems regarding matters such as existence, values, reason, mind, knowledge, and language. Natural philosophy was the philosophic study of nature and the physical universe that was most influential before the growth of modern science. It is thought to be the pioneer of natural sciences. Nature has two inter-related meanings in philosophy. On the one side, it means that all natural objects, or subject to the normal working…

In this essay, I will describe Gale’s definition of an accidental discovery, and assess his argument as to why accidental discoveries can not be made in science. Then, I will argue that an accidental discovery can actually occur whenever someone’s mind is prepared for a discovery. I will also argue that while Gale’s argument may be convincing, it does not thoroughly consider all types of accidental discoveries. Gale claims that “discoveries can happen only to those whose…

faith in the scientific method makes him stand out as a revolutionary philosopher. In this paper, the epistemological philosophies of Peirce, G. E. Moore, and Wittgenstein will be discussed in order to arrive at a more complete theory of knowledge. Peirce’s pragmatic theory of truth, though in need of some modification, best captures knowledge and conquers Cartesian skepticism. First, an important distinction must be made between Peirce’s critical common sensism and G. E. Moore’s common…

issues advocating against the abstract question of reality. In contrast, the aim of modern science has been, by employing the scientific method, to establish reality beyond any doubt. As a result, the public commonly accepts scientific findings and theories as undisputable truths. However, the certainty of modern science is misleading and continues to leave the question of reality open for…

What are the methods of Inquiry? Basically, methods of inquiry are different ways an investigator can gather information for his/her case whether it’s a normal routine investigation or trying to reconstruct a past crime scene. Outside resources such as forensic scientists, computer technicians or anthropologist could be used in order to validate evidence collected. The scientific method is a great tool to use when trying to reconstruct a crime scene. The scientific method is not only for…