philosophy 133

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JOURNAL WRITING 5 AND 6 – ON EPISTEMOLOGICAL IDEAS

READ Epistemological Philosophers and Ideas(Text); Textbook: Ch 4 and 5 – Rationalism vs Empiricism, from Introduction to Philosophy. Lecture Notes: Survey on Epistemological Philosophers

WRITE: Provide a summary of ideas based on the guide below

ON RENE DESCARTES’ EPISTEMOLOGY

  1. Discuss the Project and Method of Descartes? Explain its relevance today?
  2. Discuss how Descartes achieved the “indubitable truth” –the Truth that cannot be doubted again in his two meditations? (The “Cogito” or “I think, therefore, I am” in meditation2; and the “God exists” in meditation 3″? What makes him a rationalist?

ON JOHN LOCKE’S EPISTEMOLOGY

  1. Discuss Locke’s empiricist view, like “Tabula Rasa” view of the mind? What does it mean by knowing through the experience of things we encounter? Is knowing always associated with experience?
  2. Explain the following in John Locke’s philosophy: first, Locke’s active role of the objects known; second, Locke’s understanding of “representationalism”? What makes him an empiricist?

ON DAVID HUME’S EPISTEMOLOGY

  1. Discuss Hume’s basis of certitude of knowledge? Compare Impression vs Ideas? Which one is certain for Hume? Why?
  2. Discuss Matters of fact and Relation of ideas in establishing reliability? Which one for Hume is more objective and reliable? Why? What makes Hume a skeptic at the end in his empiricist perspective?

ON GEORGE BERKELEY’S EPISTEMOLOGY

  1. Describe Berkeley’s dialogue: MIND VS MATTER represented by Philonous vs Hylas? What is the argument about? What is Berkeley’s view of existence?
  2. Explain Berkeley’s epistemological argument: TO BE IS TO BE PERCEIVED? Who is the perceiving subject for Berkeley? Is this limited to human perceiving subject? Explain?

ON IMMANUEL KANT’S EPISTEMOLOGY

  1. Explain Kant’s epistemological goal? What kind of knowledge does Kant want to establish?
  2. Explain the rationalist side of Kant’s philosophy and his empiricist view of knowing? What makes Kant’s epistemology as a synthesis of rationalism and empiricism?

Guide for Submission:

Submit by day 7 to avoid deduction for late assignments and being locked out. Lock-out means there is an end date of the assignments. It is applied to assignments like discussion and quizzes with due and end dates. If assignments like vocabulary, journal, and extra credit have no end dates, then you can submit late, but late deduction points apply. You can submit late but with deduction applied according to the length of time submitted.

Journal Writings are activities of learning how to synthesize or summarize ideas from readings and notes. All ideas, sentences, and paragraphs must be expressed in a correct grammar. Always elaborate your understanding by explaining the theme or topics discussed. If you need to answer a question, answer the questions with substance and can be sourced by the readings and notes.