Knowledge From Reason Flashcards
What is analytic truth?
True in the virtue of the meaning of the words e.g triangle has three sides — true by definition
What is synthetic truth?
True in the virtue of how the world is e.g grass is green — can be contradicted
What does empiricism claim?
It says that that all a priori knowledge is of analytic truths (there is no synthetic a priori knowledge)
However, it also says that we gain our knowledge from experience.
What does rationalism claim?
It says that not all a priori knowledge is of analytic truths (there is at least one synthetic truth that can be known a priori using INTUITION and DEDUCTION)
Leibniz. We can discover some a priori truths through intuition and deduction — by chipping away blocks of marble in our minds
What 3 synthetic truths does Descartes provide using a priori intuition and deduction?
- I exist
- God exists
- The external world exists
Explain why cogito is a priori synthetic knowledge and it can be know for certain?
I doubt — therefore I think — therefore I am
It is synthetic because the result is being achieved through the use of rational intuition
And If the Evil demon is deceiving him, there must be something for the evil demon to deceive in the first place. So the fact that Descartes is able to doubt his own existence is the proof that he exists.
Explain the Trademark argument for the existence of God
P1. We have an idea of a perfect, infinite, all powerful being — God
P2. Something less perfect cannot produce an idea of something more perfect
P3. Since we are finite and imperfect, we cannot be the source of the idea of an infinite and perfect being. This idea could not have originated form ourselves
C1. Therefore, The idea of God must have been caused by God himself (like a trademark)
C2. Therefore, God must exist as the only one, being capable of implanting this concept in human minds.
What is the Descartes proof of the external world in two steps?
Step 1 — sensations originate from outside
P1. The will is a part of my essence
P2. I don’t have control over what I sense / I don’t will what I sense (sensations are not subject to my will)
C1. Therefore, Sensations come from outside of me
Step 2 — sensations originate in material bodies (objects)
P1. The origin is either God or matter
P2. Descartes is strongly inclined to think that it is matter
P3. If it was God, he would be a deceiver, because our senses often deceive us (illusions), but God is not a perfect being — NOT a deceiver
C1. Sensations originate in matter
What is the criticism of the trademark argument? (Cartesian CIrcle)
P1. God exists and isn’t a deceiver because I perceive it clearly and distinctly
P2. Clear and distinct ideas can be trusted because God (perfect being) wouldn’t allow me to be mistaken about them
This isn’t a strong argument because it is circular, you need God to trust C+D ideas AND you need C+D ideas to prove that God exists
What is the criticism of the trademark argument? (Not innate)
Locke claims that the idea of God is not innate, he argues that Descartes’ argument is not entirely a priori and therefore fails to establish rationalism.
Locke argues that if the idea of God was innate, then it would universally present in all human minds, however not everyone has it, such as individuals in cultures without exposure to religious teachings.
Furthermore, Descartes’ proof of the existence of the external world relies on the concept of God. So, if the arguments for God are not a priori, then neither is the argument for the external world. Therefore, they don’t establish synthetic truths a priori and thus fail to prove rationalism is correct
Criticism of Descartes’ proof for the existence of the external world?
Problem with Step 1
— Dreams are not subject to my will either, however they arise within me, perhaps sensations also come from a part of me of which I’m not aware of.
Problem with Step 2
— Perhaps God is a deceiver - he allows us to think that the external world exists. After all, our senses are often deceptive, for which God must be responsive => in either way God must be deceiving us.
Explain Plato’s Meno’s Slave boy argument
- Socrates draws a square on the ground that is 2 feet x 2 feet
- Meno’s slave agrees its area is 4 square feet
- Socrates then draws another square on the ground that has an area of 8 square feet
- Socrates then asks: What are the lengths of the sides?
- Meno’s slave incorrectly guesses 4 feet initially (the area would be 16 square feet, not 8)
- But Socrates asks Meno’s slave a series of questions
- Meno’s slave answers the questions correctly and realises that the that the diagonal of a square forms the side of a new square with double the area.
Plato argues that even if a boy has never been taught geometry, he’s able to answer Socrates’ questions (or at least correct his own mistakes) which suggests he has some innate knowledge
Criticism of the slave boy argument?
You could argue that the boy used reason to work out the correct answer, rather than he innately knew it beforehand — especially since the boy gave a bunch of wrong answers before giving the correct one
What does Leibniz say about necessary truths?
Experience only tells us how things are (what is the case), however could have been otherwise in some other world — contingent truth. No amount of experience can tell us how things must be — if you add apples 100 times, no one knows what will happens on the 101st time
Necessary truths are about how things must be. It cannot be contradicted like 2+2=4. So knowledge of necessary truths can’t come from experience, therefore it must be INNATE.
What is Locke’s argument against Innatism? (universality)
P1. If we did have innate knowledge, it would be universal
P2. If Plato’s argument was valid, everyone would know it, but Locke argues that “children and idiots” don’t know these theorems
P3. Locke argues that there are no universal beliefs (a beliefs everyone agrees on)
C1. Innatism is false
He also says that, even if universal ideas was the case, this still won’t prove that this knowledge was innate, because it can be explained in other ways — complex ideas acquired from experience
