Lecture 5&6 Truth and Perception and Aristotle Flashcards

1
Q

What is perception?

A

The psychological process by which we become aware of ordinary objects when our sense organs are stimulated

Perception is how we ‘know’ the world through our five senses.

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2
Q

What does Commensense (or Naive) Realism propose?

A

We experience an object exactly as it actually exists

This perspective suggests that our senses provide reliable information about the world.

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3
Q

What are some challenges to Commensense Realism?

A

Mirages, dreams, and hallucinations

These phenomena illustrate that everything is not as it appears.

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4
Q

What is Epistemological Dualism?

A

The theory that there is a world of objects ‘out there’ and a world of ideas ‘in our mind’

This concept was proposed by John Locke.

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5
Q

How do our senses function according to Epistemological Dualism?

A

They trigger ideas in our mind, creating a representation of external objects

This is likened to a camera making a subjective copy of an object.

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6
Q

What is Subjective Idealism?

A

The belief that all we have is our subjective experience, creating our ‘reality’

George Berkeley stated, ‘To be is to be perceived.’

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7
Q

What is Solipsism?

A

The philosophical idea that only one’s own mind is sure to exist

Berkeley suggested God as the originator of ideas to avoid denying external reality.

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8
Q

What does Phenomenalism propose?

A

The external world exists, but we can only know it as it appears to our senses

Immanuel Kant emphasized the difference between noumenon and phenomenon.

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9
Q

What are the two types of knowledge according to Kant?

A
  • Form of knowledge
  • Content of knowledge

Form is how the mind structures information, while content is the sensory data received.

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10
Q

What is a priori knowledge?

A

Knowledge that is structured by our mind before receiving sensory data

It implies that the mind has a framework ready to process incoming information.

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11
Q

What did Noam Chomsky identify related to language?

A

Universal Grammar

He argued that physical limitations of the brain restrict language variations to a ‘deep structure.’

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12
Q

What are considered a priori forms of knowledge?

A
  • Time
  • Space
  • Causation

These forms are termed ‘intuitions’ because they are not derived from critical thinking.

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13
Q

What is Contemporary Realism?

A

The view that there is an objective, real world external to our senses

It asserts a reliable natural process connecting our brain to objects.

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14
Q

What is the significance of trial and error in discovering reality?

A

It is essential in the scientific method for understanding the objective world

This process helps validate our perceptions and knowledge.

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15
Q

What is a key question raised in the summary of perception?

A

How does a physical event cause a mental one?

This question highlights the relationship between perception, thought, and truth.

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16
Q

What is the correspondence theory of truth?

A

What is true is an idea or statement that correlates to an objective reality.

This theory emphasizes the need for facts and objective verification through observation.

17
Q

What is the issue with the correspondence theory of truth?

A

Perception can be distorted and the majority often is mistaken.

This raises questions about abstract concepts like ‘love’ or ‘justice’.

18
Q

What is the coherence theory of truth?

A

A statement is true if it is consistent with other related propositions.

This model relies on deductive logic and is used to create a system of knowledge.

19
Q

What is a key limitation of the coherence theory of truth?

A

Many ‘truths’ are assumed and if the premises are wrong, the whole system is jeopardized.

There may also be no consensus on whether a contradiction has been resolved.

20
Q

What is the pragmatic theory of truth?

A

Truth is what works; ultimate truth cannot be known, so we find out what works for us.

This approach raises moral questions about whether the ends justify the means.

21
Q

What are the three models of truth that we seem to use?

A

Correspondence, coherence, and pragmatic models.

Each model serves different contexts in understanding truth.

22
Q

Who was Aristotle?

A

Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) was a philosopher who tutored Alexander the Great and emphasized knowledge through the senses.

He studied under Plato for almost twenty years.

23
Q

What was Aristotle’s view on Plato’s Theory of Forms?

A

He rejected it, believing that Forms are common characteristics of items and cannot be separated from the objects.

He argued that reality is the concrete world perceived through senses.

24
Q

What are the two components of substance according to Aristotle?

A

Matter and form.

Matter refers to pure materiality, while form refers to the characteristics that order the substance.

25
Q

Define potentiality in the context of Aristotle’s philosophy.

A

The unrealized ability of a substance to take on a particular form.

This concept contrasts with actuality, which is the realization of that form.

26
Q

What is actuality in Aristotle’s terms?

A

A thing achieving the form which its substance had in potential.

It signifies the realization of potential.

27
Q

What are the four causes identified by Aristotle?

A

Material, efficient, formal, and final causes.

Each cause explains different aspects of an entity’s existence and development.

28
Q

What is syllogistic logic?

A

A form of reasoning where a conclusion is drawn from two given or assumed propositions.

It was a significant part of Aristotle’s contributions to logic.

29
Q

What are Aristotle’s categories?

A

Substance, quality, quantity, relation, place, time, position, state, action, and affection.

These categories help classify living and non-living entities.

30
Q

What does Aristotle mean by the Final Cause?

A

The purpose or goal of an entity’s development, often identified with the Unmoved Mover.

This concept is linked to the idea of God as a logical necessity.

31
Q

What is Aristotle’s view on the soul?

A

The soul is the form of the body, and the body is the matter of the soul.

This illustrates the inseparable relationship between form and substance.

32
Q

What is the difference between Plato’s and Aristotle’s views on knowledge?

A

Plato emphasized transcendence, while Aristotle focused on immanence through logic, empiricism, and natural science.

Aristotle’s approach is grounded in the tangible world we perceive.