Lectures 2 and 3

Question 1

What is the central thesis of the Vienna circle?

Answer 1

The central thesis was that science could lead the way out of misery through:
1. Verification: only claims/sentences that can be verified through empirical observations can have any meaning and be true/false
2. Science can offer certainty where metaphysics and religion failed
3. Provide an instrument to rationalize social ordering

Question 2

What are metaphysics?

Answer 2

Metaphysics are concepts and knowledge that are beyond what we can verify or observe

Question 3

Name the three different types of epistemology?

Answer 3

1. Rationalism
2. Empiricism
3. Idealism

Question 4

What is rationalism?

Answer 4

Rationalism states that observation is unreliable, and that therefore, thinking is the basis for all knowledge. We can have a priori knowledge

Question 5

What is empiricism?

Answer 5

Empiricism states that knowledge can only come from observations.

Question 6

What are the problems of rationalism?

Answer 6

We need to enter emprirical input ourselves, otherwise rationalism creates theories about nothing.

Question 7

What are the problems with empiricism?

Answer 7

1. We are limited by what we can observe
2. Observations can be wrong or we are unable to observe (causality and theoretical concepts are hard to observe)

Question 8

What is structuration?

Answer 8

The process in which knowledge is formed from sensory experience.

Question 9

What is idealism?

Answer 9

Idealism states that all knowledge comes from experience and we need an ability to structure those experiences. Observations and sensory experiences and ideas are mixed. Idealism is in between rationalism and empiricism.

Question 10

What is the problem of idealism?

Answer 10

The problem of idealism is that you do not know where ideas come from. Where ideas comes from is metaphysical?

Question 11

What is logical positivism?

Answer 11

Logical positivism used the void left behind by idealism. In logical positivism, we observe and rely on logic to develop theories.
It combines observations and logic and gives room to the linguistic turn.

Question 12

What is the linguistic turn?

Answer 12

Logic can structure observations in a non-metaphysical way. Talk about truth or falseness of statements. Knowledge becomes a priority in language.

Question 13

Division of all possible statements?

Answer 13

All statements can be divided into 4 different categories, two use logic and two use observation:
1. Logical nonsense (square is round)
2. Logical truth/analytical statement (bachelor is unmarried)
3. Synthetic statement (only known to be true through observation)
4. Metaphysics (things that cannot be verified through observation)

Question 14

Why is a logical truth also called an analytical statement?

Answer 14

Because we can verify the truth value of such a statement through logical analysis.

Question 15

Why is a synthetic statement also called the empirical truth?

Answer 15

Because we can only know it to be true through observation.

Question 16

Which types of the types of all possible statements are used in logical positivism?

Answer 16

Logical positivism only uses logical truth and synthetic statements.

Question 17

What is logical reducibility?

Answer 17

This is a concept in logical positivism that states that for every statement in a system of knowledge, you should be abloe to go to individual synthetic statements and reality and observe the theoretical law. It should not be considered scientific knowledge if it cannot be observed.

Question 18

Explain the process from observation to theoretical law.

Answer 18

1. We observe a particular phenomena (a marmble rolls) (sensory experience)
2. Use collective experience to form a synthetic statement (marbles roll)
3. On the basis of a synthetic statement, a generalization can be made (round objects roll)
4. You might be able to infer a general law (theory of dynamics)

Question 19

what is the unity of science ideal?

Answer 19

It states that knowledge is studied on different levels:
1. Core=logic
2. Non-organic (physics)
3. Organic (biology)
4. State of mind (psychology)
5. Interaction (social sciences)

Question 20

What is the problem of unity in science?

Answer 20

1. Theoretical concepts cannot be reduced to observations alone.
2. It doens’t meet the criteria of logical reducibility.

Question 21

What is the intension concepts?

Answer 21

This is a conjunction of general properties that define a concept together

Question 22

What is the extension of concepts?

Answer 22

This is a set of all the phenomena that a concept refers to.

Question 23

What are the two problems of logical positivism?

Answer 23

1. Some concepts cannot be reduced to observation alone
2. Induction logic

Question 24

How do we solve the first problem of logical positivism: unreducibility through observation alone?

Answer 24

We can do a pragmatic concession and allow theoretical concepts IF:
1. Concepts explain something about facts that is not apparent from observation alone (explanatory power)
2. The use of these concepts leads to the development of new hypotheses to be tested.

Question 25

How can we solve problem 2 of logical positivism: Induction logic?

Answer 25

We can allow induction logic in building scientific knowledge IF:
1. There is a seperation between observational and theoretical language
2. There is a distinction between statements that are true and statements that are likely to be true

Question 26

What are the three philosophical conclusions based on the view of Kuhn?

Answer 26

1. Truth only exists withing paradigms
2. There is no independent criterion to choose between paradigms
3. Science is a human activity