A Big Bag O’ isms

More categories for our mental maps

How we understand knowledge has repercussions for

how we understand our place in the world.

How we understand our place in the world, likewise

impacts what we will count as knowledge.

This delicate dance of ideas gives rise to a broad range

of theories that play a critical role in virtually every

form of life.

Why consider so many “isms”?

Rejects the notion that justification must obey

logic or reason. Varieties of irrationalism include:

◦ Nihilism – asserts the impossibility of knowledge.

◦ Mysticism – magical or divine sources provide

knowledge . . . ya just know it in your gut!

Irrationalism

Rationalists' arguments, begin largely on the

basis of deductive reasoning from first principles

or clear and distinct ideas.

But where do these first ideas come from?

◦ a priori or innate ideas that are

◦ not derived from sense experience.

Are they ‘hard wired’ in the species or

Preexisting in ‘minds’ (whatever that may be)?

Rationalism

Empiricists - proceed inductively on the basis of sensory experience.

◦ e.g. color , sound, smell, texture, etc. ( though there is disagreement on what to

include in this list.)

It is probabilistic rejecting absolute certainty.

It asserts that Synthetic a posteriori claims, matters of fact, can

describe reality, e.g., “The cat is on the mat”. While,

Analytic truths that are a priori and necessary add no new information

about the world., e.g., “three plus two is five.” is tautological.

Empiricism

Asserts that something, the world, directly

causes perceptions.

And the world is as it is whether or not it

happens to cause a perception.

◦ e.g. There would still have been an Australian

continent even if it had never been inhabited.

Naïve realism

Asserts that there exists absolutely no

world causing perception.

All argument to the opposite conclusion are

found uncertain or unconvincing.

Solipsism

This indirect Realism asserts that some object of perception, sense data, participates in causing perception,

While individual perceivers, provide an interpretation of the raw data giving rise to experience.

The world is identical to neither perception nor experience.

The world is invariant whether or not it happens to cause a perception.◦ e.g., There might still have been an Australian continent even if it

had never been discovered. But it would be impossible to know it.

However, experience need not be invariant.◦ e.g., One may experience Australia as a land of muted grays on

approaching from afar at night or as of vivid blue greens landing in Darling Harbor at noon.

Representational Realism

Asserts that there exists levels of reality. Forms are most perfectly real and include

◦ The form of objects of science, e.g. Mathematical entities independently exist at a high level. There would be numbers whether or not there had

ever been people that count.◦ The form of the objects of art, e.g. Beauty

There would be beauty independent of works of art.◦ The form of the good, ,e.g. virtues

The individual acts of humankind are mere resemblance of goodness itself.

◦ etc.

Abstract or Platonic Idealism

Asserts that something, the mind, causes

perceptions (Nothing can be like an idea but

another idea) and,

the world seems or is as it is only in so far as

minds cause perception.

◦ e.g. Australia would not have been a continent if it

had never been inhabited (or at least held in the

mind of the gods.). It could not possibly have had a

prior existence at all.

Sense Idealism

A kind of empiricist view (knowledge arises through sensation) according to which

One rejects material substance◦ If nothing can be like an idea but another idea

material substances are an unnecessary redundancy.

Rejects the common sense notion of cause.◦ If “x happens y must happen” is only contingent

and only probable – not a necessary connection. Since the connection in not a matter of sensation nor logically necessary it is just nonsense – a psychological prejudice. (the problem of induction.)

Radical Skepticism

Referring is always referring to phenomenon, i.e. "appearances", as opposed to noumena, the object of thought.

Shares close affinities with sense idealism. But, is neutral or hostile to mental causation.

On some versions, the essential claim of Phenomenalism is that the content of propositions about so called material objects can be entirely specified in sense-datum terms.

Phenomenalism