philosophy lecture 11

Introduction to PhilosophyIntroduction to Philosophy

IS-VNUIS-VNUMr. Mike Mr. Mike

Lecture 11Lecture 11

Introduction to Philosophy

ExistentialismExistentialism

Positivism Positivism

Logical PositivismLogical Positivism


Exercise: Exercise: Write an answer to the Write an answer to the following question...following question...

Why are you here? What is your purpose Why are you here? What is your purpose in life? in life?


Discussion: Discussion:

How do you find out your purpose in life? How do you find out your purpose in life?

Existentialism Existentialism Focused on the condition of human existence

Individual's emotions, actions, responsibilities, and thoughts

Asks: What is the meaning or purpose of life?

Tend to see reality as Subjective not Objective

We are all Subjective Viewers We are all Subjective Viewers

Existentialism Existentialism Søren KierkegaardSøren Kierkegaard

(1813-1855)

• Father of existentialism

• Individual is solely responsible for giving his or her own life meaning

• the individual is responsible for living that life passionately and sincerely in spite of many existential obstacles and distractions including despair, angst, absurdity, alienation, and boredom

Existentialism Existentialism Søren KierkegaardSøren Kierkegaard

(1813-1855)

• Danish Christian Philosopher

• Critical of Idealism and Organized Christianity

• Viewed Christianity as “Subjective” individual experience (relationship) with Jesus Christ

• Christianity is a matter of faith not rationalism or scientific knowledge

Existentialism Existentialism Søren KierkegaardSøren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)(1813-1855)

Leap of FaithLeap of Faith

• Faith is not a decision based on Faith is not a decision based on empirical evidenceempirical evidence

• Love is also not based on rational Love is also not based on rational knowledge of another person knowledge of another person

• Faith and Love both require the Faith and Love both require the individual to make a commitment individual to make a commitment

• No “evidence” could ever be enough No “evidence” could ever be enough to pragmatically justify the kind of total to pragmatically justify the kind of total commitment involved in true religious commitment involved in true religious faith or romantic lovefaith or romantic love

Existentialism Existentialism Søren KierkegaardSøren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)

Leap of Faith Leap of Faith

• FFaith requires Doubtaith requires Doubt

• To truly believe in God, you need to To truly believe in God, you need to experience Doubtexperience Doubt

• Doubt is the rational part of a person's Doubt is the rational part of a person's thought involved in weighing evidencethought involved in weighing evidence

• Religious Faith and Love are NOT Religious Faith and Love are NOT capable of objective certaintycapable of objective certainty


Leap of Faith Leap of Faith

• It doesn't require “faith” to believe It doesn't require “faith” to believe that material objects exist because that material objects exist because we can experience them with our we can experience them with our senses senses

• Immaterial things (like God and Immaterial things (like God and Love) require “faith” to believe in Love) require “faith” to believe in their existencetheir existence

• There is no “perceptual” access to There is no “perceptual” access to God (or Love); faith is the only God (or Love); faith is the only access we have to God access we have to God


Subjectivity Subjectivity

• Dependent on the mind or on Dependent on the mind or on an individual's perception for its an individual's perception for its existenceexistence

ObjectivityObjectivity

• Not dependent on the mind Not dependent on the mind for existence; actual facts for existence; actual facts

All religious knowledge is All religious knowledge is “subjective” not Objective “subjective” not Objective

Existentialism Existentialism Friedrich NietzscheFriedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)(1844-1900)

The Will to PowerThe Will to Power

• Fundamental driving force of Fundamental driving force of the individual as expressed in the individual as expressed in the need to dominate and the need to dominate and control the external forces control the external forces operating upon himoperating upon him

• Individual requires the power Individual requires the power to be master of his own destinyto be master of his own destiny

• Moral systems and religious Moral systems and religious institutions attempt to bind and institutions attempt to bind and subdue the willsubdue the will

Existentialism Existentialism Friedrich NietzscheFriedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)(1844-1900)

ReligionReligion

• Slave MoralitySlave Morality

• The resentment of the weak The resentment of the weak towards the strong. The towards the strong. The weak sought revenge on weak sought revenge on those stronger than those stronger than themselves, not in this life, themselves, not in this life, but in a fictional ‘other’ but in a fictional ‘other’ world, where some other world, where some other power, namely God, would power, namely God, would wreak vengeance on their wreak vengeance on their behalf.behalf.

Existentialism Existentialism Martin HeideggerMartin Heidegger (1889–1976)(1889–1976)

• Ever since Plato, philosophers Ever since Plato, philosophers have been asking about what have been asking about what there is (metaphysics) and there is (metaphysics) and what they can know about what what they can know about what there is (epistemology)there is (epistemology)

• These questions presuppose These questions presuppose too much too much

• We need to ask, “What is We need to ask, “What is being (existence)?” being (existence)?”

• Why is there something Why is there something instead of nothing? instead of nothing?

Existentialism Existentialism Martin HeideggerMartin Heidegger (1889–1976)(1889–1976)

• Self-conscious Being Self-conscious Being (existence) recognizes that the (existence) recognizes that the self is finite and mortal self is finite and mortal

• Understand your finiteness Understand your finiteness and mortality produces “dread” and mortality produces “dread” and “anxiety” and “anxiety”

• Life cannot take any positive Life cannot take any positive meaning until you fully meaning until you fully understand and accept your understand and accept your finiteness and morality finiteness and morality

• This self-awareness leads to This self-awareness leads to authenticity – choosing authenticity – choosing something out of nothingsomething out of nothing

Existentialism Existentialism Jean-Paul SartreJean-Paul Sartre (1905–1980)(1905–1980)

• Humans first exists without Humans first exists without purpose (meaning) or definitionpurpose (meaning) or definition

• Humans find themselves in a Humans find themselves in a world without meaningworld without meaning

• Meaning is created out of Meaning is created out of reaction (experience) to this reaction (experience) to this worldworld

• First existence, then MeaningFirst existence, then Meaning


• Opposite of Aristotle's Ethics - Opposite of Aristotle's Ethics - man is created to fulfil some man is created to fulfil some purpose or goal, and that purpose or goal, and that fulfilment of a life consists in fulfilment of a life consists in striving towards that goalstriving towards that goal

• Sartre argues that since there Sartre argues that since there is no God or designer to give is no God or designer to give man a purpose, it is up to the man a purpose, it is up to the individual to choose the life individual to choose the life they think bestthey think best

• “ “Man is condemned to be free”Man is condemned to be free”


• Even if someone is pointing a Even if someone is pointing a gun at you, you still must make gun at you, you still must make a real choice. a real choice.

• The person holding the gun The person holding the gun can never make a choice for can never make a choice for you you

• Thus, you are never really Thus, you are never really “forced” to do anything“forced” to do anything

• You are only forced to chooseYou are only forced to choose

Existentialism Existentialism

Jean-Paul SartreJean-Paul Sartre (1905–1980)(1905–1980)

• ResponsibilityResponsibility – Because our – Because our choices are free, we are full choices are free, we are full responsible for them responsible for them

• We cannot blame human We cannot blame human nature, God or our environment nature, God or our environment for any of our actions or for any of our actions or choiceschoices


Jean-Paul SartreJean-Paul Sartre (1905–1980)(1905–1980)

3 Burdens of the Individual 3 Burdens of the Individual

• AnguishAnguish – arising from the – arising from the awareness of the weight of awareness of the weight of responsibility we each hold responsibility we each hold

• AbandonmentAbandonment – We are – We are alone in our choices without alone in our choices without any moral guidance from God any moral guidance from God or others or others

• DespairDespair - We must act without - We must act without hope. We cannot trust that hope. We cannot trust that things will turn out for the best. things will turn out for the best. There is no providence. There is no providence.


Albert CamusAlbert Camus (1913–1960)(1913–1960)

Absurdity Absurdity

• The Myth of Sisyphus - The Myth of Sisyphus - Condemned by the gods to Condemned by the gods to eternally push a boulder up a eternally push a boulder up a hill only to have it roll back hill only to have it roll back down again as he reaches the down again as he reaches the summitsummit

• Absurdity arises out of our Absurdity arises out of our attempts to make sense of a attempts to make sense of a senseless worldsenseless world

• Life is pointless Life is pointless


Albert CamusAlbert Camus (1913–1960)(1913–1960)

Absurdity Absurdity

• One must not try to resolve the One must not try to resolve the conflict of trying to find conflict of trying to find meaning in a meaningless meaning in a meaningless world. world.

• Rather, we must revolt against Rather, we must revolt against our fate and choose to live our fate and choose to live happy lives in spite of life's happy lives in spite of life's meaninglessness meaninglessness

Existentialism Existentialism Paul TillichPaul Tillich (1886 – 1965)(1886 – 1965)

• Christian Existentialist Christian Existentialist

• Believed that Existentialists Believed that Existentialists were asking the right questions were asking the right questions about being and existence about being and existence

• Argued that Christianity Argued that Christianity supplied the answers to the supplied the answers to the Existentialist questions Existentialist questions

• The task of the philosopher is The task of the philosopher is to formulate questions of to formulate questions of existence existence

• The task of the theologian is to The task of the theologian is to formulate the answers formulate the answers

Existentialism Existentialism Paul TillichPaul Tillich (1886 – 1965)(1886 – 1965)

Faith Faith

• Faith is not opposed to either reason Faith is not opposed to either reason or emotion or emotion

• Faith transcend both reason and Faith transcend both reason and emotions emotions

• Faith is require of both the theist and Faith is require of both the theist and the atheist the atheist

• The theist relies on faith to believe The theist relies on faith to believe God's existence God's existence

• The atheist relies on faith to deny The atheist relies on faith to deny God's existence God's existence

Positivism Positivism

• The Scientific Method is the The Scientific Method is the best approach to uncovering best approach to uncovering the processes by which both the processes by which both physical and human events physical and human events occur occur

• Asserts that the only Asserts that the only authentic knowledge is that authentic knowledge is that which is based on sense, which is based on sense, experience and positive experience and positive verificationverification

• The Scientific Method The Scientific Method replaces Metaphysics replaces Metaphysics

Positivism Positivism Auguste ComteAuguste Comte (1798–1857)(1798–1857)

Theological and Theological and metaphysical metaphysical speculations should speculations should be abandoned in be abandoned in favor of knowledge favor of knowledge gained through gained through observable “facts”observable “facts”

Positivism Positivism Positive Order of KnowledgePositive Order of Knowledge

Mathematics

Astronomy

Physics

Sociology

Biology

Chemistry

Positivism Positivism Positive “Scientific”

Theological

Metaphysical

Comte's Development of PhilosophyPhilosophy

Positivism Positivism New Social Order Led by Science

Theocracy

Monarchy

Comte's Development of Societies Societies

Anarchy

LogicalLogical Positivism Positivism • Combines the Scientific Combines the Scientific

Empiricism of Comte's Empiricism of Comte's Positivism with a modern Positivism with a modern form of Rationalism form of Rationalism

• Empiricism – Observational Empiricism – Observational evidence is foundational for evidence is foundational for knowledgeknowledge

• Rationalism – Mathematics, Rationalism – Mathematics, Logic, & LinguisticsLogic, & Linguistics

LogicalLogical Positivism Positivism Invalid Sources of KnowledgeInvalid Sources of Knowledge• TheologyTheology– All religious knowledgeAll religious knowledge

• MetaphysicsMetaphysics– Questions about the nature of realityQuestions about the nature of reality

• Ontology Ontology – Questions about the nature of being or existenceQuestions about the nature of being or existence

• Synthetic a priori Synthetic a priori – A statement in which the predicate is not A statement in which the predicate is not

contained in the subject (synthetic) and does not contained in the subject (synthetic) and does not depend on experience (a priori) depend on experience (a priori)

LogicalLogical Positivism Positivism

Rudolph Carnap Rudolph Carnap (1891-1970)(1891-1970)

• Many philosophical Many philosophical questions were meaningless questions were meaningless since they cannot be verified since they cannot be verified

• Accused philosophers of Accused philosophers of abusing “language” by not abusing “language” by not being scientifically precise being scientifically precise with their language with their language

• Proposed that Metaphysics Proposed that Metaphysics be eliminated from the be eliminated from the investigations of philosophy investigations of philosophy


Rudolph Carnap Rudolph Carnap (1891-1970)(1891-1970)

Logical SyntaxLogical Syntax

• Formal scientific languageFormal scientific language• Every word has only one Every word has only one

possible meaning to allow for possible meaning to allow for precision precision

• A systematic set of rules for A systematic set of rules for exactly how the language can exactly how the language can and cannot be usedand cannot be used

• Allows for the development of Allows for the development of a “logic of science” a “logic of science”


Bertrand Russell Bertrand Russell (1872–1970)(1872–1970)

Theory of Definite DescriptionsTheory of Definite Descriptions Some statements contain Some statements contain

multiple claimsmultiple claims Each claim in a statement Each claim in a statement

needs to be analyzed separately needs to be analyzed separately if the the whole statement is to if the the whole statement is to be analyzed be analyzed



Theory of Definite DescriptionsTheory of Definite Descriptions

Example: “The present king of Example: “The present king of France is Bald”France is Bald”Problem: The statement cannot be Problem: The statement cannot be verified or falsified without verified or falsified without accepting at least part of the accepting at least part of the statement as true which is not true statement as true which is not true in either case. There is no king of in either case. There is no king of France. France.



Theory of Definite DescriptionsTheory of Definite Descriptions

Solution: The statement contains Solution: The statement contains multiple claims multiple claims ““The present king of France is The present king of France is Bald”Bald”(1) There is a present king of France(1) There is a present king of France

(2) There is only one king of France(2) There is only one king of France

(3) If there is a present king of (3) If there is a present king of France that person is bald France that person is bald

LogicalLogical Positivism Positivism Ludwig Wittgenstein Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951)(1889–1951)

Language is the perceptible Language is the perceptible form of thought and bound to form of thought and bound to reality by a common logical form reality by a common logical form or structureor structure

The meaning of words and The meaning of words and sentences must be determined sentences must be determined by the nature of the worldby the nature of the world

If not, the meaning or sense of If not, the meaning or sense of an expression would be an expression would be uncertain and communication uncertain and communication would not be possible would not be possible

LogicalLogical Positivism Positivism Ludwig Wittgenstein Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951)(1889–1951)

Language are “picture” (exact Language are “picture” (exact representations) of the worldrepresentations) of the world

Meaning is tied to the user of Meaning is tied to the user of the language and the context in the language and the context in which it is used. which it is used.

Language is not tied directly to Language is not tied directly to naturenature

Language can be descriptive, Language can be descriptive, inquisitive, playful, commanding inquisitive, playful, commanding and so on... and so on...

philosophy lecture 11

Spiritual

existentialism

existentialism

existentialism

existentialism

existentialism

existentialism

definite descriptions

paul sartre