Knowledge: Day 3

Objective Students will discuss the epistemology of Locke. Agenda 1. Review: Descartes Meditations 2. Notes on Locke 3. Journal #15: Truth 4. Discussion

Cogito, ergo, sum.

P1 P2 P3 C An evil genius may mislead me and everything I think may be false. False thinking is still thinking. To think is to exist. Thus, even if I think falsely, I still exist!

This is Descartes foundational certainty!

Discussion: Dogs and People

Plato v. Aristotle (around 380 BCE)

Pre- RATIONALISM True knowledge comes from the intelligible realm outside the cave! Inside the cave is our everyday sense experience, which often deceives us! Ex: Circle as real v. ideal FORM. Pre- EMPIRICISM True knowledge comes from careful use of the senses, plus logic. Everyday sense experience can lead us to knowledge. Ex: Chicken development.

John Locke
(1632-1704)
Primary Qualitiesobjective, independent of any individual observer, e.g., solidity, length, weight, position in space Secondary Qualitiessubjective, arise out of interaction between the object and the observing subject, can differ from observer to observer, e.g., color, taste, smell

 What would Schopenhauer say about Lockes distinction? Neo?

Perception v. Reality
P1 PB&J is white, brown, purple, square, on the table, sticky (Senses/ Empirical Interpretation). P2 PB& J is just a cloud of colorless molecules (Physics/ Rationalist Interpretation). P3 PB & J is both colored and colorless. P4 3 is contradictory, so either 1 is true or 2 is true. P5 The senses often deceive us, so C 2 is True. Problem for Locke?

Two Theories of Truth

Correspondence Theory To be true, statements must correspond to objective reality. Ex: There are 33 chairs in this room now. Coherence Theory To be true, statements must not contradict the accepted body of knowledge. Ex: There are 33 chairs in this room right now. (Chairs? 33? Room? Now?) WEB metaphor

MIRROR metaphor

Journal #15: Truth

What makes something TRUE? (You might give an example of something you believe to be true)