Lesson Notes for 10/16

Monday, October 16, 2023 8:50 AM

Descartes' approach to knowledge

1. Doubt Everything:
- Descartes started by doubting everything he knew to make sure he only believed what was
absolutely true.

2. I Think, Therefore I Am:

- He realized that even if he doubted everything, he couldn't doubt that he was thinking. So, he
knew for sure that he existed.

3. Clear and Distinct Ideas:

- Descartes believed that if an idea is clear and easy to understand, then it is true.

4. God Exists:
- He also believed in God. He thought that because we can imagine a perfect being, it must exist.
And because God is perfect, He wouldn’t deceive us, making our clear and distinct ideas true.

5. The Physical World:

- With God’s existence confirmed, Descartes then believed we could trust our senses sometimes,
so the physical world around us does exist.

6. Mind and Body are Different:

- He thought that the mind and body are two different things. The mind is for thinking, and the
body is physical and exists in the physical world.

Descartes' approach was all about starting from scratch with what he could be certain of and
building his knowledge from there.

John Locke’s approach to knowledge:

1. Blank Slate:
- Locke believed that we are all born with a "blank slate," meaning we don’t have any knowledge to
start with. Everything we know comes from our experiences.

2. Experience is Key:
- He said that all our knowledge comes from our experiences. We learn from what we see, hear,
touch, taste, and smell.

3. Two Types of Experiences:

- Locke divided experiences into two types:
- Sensations: These are the things we experience directly through our senses.
- Reflections: These are the things we think about after we have had direct experiences.

4. Simple and Complex Ideas:

- Simple Ideas: These come directly from sensations and reflections. They’re the basic building
blocks of all our thoughts.
- Complex Ideas: We can combine simple ideas to make complex ones. For example, combining the
simple ideas of "soft" and "white" can give us the complex idea of a "cloud."

5. Knowledge is Limited:
- Locke believed that our knowledge is limited to what we can experience. We can't know about
things we haven’t experienced.

6. Quality of Ideas:

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6. Quality of Ideas:
- He also talked about the quality of our ideas. Some ideas are clear and distinct, while others can
be confused or unclear.

Locke thought that we start knowing nothing and learn everything through experience. Our minds
process these experiences to form ideas, which are the basis of our knowledge.

Rationalism
Rationalism, as a philosophical approach, is more naturally aligned with certain areas of knowledge
and optional themes that emphasize the role of reason, logic, and theoretical understanding. Below
are some of the areas and themes that are particularly compatible with rationalism:

Areas of Knowledge: (AoK)

1. Mathematics:
- Rationalism has a strong affinity with mathematics because mathematical knowledge is often
obtained through reason and logic rather than sensory experience or observation. Deductive
reasoning, proofs, and axioms are fundamental in mathematics, aligning with the core principles of
rationalism.

2. **Philosophy and Logic:**

- Philosophical reasoning, especially in areas like metaphysics and epistemology, is largely abstract
and relies heavily on logical reasoning. Ethics, to an extent, can also be approached rationally,
especially in the formulation of ethical theories and principles.

3. **Theoretical Sciences:**
- Fields like theoretical physics, which involve concepts not always directly observable (e.g.,
quantum mechanics, relativity), can align with rationalism. The development of theories often
depends on logical consistency and mathematical formulations.

### Optional Themes:

1. **Language and Reason:**

- The study of language, including formal languages and symbolic logic, can be approached
rationally. Analyzing syntax, grammar, and the logical structure of language is often more theoretical
and abstract.

2. **Knowledge Systems:**
- Certain knowledge systems, particularly those that are axiomatically derived like mathematics or
logic, lean towards rationalism. The focus is on internal consistency, coherence, and logical
structure.

3. **Religious Knowledge Systems:**

- While religion often involves faith and spirituality, some aspects, like theology and certain
religious philosophies, employ rationalism to explore and explain religious texts, doctrines, and
beliefs systematically.

### In Application:

Rationalism is inherently about the prioritization of reason and logic over sensory experience and
empirical evidence. While it finds natural applications in areas like mathematics and theoretical
sciences, it is essential to remember that knowledge is often multifaceted. A combined approach
that integrates rationalism with empiricism and other methods can often provide a more
comprehensive, balanced, and nuanced understanding of complex topics.

In education, for example, while students learn mathematical concepts and theories through
rational and logical processes, they often benefit from empirical examples and real-world
applications to deepen their understanding and see the relevance of those concepts in practice.

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applications to deepen their understanding and see the relevance of those concepts in practice.

### Closing Thoughts:

While rationalism has clear applications in certain areas of knowledge and themes, a balanced
approach that integrates multiple pathways to knowledge can be most effective, recognizing the
strengths and limitations of each philosophical standpoint.

Empiricism
Empiricism naturally aligns with various areas of knowledge and optional themes that are grounded
in observation, experience, and evidence. Here are some areas and themes particularly compatible
with empiricism:

### Areas of Knowledge:

1. **Natural Sciences:**
- Empiricism is foundational in natural sciences like biology, chemistry, and physics. These fields
rely heavily on observation, experimentation, and empirical data to formulate, test, and validate
scientific theories.

2. **Social Sciences:**
- Fields like psychology, sociology, and anthropology are rooted in empirical research. They study
human behavior and societies through observation, surveys, experiments, and case studies to gather
data and derive conclusions.

3. **History:**
- Historians gather and analyze empirical data from primary and secondary sources to understand,
interpret, and reconstruct past events and periods.

### Optional Themes:

1. **Ethics and Values:**

- While ethics can be approached theoretically, empirical studies play a crucial role in
understanding moral behaviors and values in real-world contexts, exploring how ethical principles
are applied and manifested in societies.

2. **Human Sciences:**
- Empirical methods are crucial in studying human behavior, cognition, and societies. Real-world
data, experiments, and observations are central to developing theories and models in this field.

3. **Environmental Systems and Societies:**

- This theme involves the study of environmental phenomena and human-environment
interactions. Empirical data from field studies, experiments, and observations are essential for
understanding and addressing environmental issues.

### In Application:

Empiricism emphasizes the importance of sensory experience and observation in gaining knowledge.
It’s pivotal in fields that are reliant on data, evidence, and practical experience. In medicine, for
example, empirical research and clinical trials are fundamental for understanding diseases,
developing treatments, and improving patient care.

In law, empirical data related to cases, statutes, and legal precedents are critical for legal reasoning
and decision-making. Judges and lawyers rely on concrete evidence and past decisions to argue and
decide cases.

Context is everything
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Context is everything
How truthful is the information your sense are giving you about reality right now? How certain can
we be about that questions?
"Your brain is locked in a vault of silence and darkness in your skull"

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