Epistemology

Can we be certain of anything?

How do we know

what exists?

How can we find out what is real?

Ultimate Questions about…

EXTEND How does this link to the meaning of the word ‘philosophy/philosopher’?How does this link to ontology?

Empiricism

How might a Scientist find out the truth?

Knowledge gained through sense experience is called a posteriori or empirical knowledge.

Philosophers who believe that we can tell what is true through our sense experience are called

Empiricists.

smell

touchtaste

hearsee

How might an empiricist test the

claim,‘Mrs Robinson

Exists’?

Empiricists call evidence gained through the senses ‘empirical evidence’.

TEST YOURSELF

Strengths

• Common sense

Research Descartes’ doubts, found in his MeditationsEXTEND

Weaknesses

• Our senses may not be very reliable…

Neo accepted his world of sense experience his whole life, until one day, he began to wonder whether his senses were really telling him what is true…

Everything we sense could be an illusion – our senses could be deceived…

EXTEND Watch the full film and link to Empiricism, Materialism and Dualism.Research ideas about ‘brain in a vat’ theories and Descartes’ idea of a malicious, deceiving demon.

WARNING: DO NOT REFER TO FILMS IN YOUR ESSAYS or EXAM ANSWERS!

If our senses can be deceived, can we be sure that anything in the empirical

world is real?!

...Could it all be the matrix?

Could it all be a big set up?

Could it all be a dream?

TRUMAN SHOW THE MATRIX

Rationalism

Is it an a posteriori argument?

TEST YOURSELF

Spock puts forward an argument to persuade Sheldon of the truth that he

should play with his toy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty2t0u12ORs

Spock uses a logical argument:

• The purpose of a toy is to be played with.• The transporter is a toy.Therefore;• The transporter should be playedwith if it is to fulfill it’s purpose.

Can you complete the following logical argument?

• Socrates is a man• All men are mortalTherefore;• _______________

TEST YOURSELF

Can you create your own example of a logical argument?

• Premise One• Premise TwoTherefore;• Conclusion

TEST YOURSELF

Knowledge gained through using our reason is called a priori knowledge.

Philosophers who believe that we can tell what is true through logical argument or reason are called

Rationalists.

If 2+2 = 4, Then,4/2 = 2

As a rationalist, which of the following school subjects do you think Plato might prefer?

EXTEND What might his rationalism mean for his ontology – can you link his rationalism to his dualism?

Science Mathematics

TEST YOURSELF

Strengths• There are lots of

things we can know without having to experience them.

You don’t even need to leave your armchair!

For example:- James Middleton is

unmarried.- A Presdales student

is not a non-Presdales student.

EXTEND Research the laws of logic e.g. law of contradiction. Look up the terms ‘valid’ and ‘sound’ with reference to philosophical arguments.

TEST YOURSELF Create your own example.

We can even know things about the future!

One year from now… two Presdales students and two more Presdales

students will be four Presdales students!

Weaknesses• Empiricism can’t be criticised on the basis that

our senses deceives us, as it’s not the senses themselves, but the judgments we make based on that knowledge that are misleading.

Can you think of a counter-argument?

EXTEND

TEST YOURSELF

Give your own example.

• Rationalism doesn’t provide us with any new information.

EXTEND Why would this be a problem for philosophers like Plato? Look up the meaning of the word ‘tautology’ – how might this idea relate to this criticism?

No kidding.Charlie, the

bachelor, is unmarried!

• The Rationalist standard for knowledge is too high or too strict. It calls for absolute certainty, meaning we can claim to know very little.

EXTEND

Evaluate all your basic knowledge claims and get rid of any that rely on empirical evidence – what are you actually left with?Can you even verify your own existence?Research Descartes’ rationalist conclusion ‘I think, therefore I am’ and the criticisms of this.

• Empiricist criticismHume: Plato undermines the importance of the knowledge we gain from sense experience.

Aristotle: Plato focuses too much on knowledge from reason and not enough about knowledge from experience.

Word Bingo

rationalist

empiricist

knowledge

Rationalism

sense experience

Empiricisma posteriori

a priorideceived

reason

logic