From http://chaospet.com/2007/09/22/43-solipsism/
Solipsism: Belief that one can
know nothing but oneself and
that the self is the only thing
that is real.
Nothing exists;
Even if something exists, nothing can be known
about it; and even if something could be known
about it, knowledge about it can't be
communicated to others.
Imagine there is . .
Of course, on the complete opposite end of the
spectrum, there are many arguments that
solipsism is completely false; not only does the
external world exist, but everything exists exactly
as it is perceived, and it is perceived in exactly the
same way by everyone. And still between the two
there is a very wide range of middle ground;
perhaps everything (or at least most things) that
are seen do exist, but maybe not quite exactly as
they are seen.
In fifth century Athens a small band of
philosophers controlled the public dialogue. They
were called Sophists, Greek for “One Who Does
Wisdom.” Originally, they were itinerant teachers
in who provided education through lectures and in
return received fees from their audiences.
Sophomore - Sophos = wise and moros = foolish
The etymology is from the Greek and Latin "Sophisme",
meaning wisdom. The English converted it to "sophume",
and one who practiced wisdom was a "Sophumer". It
wasn't until 1726 that the spelling was established in
America as "Sophomore.“
* literally speaking, a wise fool is someone who has gained
knowledge but hasn't yet learned, or acquired the skills, to
apply it correctly. He knows enough to sound smart, but
not enough to be wise.
Protagoras “Man is the measure of all things”
The essential claim of sophistry is that the actual logical validity
of an argument is irrelevant (if not non-existent); it is only the
ruling of the audience which ultimately determines whether a
conclusion is considered "true" or not. By appealing to the
prejudices and emotions of the judges, one can garner favorable
treatment for one's side of the argument and cause a
factually false position to be ruled true.
Rhetoric
Humanism
Socrates “Midwife of Thought”
Idealist – Knowledge is innate.
~ believed in the reincarnation of an eternal soul which
contained all knowledge. We lose touch with that
knowledge at every birth, and so we need to be reminded
of what we already know (rather than learning something
new).
Socratic (Dialectic) method - Knowledge is recollection
Theory of Forms - universal truths ( Ideal forms) exist. Our perceptions
however, are faulty. The only way we can know these forms it through rational
thought.
Ethics
Socrates – what it to be considered a
good act is not good because the gods
say it is, but is good because it is useful
to us in our efforts to be better and
happier people.
I one own self be true.
Plato: (437-347) (Aristocles)
Like Socrates, Plato is an idealist and rationalist.
He divides reality into two:
On the one hand we have ontos, idea or ideal. This is
ultimate reality, permanent, eternal, spiritual.
On the other hand, there’s phenomena, which is a
manifestation of the ideal. Phenomena are appearances -things as they seem to us -- and are associated with
matter, time, and space.
Senses can only give information about the ever changing
and imperfect world of phenomenon. From sensations we
imply the ideal reality but the only way to know truth is
through rational thought.
Dualist
Body - material mortal and moved (subject to physical
principles).
Soul – ideal, immortal and unmoved (subject to free will).
Ethics – soul will always choose to do good, if it recognizes
what is good. Sin (bad) is considered a matter of ignorance.
People who sin are in need of education, not punishment.
Three Levels of Pleasure
1) Sensual or Physical (sex)
2) Sensuous or esthetic (beauty or relationship in a
marriage)
3) Ideal pleasure of the mind
Platonic love – intellectual love for another person
unsullied by physical love.
Plato's School of Athens
Three levels of soul
Appetite – mortal and resides in the gut.
Spirit or courage – also mortal and resides in
the heart.
Reason – immortal and resides in the brain.
Connected by
cerebrospinal
canal.
Likens the soul to two steeds, one that is lively
but obedient (spirit), the other is unruly and
violent (appetite). These are yoked together
and driven by Reason (the charioteer) who
through considerable effort makes them pull
together and cooperate.
The Republic- designs a society (Utopia)
Written to explore the meaning of justice
Peasants – foundation of society
- produce the goods
- take care of appetite
Warriors – spirit and courage
Philosphers (kings) – reason that guides
the society.
Aristotle – Empiricist/Materialist
Plato’s student, but disagreed with him on many
points.
- as much a scientist as a philosopher.
What Plato called Idea (ideal) Aristotle called
essence.
Invented modern logic (inductive reasoning – from
particular to general).
Dualist
The ideal is found within phenomenon.
Empiricist
• All knowledge comes from the senses and through
experience.
• The mind is like a blank writing tablet - Tabula Rasa
• Knowledge should be based on observations of the
external world
So is it Psychology …?
Ideas about Memory:
Socrates - thought that humans already possessed knowledge, and
that they only had to be led to discover what they already knew.
Plato – Wax Tablet and a Bird Aviary
Aristotle – learning is through experience