Theories of Knowledge
Thursday May 17

Announcements:
-Today is last day to turn in applications to Social Science Scholarship.
-Study Guide handed out
-Test, in lab, is scheduled Tuesday(21st) through Tuesday(28th)

Second Midterm Study Guide (in order)

Direct Realism- common sense; the objects of perception are external material things which have independent existence from our minds.

Representationalism- Out senses display the way the world is, although this may not be true.

Phenomenalism- idea that we can't know the external world, but only sense data.

Dualism- There are mental and physical things

Idealism- Only ideas and minds exist. There is no matter, and everything is mental or spiritual

Locke held these views; Dualism/Representationalism

Berkeley held these views; Idealism/Phenomenalism

Pre-philosophical view/most in line with common sense- Direct or naive realism

Sense Data- ideas in your mind

Reasons for rejecting direct realism- Unjust because no way to get out of your perception and see if it is accurate; illusionary (doppler effect/ seeing stars in the sky); solid objects are mostly empty space; science disproves it

Reasons Berkeley rejected representationalism- No way to prove material substance; Really conflicts with empiricism; Primary qualities are just as subjective as the secondary ones.; Atheistic

Where do our ideas come from according to Locke?- From real material world (substance)

Simple idea- Caused by both primary and secondary qualities

Complex idea- Mind takes a bunch of simple ideas and combines them to get an image

Primary quality- Real properties in the thing itself (i.e. shape, size, temp, etc.)

Secondary quality- the powers of objects to affect us through primary qualities (subjective/ not in the objects themselves) i.e. hot, taste, smell, color, etc.

Locke's concept of substance- It exists.

Locke previous concept relating to empiricist approach- Inconsistent because emprircists believe everything is sensations and perceptions and there is no substance.

"To be is to be perceived" (Berkeley)- Only ideas exist. No world out there independent of our sensations. To say something exists is to say it is perceived.

How could God have have existed before humans?- God perceives himself.

Real things (according to Berkeley)- Collections of ideas or qualities

How does Berkeley try to make himself into a philosopher of common sense rather than a radical skeptic?- He uses phenomenalism to say all your directly aware of is your sensations.

God perceives everything (Berkeley)

How does modern phenomenalism differ from Berkeley's views on perception?- Modern phenomenalists reject realism and Berkeley's idea of God as a source. They believe in a real world, except they will just never know it.

What are some ways of attacking Berkeley discussed in class?- Attack his belief of God, his rationalist ideas, and reject empiricism.

How does one of the ways relate to the way we view the relationship between empiricism and modern science?- It is a good question whether they go together or not.

Triparte analysis of knowledge- 3 components; true, justified belief

Gettier Problem- a problem for the triparte analysis of knowledge

What exactly is the problem?- Some true justified beliefs which don't count as knowledge may be mistaken as true knowledge.

Some proposed solutions (Pojman)- Can't be based on a false belief. The truth in justification of a known belief must be related in the right way.