Monday 25 November 2013

Seminar 7 - 27th Nov - Induction

Reading:
Ladyman, Understanding Philosophy Of Science, Chapter 2.

1. What is deduction?
What do you know via deduction?
If a deductive arugment is valid and its premises are true, what is the truth vaule of the conclusion?

2. What is induction?
What do you know via induction?
If a deductive arugment's premises are true, what does this mean for the truth vaule of the conclusion?

3. How much of our knowledge comes from induction?

4. What is the problem of induction? How big a problem is it?

5. Induction has mostly worked in the past. So we can rely on it to work in the future. Is this a good argument? Why/why not?

6. Is it rational to use induction? Why/why not?

7. Is induction justified by the uniformity of nature?



Saturday 16 November 2013

Seminar 6 - 20th Nov - The Priori



Reading: Morton, A Guide Through the Theory Of Knowledge, Chapter 3 (Aprori Beliefs)

Questions:
1. What is an example of one of your;
a)A priori beliefs
b)A posteriori beliefs

2. What is an example of
a)An analytic truth
b)A logical truth
c)Necsscary truth

3. Do we know logical truths from evidence?

4. If your answer to question 2c you gave a necsscary truth. How did you come to know that truth?

5. What is an example of a necsscary truth learnt aposteriori?

6. What is an example of a truth learnt a priori which is not nescsscary?

7. Are all apriori beliefs analytic? What does Kant think? What do you think?

8. What are the three examples in section 3 which philosophers might use to argue against Kant? Do you find them convincing?

9. Morton gives an example of how 'all bachelors are unmarried men' could be flase. Are you convinced?

10. Is there really an analytic/synethtic distinction?

11. What does Quine mean by 'web of beliefs'? What is at the center of your web of beliefs?

12. Suppose that we use the following definition of number 'one is a number, and two is a number, and anything that you get from adding one number to another is a number'. Is the belief that there are infinetly many numbers analytic if that definition is right?



Sunday 10 November 2013

Seminar 5 - 13th Nov - Mind/Body Problem

Reading: The Mind Body Problem, Tim Crane

Questions:

1. What is substance dualism?

2. Does a physical effect need a physical cause?

3. Are our mental states physical states according to A)Descartes? B)Physicalism? C)You?

4. Do our metal states have effects? If so, are any of them physical?

5. What is Type Identity Theory?

6. Can you imagine an alien made entirely of steel who non the less feels pain? What does this tell you about type identity?

7. What is token identity theory?

8. Why might the mind body problem still be a problem for token identity theories?

9. If you knew every physical fact about what happened in my brain when I was in pain, but had never felt pain, would there be something you didnt know about pain?