Chapter1:
● DeductiveArgument:
○ Proposition:Adeclarativestatement;declaredsomethingtobetrue,
arguedfor,orusedtoarguefor.
○ Validity:Ineverypossiblescenarioinwhichthepremisesaretrue,the
conclusionisalsotrue.
○ Conclusion:Followingthepremises,thepremisesimplyorentailthe
conclusion.
■ Theconclusionisdeductiblefromthepremises.
○ StructureExamples:
■ Allfisharemammals→allmammalshavewings→ therefore,all
fishhavewings.
● Thisisavalidandnotsoundargument.
■ Allfishareextraterrestrials→ allextraterrestrialscanswim→
therefore,allfishcanswim.
● Thisisavalidandsoundargument.
Plato’sParmenides:
● Parmenides :
○ ParmenidesandZenowereapartofthepre-socraticphilosophers.
■ Eleaticphilosophers
■ ZenowasafollowerofParmenides
○ Parmenides’accountofbeing:
■ Beingisoneunified,undivided,partless,imperishable,andhasno
origin(eternal),unchanging,completeinitself(lacksnothing),and
ismotionless(non-spatial/non-temporal).
○ Zeno’sthreeparadoxesofmotion:
● Midway Paradox:
, ○ Ifyouhavetogohalfwaytogetanywhere,youneverreally
getanywhere,youjustgethalfway.
● The Race Between the Tortoise and Achilles:
○ Achillesgivesthetortoiseaheadstart.Inordertocatchup
withwherethetortoiseis,everytimehegetstowherethe
tortoiseis,thetortoisehasmovedahead.
● The Paradox of the Arrow:
○ Thearrowisfiredfromoneplaceatthetarget.Atanypoint
thatthearrowisintheair,itisatrest.Thearrowisnever
actuallymoving.
○ SocratesandPlato:
■ BothfromAthens
■ Socrateswasarrestedforbeinganatheistandcorruptingtheyouth,
whichhesaysisnottrue.
■ PlatofoundedtheAcademy
○ Plato’s Parmenides:
■ Plato’s Theory of Ideas/Forms:
● Thebasicthoughtisthatwhenyousaysuchandsuchis
great,youhavegreatthings.Thosethingsaresensible
objects(visible).Platothinksthatallgreatthingshave
somethingincommonwhichistheideaorformof
GREATNESS(notvisible).
○ Greatthings=many
○ Greatness=one
● Everygreatthingparticipates/partakesingreatness.
● Intelligible World:Onlycanbegraspedoraccessedby
reason,notbythefivesenses.
○ Platosaysthereareformsofjustice,beauty,and
goodness,buthedoesnotknowifthereareformsof
humanity,fire,orwater,andhesaysthathair,mud,
ordirtcannotbeformed.
● DeductiveArgument:
○ Proposition:Adeclarativestatement;declaredsomethingtobetrue,
arguedfor,orusedtoarguefor.
○ Validity:Ineverypossiblescenarioinwhichthepremisesaretrue,the
conclusionisalsotrue.
○ Conclusion:Followingthepremises,thepremisesimplyorentailthe
conclusion.
■ Theconclusionisdeductiblefromthepremises.
○ StructureExamples:
■ Allfisharemammals→allmammalshavewings→ therefore,all
fishhavewings.
● Thisisavalidandnotsoundargument.
■ Allfishareextraterrestrials→ allextraterrestrialscanswim→
therefore,allfishcanswim.
● Thisisavalidandsoundargument.
Plato’sParmenides:
● Parmenides :
○ ParmenidesandZenowereapartofthepre-socraticphilosophers.
■ Eleaticphilosophers
■ ZenowasafollowerofParmenides
○ Parmenides’accountofbeing:
■ Beingisoneunified,undivided,partless,imperishable,andhasno
origin(eternal),unchanging,completeinitself(lacksnothing),and
ismotionless(non-spatial/non-temporal).
○ Zeno’sthreeparadoxesofmotion:
● Midway Paradox:
, ○ Ifyouhavetogohalfwaytogetanywhere,youneverreally
getanywhere,youjustgethalfway.
● The Race Between the Tortoise and Achilles:
○ Achillesgivesthetortoiseaheadstart.Inordertocatchup
withwherethetortoiseis,everytimehegetstowherethe
tortoiseis,thetortoisehasmovedahead.
● The Paradox of the Arrow:
○ Thearrowisfiredfromoneplaceatthetarget.Atanypoint
thatthearrowisintheair,itisatrest.Thearrowisnever
actuallymoving.
○ SocratesandPlato:
■ BothfromAthens
■ Socrateswasarrestedforbeinganatheistandcorruptingtheyouth,
whichhesaysisnottrue.
■ PlatofoundedtheAcademy
○ Plato’s Parmenides:
■ Plato’s Theory of Ideas/Forms:
● Thebasicthoughtisthatwhenyousaysuchandsuchis
great,youhavegreatthings.Thosethingsaresensible
objects(visible).Platothinksthatallgreatthingshave
somethingincommonwhichistheideaorformof
GREATNESS(notvisible).
○ Greatthings=many
○ Greatness=one
● Everygreatthingparticipates/partakesingreatness.
● Intelligible World:Onlycanbegraspedoraccessedby
reason,notbythefivesenses.
○ Platosaysthereareformsofjustice,beauty,and
goodness,buthedoesnotknowifthereareformsof
humanity,fire,orwater,andhesaysthathair,mud,
ordirtcannotbeformed.
