EDC101-5 SUMMARIES
Introduction: All are Philosophers
World’s revolutionaries:
Karl Marx
Jesus
Socrates
Mahatma Ganhdi
Martin Luther King
Nelson Mandela
World’s great thinkers:
Plato
Augustine
Albert Einstein
Friedrich Nietzsche
Jacques Derrida
World’s Feminists:
Mary Wollenstonecraft
Liz Sanger
Pankhursts
Germaine Greer
Mary Daly
Ama Ata Aidoo
Maria Nzomo
Neuma Aguiar
Chapter 1 – Thinking clearly and learning from experience
Philosophy and language
Language analysis is seen to be one of the major tasks of Philosophy – it helps us to think clearly and precisely.
We need to be clear about what is true and what is false.
The aim of logic in philosophy is to get to what is called the ”bare bones of the truth”
First philosopher to challenge us to think clearly was Plato.
The most popular exponents of linguistic analysis is Bertrand Russell and AJ Ayer
Linguistic analysis claims that if we fail to solve a problem no matter how much we try, we are dealing with a
meaningless set of words.
Linguistic analysis is based on Ludwig Wittgenstein and Bertrand Russell’s thinking.
Self-evident truth – a truth that no one can deny, no matter who he or she is or where he or she lives.
Logical empiricism – method of enquiry in philosophy which is concerned with meaning of words + sentences.
Logical empiricism has its origins in British philosophy.
Logical empiricists are concerned with the question: What is the meaning of this word or sentence?
Logical empiricism claims that scientific and mathematical statements give us the most reliable form of truth.
Promoters of logical empiricism:
1. Alfred Ayer (philosopher)
2. Bertrand Russell (philosopher) – Focused on logic and facts
3. Ludwig Wittgenstein (mathematician)
4. Stephen Hawking (scientist)
5. Kwasi Wiredu (African philosopher)
6. If we had to ignore empiricism as a method of enquiry, we will fail to learn from our experiences. As a
result, we will be vulnerable to anything that is false.
, Logical empiricism can help us:
1. Think clearly
2. Be precise in what we mean
3. Be more logical
4. Solve problems
5. Identify the problems which, at present, we cannot solve
Logical empiricism can’t help us with:
1. Find the meaning of life
2. Moral problems
3. Life choices
4. Facing our own mortality
5. our own suffering
Philosophy and everyday experiences
We use our senses and our experiences to establish facts and to check facts. This is our most reliable form of
knowledge and information we have.
Empiricism – the method of inquiry in philosophy which argues that experience gained through the traditional 5
senses gives us our most reliable form of information.
Modern science is based on the empirical belief that what is true is confirmed or disproved by sense experience.
Promoters of empiricism:
1. John Locke (philosopher)
2. Bishop Berkeley (philosopher)
3. David Hume (philosopher) – most convincing empiricists
4. Richard Dawkins (scientist and philosopher)
5. Colin Evers (educationist)
6. Michel Foucault (philosopher)
Behaviorists – Scientists who use empiricism to study human beings.
Empiricists ask: How do I know if something exists? And: How do I know if something is true?
Linguistic analysis, logical symbolism and empiricism together form Logical empiricism (Logical positivism)
Empiricism helps us:
1. Understand how our physical world operates
2. Test the truth of certain claims
3. Refute that which is false
4. Respect the natural laws of the universe
5. Learn from experience
Failings of empiricism:
1. It places too much emphasis on science
2. It ignores human values
3. It views human beings as machines
4. It tends to ignore that which cannot be explained scientifically
5. It confines truth to that which can be experienced through the senses
Chapter 2 – Asking questions
Critical rationalism – philosophy that encourages questioning and open mindedness.
Socrates encourage us to challenge existing ideas and beliefs by questioning them.
The aim of critical rationalism is to make sure that we do not come to believe in an idea that is false.
Critical rationalists believe we should question what we are told and we should carefully examine our own ideas
Critical rationalists ask: Are we sure we are right?
Empiricism and critical rationalism are partners. Empiricism focuses on searching for objective truth and
critical rationalism focuses on avoiding falsity.
The most famous representative of critical rationalism is Karl Popper
Critical rationalism originates from Greek philosophy
Introduction: All are Philosophers
World’s revolutionaries:
Karl Marx
Jesus
Socrates
Mahatma Ganhdi
Martin Luther King
Nelson Mandela
World’s great thinkers:
Plato
Augustine
Albert Einstein
Friedrich Nietzsche
Jacques Derrida
World’s Feminists:
Mary Wollenstonecraft
Liz Sanger
Pankhursts
Germaine Greer
Mary Daly
Ama Ata Aidoo
Maria Nzomo
Neuma Aguiar
Chapter 1 – Thinking clearly and learning from experience
Philosophy and language
Language analysis is seen to be one of the major tasks of Philosophy – it helps us to think clearly and precisely.
We need to be clear about what is true and what is false.
The aim of logic in philosophy is to get to what is called the ”bare bones of the truth”
First philosopher to challenge us to think clearly was Plato.
The most popular exponents of linguistic analysis is Bertrand Russell and AJ Ayer
Linguistic analysis claims that if we fail to solve a problem no matter how much we try, we are dealing with a
meaningless set of words.
Linguistic analysis is based on Ludwig Wittgenstein and Bertrand Russell’s thinking.
Self-evident truth – a truth that no one can deny, no matter who he or she is or where he or she lives.
Logical empiricism – method of enquiry in philosophy which is concerned with meaning of words + sentences.
Logical empiricism has its origins in British philosophy.
Logical empiricists are concerned with the question: What is the meaning of this word or sentence?
Logical empiricism claims that scientific and mathematical statements give us the most reliable form of truth.
Promoters of logical empiricism:
1. Alfred Ayer (philosopher)
2. Bertrand Russell (philosopher) – Focused on logic and facts
3. Ludwig Wittgenstein (mathematician)
4. Stephen Hawking (scientist)
5. Kwasi Wiredu (African philosopher)
6. If we had to ignore empiricism as a method of enquiry, we will fail to learn from our experiences. As a
result, we will be vulnerable to anything that is false.
, Logical empiricism can help us:
1. Think clearly
2. Be precise in what we mean
3. Be more logical
4. Solve problems
5. Identify the problems which, at present, we cannot solve
Logical empiricism can’t help us with:
1. Find the meaning of life
2. Moral problems
3. Life choices
4. Facing our own mortality
5. our own suffering
Philosophy and everyday experiences
We use our senses and our experiences to establish facts and to check facts. This is our most reliable form of
knowledge and information we have.
Empiricism – the method of inquiry in philosophy which argues that experience gained through the traditional 5
senses gives us our most reliable form of information.
Modern science is based on the empirical belief that what is true is confirmed or disproved by sense experience.
Promoters of empiricism:
1. John Locke (philosopher)
2. Bishop Berkeley (philosopher)
3. David Hume (philosopher) – most convincing empiricists
4. Richard Dawkins (scientist and philosopher)
5. Colin Evers (educationist)
6. Michel Foucault (philosopher)
Behaviorists – Scientists who use empiricism to study human beings.
Empiricists ask: How do I know if something exists? And: How do I know if something is true?
Linguistic analysis, logical symbolism and empiricism together form Logical empiricism (Logical positivism)
Empiricism helps us:
1. Understand how our physical world operates
2. Test the truth of certain claims
3. Refute that which is false
4. Respect the natural laws of the universe
5. Learn from experience
Failings of empiricism:
1. It places too much emphasis on science
2. It ignores human values
3. It views human beings as machines
4. It tends to ignore that which cannot be explained scientifically
5. It confines truth to that which can be experienced through the senses
Chapter 2 – Asking questions
Critical rationalism – philosophy that encourages questioning and open mindedness.
Socrates encourage us to challenge existing ideas and beliefs by questioning them.
The aim of critical rationalism is to make sure that we do not come to believe in an idea that is false.
Critical rationalists believe we should question what we are told and we should carefully examine our own ideas
Critical rationalists ask: Are we sure we are right?
Empiricism and critical rationalism are partners. Empiricism focuses on searching for objective truth and
critical rationalism focuses on avoiding falsity.
The most famous representative of critical rationalism is Karl Popper
Critical rationalism originates from Greek philosophy
