Philosophical Terms
Metaphysics (mind-body)
metaphysics/ ontology
= 'what is means to exist' 'the learning or study of being'
- "Do all things that exist have something in common?", "Are there fundamentality different forms of
being, or are they all the same?"
monism
- only one substance
- belong to the same kind of being
-
dualism
- two substances (highest level of object/entity classification)
- fundamentally different forms of existence
Þ if they had anything in common = monism
realism
- information about the world derives from the world itself = 'from outside'
- world of our experience = reality
- passive mind
Materialism
Þ world determined by matter
Representationism
Þ world is based on 'representations'
Þ obtain representations by our perception of the world
idealism
- information about the world derives from ourselves = 'from within'
- world as we experience it depends (partly or wholly) on us
- active mind
mental activity
Þ world as perceived, result from mental activity
'free-will' and 'creativity'
Þ active power to create its own ideas
1
,Epistemology (nature-nurture)
epistemology
= 'the learning or study of knowledge'
- "What kind of knowledge can humans have?", "How can humans arrive at knowledge?", "Can
humans acquire certain knowledge?"
Rationalism (nature)
- acquire certain knowledge by the use of their ratio, or mind
- basis of our knowledge (and cognitive abilities) is innate, so does not derive from experience, but
from the mind = 'from within'
Empiricism (nurture)
- acquire certain knowledge from using the senses
- basis of our knowledge comes from experience = 'from outside'
- distrust the workings of the mind 'when left on its own'
Scepticism
- rejects the notion that humans can obtain any form of certain knowledge
- world as fundamentally unknowable only opinions
Philosophers
Ancient Greek
Plato (427-347 B.C)
- rationalism (nature)
Þ active mind + knowledge derives from that activity
- idealism = realm of ideas more real than the physical world
Þ mind is the basis
Aristotle (384-322 B.C)
- empiricism (nurture)
Þ “power of living, power of sensing and knowing, the basis of biology and of psychology” De
Anima (= On Living and Knowing)
Þ passive mind
- realism
Þ based on the study of things that exist or happen in the world
Rise of Mechanism
Francis Bacon (1561-1622)
- beginning of mechanism
Þ “If you know how the world works you can use that knowledge to your advantage.”
- empiricism (nurture)
Þ method of induction (knowledge obtained only on the basis of observations)
- realism (passive mind)
2
, René Descartes (1596-1650)
- rationalism (nature)
Þ “doubt experiment” à I think, therefore I am
Þ deductive reasoning
- dualism, two fundamentally different forms of being
Þ matter (body), spatial extension
§ operates deterministically
Þ soul (mind), thinking/conscious active mind
§ innate ideas (nativist)
§ only humans
§ free will
Þ mind-body problem interactionism, pineal gland
- realism + idealism
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)
- empiricism about concepts
Þ all of our ideas derive, directly or indirectly from sensation
- rationalism about knowledge
Þ ability of logical reasoning (mechanical process)
- monism, body is mechanical (reductionism)
Þ appetites + aversions are the forces (of will)
Þ no free will
- realism (passive mind)
Þ materialism (mechanical) body=matter
- political: sovereign with absolute power
Þ social contract
Association Psychology I (Empiricism)
John Locke (1632-1704)
- empiricism (nurture)
Þ rejects innate knowledge, ('tabula rasa')
Þ basis of knowledge comes from observations/impressions
Þ "external sensible objects" sensations & "internal operations of minds perceived + reflected
on by ourselves" reflections
Þ mind passive generates simple ideas
Þ mind active in generating complex ideas (unite, put in relation, generalize)
- dualism
Þ soul, immaterial substance = free will and creativity
Þ accepts the 'animal spirits' = body influences the soul
Þ mind-body problem transition from sensation to simple idea?
- realism (passive mind)
Þ presentationism, perceive the outside world directly
Þ different substance than the world, so it cannot directly participate
3
Metaphysics (mind-body)
metaphysics/ ontology
= 'what is means to exist' 'the learning or study of being'
- "Do all things that exist have something in common?", "Are there fundamentality different forms of
being, or are they all the same?"
monism
- only one substance
- belong to the same kind of being
-
dualism
- two substances (highest level of object/entity classification)
- fundamentally different forms of existence
Þ if they had anything in common = monism
realism
- information about the world derives from the world itself = 'from outside'
- world of our experience = reality
- passive mind
Materialism
Þ world determined by matter
Representationism
Þ world is based on 'representations'
Þ obtain representations by our perception of the world
idealism
- information about the world derives from ourselves = 'from within'
- world as we experience it depends (partly or wholly) on us
- active mind
mental activity
Þ world as perceived, result from mental activity
'free-will' and 'creativity'
Þ active power to create its own ideas
1
,Epistemology (nature-nurture)
epistemology
= 'the learning or study of knowledge'
- "What kind of knowledge can humans have?", "How can humans arrive at knowledge?", "Can
humans acquire certain knowledge?"
Rationalism (nature)
- acquire certain knowledge by the use of their ratio, or mind
- basis of our knowledge (and cognitive abilities) is innate, so does not derive from experience, but
from the mind = 'from within'
Empiricism (nurture)
- acquire certain knowledge from using the senses
- basis of our knowledge comes from experience = 'from outside'
- distrust the workings of the mind 'when left on its own'
Scepticism
- rejects the notion that humans can obtain any form of certain knowledge
- world as fundamentally unknowable only opinions
Philosophers
Ancient Greek
Plato (427-347 B.C)
- rationalism (nature)
Þ active mind + knowledge derives from that activity
- idealism = realm of ideas more real than the physical world
Þ mind is the basis
Aristotle (384-322 B.C)
- empiricism (nurture)
Þ “power of living, power of sensing and knowing, the basis of biology and of psychology” De
Anima (= On Living and Knowing)
Þ passive mind
- realism
Þ based on the study of things that exist or happen in the world
Rise of Mechanism
Francis Bacon (1561-1622)
- beginning of mechanism
Þ “If you know how the world works you can use that knowledge to your advantage.”
- empiricism (nurture)
Þ method of induction (knowledge obtained only on the basis of observations)
- realism (passive mind)
2
, René Descartes (1596-1650)
- rationalism (nature)
Þ “doubt experiment” à I think, therefore I am
Þ deductive reasoning
- dualism, two fundamentally different forms of being
Þ matter (body), spatial extension
§ operates deterministically
Þ soul (mind), thinking/conscious active mind
§ innate ideas (nativist)
§ only humans
§ free will
Þ mind-body problem interactionism, pineal gland
- realism + idealism
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)
- empiricism about concepts
Þ all of our ideas derive, directly or indirectly from sensation
- rationalism about knowledge
Þ ability of logical reasoning (mechanical process)
- monism, body is mechanical (reductionism)
Þ appetites + aversions are the forces (of will)
Þ no free will
- realism (passive mind)
Þ materialism (mechanical) body=matter
- political: sovereign with absolute power
Þ social contract
Association Psychology I (Empiricism)
John Locke (1632-1704)
- empiricism (nurture)
Þ rejects innate knowledge, ('tabula rasa')
Þ basis of knowledge comes from observations/impressions
Þ "external sensible objects" sensations & "internal operations of minds perceived + reflected
on by ourselves" reflections
Þ mind passive generates simple ideas
Þ mind active in generating complex ideas (unite, put in relation, generalize)
- dualism
Þ soul, immaterial substance = free will and creativity
Þ accepts the 'animal spirits' = body influences the soul
Þ mind-body problem transition from sensation to simple idea?
- realism (passive mind)
Þ presentationism, perceive the outside world directly
Þ different substance than the world, so it cannot directly participate
3
