Overview
Resources:
http://web.archive.org/web/20120328082303/http://www.trinity.edu/cbrown/intro/philosophy-what.html
See attachments
You already have a philosophy of life, a conceptual framework that influences your decision-making process. This set of beliefs and values that you have been consciously or unconsciously developing throughout your life is what guides you when faced with a moral, ethical, religious, or political question. When you try to make sense of the news, assess your relationship to your relatives or friends, or make long-term decisions about where and how you are going to live, you are relying on your conceptual framework. Examining your belief system and challenging your views on life’s important issues can help you arrive at a well-supported knowledge of yourself. To start you on this process of inquiry, in this Discussion Assignment you are asked to evaluate 12 statements related to the various branches of philosophy.
To prepare for this Discussion:
- Complete the “What Is Your Philosophy?” survey in the Resources.
- Review the branches of philosophy as described in the “What is Philosophy” Resource.
- Consider which statements were the hardest to respond to and why.
- Reflect on how these difficult dilemmas relate to each other and your current situation in life.
With these thoughts in mind:
Post a 2- to 3-paragraph response in which you discuss some of the “What is your Philosophy?” survey statements that you found most difficult to respond to and describe why. Identify the branches of philosophy that these statements relate to, and explain how they are connected to your personal goals for this course.
Support your ideas by connecting them to Interactive Unit content, the survey that you completed, or something you have read, heard, seen, or experienced. Be sure to use evidence to support your claims by citing your source. Acceptable citations include “According to the ‘What is Your Philosophy?’ survey” and “According to a January 5, 2015 article in the New York Times.”
Part 2: Due 09/08/22
Module 1, Unit 1 – see attachment
Comparing Philosophical Approaches: Plato and Aristotle
Can we trust what we see, hear, and feel? Do our senses tell us how the world “really” is? Or is there a different reality that our senses cannot fully help us comprehend? Both Plato and Aristotle grappled with these questions, and each philosopher settled on his own theory. In this assignment, you will explore Plato’s theory of rationalism as well as Aristotle’s theory of empiricism. You will then connect one of these two theories with your own experience.
To prepare for this Discussion:
- Complete Interactive Unit 1, Module 1, titled “The Meaning of Philosophy.” Pay particular attention to the pages in which Plato and Aristotle are discussed.
To complete this Discussion:
By Day 4
Post to the Discussion board the following:
- A description of the philosophical approach of the Rationalists (represented by Plato) and the Empiricists (represented by Aristotle). As part of your descriptions, identify at least two ways in which these approaches differ from one another.
- A paragraph in which you select either Rationalism or Empiricism as the approach that resonates most deeply with your personal experiences. Support your selection with an example from your own life.
Part 3: Due 09/09/22
Respond to both:
1 day ago
G. Her
RE: Discussion - Week 2
COLLAPSE
Rationalists vs. Empiricists. Rationalists believe like Pluto that the senses are unreliable, and that reason is the best tool. Mathematics would be the best example of this. Mathematics can be solved using reasoning in which one does not need to use their senses. Empiricists believe like Aristotle that the senses are reliable and that knowledge has its roots in sensory observation. The best example of this is sciences like physics, biology, and psychology. All these sciences require a great deal of sensory observation to obtain knowledge. Rationalists and Empiricists both have many distinct aspects from one another. For example, in government rationalists believe that people should be ruled by a small group of the wisest members of society, and empiricists believe in a mixed government that combines popular and aristocratic elements. Another difference is in if artistic skills can be taught, rationalists believe artistic skills cannot be taught it is a matter of born talent, whereas empiricists believe that it is possible to teach someone how to make art.
As society today uses both approaches, we tend to lean more toward the empiricists' thinking. Every day we walk out and look at the sky to determine the weather, which would be knowledge gained by sensory observation. We are also told that habits are the way of life and taught from an early age how to cultivate those habits to make the best human life. I feel like we run more towards empiricists than rationalists, in my personal life and career I will use sensory knowledge even more than I am currently aware of. As a future psychologist, it will be my job to gain sensory knowledge to help diagnose and treat people properly.
REPLY QUOTE EMAIL AUTHOR
13 hours ago
G. Riv
RE: Discussion - Week 2
COLLAPSE
Philosophy is the practice of asking and attempting to answer fundamental questions about existence that humans have always had and then debating those issues once they have been answered. Because of the naturally inquisitive character of humans, if one question is posed and answered, it always leads to the emergence of another inquiry. Therefore, there is no limit to philosophical investigation, making philosophy an attractive subject. One of the philosophers, Aristotle, was the one who described Sophia, also known as wisdom, as the scientific element of the soul. This definition indicates that a section of the soul is responsible for acquiring information. Although Aristotle was Plato's pupil, the two philosophers had different views about appropriate responses to various issues (Acrobatiq, 2018).
Two points of view will be covered in this conversation. The philosophical approach known as empiricism, popularized by Aristotle, holds that there is no such thing as inborn knowledge and that one must obtain knowledge via experience. The empiricist argues that inherent knowledge cannot be seen and is useless without experience; in other words, it is ineffective and does not contribute anything. The information may gather dust and never be put to good use. Even if rationalists agree that there is such a thing as intrinsic knowledge, they disagree on which areas of natural knowledge should be considered the most important. Plato is considered a rationalist because he believes that humans are born with an intrinsic knowledge of the Forms, which include things like mathematical objects and forms, moral ideas like goodness, beauty, virtue, and maybe color (Yount, 2013).
It was difficult for me to choose one of them and find a way to tie it to my situation. To some extent, I can state that there is such a thing as intrinsic knowledge since people are born with specific attributes that they always exhibit, regardless of whether they have been taught those qualities. However, I shall side with Aristotle and the Empiricist school of thought, which believes that knowledge is acquired via experience. My parents instilled in me the belief that speaking lies is a terrible habit from the time I was a little kid, and as a result, I despise those people who are dishonest. I also teach the same ideals to my children and explain to them that it is always important to speak the truth and have a clean conscience. I do this because I want them to grow up with solid values. Even worse, if people know you are a liar, they will never believe anything you say, even if you speak the truth. It is because they will no longer trust you. Moreover, I have realized that if I tell one lie, I have to say ten more to cover that one lie, so why not just speak the truth and spare myself the stress? If I tell one lie, I have to say ten more to cover that one lie. Another example that I can use to illustrate this point is my line of work; I am in the finance industry, but for me to have enough understanding of my line of work, I need first to complete my education. The second thing is that I must keep working in that industry to keep my skills and knowledge up to date.
References
Acrobatiq. (2018). Phil 1001s: philosophy. Retrieved March 7, 2018, from
https://laureate.acrobatiq.com/courseware/WALPHIL1001S_V2_5/u1philosophicalperspective/u1_
m1__meaning_of_philosophy/p7_aristotle
Yount, David J. (2013). EMPIRICISM V. RATIONALISM. Retrieved from
http://www.mesacc.edu/~davpy35701/text/empm-v-ratm.html