A fundamental question in Philosophy What is reality or the real ...
A fundamental question in Philosophy What is reality or the real ...
A fundamental question in Philosophy What is reality or the real ...
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REALITY<br />
A <strong>fundamental</strong> <strong>question</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Philosophy</strong><br />
<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> <strong><strong>real</strong>ity</strong> <strong>or</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>real</strong>?<br />
<strong>What</strong> makes someth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>real</strong>? Does it have to be<br />
experienced? Does it have to appear?<br />
Can it be known at all?<br />
Is it <strong>in</strong>dependent of us <strong>or</strong> do we create it?<br />
Is Reality whole <strong>or</strong> part? Is it physical <strong>or</strong> immaterial?<br />
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The Way <strong>the</strong> W<strong>or</strong>ld Really <strong>is</strong><br />
Thales: Th<strong>is</strong> Greek <strong>is</strong> sometimes said to be <strong>the</strong><br />
first philosopher.<br />
H<strong>is</strong> curious claim: The source of everyth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>is</strong><br />
water.<br />
<strong>What</strong> was he <strong>real</strong>ly do<strong>in</strong>g? Try<strong>in</strong>g to describe <strong>or</strong><br />
th<strong>in</strong>k beyond <strong>the</strong> give th<strong>in</strong>gs to <strong>the</strong> source of<br />
th<strong>in</strong>gs, <strong>the</strong> ground of th<strong>in</strong>gs.<br />
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The First Greek Philosophers<br />
Attempt to see beyond <strong>the</strong> common sense<br />
givenness of th<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
Sought someth<strong>in</strong>g beh<strong>in</strong>d, beyond nature<br />
“Be<strong>in</strong>g” itself<br />
Suggested that Reality <strong>is</strong> not easily known<br />
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The Ionian Natural<strong>is</strong>ts<br />
All rejected standard myths about how <strong>the</strong> w<strong>or</strong>kd<br />
was.<br />
Early scient<strong>is</strong>ts. Are <strong>the</strong>y philosophers at all?<br />
Thales: Mon<strong>is</strong>m and Material<strong>is</strong>m<br />
Anaximander, h<strong>is</strong> student who talked back to him.<br />
Reality <strong>is</strong> not water! Dry th<strong>in</strong>gs!<br />
Reality <strong>is</strong> “prim<strong>or</strong>dial stuff” -- apeiron<br />
Apeiron describes <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>def<strong>in</strong>ite, unlimited<br />
It <strong>is</strong> chaotic, like a void, even a s<strong>or</strong>t of noth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
O<strong>the</strong>r Ionians<br />
Anaximenes, student of Anaximander.<br />
Criticized him: apeiron <strong>is</strong> too mysterious.<br />
Asserted that <strong><strong>real</strong>ity</strong> <strong>is</strong> “air”, <strong>the</strong> breath.<br />
Reality, all th<strong>in</strong>gs, are produced by chang<strong>in</strong>g<br />
states of air.<br />
Notice: states of air. Even <strong>the</strong> soul <strong>is</strong> a state of air.<br />
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
MONISM, MATERIALISM<br />
AND STUFF<br />
Reality <strong>is</strong> not many but ONE<br />
Attempts to reduce all varied th<strong>in</strong>gs to one k<strong>in</strong>d of<br />
th<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Contemp<strong>or</strong>ary application: Is everyth<strong>in</strong>g made up<br />
of matter <strong>or</strong> energy? Are <strong>the</strong>y <strong>the</strong> same?<br />
MATERIALISM: Reality <strong>is</strong> physical. It <strong>is</strong> composed<br />
of physical th<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>or</strong> physical substances<br />
Are thoughts physical?<br />
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Heraclitus<br />
Belongs to a group who challenged Thales and<br />
early scient<strong>is</strong>ts<br />
“Fire” <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> stuff of <strong><strong>real</strong>ity</strong><br />
A f<strong>or</strong>ce of change, strife and war.<br />
Why Fire?<br />
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Heraclitus<br />
Stress on “becom<strong>in</strong>g”<br />
H<strong>is</strong> fragments<br />
There <strong>is</strong> no such th<strong>in</strong>g as Be<strong>in</strong>g, only change<br />
“You cannot step <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> same river, f<strong>or</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
waters are cont<strong>in</strong>ually flow<strong>in</strong>g on.”<br />
“Nature loves to hide.” -- Logos (underly<strong>in</strong>g f<strong>or</strong>m)<br />
Strife and tension: The lute and lyre, <strong>the</strong> bow and<br />
arrow<br />
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Democritus: Atoms and<br />
Plural<strong>is</strong>m<br />
Reality <strong>is</strong> m<strong>or</strong>e than one stuff. Plural<strong>is</strong>m<br />
The w<strong>or</strong>ld <strong>is</strong> composed of many t<strong>in</strong>y bits of stuff,<br />
atoms<br />
Even <strong>the</strong> soul <strong>is</strong>: smooth, round, mobile bits<br />
Anim<strong>is</strong>m: all th<strong>in</strong>gs, even rocks and mounta<strong>in</strong>s, are<br />
liv<strong>in</strong>g th<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Pythag<strong>or</strong>as<br />
Numbers are <strong>the</strong> <strong>real</strong> th<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
Reality can be known, universe has regularity and<br />
unity (harmony)<br />
#10 and triangles<br />
0<br />
0 0<br />
0 0 0<br />
0 0 0 0<br />
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Appearance and Reality<br />
Is <strong><strong>real</strong>ity</strong> one th<strong>in</strong>g and <strong>the</strong> w<strong>or</strong>ld that appears to us ano<strong>the</strong>r? Are <strong>the</strong> th<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
we see, touch, taste, hear <strong>real</strong>?<br />
Parmenides: The 1st metaphysician?<br />
H<strong>is</strong> w<strong>or</strong>k: The way of truth<br />
Be<strong>in</strong>g versus Becom<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Be<strong>in</strong>g cannot come to be <strong>or</strong> it would not be what it <strong>is</strong>.<br />
Becom<strong>in</strong>g and noth<strong>in</strong>gness.<br />
Be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>is</strong> unchang<strong>in</strong>g: Mon<strong>is</strong>m<br />
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The Soph<strong>is</strong>ts<br />
Protag<strong>or</strong>as: “Man <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> measure of all th<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
Emphas<strong>is</strong> on practical <strong>question</strong>s: know how<br />
Rhet<strong>or</strong>ic<br />
Paid teachers<br />
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Metaphysics<br />
Ask<strong>in</strong>g and attempt<strong>in</strong>g to understand <strong>the</strong> most<br />
basic <strong>question</strong>s about <strong>the</strong> universe: How <strong>is</strong> it<br />
composed? <strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> it made of? (matter, antimatter,<br />
dark matter <strong>or</strong> energy?)<br />
The six <strong>question</strong>s on page 54: First four refer us to<br />
ontology (<strong>the</strong> study of “Be<strong>in</strong>g” as such, not th<strong>in</strong>gs)<br />
The o<strong>the</strong>rs are cosmological and <strong>the</strong>ological<br />
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
ULTIMATE REALITY IN THE<br />
EAST<br />
The Upan<strong>is</strong>had doctr<strong>in</strong>es<br />
The Buddh<strong>is</strong>t notion of “brahm<strong>in</strong>” <strong>or</strong> <strong>the</strong> oneness<br />
and unity underly<strong>in</strong>g all th<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
A bit on Buddha, <strong>the</strong> Pr<strong>in</strong>ce Gautama (m<strong>or</strong>e later)<br />
Fullness, not empt<strong>in</strong>ess as <strong>the</strong> “Absolute.”<br />
Pan<strong>the</strong><strong>is</strong>m: <strong>or</strong> like it: <strong>the</strong> div<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong>dwell<strong>in</strong>g of all<br />
th<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
The self “atman” not narrow self but expansive<br />
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
CONFUCIUS<br />
<strong>Philosophy</strong> concerned with human be<strong>in</strong>gs and out<br />
nature<br />
Th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g <strong>is</strong> <strong>fundamental</strong> to our nature<br />
Our nature <strong>is</strong> divided, muddled and confused and<br />
th<strong>is</strong> d<strong>is</strong>tracts us from m<strong>or</strong>al duties<br />
Th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> way to overcome th<strong>is</strong> and enter an<br />
“impersonal life.”<br />
Goal: to become “gentlemanly,” only a few can do<br />
Stress on moderation, harmony and status quo<br />
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Lao-Zi<br />
Stressed <strong>the</strong> Confucian idea of Dao “The way.”<br />
But rebelled aga<strong>in</strong>st Ch<strong>in</strong>ese Dynasty<br />
Rejected Confucian faith <strong>in</strong> ritual and conduct<br />
The Dao could not be followed <strong>or</strong> taught by<br />
d<strong>is</strong>course <strong>or</strong> conduct only by contemplation<br />
The Dao <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>effable, that which <strong>is</strong> unknown<br />
through w<strong>or</strong>d <strong>or</strong> deed<br />
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The Buddha<br />
The Awakened One: H<strong>is</strong> st<strong>or</strong>y and <strong>the</strong> Bodhi Tree<br />
Sought Nibbana (nirvana): The ext<strong>in</strong>ction of all evil<br />
Reality <strong>is</strong> one but th<strong>is</strong> one <strong>is</strong> empt<strong>in</strong>ess, a k<strong>in</strong>d of noth<strong>in</strong>gness<br />
Aversion <strong>or</strong> rejection of all human passion, feel<strong>in</strong>g, desire, sensation<br />
The Goal <strong>is</strong> to become conscious of all aversions<br />
The Fire Sermon<br />
Releasement and lett<strong>in</strong>g go <strong>or</strong> lett<strong>in</strong>g be<br />
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
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