Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Metaphysics
- the study of fundamental nature of reality itself
- nature (traditional): what something is independent of its relations
- usually is not physically observable with our senses
- Empiricism
- matter, subatomic structure
- physicalism: in order for something to be real, it must be explainable in physical terms
- Consciousness (nagel)
- Cit. is not explainable by physicalist solutions
- 2 common physicalist solutions
- Reducing cit. to an underlying physical state/thing
- Denying the reality/existence of cit.
- definition: there is something that it is like to be that organism
- SUBJECTIVITY: a frame of reference that is entirely dependent on a 1st person perspective (por-soi: cit.)
- cit. isn't observable. can only be observable from 1st person POV
- phenomenological features (facts)
- the subjectively experienced facts of our experience that depend on our 1st person POV
- OBJECTIVITY: frame of reference independent from 1st person perspectives (en-soi: 3rd person omniscient POV)
- how things are in their nature apart from subjectivity
- realities that are subjectively experienced but observable by many POVs
- mind-body problem(problem of cit.)
- given that cit. does not seem to be a physical thing, how is it that we can incorporate/"fit" cit. into our existing scientific worldview
- Scientism: the view that all forms of knowledge are reducible to the scientific form of knowledge (epistemological worldview)
- 2 types of differences
- EPISTEMIC DIFFERENCE: there is a gap that exists between truths related to 2 different things
- there is an apparent difference between what appears to be 2 different things
- ONTOLOGICAL DIFFERENCE: there is a real categorical difference between 2 things
- 4 physicalist responses
- 1.Deny that cit. is an irreducible part of reality
- a) holding that cit. is identifiable; some aspect of reality
- b) deny that cit. is a part of reality; cit. is an illusion
- 2. Deny that cit. needs a scientific explanation
- c) cit. is a fluke/accident; cit. is not casually relevant (epiphenomenalism)
- d) cit. has an explanation, but one outside of science
- Reductionism
- the process by which we take something that is incomprehensible to us and "reduce" it into terms/factors into terms familiar to us
- Difference between facts and conceptual schema
- Facts
- OBJECTIVE: facts that are accessible from multiple POVs and thus is independent of localized perspective
- 1. how things are really in their nature
- 2. facts/data that can be agreed upon from many observers
- SUBJECTIVE (phenomenological): "truths" that can only emerge within a 1st person/ lived POV
- subjective facts/truths are embodied
- Conceptual schemas
- a theoretical or abstract framework by which we categorize obj. and sub. facts
- Appearance vs. Reality
- analogue of the subject-object dichotomy
- APPEARANCE
- observable, detailed, changeable, visible, tangible, SUBJECTIVE
- REALITY
- nature, lack of relations, imperceptible, non-sensory, invisible, general, OBJECTIVE