Pragmatism and Feminist Epistemology - Week 4

Pragmatism and Feminist Epistemology

I disagree and agree that Pragmatism and Feminist Epistemology are detached intellectual activity.  An individual can have knowledge without experience, and experience without knowledge just as long as they can substantiate their statement.

My definition of knowledge is having the ability to define specific information, I personally feel that in some instances you do not require that specific information to have knowledge, you can take a writing class to be eligible for graduation from BMCC, you can have the ability to write yet not have the knowledge needed to pass.  In other words you can be a great writer but for this class you need specifics to pass. Therefore you may need experience in order to state that you have knowledge. Not all individuals are born with the capabilities of being great writers thus making it seem simple to collaborate without needing experience to write.  

Knowledge equals information with or without experience.

Empiricism -Week 3

I agree and disagree with what the Empiricism claims “The Only Source of Genuine Knowledge is Sense Experience.

I feel that without sense we as humans will not have the ability to appreciate life in this society.  We have our sense for a reason, for example: if we never consumed Puffer fish, and you have heard that it can kill you if it is cooked wrong, are you willing to take the risk or will you pay attention to the advised given to you.  Although, we have not tried this delicacy we can all agree that in this instance we do not need experience.

We all have different belief’s, and were taught those belief’s when growing up, we were also taught to respect everyone’s belief, whether your belief is in the big bang theory or in that great super natural being., Can we proof the Big Bang Theory or that there is a GOD,  no we cannot, has anyone of us touched or seen him No? Do we doubt yes we do, whether you choose not to believe or to believe. This is called free will.

What areas support this theory? Taste, touch, and smell.

Are the Empiricist correct in stating that “when we are born the mind is a blank tablet” I disagree, because there must be something that will trigger our senses, thus giving us knowledge of the world as it is.

If man can create a mathematical problem that can be solved then we will need knowledge and experience to solve it.

“Kant concluded that both reason ad experience play a role in constructing our knowledge.”

Week 2

It is getting somewhat hard for me, it does not feel like an intro to philosophy as some students have greater   thoughts and opinions,  some post are too confusing for me, that I have to leave alone.  I am able to follow some post thus understanding  what the student are trying to say.  This weeks discussion was on Skepticism and Rationalism,  we were asked to view either the Matrix or Inception, both of which were  for a lack of a better word "confusing." I will continue to do the best I can, at my age that is all I can do.

Descartes Methodological Skepticism - week 2

What do you think about methodological skepticism? Do we ever follow this procedure in our daily lives or do the opposite.

Descartes Methodological Skeptism, I think we do follow, and we also do the opposite, I guess what I am trying to say it depends on the different perspective of each individual, we ask ourselves can anyone see themselves examining in detail their beliefs just to prove a point, I for one cannot put myself in this type of situation. 

I believe that many things cannot be proven, therefore there will always be room for skeptics, from childhood we are taught to believe in a super natural being, and as we grow older and hear different opinions based on incomplete information, we start either staying strong to our beliefs or  having doubts.

 In our society this is true in the way we think about jury duty, we must believe that the person being charged is innocent until proven guilty.  But from the minute the DA opens his mouth and starts telling you why this individual is being charge we will make an assumption that they are already guilty, without having heard all of the evidence.

Another example would be; who does not believe in the air that we breath, we know for a fact that without it we are non-existing, we cannot see it, smell it, but it can be scientifically proven it exist. I have never encounter any skepticism on this subject.

“Skepticism can range from disbelief in contemporary philosophical solutions, to agnosticism, to rejecting the reality of the external world.”

Week 1 Philosophy

Hi everyone,

I hope that when I respond to the black board assignment I don't sound harsh,  please forgive me if I do and I hope no one takes my postings personally.

Week 1 Philosophy

My first week seems to be going ok, I have posted  in blackboard my assignment for the week, It makes one feel good to see that the other students are also reading my work, even if  they agree or disagree it is nice to read what opinions other students have of what I have written.

Allegory of the Cave

Week 1:

 In the Allegory of the Cave, Socrates suggests that, without philosophical education, we are all like the prisoners in the cave. What are your thoughts on this? How is philosophy supposed to be liberating? Do you think Socrates is right to be so pessimistic about life without philosophy?

My interpretation is that the individuals in the cave had no notion as to what was going on in the outside world, in the cave those who where chained up could not see the light of day, or the real world but only the shadows that the fire brought to them, their brain was being fed what the puppeteers wanted them to see.

They were blind to the realities of the world outside of the cave; they were unable to think, to grasps ideas, unable to express themselves. They were unable to distinguish reality from what they were used to seeing. 

Socrates paints a vivid scenario, like the people of the cave we have very little knowledge of what is reality and what is not. We allow others to think for us, we accept what is giving to us and we do not question or argue when we know that they may be wrong in their interpretation.

I think it is liberating to be able to think on our own, to make our own decisions, our own choices, to belief in the realism of what is. We are nothing in our own bodies if we are not allowed to belief and express how we feel, what we feel and why we feel.

Do I agree that Socrates is right to be pessimistic about life without philosophy, I agree, if we did not have philosophy we would not be able to examine the basics of life in the society we live in, we would live in a lie just to appease everyone.