Philosophy -210: Appearance vs. Reality Essay

Abstract What is intimacy? How do we come to have intimacy? What are the different sources of fellowship? How do we know anything at all(prenominal)? The philosophers and theories I will enshroud here are non have-to doe with with experience itself but how we very gain experience. How do we gain knowledge? Are we born with it? How do we know what weve learned is literal. That is some of the questions these philosophers try to answer with their theories on knowledge. scarcely do we agree or disagree with them? That is the question. Introduction.Before we begin discussing philosophers and their theories we essential have a basic at a lower placestanding of Epistemology which is the branch of philosophy concerned with the study of knowledge and belief. There are two schools of thought in epistemology, rationalism and empiricism. Empiricists like Bertrand Russell and David Hume bank that sense experience is the ultimate starting signal point for all knowledge and that kn owledge is obtained from experience besides. But still rationalist like Rene Descartes claimed that the ultimate starting point for all knowledge is non the senses but reason and that knowledge can only be obtained through with(predicate) logic and reasoning.Philosophy is not a waste of time It is a way to open new doors within aces mind. (Bertrand Russell. ) Bertrand Russells es feel out on appearance versus reality attempts to do rightful(prenominal) that and open ones mind to considering how things we see are not really as they seem. Is there any knowledge in the founding which is so certain that no reasonable person could doubt it? Bertrand Russell circa (1872-1970) page. 73-77 & page. 82 86. Russell conceptualised that all knowledge is ultimately derived from our sensory perceptions of the world around us. Russell coined the terminal sense data in his attempt to discern the relationship surrounded by appearance and reality.Sensory data is how an individual would per ceive things based on touch, smell, taste, sight, or auditory stimulation. Can it not be manipulated? If an individual is under the influence of alcohol or drugs is there sensory in systemation not impaired by the effects of both. I believe the point Russell is try to make is that what is real to us may not be real at all. But do you agree with him. What would his counter parts count of his theories? Would Descartes agree? What about Hume. Rene Descartes circa (1596-1650) page. 87-91 Descartes believed that pure reason is the most reliable forge of knowledge, he was a rationalist.He did not believe that the information gained through our senses was reliable and that our senses could be deceived. He doubted the reliability of sense perception and believed that knowledge could only be obtained through the methodical application of reason. With that said, what would Descartess appreciate of Bertrand Russells theories regarding how knowledge is obtained? Would Russells theories conf lict with his own? * I believe Descartes would challenge Russells theories by arguing that you could not rely totally on sensory information in order to gain knowledge.Descartes would say that we experience sensory stimulation while sleeping therefore we cannot only rely on sensory input as the only form of learning. He would claim that certain things in the universe are of course constant and not open to interpretation or manipulation. III. David Hume circa (1711-1776) page 108-117 David Hume believed that all human knowledge is based on relations amongst ideas or what he called sense impressions, and that knowledge depends entirely on the evidence provided by our senses. accordingly anything not given an experience is a mere invention and must be discarded.He believed that human reason or inquiry could be divided into two categories, relations of ideas and matter of fact. As with Russell, Hume was an empiricist. He was to a greater extent concerned about what and how we know an d not with what is actually the case. Although Hume and Russell differed in their philosophical theories I believe they would agree with one another to an extent. Conclusion I cant say I disagree with any one of the philosophers theories referenced in the text. In fact I personally believe that you have to apply all of their theories in order to gain knowledge.We do learn from example and from experience, but yet some things cant be explained by logic and reasoning. Are babies not born peckish? If they are born with no knowledge how do they know theyre hungry. I believe in order to truly gain knowledge you must keep an open mind to all possibilities and forms of learning. Works Cited Bertrand Russell. (Stanford encyclopaedia of Philosophy). N. p. , n. d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. . Cahn, Steven M. Exploring Philosophy An Introductory Anthology. New York Oxford UP, 2000.Print. David Hume. (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). N. p. , n. d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. . mesh Encyclopedia of Phi losophy. Hume, DavidA . N. p. , n. d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. . Online Research in Philosophy. Steven M. Cahn (ed. ), Exploring Philosophy An Introductory Anthology. N. p. , n. d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. . Rene Descartes. Rene Descartes. N. p. , n. d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. .