Philosophy lecture 05

Introduction to PhilosophyIntroduction to Philosophy

IS-VNUIS-VNUMr. Mike Mr. Mike Lecture 5Lecture 5

Introduction to Philosophy

• Augustine Augustine • Boethius Boethius • Anselm Anselm • Thomas AquinasThomas Aquinas• Ockham Ockham

Augustine• 354-430 A.D.354-430 A.D.

• Born in Hippo (North Born in Hippo (North Africa) Africa)

• Heavily Influenced by Heavily Influenced by Platonism Platonism

• Prior to Christianity he Prior to Christianity he believed Manichaeism believed Manichaeism

– Universe is the battle Universe is the battle ground of two equal ground of two equal forces of good and evil forces of good and evil

– Matter is Evil – Spirit is Matter is Evil – Spirit is GoodGood

AugustineMetaphysicsMetaphysics

What is Time? What is Time?

• We can think about the past and the futureWe can think about the past and the future• BUT, We cannot BUT, We cannot experienceexperience the past or the future the past or the future• We can only experience the continuous flow of the We can only experience the continuous flow of the

presentpresent• The present is the inescapable mode of all existenceThe present is the inescapable mode of all existence

The PastThe Past The FutureThe Future

The PresentThe Present

ExistenceExistence


What is Time? What is Time?

• Flow of time is a reality for Flow of time is a reality for all living beingsall living beings

• Flow of time is something Flow of time is something we experiencewe experience

• Time has no existence Time has no existence outside the realm of outside the realm of experience experience

• God is outside of experience God is outside of experience (unchanging) and Time(unchanging) and Time

TimeRealm of Realm of

ExperienceExperience

God

I Think Therefore I amAugustine

MetaphysicsMetaphysics

Scepticism Scepticism • To doubt anything, I must existTo doubt anything, I must exist• In order to doubt “I” must be In order to doubt “I” must be

the one doubting the one doubting • Therefore, It is impossible to Therefore, It is impossible to

doubt my own existencedoubt my own existence• My own existence is something My own existence is something

I can know with absolute I can know with absolute certainty certainty

• It is also possible to know It is also possible to know other things with absolute other things with absolute certainty certainty


Problem of Freewill Problem of Freewill • God knows everything that will God knows everything that will

happen in the futurehappen in the future• I can't do anything that God I can't do anything that God

doesn't already knowdoesn't already know• It is impossible for me to do It is impossible for me to do

something that God doesn't something that God doesn't know will happen know will happen

• Therefore, what I do is Therefore, what I do is determined by God – Freewill determined by God – Freewill is impossible is impossible


Augustine's Solution Augustine's Solution • Knowledge of Events is not the Knowledge of Events is not the

same as Cause of Eventssame as Cause of Events• As a human, I can finite As a human, I can finite

knowledge that an event will knowledge that an event will happen, but that does not happen, but that does not necessarily make me the cause necessarily make me the cause of the event of the event

• Finite Knowledge ≠ Cause Finite Knowledge ≠ Cause • God has infinite knowledge of God has infinite knowledge of

all events (past, present and all events (past, present and future)future)

• Infinite Knowledge ≠ Cause Infinite Knowledge ≠ Cause


The City of GodThe City of God • Reality consists of two KingdomsReality consists of two Kingdoms• The Kingdom of GodThe Kingdom of God• The kingdoms of this WorldThe kingdoms of this World• In this age, we exist in both In this age, we exist in both

Kingdoms at the same timeKingdoms at the same time• Similar to Plato's MetaphysicsSimilar to Plato's Metaphysics• Augustine's Kingdom of God ≠ Augustine's Kingdom of God ≠

Plato's Realm of Forms Plato's Realm of Forms

AugustineEpistemologyEpistemology

Testimony Testimony • Knowledge that we gain from Knowledge that we gain from

the words of other peoplethe words of other people• Not as certain as knowledge Not as certain as knowledge

gained from personal gained from personal experience or reasonexperience or reason

• BUT, Testimony is a legitimate BUT, Testimony is a legitimate source of knowledge (though source of knowledge (though not infallible)not infallible)


Conceptual Knowledge Conceptual Knowledge • Can you have knowledge of Can you have knowledge of

something you can't perceive something you can't perceive through your senses? through your senses?

• Example: Can you know about Example: Can you know about God or God's attributes? God or God's attributes?


Conceptual Knowledge Conceptual Knowledge • You can know of many things that you cannot You can know of many things that you cannot

perceive through your senses? perceive through your senses?

Octagon8 Sides

We can perceive all 8 sides

Chiliagon1000 Sides

Cannot perceive the sides – We only perceive a

circleWe can “conceive”

of the sides

AugustineReligionReligion

Original SinOriginal Sin • Sin (evil) has been passed Sin (evil) has been passed

down from Adam and Eve to down from Adam and Eve to all humanityall humanity

• Human are born with an Human are born with an inclination to selfishness and inclination to selfishness and doing evil doing evil

• Though we still posses the Though we still posses the freewill to choose good our freewill to choose good our desires are inclined toward desires are inclined toward evilevil

AugustineReligionReligion

Religion and ScienceReligion and Science • The Bible should not always The Bible should not always

be interpreted literally be interpreted literally • The Bible often employs The Bible often employs

metaphorsmetaphors• If there is a seeming If there is a seeming

contradiction between contradiction between science (or logic) and the science (or logic) and the Bible, perhaps the Bible is Bible, perhaps the Bible is employing a metaphor employing a metaphor Ex. “God causes the sun to Ex. “God causes the sun to rise...” rise...”

AugustineEthicsEthics

Just WarJust War • In general, In general, PACIFISMPACIFISM is the only is the only

position compatible with the position compatible with the teachings of Jesus teachings of Jesus

• Violence is only permissible in Violence is only permissible in PROTECTIONPROTECTION of the innocent or of the innocent or in order to in order to RESTORERESTORE peace peace

• Violence should never be Violence should never be PREEMPTIVEPREEMPTIVE only only DEFENSIVEDEFENSIVE

The Dark Ages

• Collapse of Roman Collapse of Roman EmpireEmpire

• Ancient Philosophical Ancient Philosophical Works DisappearWorks Disappear

• Western Europe: War, Western Europe: War, Famine and Disease Famine and Disease

• Most Europeans were Most Europeans were illiterate illiterate

The Dark Ages• Islamic Golden Age: Islamic Golden Age:

Western Philosophy Western Philosophy preserved by Islampreserved by Islam

• China: Tang China: Tang DynastyDynasty

• Japan: Beginning of Japan: Beginning of Classical Period Classical Period

BoethiusPreservation of Preservation of PhilosophyPhilosophy• Translated Aristotle's Translated Aristotle's

works on Logic into Latinworks on Logic into Latin

• Planned to translate all of Planned to translate all of the works of Plato and the works of Plato and Aristotle but died before Aristotle but died before he was able he was able

• Wrote Wrote The Consolation of The Consolation of Philosophy Philosophy

• One of the only serious One of the only serious philosophers during the philosophers during the Dark AgesDark Ages

BoethiusEthics/MetaphysicsEthics/Metaphysics• Despite Inequality in the Despite Inequality in the

world, there exists a world, there exists a Divine Providence Divine Providence

• JusticeJustice

– Why do Evil men prosper? Why do Evil men prosper?

– Why do Good men fall into Why do Good men fall into ruin? ruin?

• Predestination vs. FreewillPredestination vs. Freewill

BoethiusEthicsEthics• JusticeJustice

– Criminals ought to be Criminals ought to be treated like patients treated like patients with a diseasewith a disease

– The goal of prison The goal of prison should be to reform the should be to reform the criminal not to punishcriminal not to punish

Anslem

• 1033 AD – 1109 AD1033 AD – 1109 AD

• Archbishop of Archbishop of Canterbury Canterbury

• Founder of Founder of ScholasticismScholasticism– strong emphasis on strong emphasis on

dialectical reasoning dialectical reasoning

– extend knowledge by extend knowledge by inference inference

– resolve contradictions resolve contradictions in theologyin theology

AnslemProof of God's ExistenceProof of God's Existence

Ontological ArgumentOntological Argument

• God is the sum of all God is the sum of all perfections (justice, perfections (justice, goodness...) goodness...)

• God is Greatest Being we can God is Greatest Being we can think ofthink of

• Existence is better than non-Existence is better than non-existenceexistence

• If God does not exist, then He If God does not exist, then He is not the Greatest being we is not the Greatest being we can think of can think of

• Therefore God must exist by Therefore God must exist by definition of Goddefinition of God

Thomas Aquinas

Theology and Theology and PhilosophyPhilosophy• Augustine synthesized Augustine synthesized

Plato with Christian Plato with Christian TheologyTheology

• Aquinas Synthesized Aquinas Synthesized Aristotle with Christian Aristotle with Christian Theology Theology

Thomas Aquinas

Proof of God's ExistenceProof of God's Existence

1. Argument from Motion1. Argument from Motion

• All motion requires a moverAll motion requires a mover

• Each “mover” must have been Each “mover” must have been moved by something elsemoved by something else

• To avoid an infinite regress (a To avoid an infinite regress (a logical fallacy) we need a First logical fallacy) we need a First Mover who does not changeMover who does not change

• The First Mover is GodThe First Mover is God “If the hand does not move the stick the stick will not move anything else”

Thomas Aquinas


2. Cause and Effect2. Cause and Effect • Every Cause must have and Every Cause must have and

EffectEffect

• There must be a First Cause There must be a First Cause otherwise we end up with an otherwise we end up with an infinite regressinfinite regress

• The First Cause cannot be The First Cause cannot be caused by something elsecaused by something else

• God is necessarily the First God is necessarily the First CauseCause

Thomas Aquinas


3. Cosmological Argument 3. Cosmological Argument • The existence of the Universe necessitates the The existence of the Universe necessitates the

existence of Godexistence of God• The Universe could not have come into existence by The Universe could not have come into existence by

itself out of nothingitself out of nothing• Nothing cannot produce Something Nothing cannot produce Something • There must be a First Cause to the Universe There must be a First Cause to the Universe

otherwise we end up with 2 possible contradictionsotherwise we end up with 2 possible contradictions– Infinite Regress Infinite Regress

– Nothing creates Something Nothing creates Something

Thomas Aquinas


Cosmological Argument Cosmological Argument

Modern SupportModern Support

• The “Big Bang” The “Big Bang” Theory Theory

• What caused the Big What caused the Big Bang? Bang?

Thomas AquinasProof of God's ExistenceProof of God's Existence

4. Ontological Argument4. Ontological Argument

• Slightly different version of Anselm's Slightly different version of Anselm's argumentargument

• Things vary in degree of quality (hot, Things vary in degree of quality (hot, good)good)

• There must me something that is the There must me something that is the perfect degree of quality from which perfect degree of quality from which all things get their lesser qualityall things get their lesser quality

• The sun is the hottest thing which The sun is the hottest thing which provides heat to everything elseprovides heat to everything else

• God is the perfect Good which God is the perfect Good which provides good to everything else provides good to everything else

Thomas Aquinas


5. Teleological Argument5. Teleological Argument • The Universe is full of order The Universe is full of order

and complexityand complexity

• The order and complexity of The order and complexity of the universe indicates an the universe indicates an Intelligent Designer behind the Intelligent Designer behind the universeuniverse

• Randomness and Chance Randomness and Chance cannot bring about Order and cannot bring about Order and Complexity Complexity

Thomas Aquinas


Teleological ArgumentTeleological Argument

Modern Scientific Support Modern Scientific Support

• Life on Earth is Life on Earth is Improbable Improbable

• Irreducible Complexity in Irreducible Complexity in Biochemistry Biochemistry

OckhamOckham's RazorOckham's Razor

““Entities are not to be multiplied Entities are not to be multiplied beyond necessity” beyond necessity”

• Given 2 ideas which both Given 2 ideas which both explain the data/evidence explain the data/evidence satisfactory, you should choose satisfactory, you should choose the one which introduces the the one which introduces the least number of entitiesleast number of entities

• The “razor” is used to cut out The “razor” is used to cut out unnecessary elements in any unnecessary elements in any explanationexplanation

• Why postulate 2 things when 1 Why postulate 2 things when 1 will do?will do?

• Simplicity is better Simplicity is better

OckhamMetaphysics Metaphysics

No Universals No Universals

• Universals help us organize Universals help us organize individual things individual things

• Universals are merely a Universals are merely a rational organizing tool rational organizing tool

• In reality, only individual In reality, only individual things exist – there is no things exist – there is no universal connection between universal connection between the individual thingsthe individual things

• Rejection of Platonic Rejection of Platonic metaphysics metaphysics

Philosophy lecture 05

Education

god freewill

god doesnt

definition of god

augustine ethics

augustine religion religion

city of god reality

present existence

legitimate source of