The study of the basic structures of reality Metaphysics The study of the basic structures of reality
What is reality? Why is there something and not nothing? What is it to exist? What is a being? What is a person? Am I Free? Is there a supreme being?
Theories Common Sense Realism What people perceive under ordinary conditions is reality. Weakness in this argument – common sense is often driven by ignorance/laziness rather than by seeking the truth
Theories Idealism George Berkely 18th Century Denies existence of material things Reality is ideas and the minds that hold these ideas Objects are ideas that God placed in humans
Theories Platonic Realism Reality is ideal forms or ideas that are timeless, unchanging, immaterial, and more perfect than the world of changeable things
Theories Materialism or Physicalism Pre-Socratic Philosophers Everything is physical; Reality consists of matter. Matter – particles in motion and forces like gravity.
Theories Monism Reality is one all encompassing thing All particular things are expressions of this one thing Thing can be material or mental Baruch Spinoza argued it could also be divine String Theory – everything composed of one-dimensional strings of energy Materialism and Idealism are Monists Theories
Theories Dualism Descartes Reality consists of two things: Mind and Matter Interactionism – Common version of Dualism Mind and Body co-exist as separate entities Epiphenomenalism – Mind is a byproduct of Body
Materialism versus Dualism Man is simply an animal, and brains are simply chemical systems Computers are humans? Question of souls? Dualism Mental is separate from Physical Mind and Soul can pre-exist the body and survive bodily death Believe in afterlife, and paranormal