1. Epistemology TIPS 1. What is Truth & Knowledge? 2. How can one determine truth from falsehood? 3. What are the pre- suppositions to knowledge?

2. What is Truth? -The two kinds of Truth (pg 147) 1). A priori = truth understood before experience * Necessary truths: cannot possibly be false. 2). A posteriori = truth understood through experience * Empirical truths: a matter of fact, but can imagine circumstances that would make them false.

3. Rationalism vs. Empiricism Rationalism: Knowledge is based on reason -Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Kant, Hegel -Human reason can provide final answers to the most basic questions. Innate ideas Empiricism: Knowledge comes from experience -Locke, Hume, Mill, Russell -Humans are born as a “blank slate” (tabula rasa)

4. Presuppositions of Knowledge  Descartes: “I think, therefore I exist.”  Five senses gather experiences  Principal of Universal Causality:  “Everything that happens has a cause.” Are there more presuppositions of Knowledge?

5. Nature of the Two World View  Define what the two-world view is (p.155)  Respond to Gorgias’ quote on p. 157  Define Skepticism

6. Rene Descartes (1596-1650)  How does Descartes begin his exploration of Truth?  What is his first indubitable claim?  How does this statement lead to him ‘knowing’ the world?  Summarize Descartes’ view of Truth and how he knows it exists.  What questions do you have?  What criticisms do you have of his methods/conclusions?

7. David Hume (1711-1776)  What 2 assumptions does Hume make?  How is Hume’s attempt to prove existence different than Descartes?  How is Hume’s conclusion different than Descartes?  Explain Hume’s negative argument against Universal Causality (p.161)  Summarize Hume’s view of Truth  What questions do you have about Hume’s view?  What criticisms of his methods or conclusions do you have?

8. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)  What is synthetic a priori knowledge? Explain what Kant means.  How does Kant attempt to resolve Hume’s skeptical arguments?  You needn’t summarize Kant; he is someone that requires great study to truly understand; thus, simply answer the following:  What is your understanding of Immanuel Kant’s theories and why is he such an important philosopher?