PHI 121 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Plotinus, Special Creation, Empiricism
Findings leading to age of denial
Cosmology
: A view of the universe and our place in it.
Earth is flat, in the center of the universe, and doesn’t move
Plotinus
: Hierarchy of power in the world is...
God
Angels
Humans
Animals
Plants
Objects
Ptolomy
: All planets revolve around the Earth
Life negative cultures have a concept of special creation, if we
are no longer with God in the center of the universe, this is BAD!
Descartes
“If God and humans aren’t in the center of the
universe, of what can I be certain? NOTHING.”
“If the universe is absurd, so am I.”
“My life has no meaning... I reject this.”
“What do I think about?” (infinite/finite)
HUME
Empiricism
: Knowledge comes only from sensory experience, based on
perception.
Idealism
: The view that if something exists, it is mental. This leaves open the
possibility that among the minds that exist is the mind of God.
“I perceive that there is an order in the universe, not my creation, it’s God’s.”
Empiricism
: Knowledge comes only from sensory experience, based on
perception.
Idealism
: The view that if something exists, it is mental. This leaves open the
possibility that among the minds that exist is the mind of God.
“I perceive that there is an order in the universe, not my creation, it’s God’s.”
Document Summary
: a view of the universe and our place in it. Earth is flat, in the center of the universe, and doesn"t move. : hierarchy of power in the world is Life negative cultures have a concept of special creation, if we are no longer with god in the center of the universe, this is bad! If the universe is absurd, so am i. : knowledge comes only from sensory experience, based on perception. : the view that if something exists, it is mental. This leaves open the possibility that among the minds that exist is the mind of god. I perceive that there is an order in the universe, not my creation, it"s god"s. Every scientific theory is a paradigm (view of the world), and it is neither true or false. The goal of science is proving that the paradigm works. Too many anomalies lead to crisis and angst.
