POLS 250 Study Guide - Final Guide: Rational Basis Review, Political Philosophy, Empirical Evidence

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Political Studies
• Course: POLS 250
• Professor: Colin Farrelly

Document Summary

Outline: hu(cid:373)e"s episte(cid:373)ology (cid:894)= theory of k(cid:374)o(cid:449)ledge(cid:895, the passions > reason, natural and artificial virtues, the (cid:862)(cid:272)ir(cid:272)u(cid:373)sta(cid:374)(cid:272)es of justi(cid:272)e(cid:863) (cid:894)li(cid:374)k to ho(cid:271)(cid:271)es(cid:895, against the social contract. Central concern limits of reason (cid:272)a(cid:374)"t (cid:271)e the o(cid:374)l(cid:455) aspe(cid:272)t of fou(cid:374)datio(cid:374) of politi(cid:272)al. Scottish philosopher influenced utilitarianism (bentham and mill) and conservatism (burke) philosophy. Rejects (cid:272)lai(cid:373)s of (cid:374)atu(cid:396)al la(cid:449), (cid:374)atu(cid:396)al (cid:396)ights, so(cid:272)ial (cid:272)o(cid:374)t(cid:396)a(cid:272)t (cid:894)espe(cid:272)iall(cid:455) lo(cid:272)ke"s(cid:895: be(cid:272)ause (cid:373)o(cid:396)alit(cid:455) a(cid:374)d politi(cid:272)al i(cid:374)stitutio(cid:374)s a(cid:396)e p(cid:396)e(cid:373)ised o(cid:374) the (cid:862)passio(cid:374)s(cid:863) (cid:894)(cid:396)athe(cid:396) tha(cid:374) reason or faith) Start: his epistemology his account of knowledge (based on sense experience) empiricist! Hu(cid:373)e"s a(cid:272)(cid:272)ou(cid:374)t of (cid:272)ausatio(cid:374) (cid:894)politi(cid:272)al i(cid:373)pli(cid:272)atio(cid:374)s? (cid:895) Beliefs formed predicated on assumption of repetition this was the contemporary account of knowledge cause and effect fallacy. Cant form a rational inference on this. His (cid:272)o(cid:374)(cid:272)lusio(cid:374): (cid:455)ou (cid:272)a(cid:374)"t (cid:374)o (cid:396)atio(cid:374)al (cid:271)asis, (cid:455)ou (cid:272)a(cid:374)"t p(cid:396)edi(cid:272)t the futu(cid:396)e o(cid:374) this there must be other logic behind the beliefs. If (cid:449)e had to appeal to (cid:396)easo(cid:374), (cid:449)e (cid:449)ould(cid:374)"t ha(cid:448)e a basis for our beliefs!