PHI 2000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 29: Procedural Knowledge, Simile
Document Summary
Mathematical & formal objects: triangles, number, variables, operations, formal models of thinking- like logic, model of nature- chemical, symbols, lines, bodies of knowledge- like law, economics, etc. Thinking & modeling: start from visible objects. Logic models speech/ thought: let us classify, categorize, generalize. Fit particular facts to general knowledge & explain: calculate in a way that matches structures of that field. Forms or ideas: high level concepts. High level ideas- beauty, truth, justice, equality. So say highest idea is the good. The good is like the sun- simile: necessary for sight, eye has kinship to the sun. What the supreme court does: medium in which things are visible, shows things for what they are, makes things grow. The good has the same relation to knowledge in the intelligible realm. The good makes other ideas grow- metaphysics: think of virtue ideas- courage, self-control, wisdom. Without wisdom there are just character descriptions. Moral neutral; even bad in some circumstances.
