Notes on Introduction to Philosophy -- Phil A201
William Jamison - Instructor
Lecture
lecture notes for Introduction to Philosophy:
Read pp. 567 - 606, Locke, Democracy - Jefferson
Slide one:
Locke, John, 1632-1704
 | founder of British empiricism |
| Contradicting Hobbes, Locke maintained that the original state of nature was happy and characterized by reason and tolerance; all human beings were equal and free to pursue "life, health, liberty, and possessions." |
| The state formed by the social contract was guided by the natural law, which guaranteed those inalienable rights. |
| Slide two: |
Locke, John, 1632-1704 (continued)
| He distinguished the primary qualities of things (e.g., extension, solidity, number) from the secondary qualities (e.g., color, smell, sound), which he held to be produced by the direct impact of the world on the sense organs. |
| The primary qualities affect the sense organs mechanically, providing ideas that faithfully reflect reality; thus science is possible. |
Slide three:
Locke, John, 1632-1704 (continued)
| He set down the policy of checks and balances later followed in the U.S. Constitution; formulated the doctrine that revolution in some circumstances is not only a right but an obligation; and argued for broad religious freedom. |
Slide four:
Locke, John, 1632-1704 (continued)
| Much of the liberal social, economic, and ethical theory of the 18th cent. was rooted in Locke's social-contract theories. One of the major influences on modern philosophical and political thought, he epitomized the Enlightenment's faith in the middle class, in the new science, and in human goodness. |
Slide five:
Locke, John, 1632-1704 (continued)
| In the Essay he opposed the rationalist belief in innate ideas, holding that the mind is born a blank upon which all knowledge is inscribed in the form of human experience. |
7:00p - 7:55p: Tabula Raza, primary and secondary qualities
8:00p - 8:55p: Read pp. 670 - 678, Leibniz - Monadology or here.
Slide one:
Leibniz
| Philosophy: |
| The doctrine of monads |
| pre-established harmony |
| the law of continuity |
| optimism |
| Theodicy |
| the existence of God |
| the problem of evil |
| the question of optimism |
Slide two:
The doctrine of monads
| a monad is simple (devoid of parts), indivisible, and indestructible |
| they are the only substances existing, more like souls than bodies |
| Each monad is a microcosm, or universe in miniature, a mirror of the entire universe |
| The uncreated monad, God, mirrors all things clearly and adequately |
| 9:00p - 10:00p: Read pp. 663 - 669, "Best of all possible worlds" |
Slide three:
The Doctrine of Pre-established Harmony
| Every present state of a simple substance is a natural consequence of its preceding state, in such a way that its present is always the cause of its future. |
| All things "co-operate" in the universe not only because God is the Source from whom they all spring, but still more so because God is the End towards which they are all tending, and the Perfection which they are all striving to attain. |
Slide four:
Law of Continuity
| No two monads can be exactly alike. |
| There are no "breaks" in the continuity of nature, no "gaps" between mineral plant, animal, and man. |
| No two objects, no two events can be entirely similar, for, if they were, they would not be two but one. |
| there are no true opposites. |
Slide five:
Optimism - Best of all Worlds
| God is the original, infinite monad |
| His power, His wisdom, His goodness are infinite. |
| Things or events are real when there is a sufficient reason for their existence. |
| Psychology |
| All monads are immortal. |
| The intellect is the source as well as the subject of all our ideas. |
| These ideas have objective value. |