Philosophy: Idealism, Realism, and Pragmatism

• Study notes on the foundations of philosophy, key terminology, fallacies, and the Allegory of the Cave

Idealism

• Reality is rooted in ideas and the reasoning of minds.
• Ideas should be consistent and carried through generations.
• Prominent idealists include Socrates, Plato, and Immanuel Kant.
• What individuals perceive and experience originates from thoughts and ideas.
• The world's existence is dependent on minds to perceive it.
• An apple is real because the mind sees it, thinks about it, and understands it.
• Without minds to perceive it, the apple's existence is uncertain.

Realism

• Reality, knowledge, and value exist independently of the human mind.
• Scientific methods are employed to view the truth.
• Key figures in realism include Aristotle and John Locke.
• The world remains real, irrespective of observation or thought.
• A toy left in a room remains there even when unobserved.

Pragmatism

• Reality is subject to change.
• Environment and interactions shape an individual's perception of life.
• Charles Sanders Peirce and John Dewey are key pragmatists.
• Something is considered true or good if it proves effective and beneficial in real-life scenarios.
• When lost in a park, experimenting with a path to find home works better than arguing.
• Pragmatism focuses on practical and effective solutions.

Existentialism

• The physical world lacks meaning compared to the human mind.
• Final realities vary because everyone has different experiences in life.
• Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche are central figures in existentialism.
• Individuals define the meaning of their own lives, and personal perspective is paramount.
• When uncertain about the future, it is better to choose your own path.
• Decisions should be based on personal feelings rather than external expectations.

Key Terminology

Logic

• Careful, structured thinking (e.g., 1 + 1 = 2).

Fallacy

• An error in thinking (e.g., 1 + 1 = 3).

Proposition

• A statement that can be either true or false (e.g., "Dad will buy me a car").

Argument

• A premise that leads to a conclusion.
• Premise: well-rested students perform better academically.
• Conclusion: schools should switch to a four-day school week to give students more time to rest and improve their academic performance.

Syllogism

• Two premises lead to a conclusion.
• Premise: all mammals have a backbone.
• Premise: a dolphin is a mammal.
• Conclusion: a dolphin has a backbone.

Premise

• The starting point of an argument, used to support the argument.

Conclusion

• The closing statement of an argument, often opinion-based.

Fallacies

Strawman

• Misrepresenting an argument to make it easier to attack.

Appeal to Authority

• Claiming something is true simply because an authority figure thinks it is.

Ad Hominem

• Attacking the opponent's character instead of their argument.

Anecdotal

• Using personal experience or isolated examples instead of sound evidence.

Slippery Slope

• Arguing that allowing A will inevitably lead to Z, so A should be avoided.

Gambler's Fallacy

• Believing that independent events have runs (e.g., in roulette).

Appeal to Nature

• Assuming something is good because it is 'natural'.

No True Scotsman

• Dismissing criticisms by appealing to purity and redefining criteria.

Allegory of the Cave

• Prisoners are chained in a cave, seeing only shadows projected on a wall.
• Shadow projections represent reality to them.
• One prisoner escapes and discovers the outside world, filled with true reality and enlightenment.
• Returning to the cave, this enlightened individual is rejected and ridiculed by the other prisoners.
• This reflects the difficulty of attaining enlightenment in a world of illusion.
• True knowledge requires breaking free from ignorance to seek deeper truths.
• Those trapped in ignorance may resist enlightenment.
• They tend to resist enlightenment as it challenges their accepted beliefs.
• Illusions and partial truths distract from seeking knowledge.
• People choose not to believe the full truth because the illusions are all they know.

Explore the core tenets of Idealism, Realism, and Pragmatism in philosophy. Understand how each perspective views reality, knowledge, and existence. Learn about key figures like Plato, Aristotle, and John Locke and their contributions to these schools of thought.