Review for our Quiz (2025)

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Review for Quiz #1

The presocratics.

Philosophy and its branches.

Fallacies.

Mind experiments.

What is truth.

Necessary and sufficient conditions.

Criteria of Adequacy of Scientific Theories.

Logical and causal possibility.

Cause and effect. 

Criteria of adequacy of scientific theories (muy importante)

(Click here for more information)

Some excellent introductory math texts I recommend

Mi libro favorito de cálculo 1, 2 y 3.  Tom Apostol Vol. 1,  & Volume 2 (PDF).

Lynn Loomis and Schlomo Sternberg, for Advanced Calculus. What a mind, Svi Sternberg!

A great Linear Algebra Introduction (PDF).

Introduction to Abstract Algebra, by Michael Artin (2nd Edition).

Differential Equations, PDF, by Paul Blanchard. Professor Blanchard is an authority on the Mandelbrot set. 

Applied Partial Differential Equations, David Logan, PDF. 

Introduction to Set Theory, by Herbert Enderton, PDF.

Logical and causal possibility (think of mind experiments)

Logical Possiblity:

Something is logically possible if and only if it violates a law of logic. 

Here is one logical possibility: "President J. F. Kennedy was not killed by Larry Oswald in Texas on November 22, 1963." 

He was indeed killed that day. So, why is it still logically possible? There's no contradiction in assuming Larry Oswald missed his shot or that Kennedy was hurt but survived. 

Causal Possibility:

Something is causally possible if it does not violate law of nature.

Law of non-contradiction: 

Nothing can have and lack property at the same time. 

Examples: "A triangle of four sides," "2 + 2 = 5", "A married bachelor," etc.

Conceivability: 

1. If p is conceivable, it is imaginable (imagination is a mental faculty linked to rationality). An example of that is mind experiments in physics and math. 

Is Superman logically possible? The first step in the evidence that p is possible is to be able to conceive it. Just that. 

We say p is conceivable if its implication can be drawn without it being contradictory, i.e., 

Can Superman be conceived? 

Yes, that's why we talk about him and can even watch him in a movie. 

Now, Clearly, not everything that is conceivable is possible. For example, Superman, dragons, gremlins, and succubi are all conceivable but not possible. 

Why not?  They violate laws of nature.

Remember: If p is conceivable, then from 2. It's logically possible. 

finally,

3. p is causally possible if it doesn't violate a law of nature.  

Now, let's talk a little bit about LAWS OF NATURE: 

Laws differ from scientific theories in that they do not posit a mechanism or explanation of phenomena; they are merely distillations of the results of repeated observation. 

A law's applicability is limited to circumstances resembling those already observed, and the law may be found to be false when extrapolated. 

How do logical possibility (LP) and causal possibility (CP) relate?

If something is logically impossible, it is causally impossible.

If something is causally possible, it is logically possible. 

LI → CI
CP → LP

Clearly, LI is sufficient for CI. Is it necessary? It would be if CI cannot exist without LI. Let's pursue this point further.

Something cannot be and not be at the same time. 

But time is a causal variable, not a logical one. If time is outside us, then "same time" is sort of cheating for a logical category. 

Logic is aprioristic. And yet, Kant has argued that time is not outside. Of course, being a physicist, you will swear that time is outside since you can work with it mathematically. But that doesn't contradict Kant's point (though we don't have time to pursue that here).

¿Qué es un experimento mental? (mind experiment)

DEF: The description of a possible situation in which a concept should apply or a condition should be met if the theory in question is true.

Es decir, un experimento mental es un recurso de la imaginación empleado para investigar la naturaleza de las cosas. La mente es el laboratorio del filósofo. Mind experiments nos ayudan a ver y concebir las condiciones de posibilidad de las cosas.

Varias teorías o posturas filosóficas se fundan en los resultados de experimentos mentales: 

el dilema del tranvía,  en ética,

la tabla de Carneades, en ética,

la habitación china,  en filosofía de la mente,

la tierra gemela, en filosofía del lenguaje, 

el cerebro en una cubeta y...

el cuarto de Mary en filosofía de la mente.

Here is an example of how to build a mind experiment.

¿Qué es la verdad?

En clase les he dicho que la verdad es complicada. Y lo es, pero eso no significa que la filosofía no haya definido el concepto de verdad.

En general tenemos tres definiciones: 

1. Correspondence Theory of Truth (la verdad como correspondencia), 

A proposition is true by its correspondence with reality.  

Ejemplo: Un vertebrado es un animal que tiene un esqueleto con columna vertebral y cráneo, y cuyo sistema nervioso central está formado por la médula espinal y el encéfalo.

2. The Coherence Theory of Truth (la verdad como coherencia con lo que ya se cree).

Truth is what best coheres with our existing knowledge. 

Ejemplo: En cosmología, se entiende por Big Bang,​ o Gran Explosión,​ al comienzo del universo, es decir, el punto inicial en el que se formó la materia, el espacio y el tiempo. 

3. The Pragmatic Theory of Truth (la verdad pragmática).

Truth is, whatever best does the job at hand.  

Ejemplo: El cuadro Guernica de Picasso es una obra maestra de la pintura del siglo XX. 

Lista de algunos paradigmas científicos que han cambiado

 pincha aquí.

Cause and effect can betray even the smartest amongst us!

When is C a cause of E?

Take this simple example: Pluto's barking causes Dick to wake up.

We need four steps:

1. The cause must precede the effect,

2. It's nearly impossible for the cause to happen and the effect not to happen. Another way of saying it: if the cause had not happened, the effect would not have happened. 

3. The cause makes a difference, (without the cause, there's no effect),
4. There's no common cause,   Think of a person suffering from depression. You could frame their depression using the common-cause relationship as well. Depression leads to a lack of motivation AND a lack of appetite.

   
So, we have:

1. The barking precedes Dick's waking up, 
2. It's nearly impossible for Pluto to bark and Dick not to wake up,

3. Without the barking, there's no waking up, 
4. Suppose both the barking and waking up are caused by a person jumping Dick's fence and making a noise which causes Pluto to bark and Dick to wake up. 

Necessary, sufficient, and contributory causes:

Pluto's barking is a necessary cause of Dick's waking up if the barking precedes the waking, but it doesn't imply the latter will occur, i.e., Dick may not wake up (it's not guaranteed).      

Pluto's barking is a sufficient cause of Dick's waking up if the the barking necessarily imply the waking, although another cause may also contribute to Dick's waking (noise coming from the bathroom where Dick's wife was taking a shower). Here the presence of the waking doesn't guarantee the prior occurrence of the barking.

A cause is a contributory cause if it's one among several co-occurrent causes. In general, there is no implication that a contributory cause is necessary, though it may be so.

Reciprocally, a contributory cause is not sufficient for the effect, because it is by definition accompanied by other causes, which would not count as causes if they are sufficient, for your information, most causes are contributory, i.e., there are more than one. 

Want one paramount example of contributory causation? 

 

Climate change, with all its contributory causes: sun, orbital variations of the earth, low cloud cover, oceans, albedo effect, man-made C0₂, etc.

REMEMBER, VERY IMPORTANT...

CORRELATION DOESN'T MEAN CAUSATION

Deductive and Inductive arguments

PREMISE:

A premise is a reason given.

ARGUMENT:

An argument is a set of premises and a conclusion.

DEDUCTIVE ARGUMENTS

An argument is a set of premises and a conclusion. Look at this argument:

"Socrates is a man"  first premise
"Men are mortal"    second premise
________
"Socrates is mortal" conclusion

Now, there are deductive and inductive arguments.

Deductive argument are “truth preserving”, because the truth of its premises guarantees the truth of its conclusion.

Deductive arguments can be valid or invalid. If VALID, then the conclusion necessarily follows from the premises (even if the premises were false).

"Socrates is a man" (T)
"Men are mortal"    (T)
________
"Socrates is mortal"  (T)

the above argument is valid. in addition the premises are true. if the argument is VALID and its premises true, the conclusion must be true. we call this kind of argument SOUND. 

now let's play a bit with truth values:

"Socrates is a man"  (T)
"Men are immortal" (F)
__________
"Socrates is immortal" (F)

the above argument IS VALID, i.e, though the conclusion follows from the premises, though one premise is false. We have a false premise and a false conclusion, yet the above argument is VALID, but UNSOUND

See that deduction is independent from experience beause the reasoning is self contained in the premises. Remember that the premises could be false and the argument still be valid. 

DEDUCTION IS APRIORISTIC. MATHEMATICS IS AN EXAMPLE OF AN APRIORISTIC DISCIPLINE. 

______________

INDUCTIVE ARGUMENTS:

An inductive argument establishes a conclusion with a high degree of probability. Here the truth of their premises does not guarantee the truth of their conclusion.

Every windstorm observed so far in this area comes from the north. We can see a big cloud of dust in the distance. So, a new windstorm is probably coming from the north.

Analysis: The above argument is a strong inductive argument. The "so far" in the premise is simple and cautious, and the conclusion uses "probably."  

Strong inductive arguments establish the conclusion with high probability IF the premises were true.

 

If the argument is not STRONG, then it is WEAK.

THRE ARE THREE KINDS OF INDUCTIVE ARGUMENTS: 

Inductive generalization: It goes from a premise about a sample to a conclusion about the population, or it derives general principles from specific observations.  Click here for a good explanation of inductive generalizations.

Analogical Induction: The process of analogical inference involves noting the shared properties of two or more things and from this basis, inferring that they also share some further property:

Example:
 

Athenians and spartans are similar with respect to speaking the same language & being Pantheists
An Athenian has been observed to have further property X
Therefore, a Spartan probably also has property X.

Click here for examples of analogical induction.

Enumerative Induction: It reasons from particular instances to all instances. 

Example: If one observes 100 swans, and all 100 are white, one might infer "All swans are white." 

 

(As you can see, even if the premises are true, it does not entail the conclusion's truth. The conclusion might be true, and probably true, yet it can be false).

Click here for examples of enumerative induction.

Inference to the best explanation IBE: 

Phenomenon Q.

E provides the best explanation for Q.

Therefore, it is probable that E is true.

________________

As you can see, a big difference between deduction and induction is that the latter depends from experience. 

INDUCTION IS BASICALLY A POSTERIORI. 

SO, WE CAN SAY THAT SCIENTIFIC THEORIES ARE A POSTERIORI, NEVER ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN.

Necessary and sufficient conditions

Necessary conditions:

X is a necessary condition for Y, 

if X is not present, Y doesn't happen.

(yet, to say that X is a necessary condition for Y does not mean that X guarantees Y)

Having gasoline in my car (gasoline engine cars) is a necessary condition for my car to start. Yet,  having gasoline in the car does not guarantee that my car will start. There are many other conditions needed for my car to start.

Having oxygen in the earth's atmosphere is a necessary condition for human life. However, having oxygen will not guarantee human life. There are many other conditions needed for human life other than oxygen in the atmosphere.


Sufficient conditions:

X is a sufficient condition for Y,

if X is present, Y happens (X guarantees Y)

Rain pouring from the sky is a sufficient condition for the ground to be wet (not necessary, since the ground could be wet for other reasons).
______

Test yourself: 

*Is sunlight a necessary or sufficient condition for the flowers to bloom?

*Is earning a final grade of C a necessary or sufficient condition for passing the course?

*Is being a male a necessary or sufficient condition for being a father?

*Is having AIDS a necessary or sufficient condition for having the HIV virus?

*Is studying for a test a necessary or sufficient condition for passing a test?

*Is completing all the requirements of your degree program a necessary or sufficient condition for earning your degree?

LES PRESENTO EL AXIS DEL CONOCIMIENTO

In the Y axis, I know that I know (certainty)

In the X axis, I know I don't know (doubt, duda, la filosofía)

In the -Y axis, I don't know, I know (self deceit, autoengaño)

In the -X axis, I don't know I don't know (blissful ignorance or self-deceit) 

la naturaleza de la HIPÓ-TESIS

Henri Poincaré

La hipótesis (hypo: debajo, thesis: conclusión) es el recurso par excellence del descubrimiento científico. 

Es el recurso esencial para descubrir el mundo.  Qué sería de la ciencia, incluso el conocimiento más elemental... sin la posibilidad de hipotetizar. Ahora bien, la hipótesis comienza "debajo"... y esto es bueno, debajo es sustrato, no es lo obvio, pero tampoco eso significa que sea verdad. 

Recuérdese. Hypótesis no es conclusión, es meramente un postulado plausible. La hipótesis necesita confirmación. Esa confirmación se da en las matemáticas en forma absoluta. No así en las demás ciencias experimentales. 

¿Qué garantías tenemos de que nuestra hipótesis funcione? 

De esto vamos a hablar muy pronto. 

HOMEWORK 1 (entregamos la tarea impresa en la clase el próximo martes)

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LOS PRESOCRÁTICOS (LOS PADRES DE LA FILOSOFÍA ANTES QUE HUBIERA FILOSOFÍA)

What is the fundamental "stuff" (arche) of the universe?

The crucial feature of pre-Socratic philosophy was the use of reason to explain the universe. The philosophers shared the intuition that there was a single explanation that could explain both the plurality and the singularity of the whole. For some reason, they believed this fundamental stuff of the universe was univocal.

They called it archë.

MILESIAN SCHOOL (born in Miletus)

Anaximander (610-546 BC), a geometer and the first writer on philosophy. He came up with the idea of apeiron , i.e., an undefined, unlimited substance without qualities, out of which the primary opposites. 

Thales of Miletus:  (of the Milesian school) Thales claims that the world rests on water with the view that water is the archē or fundamental principle, and he adds that “that from which they come to be is a principle of all things.” He suggests that Thales chose water because of its fundamental role in coming-to-be, nutrition, and growth and claims that water is the origin of the nature of moist things. archë is water because, as a substance, it contains motion and change.

Heraclitus: The universe is a state of perpetual flux, connected by logical structure or pattern, which he termed logos.

Xenophanes: comes up with the notion of pephuke (explanation), which states that X is really Y when Y reveals the true character of X. 

Pythagoras: the notion that NUMBER (or mathematics) reveals the structure of the universe.

ELEATIC SCHOOL (born in Elea)

Parmenides is the father of metaphysics and rationalism.  His theory is that what IS CANNOT NOT BE. 

So, BEING (NOUS) is UNCHANGING.  For something to change, it has to NOT BE, which is a contradiction because NOTHING cannot exist, and out of nothing, nothing comes.

Atomist School

The Atomists: Leucippus (5th BC) and his pupil Democritus of Abdera (460-370 BC) from Thrace. the arche are atoms: small primary bodies, infinite in number, indivisible and imperishable, qualitatively similar, but distinguished by their shapes. They move eternally through the infinite void. They collide and unite, thus generating objects that differ in accordance with the varieties in number, size, shape, etc. We are ALL atoms.

The Pluralist School

Empedocles: comes up with the principle of attraction and rejection, or LOVE and STRIFE. One cannot be without the other. Love unites, strife separates.

PHILOSOPHY AND ITS BRANCHES

LOGIC: The study of correct thinking. Su objeto no es qué pensamos, sino cómo pensamos y bajo qué condiciones un razonamiento puede considerarse válido.

Example: "A triangle has four sides". THIS IS NOT TRUE. 

"If it rains, the streets are wet. It rained, therefore the streets are wet" . THIS IS INVALID. 

AXIOLOGY: the study of value. 

What is value? Think of something in terms of good or bad, i.e., 

"I hate broccoli." "I love R&B." "I hate roaches." "What she did to her sister was wrong." "My grandma's chicken soup is still the best." I'm not crazy about Picasso's art."

Without axiology, imagine what law, food, art, economy, and human relationships would be. 

An essential question at this point is whether the value we posit is objective or subjective. In other words,

Is Catena Malbec 2014 good because I lived in Argentina, or am I Argentinian, instead of the juice in the bottle?

Or....

When we say "Slavery is wrong," are we talking about now, 2017, or any time in the past or the future?

Axiology is divided into two:

ETHICS: evaluating human actions, i.e., right and wrong conduct.

Ponder this: What makes an action right?

the action's results
the action's intentions
the emotive responses towards the action
the action itself
what (people, society, culture) think of it 

Keywords: right, wrong.

AESTHETICS is the study of value in the arts or the inquiry into feelings, judgments, or beauty standards and related concepts.

What makes something beautiful, ugly, elegant, awful, attractive, charming, clumsy, mysterious, etc?
Are aesthetic properties objective, subjective, or inter-subjective?

Keywords: beautiful, ugly, amazing (sublime).

Ponder this: Is the sunset beautiful if no one sees it? or better, is there unseen beauty, majesty?
See that though we didn't witness the Big Bang, the idea of such an event has given physicists plenty to talk about. We've seen simulations of it in the movies.

EPISTEMOLOGY: the study of knowledge.

Epistemology investigates the origin, structure, methods, and integrity of knowledge.

How much do we actually know? More importantly, Is our knowledge warranted?

What is the difference between belief and knowledge?

Do I hold false beliefs?

Keywords: belief, truth, justification, explanation.

METAPHYSICS: the study of what is really real. This is heavy.  We're dealing here with principles. The question in metaphysics is the existence status of any kind of stuff.

Consider the truths of mathematics: how is it that a triangle exists? Are points, lines, or planes really real?

What is a soul?

Under what conditions are these entities possible?

Keywords: identity, change, being, necessity, accident, category, etc. 

WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY? PRESENTED BY HANK GREEN

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TEXTBOOK

 Click here for our textbook. 

¿Qué gano con estudiar filosofía? Philosophy es #1 en "analytic", "verbal" y "composite" para el GRE, LSAT and LGMAT (y el salario no es malo)

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Phi 2010 Honors, Syllabus, Fall 2025

Alfredo Triff, PhD. 

Escéptico, hedonista, tradicionalista, cocinero, tutor, fumador de pipa y ailurófilo. 😎

Correo electrónico: atriff@mdc.edu 

Texto: Philosophy Here and Now, by Lewis Vaughn (Fourth Edition). 

Objetivos 

* Familiarizarse con las tendencias contemporáneas en la filosofía. 

* Comprender el proceso de formación de creencias y cómo combatir prejuicios propios. 

* La importancia de la verdad filosófica sobre los supuestos políticamente correctos. 

* Cómo estimular la curiosidad y la perseverancia. 

* La dinámica del diálogo y la discusión. 

* Filosofía para la vida. ☝ 

Evaluación 

1. Las calificaciones "A", "B" y "C" representan sobresaliente, bueno y promedio, respectivamente. "D" está por debajo del promedio. "F" significa que no hay suficiente trabajo para justificar el crédito por el curso. 

2. Aquí el desglose final: 2 exámenes, parcial y final cada uno 20 puntos + alrededor de 12 tareas (20 puntos), trabajo final (15 puntos) + asistencia (25 puntos). Este desglose representa una aproximación cualitativa (mis calificaciones son algo curvas). 

3. La asistencia es obligatoria. Tomo asistencia al comienzo de cada clase. Si un estudiante no responde, significa ausente. Si el estudiante entra en el aula después de que la clase haya comenzado, significa tarde. Asuntos de tardanza se tratan SÓLO al final de la clase. 

Desglose de material 

Capítulo 1: La filosofía (introducción): metafísica, lógica, condiciones de necesidad y suficiencia.

Capítulo 6: Epistemología 

Capítulo 4: Filosofía de la mente y el cuerpo 

Capítulo 5: Libre albedrío y determinismo 

Midterm Exam

Capítulo 3: La vida moral 

Capítulo 8: La sociedad justa 

Capítulo 2: Dios y la religión 

Final exam

Final Paper

 I reserve the right to change the order or chapters, provided I let you know in advance. 

Homework 7 (ETHICS, CHAPTER)

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chapter 3, ETHICS, fall 2024

let's start with this video,

click here for my intro to moral norms,

what are defensible moral judgments?

click here for my lectures on ethics,

Philosophy paper (second assignment)

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Homework #6 (Capítulo 5)

 Pincha aquí. 

Lista de Estudiantes Asistentes

María Cetino

José Guizán

Daniela Fonseca

Nicole Leithof

Amarillis Rubido

Ariana Tacher

Samantha Tang

Ricardo Uzcátegui

Augusto Valero

Topics for review midterm exam (2024)

Chapter 1 y Capitulo 6

Chapter 4 

Chapter 5 (From Hard determinism to Libertarianism)

 Pincha aquí. 

Paper proposal (first assignment) due october 17

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this is a good video to continue our discussion on chapter 4 (philosophy of mind)

 click here.

you need good counters to have a good philosophy paper

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