Philosophy Lecture 4
Typhoid Mary (Relates to the article cold equation)
Was a simple housemaid that lived in New York City
The presence of Mary was a grave danger for everyone else
She was locked up in a war for 23 years before she died
She was also danger to herself
Cold Equations
Is it really true that the pilot had no choice that he had no alternative
But he did have two choice (a) Marilyn dies (b) eight die: Marilyn ,Barton and six men
Regardless of what choice you use, Marilyn will die
However in Mariylns particular case Choice B gives another difference
It gives Marilyn more time but it gives less time for everyone else
Therefore it seems that Marilyn is sacrificed for the others time
She is at best only sacrificing only a very small amount of her time
It's necessary to weight the good and bad of all the consequences
Narveson's Alterations: changing the sign would make Marilyn a 100% innocent
Problem: If Marilyn 100% then she has done absolutely nothing to have those few moments of her life before she dies
Problem: (2) Barton the pilot is under a contractual obligation.
Portrait of Socrates. Marble, Roman artwork (1st c...
English: The School of Athens (detail). Fresco, St...
The Socratic MethodThe pilot is helping MARILYN by not stopping the ship and waiting for the mother ship. What if there was no contract at all and Barton was being a good semaraton
Problem (3): What if we simply change Marilyn into Cosmo and have absolute demand on those hours ingeniously change Marilyn into Cosmo and demands absolute rights on having the last few hours
*If you have an absolute right nothing and no one can override it *
Narvasons see this as the Utilitarian principal
Which action brings about the greatest good for the greatest number
Fundamental right: equal utility
Everyone's utility is equal
Everybody counts as one
Derivative rights: equal right not to be killed
The right not to be killed, sacrificed/ time not being taken away from
Not a single one is absolute
It just means that everyone has a equal right not to be kill or not to be sacrificed for no good reason
Quality of time versus the quantity of time
What is the sum of human happiness and Barton believes it is choice A
According to Narvasons choice B is insanity
If you can't justify the violation of Marilyn's right is then you chose Choice B
Intro to Socrates and Plato
The Pre-Socratics
Reason (nouns)
Arche: What is the origin of everything
The major questions for Pre-socratic researchers
Paley said that the arche is the origin of water
Socrates
We know that Socrates lived in athenes with very little travel
Fought in the war between athenes and Spartans
Socrate lived more or less in poverty
Lifelong democrat
Socrates got married to prove that it's not true that famous philiosphists cant get married
Wated to understand the internal working s of humans benig
Actions and values
First Philiosophy
Metaphysics (What is real?) : Plato
Epistemology (How do I know?) : Decarte
Ethics (What is good?) : Socrates
Socrates (Continuation)
Socrates entire philiosphy was more on moral philiosophy
Socrates wanted to know what ought to be a value in our lives
What is it that I ought to be persuing
Socrates own answer to what is really important to life and the answer is my own happiness and my own well-being but the most important thing is that I should be happy
The "good life"?
Wealth
Pleasure
Power
Reputation
This is not Socrates beings of good beings
Socrates says that genuine happiness is not and must depends on external happiness
Because no one will never be happy for very long
They are outside of our control
They say your possession posses you
Socrates (Cotinuation)
Spcrates says that real happiness must be something that is not subject to change but must be something under your control (it should depend on you, within you and the inside and nothing - else)
Happiness should come within you to make yourself a better person
Virtue (arête)
Something is "virtuous" when it does what it is supposed to do well
When something does what it is supposed to do and does it well then it is virtuous
What are the virtues?
How do I become virtuous?
Strong and blind belief
To know the good is to do the good
Knowledge is virtue
Socrates says to do the good, pre supposes that you know the virtues
To know the good is to do the good
Knowledge itself is virtue
Plato's early dialogues; the historical socarates:
Socrates did not leave a written record
We know indirectly about Socrates records from Platos record
All the early dialogues asks what is x
X represents virtue
Essence: "What pertains to and is inseparable from something else" (Decarte)
Socrates spent his entire life perusing an essential definition of what is X
Some early Platonic Dialogues:
Euthyphro: prior to Socrates' preliminary hearing
The Apology: Socrates' trial
Crito: the night prior to Socrates' execution
Socratic method: elenchus
They are basically a question and answer session
Socrates comes up with question
Socratic Method
Elenchus: WXYZ (where z=not-w)
Socrates demonstrates that where you end up in the reason of
Socrates never inputs information
Chatacteristics of early dialogues
"What is X?"
Ostensive def. (example)
Essential def I. Fails. (to narrow)
Essential def II. Fails. (to broad)
No answer
Aporia: confusion
Platos Middle Dialogues; The Dramatic Socrates
The dialogue amino is usually considered the transition from the early to middle of dialogues
The Forms or Ideas (eidos)
Dialectic replaces elenchus (method)
Over time Plato discovered the essential definition of X
Plato discovered and revealed the one general and universal absolute standard about X
Dialectic: A B C D where D is closer to the truth
Mythos (opinion) to logos ( a reasoned account)
Cornford's Three Pillars
(1) immortality of the soul
(2) knowledge is nothing more than recollection
(3) theory of the Forms/Ideas
Plato usually assumes the truth of one or even two and uses them to prove the truth of the third one
Plato's Late Dialogues
Attempt at a self-criticism