Philo 1 Philosophical Analysis

Philosophy: The critical examination of the grounds for fundamental beliefs and an analysis of the basic concepts employed in the expression of such beliefs. -Involves a rational is used to analyze or comprehend intellectual matters Language: a system (order/rules) of units (words) realizable in some sensory medium; only certain combinations of which have meaning by convention and hence, can be used for communication. Grammar (language rules pattern, order, form) 1. Syntax (rules unique to a language) form of language 2. Semantics external rules *syntax and sematics are necessary components of non-trivial language. Syntax only: trivial language; no syntax: no language 3. Phonetics 4. Morphology Tools of Language Terms: material and physical because they can be observed and sensed. Used to refer, to indentify, to point out. Relationship between term and meaning: arbitrary and conventional. Secondary functions of a language 1. Facilitates transfer and accumulation of knowledge 2. Language facilitates thinking; the more you know, the more you can think about things 3. Language makes people perceive more (facilitates perceptions) Theories of Meaning (to avoid ambiguity and vagueness) 1. Referential: words are names of objects; problem is, when you lose the object, you lose the meaning (ex. What is nothing?) Thomas Hobbes Social Contract Theory:

3. Pragmatic: basing truth in the usefulness in predictability. Problem is, not all of us have the same values not all of us have the same concept of usefulness (what may be useful for some, isnt for others) Sentences: have signs, thoughts, truth 1. Empirical: sentences that can be observed. 2. Analytic: sentences that contain the predicate in the subject 3. Tautologies: sentences that are always true 4. Contigent: sentences that depend on situations 5. Contradiction: true and false at the same time Arguments: to reason, to infer, to argue (moving from one statement to another statement) - Premise: can be more than one, used to get the conclusion - Conclusion: can only be one *measurement of an argument: norm (standard rule) Dimensions of Reasoning -Conceptual analysis: analytic sentences -Empirical sentences: can be validated through observation 1. Correct form in argument: valid 2. Correct form + content: sound 3. Form+content+context: fully rational *Deductive necessity; 1+1=2;2+2=4 *Inductive probability; D1,D2,D3-Drule-Dtom Syllogisms: arguments with 2 premises -Advantages of Symbolic Language 1. Economical 2. Separation of form and content 3. Easier to compare Gottlob Frege: aimed to unite all mathematics; logic is about sets = set theory. Bertrand Russel said he was wrong. *Fregeian Theory of Meaning: meaning is the result of a functional/mathematical relationship between the sign, the sense, and reference; sentence: have signs, complete thoughts, truth (meaning of sentence) 3 Types of Sentences 1. Simple: t/f 2. Compound 3. Complex

2. Ideational: words are names of ideas/concept (more neutral regarding privacy of ideas) Declarative (point something out) sentences may be true or false fact state of affair statement Theories of Truth 1. Correspondence: If what is is, then it is true. If what is in your mind corresponds with your experience, then it is true; problem is, same experience yet different thoughts. 2. Coherence: Thoughts must cohere with one another. Problem is, what may be coherent for some, may not be for others.

citizens: tools of machine (society) also made up of tools brain mind terms/figures of speech