The Four Schools of Thought

The Four Schools Of Thought

1. Epicureanism

a. The Epicureans follow an ideology that would help them live a life that would maximize pleasure and minimize pain. In terms of religion they believe that a hell or heaven may exist but they rather not know. They are not after any particular truth, they are only in pursuit of living a good simple life. They are utilitarians in a moderate sense where they will make the best of what is already familiar to them in their lives and do their best to avoid extravagant luxury in order to evade becoming afflicted with disease, harm, or corruption. An epicurean live for themselves, however they are allowed to have friends or lovers if the relationship has beneficial properties. The paradox here is that an epicurean would die for their friend.

2. Stoicism

b.

2. Skepticism

b. They believe that science nor philosophy are the answers to living life, but life needs to be reasoned out. The Skeptics also believe that and given topic can have two clashing arguments. Furthermore, because these two side of argument are equal skeptics believe it is best to suspend judgment on both sides on the argument. The concept of a truth is something that is irrelevant to life thus they live by reason. The skeptic also believes that there is no absolute idea , truth, or knowledge because we have no way of actually knowing anything. They go on probability.

i. modes of skepticism

2. Liberalism [ Do not need to worry about on the midterm]

b. The aim of this course is to study skepticism and how it laid the foundations for this school of thought to develop.

1. Brad Inwood

I. Epicureans

a. Lives Of The Stoics [Pg. 3-5]

ii.

a.

I. Stoics

b.

I. Skeptics

b.

2- Michel de Montaigne

I. Book I

a. [1] We reach the same end by discrepant means → [pg. 3-5]

o In this chapter Montaigne uses the example of battle and the various reactions on the battlefield to illustrate the idea that various mean can be used to achieve one certain end. Therefore there is no right or wrong way of doing things, just different methods; thus we much suspend judgement.

o

b. [3] Our emotions get carried away beyond us → [pg 16-19]

c. [17] The doings of Some Ambassadors → [Pg. 77]

* Of Customs-opens with a lengthy discourse concerning the custom or habit in shaping mens thoughts and perceptions. He feels men's greatest vices are in the upbringing they receive as children. To further explain, he gives many examples of customs practiced in other countries that seem untraditional to the western world. The customs over men's minds prevent men from evaluating its ordinances

3- DAVID HUME

I. Book I: Of The Understanding

a. Part III: Knowledge & Probability

i. Of Knowledge → pg. 69

* Humes states that the human mind cannot know anything or understand anything without experience or proof from which it can draw inferences.

o For example, an infant does not recognize his/her own parents until after they have undergone the experience of seeing them on a constant basis. After becoming accustomed to seeing their parents, the infant begins to recognize their faces because they have past experience to draw from.

* On this note, Hume states that there are seven kinds of philosophical relations the mind uses to conceive of external objects, and he divides them into 2 classes.

o 1- Philosophical certainties: these philosophical relations that are classified as being entirely dependent on ideas and are used as standards of comparison.

o 2- Philosophical Probability: These philosophical relations in theory remain the same but occur in variability.

Philosophical Certainties of The Mind Possibilities ?

1- Resemblance: "When two objects resemble one another, the resemblance... will first strike the mind & seldom requires second examination" [Pg. 70]

ex. If you see a ball & see another object with identical resemblance chances are you're seeing another ball 5- Identity: "Two objects tho' perfectly resembling each other, and even appearing in the same place at different times, may be numerically different " [Pg. 69]

Ex. Identical twins, though they look exactly like each other they do not share the same identity. Upon seeing one there is always the possibility that it could be the other twin.

2- Contrariety/Contrast: "No one can doubt but existence and non-existence destroy each other and are perfectly incompatible and contrary"[pg.70 ]

Ex. Two extremes that counter one another and cancel each other out. The idea that an afterlife exists cancels out with the idea that there is no afterlife. It is what we use to tell the difference between extreme ends of a spectrum ..... hot and cold . Big and small 6- Causation: "The power by which one object produces another is never discoverable merely from the idea, tis evident that cause & effect are relations, of which we receive information from experience, not from any abstract reasoning or reflection" Ex. No one event is caused because of one set variable. Various sets of conditions can be responsible for causing a particular event.

3- Degrees in Quality: 7- Contiguity & place

4- Proportions in Quantity

ii. Of Probability : Idea of Cause and effect → pg. 73

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vii. Of The Nature of The Idea, or Belief → pg. 94

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b. Part IV: Skepticism & Other Schools Of Philosophy [Pg. 180]

II. Book III: Of Morals

b. Part I: Virtue & Vice in General

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