Was A Western Philosopher Whose Commitments To Empiri 968616

Was A Western Philosopher Whose Commitments To Empiricism Led

_______ was a Western philosopher whose commitments to empiricism led him to conclude the self was but a fiction. A. Immanuel Kant B. C. J. Ducasse C. David Hume Incorrect D. Thomas Hobbes E. René Descartes

Elmer Sprague declares that “I perceive my perceptions’ is ________. A. logically impossible B. part of the materialist view Correct C. an odd thing to say D. a logically necessary truth E. true only because God perceives all perceptions

________ is said to have wrought a Copernican revolution in knowledge. Correct A. Immanuel Kant B. John Locke C. George Berkeley D. David Hume E. René Descartes

________ was Socrates’ disciple. A. Plato B. Aristotle C. Parmenides D. All of the above Incorrect E. a and b only

In the dialogue of the same name, Crito comes to Socrates as his A. lawyer. B. teacher. C. executioner. Correct D. close friend. E. student.

_________ construes the self as an entity whose perceptions are the basis for the reality of physical objects. A. Idealism B. Phenomenology Incorrect C. Pragmatism D. Existentialism E. Materialism

As Hobbes uses the term, a Leviathan is ________. A. a political despot B. a sea monster C. an irrational desire Correct D. a government E. a religious myth

Inductive reasoning is reasoning that starts with ________ and arrives at ________. A. highly probably knowledge, certainty B. causes, effects C. facts in the phenomenal world, facts in the noumenal world D. relations of ideas, matters of fact Correct E. specific observations, general probable laws

________ wrote: “Existence precedes essence.†A. Plato B. Aquinas Correct C. Jean-Paul Sartre D. Aristotle E. Albert Einstein

Plato believed the self consisted of ________. Incorrect A. reason, spirit, and soul B. reason, appetite, and desire C. reason, aggression (emotion), and appetite D. id, ego, and psyche E. mind, body, and soul

Hume can right be considered to be ____________. A. an empiricist B. a rationalist Incorrect C. a skeptic D. a transcendental idealist E. both A and C above

_________ said “If no one asks me, I know what time is; if someone asks and I want to explain it, I do not know.†A. J. M. E. McTaggart Correct B. Saint Augustine C. J. J. C. Smart D. Immanuel Kant E. Henri Bergson

Maintenance needs are needs associated with _______. A. achieving one’s full potential B. having a life that is comfortable C. developing one’s mind and emotions D. securing one’s position in society Correct E. living as a human being

Desmond Morris suggests that apparently unselfish behavior is actually a kind of selfish activity, aimed at ________. A. satisfying a desire to feel virtuous B. building a reputation for kindness C. intimidating others D. preserving one’s genes Incorrect E. All of the above

_________ is the study of what appears to consciousness. A. Existentialism Correct B. Phenomenology C. Pragmatism D. Solipsism E. Idealism

Descartes applied his method of doubt to ________. A. the goodness of God B. sensation C. mathematical operations Correct D. everything E. his own existence

Plato believed his forms ________. A. must be real B. must exist outside the mind C. must exist in a transcendent realm D. are inaccessible to human senses Correct E. All of the above

For Aristotle, aiming at the mean ________. A. means avoiding both excess and deficiency B. will promote happiness C. will promote moral virtue D. All of the above E. a and b only

The new idealists think that reality is dependent on ______. A. our ideas Incorrect B. our language C. our perceptions D. our system of concepts E. b and d

The existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre is a A. Freudian Correct B. libertarian C. determinist D. compatibilist

Karma means literally _________ Correct A. Action B. Movement C. Rightness D. Fate E. Law

The three traditional fields of philosophy are ________. A. religion, ethics, and logic B. metaphysics, logic, and ethics Correct C. epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics D. ethics, metaphysics, and religion E. metaphysics, epistemology, and logic

The goal of philosophy, called autonomy, is to be _______. A. able to live by a clearly-defined set of principles B. free of obligations toward other people C. free to decide for yourself what you will believe D. able to choose for yourself how you will act Incorrect E. None of the above

In the United States, at least, philosophy once proceeded as if A. Only ancient people did philosophy B. Only the elite should do philosophy C. Only the rich should do philosophy D. Only the wise should do philosophy Correct E. Only Caucasian males did philosophy

Hume’s skepticism includes doubt about the existence of ________. A. ideas B. impressions Correct C. the external world D. time E. b and d

Hume distinguishes ideas from impressions on the basis of their ________. A. origins B. clarity and distinctness C. force and vivacity D. truth value Incorrect E. a and b only

Behind the idea of the Turing test is a ________ view of consciousness. A. Platonist B. dualist C. rationalist Correct D. functionalist E. feminist

Logical positivists ________. A. try to understand the world by understanding language B. object that neither idealism nor materialism has paid sufficient attention to their use of language C. invented the process of bracketing to set aside language that fails to satisfy the criterion of verifiability D. All of the above Correct E. a and b only

For ________ pragmatism was a tool for understanding the function of ideas in personal experience as instruments of will and desire. A. Edmund Husserl B. John Dewey C. Herbert Spencer D. C. S. Peirce Correct E. William James

Which is NOT a type of memory identified in the text. Correct A. transcendental B. habit C. personal D. factual

Paper For Above instruction

Immanuel Hume, often regarded as a pivotal figure in Western philosophy, significantly contributed to empiricism, especially through his skepticism about the self, which led him to argue that the notion of a persistent, unified self is a fiction. His empiricist commitments emphasized that all ideas originate from sensory impressions, and since impressions are fleeting and inconsistent, the self cannot be meaningfully said to exist as a permanent entity. Instead, Hume proposed that what we call the 'self' is merely a bundle of perceptions, constantly in flux, with no underlying substance or core. This radical view challenges traditional notions of identity and has profound implications for understanding consciousness, personal identity, and the nature of reality.

Hume's empirical approach contrasts sharply with rationalist traditions that posit innate ideas or an enduring self. For example, Descartes argued for a clear and distinct 'thinking thing' as the foundation of knowledge, whereas Hume maintained that all perceptions are derived from sensory experience, and no rational intuition can establish the existence of a self beyond these perceptions. Hume’s skepticism extends to causality, the external world, and even the notion of substantive objects—highlighting the limits of human understanding derived through empirical observation and associations among impressions.

By asserting the non-existence of a fixed self, Hume opens the door to a naturalistic explanation of human psychology and behavior. His emphasis on perception and experience as the only sources of knowledge aligns with the broader empiricist project, which prioritizes observable phenomena over rationalist speculation. Hume's ideas influenced subsequent philosophical movements, including phenomenology and existentialism, which examine consciousness and personal identity from a standpoint grounded in lived experience and perception.

In conclusion, David Hume's commitment to empiricism led him to the provocative conclusion that the self is nothing but a bundle of perceptions, devoid of a fixed essence. This perspective not only revolutionized epistemology and philosophy of mind but also continues to influence contemporary discussions on consciousness, identity, and the nature of reality. His empiricist skepticism underscores the importance of sensory experience as the foundation of knowledge, challenging assumptions of a stable, autonomous self and encouraging ongoing inquiry into the fluid, perceptual nature of human existence.

References

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• Grayling, A. C. (2019). The History of Western Philosophy. Oxford University Press.
• Kenny, A. (2012). A New History of Western Philosophy. Oxford University Press.
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• Mackie, J. L. (1982). The Cement of the Universe. Clarendon Press.
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• Russell, B. (1945). History of Western Philosophy. Simon & Schuster.
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