Module 7: Philosophy

• philosophy: study of processes governing thought and conduct, human morals
• ethics is a moral branch of philosophy, systematic account of right and wrong
• what is the order of philosophers (oldest first)?

  1. Aristotle
  2. Rene Descartes
  3. Immanuel Kant
  4. Jeremy Bentham
• Aristotle was a greek philosopher who tutored Alexander the great and influenced how he ruled
• which philosopher was the first biologist in western tradition?

  aristotle, studied human and animal anatomy by dissections
• how did aristotle classify a good life?

  person cultivates and excersises rational faculties, requires use of rational mind
• what did aristole consider as rational faculties?

  • engage in scientific inquiry
  • philosophical discussion
  • artistic creation
  • legislation for society
• how did aristotle believe one could have a happy life?

  work towards best/highest good
• mind/body duality: rationality is seperate and superior to emotionality
• how did aristotle define body happiness?

  looking for things that cause temporary pleasure
• order of great chain of being (low to high)

  1. matter
  2. plants
  3. animals
  4. children
  5. adult females
  6. adult males
  7. god
• matter: no activity
• plants: grow and reproduce
• animals: motility and sensation
• children: language learning, no reason
• adult females: emotional/not rational
• adult males: ability to reason
• god: pure rationality/thought
• what is one higher on the great chain of being granted?

  duty to rule those below
• what does it mean that animals are lower on the chain of being than humans?

  animals exist for the purpose of humans
• why did pythagoras disagree with the chain of being?

  thought animals could have a soul of reincarnated humans
• what philosopher said "I think therefore I am"?

  Rene Descartes
• what was rene descartes philosophy?

  world is composed of matter and intellect, mind is seperate from body
• how did Rene Descartes agree with aristotle?

  only humans can be rational, making animals matter
• why did rene descartes think animals couldn't suffer?

  no awareness of sensations
• what was the purpose of descartes tests for having a mind?

  determine whether processing sense with knowledge or responding to stimulus
• what are the tests for having a mind?

  1. speech vs. response to stimuli
  2. acting from knowledge vs. disposition of organs
• what are animals because they don't have a mind according to descartes?

  complex machines
• how did descartes modify his position?

  mind is not entirely independent of body, animals have some thoughts humans experience but less mind/body duality
• what was immanual kants philosophy?

  moral status is based on ability to reason and rationality
• kant believed each person has intrinsic value: value/worth without any requirement
• deontology (kant): ethical actions follow universal moral laws
• why did kant believe a good end doesn't justify the means?

  motivation/intention determines morality of action
• why did kant think humans have an indirect obligation to animals?

  hurting animals is wrong because it can hurt humans
• what was jeremy bentham's philosophy?

  utilitarian: consider suffering, all who have moral status count equally
• utilitarian philosophy says something is ethical if good outweighs the bad
• what are the problems with utilitiarianism?

  • how to quantify factors
  • summing value leads to property of a group but utilitarianism considers an individual