Post by Spring Coleman on Mar 11, 2016 13:01:42 GMT
1. Why is understanding physics and the general rules of the universe so important in doing philosophy?
Physics explores the physical properties and phenomena of something. Without the combination of understanding physics and the general rules of the universe it would be impossible to do philosophy. Since philosophy is about questioning everything physics gives it a base to start from. For example without understanding both physics and the general rules of the universe, Bohr would not have had any argument for quantum mechanics. While Einstein believed that it was an incomplete theory and that it can’t be about probability, as stated in “Quantum Weirdness”, Einstein was unable to completely disprove it and actually helped to support it. All of the different theories would not exist since they would not be able to be tested if physics was not understood. Using physics it has been determined as it states in “Is the Universe Really Made of Tiny Rubber Bands?” and in the interview with Brian Greene “Hidden Reality”, that there is the possibility of many universes besides our own. They believe that other universes exist because of string theory, which also is referred to as the theory of everything. It would pretty much explain what everything is made of and how changes could make it be something else.
2. What is eliminative materialism? Provide three examples of it.
Eliminative materialism is a theory that claims that common sense understanding of things are false and some mental states do not exist. According to the video “Eliminative Materialism: God did it? Part one of a Three Part Series”, if a phenomena cannot be explained by math, physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, or sociology then it pretty much cannot be explained. Examples can be found everywhere. According to “Eliminative Materialism: The Death of Thor, Part Two”, the gods or spirits being responsible for things has been eliminated and replaced with more precise explanations. One example from the video is that thunder was once thought to be because of Thor, but was later found to be due to electrical and magnetic currents. Another example from the video is that spirits were thought to be responsible for diseases when actually it is bacteria and viruses. A third example from the video is that ghosts were believed to be circulating through our anatomy pulling muscles and it was found to be a central nervous system that was responsible for it. Basically, finding a scientific reason for something that was once just a belief or what was thought to be common sense, is the process of eliminative materialism. 150
Physics explores the physical properties and phenomena of something. Without the combination of understanding physics and the general rules of the universe it would be impossible to do philosophy. Since philosophy is about questioning everything physics gives it a base to start from. For example without understanding both physics and the general rules of the universe, Bohr would not have had any argument for quantum mechanics. While Einstein believed that it was an incomplete theory and that it can’t be about probability, as stated in “Quantum Weirdness”, Einstein was unable to completely disprove it and actually helped to support it. All of the different theories would not exist since they would not be able to be tested if physics was not understood. Using physics it has been determined as it states in “Is the Universe Really Made of Tiny Rubber Bands?” and in the interview with Brian Greene “Hidden Reality”, that there is the possibility of many universes besides our own. They believe that other universes exist because of string theory, which also is referred to as the theory of everything. It would pretty much explain what everything is made of and how changes could make it be something else.
2. What is eliminative materialism? Provide three examples of it.
Eliminative materialism is a theory that claims that common sense understanding of things are false and some mental states do not exist. According to the video “Eliminative Materialism: God did it? Part one of a Three Part Series”, if a phenomena cannot be explained by math, physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, or sociology then it pretty much cannot be explained. Examples can be found everywhere. According to “Eliminative Materialism: The Death of Thor, Part Two”, the gods or spirits being responsible for things has been eliminated and replaced with more precise explanations. One example from the video is that thunder was once thought to be because of Thor, but was later found to be due to electrical and magnetic currents. Another example from the video is that spirits were thought to be responsible for diseases when actually it is bacteria and viruses. A third example from the video is that ghosts were believed to be circulating through our anatomy pulling muscles and it was found to be a central nervous system that was responsible for it. Basically, finding a scientific reason for something that was once just a belief or what was thought to be common sense, is the process of eliminative materialism. 150