Emotivism is the view that ethical judgments are really just interjections expressing one's feelings about the thing in question.
NOTES
Further Reading
Harry J. Gensler, "Ethics: A Contemporary Introduction"
The Philosurfer
Kalam Cosmological Argument: Does the beginning of the universe prove God exists?
In this video I review the Kalam Cosmological Argument as developed by William Lane Craig.
NOTES
Further Reading
William Lane Craig, "Reasonable Faith."
https://www.reasonablefaith.org/
Ideal Observer View: Is what’s good what the most rational person wants?
The Ideal Observer View is a form of subjectivism where what is good is determined by whatever a fully informed, totally impartial, rational agent would want to do.
NOTES
Further Reading
Plato on Beauty: Is beauty a real entity?
Plato's doctrine of the Forms is famous in philosophy, and like everything else, he believes there is a Form of Beauty. In this video, I explore what that means.
NOTES
Further Reading
Grube, G.M.A. "Plato's Theory of Beauty."
Subjectivism: Is right or wrong up to the individual?
Does morality depend on the individual?
NOTES
Further Reading
Should music be censored?
This video explores Plato's reasoning for censorship of music and art in general in his Republic.
NOTES
Further Reading
Plato. Republic
Is beauty objective? Or is it in the eye of the beholder?
Is beauty in the eye of the beholder? Or is there a matter-of-fact about what is beautiful and what isn't?
NOTES
Further Reading
Argument from Semantic Determinacy
James F. Ross gives an argument that thinking must be a non-physical process because concepts are semantically determinate, whereas no physical thing is determinate.
NOTES
Argument from Semantic Determinacy of Thought
- There is a fact of the matter about what concepts mean
- There is no fact of the matter about what anything physical means
- So, concepts are not physical
- O1: our thoughts aren't determinate
- R1: self-defeating
- O2 (Peter Dillard): in computer science, there is a determinate difference between an and-gate, an or-gate
- R1: physically determinate, not semantically determinate
- O3: neuroscience shows connection between thought and brain
- R1: the physical is necessary, but not sufficient, for thought
Further Reading
Mind, Matter, and Nature: A Thomistic Proposal for the Philosophy of Mind" by James Madden
Edward Feser, “Kripke, Ross, and the Immaterial Aspects of Thought," https://www.newdualism.org/papers/E.Feser/Feser-acpq_2013.pdf follow up blog post: https://edwardfeser.blogspot.com/2017/01/revisiting-ross-on-immateriality-of.html
Hylemporphic Theory of Mind
Hylemorphism presents an interesting solution to a lot of the problems that plague other theories the in philosophy of mind.
NOTES
Further Reading
Mind, Matter, and Nature: A Thomistic Proposal for the Philosophy of Mind" by James Madden
What is hylemorphism?
Hylemorphism is the philosophy of nature devised by Aristotle. This video is a brief introduction to it.