Skepticism Doubtful attitude toward knowledge claims Skepticism, also spelled scepticism, is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma.[1][2] For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the person doubts that these claims are accurate. In such cases, skeptics normally recommend not disbelief but suspension of belief, i.e. maintaining a neutral attitude that neither affirms nor denies the claim. This attitude is often motivated by the impression that the available evidence is insufficient to support the claim. Philosophical skepticism is one important form of skepticism. Skepticism has been responsible for many important developments in science and philosophy. Definition and semantic field[edit] Some definitions, often inspired by ancient philosophy, see skepticism not just as an attitude but as a way of life. Skepticism is related to various terms. Types[edit] In various fields[edit]
Idealism | philosophy Idealism, in philosophy, any view that stresses the central role of the ideal or the spiritual in the interpretation of experience. It may hold that the world or reality exists essentially as spirit or consciousness, that abstractions and laws are more fundamental in reality than sensory things, or, at least, that whatever exists is known in dimensions that are chiefly mental—through and as ideas. Thus, the two basic forms of idealism are metaphysical idealism, which asserts the ideality of reality, and epistemological idealism, which holds that in the knowledge process the mind can grasp only the psychic or that its objects are conditioned by their perceptibility. As a philosophy often expressed in bold and expansive syntheses, idealism is also opposed to various restrictive forms of thought: to skepticism, with occasional exceptions, as in the work of the British Hegelian F.H.
Idealism 1. Introduction The terms “idealism” and “idealist” are by no means used only within philosophy; they are used in many everyday contexts as well. Within modern philosophy there are sometimes taken to be two fundamental conceptions of idealism: something mental (the mind, spirit, reason, will) is the ultimate foundation of all reality, or even exhaustive of reality, and although the existence of something independent of the mind is conceded, everything that we can know about this mind-independent “reality” is held to be so permeated by the creative, formative, or constructive activities of the mind (of some kind or other) that all claims to knowledge must be considered, in some sense, to be a form of self-knowledge. Idealism in sense (1) has been called “metaphysical” or “ontological idealism”, while idealism in sense (2) has been called “formal” or “epistemological idealism”. We also agree with Jeremy Dunham, Iain Hamilton Grant, and Sean Watson when they write that 2. that but that 3. 4.
Imagination Creative ability Imagination is the production or simulation of novel objects, sensations, and ideas in the mind without any immediate input of the senses. Stefan Szczelkun characterises it as the forming of experiences in one's mind, which can be re-creations of past experiences, such as vivid memories with imagined changes, or completely invented and possibly fantastic scenes.[1] Imagination helps make knowledge applicable in solving problems and is fundamental to integrating experience and the learning process.[2][3][4][5] As an approach to build theory, it is called "disciplined imagination".[6] A basic training for imagination is listening to storytelling (narrative),[2][7] in which the exactness of the chosen words is the fundamental factor to "evoke worlds".[8] One view of imagination links it with cognition,[9][10][11] seeing imagination as a cognitive process used in mental functioning. Imagination can also be expressed through stories such as fairy tales or fantasies. Books
Realism (philosophy) A Dictionary of Sociology © A Dictionary of Sociology 1998, originally published by Oxford University Press 1998. realism In everyday use realism is commonly attributed to caution, or moderation in one's aspirations—the converse of utopianism. The word is also used to describe a variety of approaches in literature and the visual arts in which accurate depiction of reality is the aim. Each of these uses involves a contrast between human thought or imagination, on the one hand, and an external reality independent of mind, on the other. The notion that reality has a cognitive or normative authority over the mind is also generally present. In philosophy, realism signifies the assertion of the existence of a reality independently of our thoughts or beliefs about it. Realism as a metaphysical doctrine is challenged by a range of sceptical arguments. Such sceptical arguments do not necessarily lead to a denial of a reality independent of thought.
Lord Byron English Romantic poet and lyricist (1788-1824) He travelled extensively across Europe, especially in Italy, where he lived for seven years in the cities of Venice, Ravenna, and Pisa. During his stay in Italy he frequently visited his friend and fellow poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.[7] Later in life Byron joined the Greek War of Independence fighting the Ottoman Empire and died leading a campaign during that war, for which Greeks revere him as a folk hero.[8] He died in 1824 at the age of 36 from a fever contracted after the First and Second Sieges of Missolonghi. His only legitimate child, Ada Lovelace, is regarded as a founding figure in the field of computer programming based on her notes for Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine.[9][10][11] Byron's extramarital children include Allegra Byron, who died in childhood, and possibly Elizabeth Medora Leigh, daughter of his half-sister Augusta Leigh. Family and early life[edit] Upon the death of Byron's mother-in-law Judith Noel, the Hon. [edit]
Anthropomorphism Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to abstract concepts such as nations, emotions, and natural forces, such as seasons and weather. Both have ancient roots as storytelling and artistic devices, and most cultures have traditional fables with anthropomorphized animals as characters. People have also routinely attributed human emotions and behavioural traits to wild as well as domesticated animals.[3] Etymology Anthropomorphism derives from its verb form anthropomorphize,[a] itself derived from the Greek ánthrōpos (ἄνθρωπος, lit. Examples in prehistory From the beginnings of human behavioural modernity in the Upper Paleolithic, about 40,000 years ago, examples of zoomorphic (animal-shaped) works of art occur that may represent the earliest evidence we have of anthropomorphism. This anthropomorphic art has been linked by archaeologist Steven Mithen with the emergence of more systematic hunting practices in the Upper Palaeolithic (Mithen 1998). Fables
Realism Realism is the view that a "reality" of material objects, and possibly of abstract concepts, exists in an external world independently of our minds and perceptions. Historically, realism is a metaphysical claim about this independently existing world. Since Aristotle's Metaphysics, two kinds of questions (ontological and epistemological ) are raised - what exists, and how can we know what exists. The ontological status of abstract concepts is a completely different question from the ontology of concrete material objects, though these questions have often been confounded in the history of philosophy. Information philosophy provides distinct answers to these two ontological questions. Material objects exist in the world of space and time. The contrast between material objects and abstract concepts can be illustrated by the difference between invention and discovery. We discover physical objects through our perceptions of them.
Lord Byron - Poems, Quotes & Death Lord Byron is regarded as one of the greatest British poets and is best known for his amorous lifestyle and his brilliant use of the English language. Who Was Lord Byron? Born in 1788, Lord Byron was one of the leading figures of the Romantic Movement in early 19th century England. The notoriety of his sexual escapades is surpassed only by the beauty and brilliance of his writings. After leading an unconventional lifestyle and producing a massive amount of emotionally stirring literary works, Byron died at a young age in Greece pursuing romantic adventures of heroism. Poems 'English Bards and Scotch Reviewers' After receiving a scathing review of his first volume of poetry, Hours of Idleness, in 1808, Byron retaliated with the satirical poem "English Bards and Scotch Reviewers." 'Childe Harold's Pilgrimage' It was during his journey, filled with inspiration, he began writing "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage," a poem of a young man's reflections on travel in foreign lands. Love Affairs & More Poems
Anthropomorphism When you talk to your dog, your computer, your teddy bear, or your car as if you were speaking to another person, you are anthropomorphizing—or attributing human characteristics like emotions and intent to a non-human entity. Anthropomorphism is a universal mental process—pretty much everyone does it—but research shows that the degree to which individuals anthropomorphize can have significant consequences in their lives. Ascribing human qualities to inanimate objects is generally associated with innocuous, often positive effects like "cuteness," humor, empowerment, and a mature sense of responsibility. Anthropomorphism as it relates to nature, for example, can lead to better environmental conservation, and an anthropomorphic attitude towards money can lead to more financial stability.
Realism: Examples and Definition | Philosophy Terms I. Definition You’re looking at a computer screen. Pixels are glowing and changing before your eyes, creating patterns that your mind transforms into words and sentences. The sentences and ideas are in your mind (and mine, as I write them), but the computer, the server, the pixels, and your eyeballs are all real objects in the real world. This is the position of philosophical realism: the view that whatever we perceive is real, truly out there. Although realism is extremely popular with both professional philosophers and non-philosophers, it’s actually very difficult to justify logically. II. Realism is often contrasted with idealism. *Note that this distinction has nothing to do with the popular sense of these two terms. Realism Realism is a far more simple and direct idea, and nearly everyone outside of professional philosophy is more of a realist than an idealist. This is most people’s common-sense view of the world. Idealism Idealists reject this picture of the world. Example III. IV.
Lord Byron (1788-1824) – Key Facts, Life & Work Information A collection of resources dedicated to the second generation romantic poet, Lord Byron. Notices of the Life of Lord Byron by Thomas Moore, 1835 Lady Byron Vindicated: A History of The Byron Controversy, From Its Beginning in 1816 to the Present Time by Harriet Beecher Stowe, 1870 Byron: Biography and Chronology Byron: Images portraits of the poet, his family and friends Byron: Selected Poetry Byron: Selected Letters Byron: Contemporary and Critical Opinion Byron on Keats: At the John Keats site Byron's lovers: Lady Caroline Lamb Byron's wife: Anne Isabella Milbanke currently unavailable; being redesigned and rewritten