Epistemology | Tafacorian Thoughts

Philosophers as Meta-Scholars

Epistemology, Metaphysics, Social and Political Philosophy August 17, 2020 Leave a comment

The philosopher is a meta-scholar.

- What is a meta-scholar? A meta-scholar is one who understands, at a bare minimum, the fundamentals of a particular field of study or discipline (or historical enterprise or, most broadly, anything capable of being described, articulated, and/or analyzed — (e.g. any event, person, process, or object)).
  - The ‘fundamentals’ of a field of study or discipline refer to the sprawling mosaic of methodological rules, axiomatic and auxiliary operating assumptions, and normative and demarcating practices inherent to that field of study/discipline and its actively practicing members. Think of Lakatos’s ‘hard core’ or Kuhn’s ‘[dominant] paradigm.’

Contra Ainslie: Multi-variable Measures of Akrasia

Epistemology, Metaethics June 26, 2020 Leave a comment

Throughout his explanation of akrasia as hyperbolic discounting, Ainslie focuses on the temporal dimensions of the discounting process, noting that when the possibility of experiencing satisfaction from a particular reward is less delayed, then the agent is more likely to engage in akratic actions or be swayed by akratic behavioral dispositions.

Ainslie uses the term “imminent” to describe how strongly an agent may feel an internal pull towards a particular reward and its accompanying satisfaction (Ainslie 30). “Imminent,” when properly understood within hyperbolic discounting, includes but should not be limited to temporal considerations. Akratic actions involve internal calculations guided by desire or emotion with an emphasis on, or at least a preference for, the likelihood of certainty in obtaining satisfaction from a reward. This aspect of certainty is what some psychological experiments mentioned by Ainslie fail to properly take into account.

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An Introduction to Akrasia

Epistemology, Metaethics June 22, 2020 Leave a comment

Akrasia has traditionally been defined as “incontinence” or “weakness of will” and occurs when an agent, endowed with certain rational and volitional faculties (deliberation and free will), chooses a poorer course of action. Akrasia has wide-reaching implications for topics such as motivation (what causes akratic actions?), impulsiveness (how does one prevent akratic actions?), moral accountability (is akrasia similar enough to addiction or compulsion to warrant lesser moral culpability?), and the like. As scholar George Ainslie points out, the practical application of akrasia has been, and is currently being, studied by scholars coming from numerous disciplines including philosophy of mind, sociobiology, economics, neurophysiology, and cognitive psychology (Ainslie 7). The importance of understanding the concept and what it means for human beings should not be understated.

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Sentential Logic Practice: Assessing Some Proofs

Epistemology, Logic April 14, 2020 Leave a comment

1.) A&B, B > (D&E), derive B > E
(A&B)
B
(D&E)
E
B > E

2.) S > (Q&R), S, derive R
S
(Q&R)
R

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Sentential Logic Practice: Symbolizing Natural Sentences

Epistemology, Logic March 28, 2020 Leave a comment

1.) Natural sentence: Either Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders will get the Democratic Presidential Nomination.
Library: B = Biden will get the Democratic Presidential Nomination
S = Sanders will get the Democratic Presidential Nomination
Symbolization: B∥S

2.) Natural sentence: If you take proper precautions, then you can help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Library: T = you take proper precautions
S = you can help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus
Symbolization: T→S

3.) Natural sentence: Eat your vegetables and your meat before you have dessert.
Library: V = eat your vegetables
M = eat your meat
D = you have dessert
Symbolization: (V&M)→D; (V&M)≡D*
*material bi-conditional/material equivalence, stronger logical symbolization of the statement

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