Truth as correspondence to reality does not seem to play a role within Merleau-Ponty’s hermeneutical ontology. I will argue that truth however still has a place in this ontology. Through a reading...Show moreTruth as correspondence to reality does not seem to play a role within Merleau-Ponty’s hermeneutical ontology. I will argue that truth however still has a place in this ontology. Through a reading of several of Merleau-Ponty’s texts on the philosophy of expression, I will show that truth plays a vital role in expression. I will argue that within expression, truth does have a role in establishing meaning as a style, creating the depth in which meaning can appear.Show less
The launch of the advanced language model ChatGPT has raised many concerns among teachers and educators as they fear the students will use it to do their written assignments for them. An initial...Show moreThe launch of the advanced language model ChatGPT has raised many concerns among teachers and educators as they fear the students will use it to do their written assignments for them. An initial response might be to ban the technology, such that the students have to write every word themselves again. However, one can also take one step back and question what it means that the work a student is expected to do is replaceable by a chatbot. Also, there seems to be a problem with their intrinsic motivation to learn. The fixation on tests and results seems to be one of the main causes for these two issues, as the focus on the end product makes it easy to skip the learning process leading to it, while that process is what motivates students to learn and grow. To revisit the aim of learning and teaching, I will draw upon the insights of the Chinese philosopher Confucius. His ideas on moral education will be used to create a better understanding of the current education system and the role of technologies such as ChatGPT within that. Most important are the emphasis on self-reflection, life-long learning and the role of the dialogue.Show less
Paul Boghossian, in his book Fear of Knowledge, argues against fact-constructivism. Starting with a distinction between fact-constructivism and fact-objectivism, Boghossian argues fact...Show morePaul Boghossian, in his book Fear of Knowledge, argues against fact-constructivism. Starting with a distinction between fact-constructivism and fact-objectivism, Boghossian argues fact-constructivism faces “decisive difficulties”. Boghossian focuses on a distinct version of fact-constructivism: ‘cookie-cutter constructivism’. He argues that cookie-cutter constructivism, as defended by Nelson Goodman, has no answer to three main problems: concerning causation, conceptual competence and disagreement. I argue Boghossian is not successful in providing “decisive difficulties” to Goodman’s version of fact-constructivism with any of the problems raised. The main reason for this is that Boghossian, in his arguments, assumes either realism or an objective viewpoint from which he is able to dismiss arguments made by fact-constructivists, while this is what fact-constructivists deny. Boghossian is begging the question. This does not positively prove fact-constructivism, but it does show how the position can withstand these criticisms.Show less
When it is presented as a strictly epistemological problem, both Kant and Nietzsche are critical of the possibility of self-knowledge. Kant, in his Anthropology, issues a warning for self...Show moreWhen it is presented as a strictly epistemological problem, both Kant and Nietzsche are critical of the possibility of self-knowledge. Kant, in his Anthropology, issues a warning for self-observation of unintentional or involuntary perceptions of our thoughts and feelings, because this leads to ‘enthusiasm’ and ‘madness’. This is because of different forms of self-deception and the fact that Kant holds that self-observation should be observation of voluntary mental representations. With this warning, I argue, the risk of self-observation becomes a problem of moral psychology. Nietzsche also offers a warning or atleast a stipulation of the fact that ‘digging into one’s self’ might lead to hurting ourselves. Instead, Nietzsche argues for self-observation through ‘the outside path’ of the world, which we can then relate back to ourselves. This enables us to be self-creating individuals. In this self-creation however there is still a risk of isolation, but Nietzsche takes this for granted. I compare both thinkers and what I have laid out about their views on the risk of self-observation. I argue that both thinkers recognize risks involved in self-observation, but for different reasons. I also offer a Nietzschean argument against the warning of Kant. Nietzsche would and does argue that not everything we think is voluntary and that philosophy in general is related to the morality we aim at. This also goes for Kant and the warning he issues in the Anthropology, which Nietzsche would argue springs from Kant’s universal morality.Show less
Both Nietzsche and Buddhists identify suffering as a major problem. The question this paper engages with is how Nietzsche and one Buddhist, Śāntideva, respond to this problem. Through a reading of...Show moreBoth Nietzsche and Buddhists identify suffering as a major problem. The question this paper engages with is how Nietzsche and one Buddhist, Śāntideva, respond to this problem. Through a reading of Nietzsche's Anthichrist, and Śāntideva's BCA, this paper attempts to demonstrate that Nietzschean and Buddhist responses to suffering have a lot in common.Show less
Anorexia Nervosa is a debilitating illness characterized by the limitation of food intake and a fear of weight gain. While we might at face value take the illness to be irrational, within this...Show moreAnorexia Nervosa is a debilitating illness characterized by the limitation of food intake and a fear of weight gain. While we might at face value take the illness to be irrational, within this project we find that the dangerous condition is fueled by a foundation of justifications based on shared cultural ideas and the values derived from them. I will argue that anorexia occurs when an individual manages to embody attitudes of mind, body, and desire found in the Western philosophical tradition. For the anorexic, rather than being a project of vanity, losing weight can be understood as a spiritual project of transcending the human body and dissolving craving, thus, a quest for liberation. The illness functions in a way in which the anorexic individual sees the world through a filter that seeks out motivation to continue starving, as the self-denial is so extreme that it goes against the individual’s basic human instinct of survival and thus requires constant fuel to persist. What I call the anorexic worldview is a system of values and beliefs that promises the individual who adopts it liberation through transcending one’s ordinary humanity and becoming invulnerable, but at the end of the day, this worldview serves merely the contrary purpose of powering the mental and physical deterioration of the individual. Interestingly, themes inherent to anorexia such as a negative view of the body and the strict denial of craving are also prevalent in early Buddhist philosophy.Show less
In deze scriptie onderzoek ik in hoeverre de hedonimeter die Francis Y. Edgeworth in de 19e eeuw ontwikkelde in staat is om geluk van individuen te meten. Ik leg uit hoe de hedonimeter zou moeten...Show moreIn deze scriptie onderzoek ik in hoeverre de hedonimeter die Francis Y. Edgeworth in de 19e eeuw ontwikkelde in staat is om geluk van individuen te meten. Ik leg uit hoe de hedonimeter zou moeten werken volgens Edgeworth en welke filosofische aannames hij daarmee doet over geluk. Vervolgens laat ik zien dat door subject-afhankelijkheid van geluk, onverenigbaarheid van geluk en de onbetrouwbaarheid van zelfrapportage, Edgeworth er niet in slaagt het geluk van individuen meetbaar te maken. Daarna kijk ik naar mogelijke tegenreacties van Edgeworth op de kritiek. Ik laat zien dat een tegenreactie op het probleem van onverenigbaarheid en die op het probleem van subject-afhankelijkheid leidt tot nieuwe problemen. Op het probleem van onbetrouwbaarheid van zelfrapportage heeft Edgeworth geen goed weerwoord. De conclusie is dat geluk niet meetbaar is aan de hand van de hedonimeter.Show less
