PHI 1101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Modern Art, Blaise Pascal, Ophanim

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Philosophy
• Course: PHI 1101
• Professor: Sardar Hosseini

Document Summary

Human being is a rational animal (aristotle) I think, therefore i am (descartes) most known philosophical phrase. Isolate yourself from all senses you have (philosophical meditation) the ability to reason or to think is the most fundamental characteristics of human beings. We are merely thinking when our thoughts occur to us one after another. Logical reasoning is an active process of linking thoughts together in such a way that one thought provides support for another thought (argument) Some general remarks some misconception about critical reasoning: Critical thinking is too logical, mechanical, abstract, linear, unhuman, whereas thinking should be spontaneous, creative, free, and easy. As an expert: presenting your ideas in an ordered manner. As a non-expert: we can mitigate our vulnerability as non-experts in a society increasingly ruled by experts. Premise (claim that supports or gives evidence for conclusion) *each time we move from a premise or a set of premises to a conclusion we infer or make an inference.