PHIL 115 Study Guide - Final Guide: Reductio Ad Absurdum, Existence Precedes Essence, Gaunilo Of Marmoutiers
20 Apr 2013
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All objective knowledge is dead; we haven"t killed god, we have killed objectivity. World without objective knowledge = no morality, horrible way of life, animalistic. Reductio ad absurdum: reduce somebody"s argument to something stupid. Descartes reworks anselm"s argument, kant challenges it, and gaunilo creates a reductio ad absurdum. To say that one must act a certain way because of human nature is to act in bad faith, not authentically. We must not only choose, but choose well. Choosing well = choosing the right choice about what we choose to be/become. Meaningful choice = justifiable to oneself and others, holds oneself accountable. A meaningful choice is not just what i think is right for me at this moment. Human condition characterized as anguish, abandonment, and despair. A human is nothing but what he makes of himself. Anguish does not prevent action, we still choose and act. One cannot blame anyone or anything for one"s choices, either within or outside oneself.
