Seminar 1

1.Sense-data

In order to make the discussions and arguments easier, Russell came up with a few terms. One of these terms is sense-data and the first time Russell bring it up is when he discuss however the physical object that we consider are real thanks to our senses, really are real or not, and if it is possible that we can find evident that the real objects really exist.

Sense-data are the thing we immediately know, thanks to our senses.  Thanks to our ears, eyes, mouth, nose and felling we are able to detect such thing like colors, shape, taste and smell etc. Russell brings up the discussion about if we could trust our sense-data and our minds. Since the relation between sense-data and the physical object varies, depending on lot of thing, like location in the space in relation to the physical object or how hard we feel on the objects, makes that we get different inputs depending on how we use our senses and are in relation to the object. We all have different kind of sense-data, thanks to we see things in different angles and interpreters things differently, depending on our experience in the past. The discussion continues with despite we have our sense-data, how could we really know the things still exist when non of our senses stop being in relation to the physical objects, and only exist in our memory?

2.Proposition and statement of fact

The book brings up a fundamental principle when they analyze the propositions containing descriptions. The principle is about that all propositions that we can understand, must wholly be composed with constituents, which we are acquainted.  This because we don’t can do any supposition or judgments about something where we don’t know what it is that we are supposing or judging about.

A proposition is an explanation or description about something, like example “Djingis khan rule most of the modern world in his time”, or “Carolus rex succeded in defending Sweden when he had three opponents attacking on the same time” etc. Some of this proposition could be consider as knowledge since it is based on logical connection made by historical books etc.  Some propositions could be considered as fact and some don’t, since it is impossible to go back in time and acquaint with all the constituents that are required for the proposition. But if we take one proposition that wholly is composed with constituents, which we acquainted, and the proposition is consider as true, then we could use the term “statement of facts” for those propositions.

3.Define description

Define description is a description where the object are expressed in define way, like ’the so-and-so’. The term came up in a discussion about the knowledge that we get by description. He makes a point of the differences that could be in the descriptions, and set up two types of descriptions, namely ambiguous descriptions and defines descriptions. Where in the ambiguous descriptions object are expressed in a non-define way, like  ‘a so-and-so’.

So if someone told us that the black cat in his home is the aggressive one. There are reason to believe that there only is one cat that are black in his home, and easier for us to avoid the aggressive cat, when we visit him. But if someone told us that a black cat in his home is aggressive. We don’t know for sure that we see the aggressive cat when we a black cat in his home, since he could have several black cats. ‘The so-and-so’ description relates to a specific object, while ‘a so-and-so’ description relates to any object.

4.Theory of knowledge

First Russell argues for knowledge can’t be true belief, when the conclusion is dedicated from false belief. Even if I answer the right answer on a question, it could not be consider as knowledge, if my reasoning to the right answer where wrong. But if the reasoning where right we could consider it knowledge, however, Russell argue for that isn’t true that knowledge only is what is deduced from the true premisses. One problem is that we always don’t know if the premisses are true or wrong. He brings up the term derivative knowledge, which are knowledge that are intuitively. Even if assumptions are being made, the important thing is that are a logical connection, and that the person in question could become aware of the connection by reflection. So we don’t always have to know if the premisses is true, in order to obtain derivative knowledge. As long we have a logical reasoning we may obtain that is called derivative knowledge.