PHIL 309: Twentieth Century Analytic Philosophy

LARKIN: Spring 2003

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DATE: 1-16-03

I. Objectives

A. Contrast Analysts and Absolute Idealists

B. Explicate More’s argument against Idealism

II. Discussion:

A. Hand Out: Analytic Schools

B. Absolute Idealism vs. Analytic Philosophy

C. In what way does Moore attempt to refute idealism?

III. Lecture:

A. The role of “esse is percipi” in Idealist arguments

B. “Percipi”

C. Three senses of “esse is percipi”

1. Synonymy

2. Analytic Containment

3. Synthetic Necessity

D. Main Argument Against Idealism

P1: “Esse is percipi” is essential element in all idealist arguments.

P2: If ‘esse is percipi’ is both true and important, then it must be interpreted as a synthetic necessity.

P3: Idealists are committed to saying that ‘esse is percipi’ can be proved by the law of non-contradiction alone.

P4: Claiming that ‘esse is ‘percipi’ is a true synthetic necessity that can be proved by the law of non-contradiction alone requires saying that the object and subject of an experience are identical and not identical.

C: So Idealism is self-contradictory.

IV. Discussion: Moore’s Proof of an External World

V. Next Time

A. Topic: Moore’s notion of Analysis

B. Reading: Langford, “The Notion of Analysis in Moore’s Philosophy”

C. Reading Questions: