Description
Need 6-8 page essay with citations in MLA Format that will be turned in to turnitin.com. Original work only.
Thesis Statement:
In this essay I evaluate the philosophical puzzle:
“If a tree falls in the forest and there's no one around to hear it, does it make a
sound?”
In my evaluation I explain that this question raises the epistemological problem of
how a subjective experience, such as sound, relates to what can be known of
reality. I demonstrate that this question is a puzzle because it exposes the limits of what
we can claim to know based on sensory experience. Lastly, I will explain how
the empiricist, John Locke, would evaluate and answer the puzzle.
Resources:
1. Encyclopedia or similar comprehensive works:
Kemerling, Garth. “John Locke: The Origin of
Ideas.” Philosophy Pages. Britannica
Internet.2001. Web. 1 Mar. 2009.
http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/4l.htm
This source is a quick introduction to Locke and his
philosophical perspective and introduces the main themes in his work, An
Essay Concerning Human Understanding. It will also help me understand the
more complicated aspects of Locke’s epistemology that I’ll be reading to write
my essay.
Uzgalis, William. “John Locke: The Limits of Human
Understanding.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2007. Web. 1 Mar. 2009.
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke/#LimHumUnd/
This source presents a much more detailed analysis of
Locke’s epistemology from his work, An
Essay Concerning Human Understanding.
2. Secondary sources:
E.J. Lowe. Routledge Philosophy Guide Book on
Locke: On Human Understanding. New
York, NY : Routledge, 1995. NetLibrary. 2002. 1 Mar. 2009
http://www.netlibrary.com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/urlapi.asp?action=summary&v=1&bookid=73470
This source provides me with a comprehensive discussion
of John Locke, the person, and the arguments he puts forth in An Essay
Concerning Human Understanding. It will also help me understand the book as
it relates to historical events and ideas. Additionally, it identifies arguments
from the work’s supporters and critics.
3. Primary
sources:
Locke, John.
An Essay Concerning Human
Understanding. Kitchener, Ont.: Batoche, 2001. Ebrary. 2005. 4 Oct. 2010.
http://site.ebrary.com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/lib/apus/Doc?id=2001993
This is Locke’s own writing which allows me to read
how Lock perceived the problem of knowledge, experience and sensation in his
own words.
4. Journal article database:
EBSCO’s Academic Search Elite
This is a searchable database of scholarly articles
from many academic disciplines, including philosophy. I can use it to find
contemporary scholarly articles pertaining to epistemology, perception, and Locke.
It also contains the full text of many of the articles.
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