EPISTEMOLOGY:

1
EPISTEMOLOGY

• BRANCH OF PHILOSOPHY CONCERNED WITH THE SCOPE OF
  KNOWLEDGE.

2
Epistemology considers

• What is knowledge?
• How is knowledge required?
• To what extent is it possible for a given subject
  to be known?

3
LEIBNIZ

• Two Truths
• Truths of Reason and Fact

4
Analytic Statement

• Example My next door neighbors consist of a
  bachelor and his fat wife.
• How can you determine the truth of this
  statement?
• We can determine it without having to look
  outside of the statement itself.

5
Synthetic Statement

• Example My next-door neighbors consist of a
  red-haired man and his wife.
• How can you determine the truth of this
  statement?
• We can only determine it if we conduct an
  investigation.

6
OTHER NOTABLE IDEAS

• ASSERTED THAT GOD, THE MOST PERFECT BEING,
  CREATED THE BEST OF POSSIBLE WORLDS, WHICH
  CONTAINS MANS FREE WILL.
• IN CONSEQUENCE TO A WORLD OF FREE WILL, THERE
  WILL BE EVIL AND WRONGDOING. THIS IS STILL
  BETTER THAN A WORLD WITHOUT FREE WILL.
• THIS IS WHY GOD CREATED A WORLD WITH SO MUCH
  EVIL.

7
OTHER NOTABLE IDEAS

• For everything that is the case, there must be a
  reason why it is case. This is called
  sufficient reason.
• Now given credit for coming up with foundations
  of mathematical logic especially in what we now
  understand as Calculus.

8
GOTTFRIED LIEBNIZS KEY QUESTION

• WHY IS THERE SOMETHING RATHER THAN NOTHING?