Conceptual and Empirical truths

What is Philosophy?

Discussion 1: How is it possible to do the same thing in different ways?

Empty out your pencil case and describe the contents of it.

What did you write?

In what ways did some people carry out the task differently to you?

If they carried out the task differently to you, did they do it wrong?

Discussion 2: What’s the difference between sense and nonsense?

Do the following descriptions make any sense? Why or why not?

Description A:

Tres bolígrafos blaus
Dos bolígrafos negros
Un rotulador groc
Una regla
Una maquineta de fer punta

Description B:

Brippity blopity bloo blah grim gram

Discussion 3: What rules did you follow?

When you described the contents of your pencil case, you followed rules - even if you weren’t aware of it. What kinds of rules did you follow? Did you…

…describe it using words (rather than pictures)

…write it in English (not Spanish or Chinese)

…write it on paper (and not the table)

…write it in pen (and not blood)

…use bullet points…

Discussion 4: Can you follow a different set of rules?

One of those rules involved how you arranged the contents of your pencil case. Probably, you described the stuff in terms of the kind of equipment you’ve got e.g.:

2 pens
10 colouring pencils
A ruler
3 highlighters…

Try rearranging the contents of the pencil case - i.e. if you arranged your pencil case by type of equipment, now arrange it by colour, or arrange it by size or something else. Now describe the contents of your pencil case.

Describe the contents of your pencil case using some kind of code - and then see if your neighbour can work out the code. If it is actually impossible for someone to work out the code, if you can’t teach the code to someone else, then there isn’t a code!

Conceptual truths

The things we do 'make sense' when we do them in accordance with rules. In order to describe something in a way that makes sense, we have to follow some rules. If a statement doesn’t follow any rules, then it doesn’t make sense.

We can make these rules up.

We don’t have to follow the same rules as someone else.

They can change from occasion to occasion…

BUT these rules do have to be teachable.

We can call these rules conceptual truths.

These rules can take lots of different forms:

If, for example, I point at a computer and say, ‘this is a computer’, I am explaining a rule that I follow.
I might say, 'Valencia is a city in Spain'. This is a rule.
'2+2=4' is a rule.
'Squares have 4 sides' is a rule.
'Every pen takes up space' is a rule.

What is Philosophy about?

But there are other kinds of truths called empirical truths. Empirical truths are things that we know to be true by looking at (or listening to, or smelling etc.) something. For example, when you described the contents of your pencil case, these were empirical truths because you established them through observation.

Most subjects are involved with empirical truths, but philosophy is concerned with conceptual truths.

Sometimes, it isn’t always obvious which one is which! (And some philosophers argue that there isn’t actually a distinction at all!)

Discussion 5: Can you tell the difference between a conceptual truth and an empirical one?

Are the following statements conceptual truths or empirical truths? (Top tip: Do you have to look at (smell, listen to) anything to check whether it is true?)

The cup is on the table
Triangles have three sides.
Every stick has a length.
Caxton College is in Puzol.
The tables in this classroom are green.
Red is darker than pink.
Things don’t disappear when you’re not looking at them.
Every event occurs before, after, or at the same time as another event.
My philosophy teacher has at least one board pen.

Tasks:

Explain the difference between sense and nonsense.
Explain the difference between a conceptual truth and an empirical truth.
Which kind of truth is Philosophy and Ethics concerned with?

#logic

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