Assignment Code: MPYE-007/TMA/2022-23

Course Code: MPYE-007

Assignment Name: Research Methodology in Philosophy

Year: 2022-2023

Verification Status: Verified by Professor

Note:

i) Give answer of all five questions.

ii) All five questions carry equal marks.

iii) The answer of questions no. 1 and 2 should be in about 500 words.

1. Write a note on the relation between scientific and philosophical methodology. 20

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Or

Write an essay on Indian Hermeneutics. 20

Ans) If we were given a book written in a tongue completely foreign to our own (let's say Hebrew or Greek), all we could do was stare at it. No comprehension is possible because we lack a gateway into the text's world. On the other hand, if the sentence is short and straightforward, such as "The Hermeneutics class is interesting," there is no need for interpretation because the meaning is obvious. Thus, for interpretation to be necessary, the meaning of a text must be understood in some way but not entirely. According to Dilthey, "Interpretations would be impossible if expressions of life were completely strange," in Patterns and Meaning in History. If there were nothing strange about them, it wouldn't be necessary. Therefore, it is halfway between two extremes.

We can read a text and either deepen or clarify our understanding of it by using the hermeneutical circle. As a result, understanding is fundamentally a referential process in which we make sense of new information using prior knowledge. For example, a complete sentence constitutes a unity. We can understand a word's meaning by considering it in the context of the entire sentence, and vice versa, the meaning of the sentence depends on the meaning of the individual words. Each gives the other meaning through the dialectical interaction of the whole and the part; this makes understanding circular. We refer to this as the hermeneutical circle because it is within this circle that the meaning becomes clear.

Because each component assumes the others, the circularity of understanding implies that there is no real place to begin understanding. It seems to imply a contradiction in logic. We wouldn't have understood anything if we had to comprehend the whole before comprehending the parts. However, the part can only be understood in light of the whole. This makes us aware that there is no such thing as having fully understood something. Gadamar's comparison of the game is extremely important in this context. It's possible to compare understanding to a game. Even though the game can be played multiple times, there is no such thing as the ultimate, conclusive game. Even though the game is always played in accordance with the rules, it is never played the same way twice. We get better at understanding the game of chess every time we play, but we'll never reach the point where we fully grasp it.

We start with an understanding of the part and, in the context of that understanding, we can then understand the meaning of the whole. As a result, the part's significance in relation to the whole is better understood. As a result, there is back and forth in our understanding, and every time we read the same text, new meanings start to emerge. They had such an impact on the Vienna circle's logical positivists that they were eager to create a symbolic language devoid of uncertainty and ambiguity. Now let's focus on some of the language debates in Indian philosophy, more specifically in Indian hermeneutics. We are unable to delve deeply into Indian hermeneutics or language philosophy.

2. a) Distinguish weak and string form of Empiricism.

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b) Highlight some salient features of Substantive reason. 10+10= 20

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Or

Write an essay on Dialectic method. 20

Ans) With his profound teachings, Gautama Buddha, a light that dawned on the Indian subcontinent around 563 B.C., brought peace to a discouraged people. He denounced every dogma pertaining to the formerly orthodox Vedic religion. His doctrine of momentariness, known as Ksanika Vada, is often referred to as the Buddhist theory of Phenomenal Dialectic. It was a component of his rational teachings. With this theory, the Buddha disproved the Vedic religion's notions of the soul's eternality and all other arguments for permanence. Buddha firmly believed that everything that has an origin must perish and that the world is a process of becoming, or Bhavarup. Simply put, everything in this world is made up of transient qualities. Everything is transient. The idea of dependent origination governs this world, and everything—animals, deities, plants, objects, bodies, and substances—is transient. Everything has a start, an existence, and an end. This was the middle road that Buddha suggested as a compromise between the absolute existence and the absolute nihilism viewpoints. This Buddha-teaching had contributed to the former dejected nation's return to reason. Both Buddha and Heraclitus avoided using the word "dialectics" in their writings. This does not, however, prevent their theories from being regarded as the bases of the dialectical method in the East and the West, respectively.

German idealist thinkers were the next group of philosophers after Greek philosophers to work on the dialectic method in a perceptive way. Fichte used dialectics to explain his development of self-consciousness and for the first time used the thesis-antithesis-synthesis triode, whereas Kant used dialectics as a principle of self-contradiction. Schelling used the triadic method and fully developed dialectics as a way to explain natural phenomena. In the history of philosophy, the phrase has been linked to Plato's method of discourse. Before delving into the specifics of Plato's Dialectic Method, it is crucial to understand how the idea of natural philosophy evolved into a discussion technique during the time of Heraclitus. German Marxist thinker August Thalheimer postulated that the creation of a slave labour system had caused the Greek city state to engage in wars over a steady supply of slaves, slowed down technological advancement, and encouraged parasitic behaviour among its free citizens. (August Thalheimer, The Marxist Worldview and Greek Idealism: An Introduction to Dialectical Materialism) As a result, questions about natural philosophy had become less important and questions about human behaviour had taken centre stage.

Plato created the dialectic method, a form of discussion in which participants trade logical arguments in an effort to reach the truth. Plato's Dialectic Method is described as "the process of eliciting the truth by means of questions aimed at opening out what is already implicitly known, or at exposing the contradictions and muddles of an opponent's position" by British philosopher Simon Blackburn (Simon Blackburn, Plato's Republic - A Biography, p. 104). By utilising this method frequently in his writings, Plato popularised it. In a dialectic dialogue, also known as the Socratic Method or Socratic Irony, Socrates engages in an examination of the opponent's premises and claims in an effort to bring them closer to the truth by pointing out inconsistencies between them.

3. Give the answer of any two questions in about 250 words each. 2*10= 20

a) Explain the semantic autonomy of the text. 10

Ans) If our understanding is shaped by prior knowledge, the assumption of objectivity (an epistemological concern) is in jeopardy. An impartial reading of a text does not exist. It is naive and unnecessary to try to understand the author's thoughts, whether they are alive or dead. Because of this, the text as it has matured must speak for itself. What status does the author's literary work (an artwork, poem, play, film, etc.) occupy if they add to what they originally intended? The author's extra-textual comments must be on par with other people's opinions once the text has left his desk. On the other hand, we should avoid falling for the fallacy of the absolute text, as defined by Ricoeur. A text is still a discourse said by someone to someone else about something; it is not an authorless thing. This fundamental aspect of discourse cannot be eliminated without reducing texts to natural objects, i.e., to unmanmade objects that can be found in the sand like pebbles. There are two extremes for Ricoeur, and both should be avoided. One extreme is the text's reliance on the author's intentions because, first of all, we can never know what the author was thinking, and second, any rich text will have more than one meaning. Another extreme is acting as if the text has no author at all and doing whatever one wants with it. The text's semantic autonomy should not be used as a cover for changing the text's meaning to suit personal preferences.

b) Explain critical method. 10

Ans) The critical theorist approach to studying society is known as the critical method. The "Frankfurt school" group of theorists and philosophers, including Max Horkheimer, Theodor Wiesengrund Adorno, Herbert Marcuse, and Habermas, developed the theory between 1930 and 1970. It starts by critiquing contemporary Western societies, which evolved into closed, totalitarian societies where every aspect of personal freedom and autonomy was at risk. They predicted early on that the capitalist mode of production would lead to totalitarian societies. Later, they concentrated on the 'instrumental' conception of reason and the role of science and technology in contemporary society.

This idea rejects the idea that human action can have inherently rational goals and upholds reason as the only acceptable means of achieving arbitrary goals. It would have disastrous repercussions if "instrumental rationality" was not subordinated to a broader definition of rationality. Critical theorists discussed how it is impossible to live a good life in today's society. Cultural criticism in the form of critical method is more of a theoretical commitment than actual action to bring about radical social change. They believe that every society makes the claim to be fundamentally rational and to enable its citizens to live fulfilling lives. Such a claim is used as the benchmark for criticism in the critical method. Societies that fall short of their own expectations are revealed by the critical theory method. Understanding of the good life from the cultural artefacts, beliefs, and experience types that are present in society is examined and criticised using a critical methodology. Internal criticism can be based on this.

c) Compare Leibniz’s and Spinoza’s aim of philosophy. 10

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d) Write a note on phenomenological method. 10

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4. Give answer of any four questions in about 150 words each. 4*5= 20

a) Explain the idea of ‘difference’ in Derrida’s philosophy. 5

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b) Write a note on the ‘Family Resemblance” in Wittgenstein’s philosophy. 5

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c) What is analysis? Discuss briefly. 5

Ans) According to the conceptual analysis theory, concepts are the central subjects of philosophical study. In order to express insights into conceptual contents, necessary "conceptual truths" (analytic propositions) could be acquired in one of two ways: (2) Indirect "transcendental" argumentation; (1) direct a priori definition of concepts. In breaking down complex general ideas into sets of simpler ideas, John Locke's doctrines of general ideas and definitions included an analytical component. Locke's distinction between "trifling" and "instructive," universally certain propositions as well as his division between "intuitive" and "demonstrative" knowledge served as the foundation for further analysis. Kant distinguishes between "analytic" and "synthetic" propositions, between "a priori" (necessary, experience-independent) and "a posteriori" (contingent, experience-dependent) truths, and between "transcendental" and "empirical" proofs in his Critique of Pure Reason. (Hanna 1998). The analysis found a place in John Locke's description of complex ideas in terms of their underlying simple ideas.

d) Write an essay on the geometrical method of Spinoza. 5

Ans) Spinoza used geometry to explain the nature of God and the universe. The most famous mathematician, Euclid, had proposed this approach (300 BC, Alexandria, Egypt). It deals with the laws governing lines, angles, planes, etc.; he treated the world's problem as a geometry-related issue. He asserts that everything must necessarily adhere to the first principle or fundamental building block of the cosmos, just like propositions. He took it for granted that a system of metaphysics could be created that makes it entirely understandable. If only the axioms and definitions are true, the method ensures correct conclusions. The abstract things described by Spinoza also apply to reality itself. Thus, we have a precise definition, a true or accurate idea, or a clear and distinct concept, of what something is. In the Ethica ordine Geometrico Demonstrata (Ethics Demonstrated in Geometrical Manner), Spinoza employs the geometrical method but makes no attempt to defend or even explain it.

e) Evaluate the idea of ‘theory-dependence of observation’. 5

Ans) In defining the topic being studied and carrying out experiments, the scientific method relies on observation. Perception is a component of observation, making it a cognitive process. In other words, one actively engages in making an observation in order to separate the object under observation from the surrounding sensory information. As a result, observations are dependent on a fundamental understanding of how the world works, and this understanding may have an impact on what is noticed, perceived, or given consideration. It is purported that empirical observation is used to assess a theory's hypothesis' viability. It is appropriate to inquire about the validity of someone's observation when they make one and then make a claim. The theory—operational definitions and hypotheses—in which the observation is embedded must be mentioned in the justification itself. To put it another way, the observation is a part of the theory that also includes the hypothesis that it either confirms or disproves.

f) Write a short note on Empiricist method. 5

Ans) The term "empirical method" is typically understood to refer to "the collection of data" used in science to support a theory or reach a conclusion. The word "empirical" was first used to describe a group of physicians in ancient Greece who disregarded the dogmas of the time and relied instead on the observation of phenomena as they were experienced. One who exclusively relies on experimentation and observation in either medicine or other scientific fields is known as an empiric. The experimental method, where data are obtained from the systematic manipulation of variables in an experiment, is often contrasted with the empirical method because it is more clearly defined and provides more precise results. The linguistic root of the empirical method, empiric, has multiple meanings, which contributes to some of the difficulty in discussing it. The word empiric is derived from the ancient Greek word empeiria, which itself is derived from the words in (in)+ peira (trial or experiment), according to the Oxford English Dictionary (2nd Edition, 1989). As a result, empirical data is knowledge gleaned from the trials and tribulations of experience.

2. Write short notes on any five in about 100 words each. 5*4= 20

a) Vyanjana 4

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b) Triangulation 4

Ans) A hypothesis that seeks to align data from various sources is triple checked. Using a scale of strongly agree to strongly disagree, the respondent is asked to rate the researcher's hypothesis. Peer debriefing: The investigator's co-workers or other experts may be asked to review the analysis. Hybrid or mixed methods: In this case, we could first qualitatively analyse a sample of cases. In order to draw quantitative conclusions about a population, we can then code information into the values of variables. When qualitative methods are used on a sample, the sample size is frequently small because (1) subjects are difficult to obtain, (2) interviews take an excessive amount of time, or (3) the researchers don't like the idea of using large samples.

c) Hypothesis 4

Ans) A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for an event or a well-founded proposal speculating on a potential relationship between or among a number of events. A hypothesis offers a potential justification for the subject. Typically, it will propose a correlation or offer a causal explanation. Observations generally take the form of existential claims, noting the characteristics of a particular instance of the phenomenon under study. Causal explanations take the form of generalised universal claims that each instance of the phenomenon possesses a specific trait. It is not deductively sound to draw a general conclusion from a set of specific observations. This is the induction problem. To come up with potential explanations for a phenomenon under study, scientists make use of any available resources, including their own imagination, concepts from other disciplines, induction, systematic guessing, etc.

d) Cartesian Dualism 4

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e) Cogito ergo sum 4

Ans) The realisation of one's own existence is the first step on the path to certainty. There is one thing that is unquestionable. That is the uncertainty that is undeniable. If a person's doubt or thought is genuine, then so is the person who has it. If the thinker is real, then all things that come into contact with him are real, leading him to the conclusion that "I am thinking therefore I exist" (Cogito ergo sum). This cogito argument not only seeks to establish a proof for God's existence, but also to determine the criteria by which the mind should be guided in its pursuit of truth.

f) Logical Positivism 4

Ans) Alfred Jules Ayer, a logical positivist, supported the ideal of scientific knowledge. The objective was to reconstruct our worldviews using formal logic, empirical observation, and other supporting evidence. The statements for which such a reconstruction was not possible, and which were not tautologically true were dismissed as meaningless by the logical positivists. The verificationist meaning criterion was thus embraced by the logical positivists. Meaningful statements can only be verifiable. 2010 (Wehinger). By using the ideal language of predicate logic, it attempted to reconstruct unclear or misleading terms from our language. It attempted to create a framework on which mathematics and logic could be built. Russell utilised Gottlob Frege's logical techniques effectively. 2010 (Wehinger).

g) Lakshana 4

Ans) Jahallaksana, Ajahallaksana, and Jahalajahallaksana are the three types of laksana, which is Sanskrit for "implication." Since jahat means to abandon, the primary meaning (abidha) in jahallaksana is completely abandoned. For instance, the main symptom of mancah krosanti is crying beds. However, since beds do not cry, it is implied that children are crying on their beds. Bed's original meaning is thus completely lost. There is an implied meaning in ajahallaksana in addition to the primary meaning. For instance, chatunah yanti's main meaning is "umbrellas are going." It is implied that there are people there carrying umbrellas. However, the main meaning is kept because the people carrying the umbrellas move as well. The primary meaning of jahalajahallaksana is retained in part but abandoned in part.

h) Phenomenological Reduction 4

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