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ocean09
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What is common sense?
Is it synonymous with logic?
Is it synonymous with logic?
An important aspect of Moore's rejection of idealism was his affirmation of a ‘common sense’ realist position, according to which our ordinary common-sense view of the world is largely correct. Moore first explicitly championed this position in his 1910-11 lectures Some Main Problems of Philosophybut he made it his own when he responded in 1925 to an invitation to describe his ‘philosophical position’ by setting this out as ‘A Defence of Common Sense’. Moore begins the paper by listing a large number of ‘truisms’ such as that ‘the Earth had existed also for many years before my body was born’. Concerning these truisms he then asserts, first, that he knows them for certain, second, that other people likewise know for certain the truth of comparable truisms about themselves and, third, that he knows this second general truth (and, by implication, others do too). So the truth and general knowledge of these truisms is a matter of common sense. Having set out these truisms, Moore then acknowledges that some philosophers have denied their truth or, more commonly, denied our knowledge of them (even though, according to Moore, they also know them) and he attempts to show that these denials are incoherent or unwarranted. These claims might seem to leave little space for radical philosophical argument. But in the last part of the paper Moore argues that his defence of common sense leaves completely undecided the question as to how the truistic propositions which make up the common sense view of the world are to be analysed; the analysis may be as radical as one likes as long as it is consistent with the truth and knowability of the propositions analysed. Thus, for example, he is content to allow that philosophical argument may show that a phenomenalist analysis of propositions about the physical world is correct.
I would tend to disagree. I think the "common" definition of common sense is based more on accumulated "wisdom" and understanding gained through pre-philosophical intuition and experience (hence is more in line with the posts of Pythagorean and Andre) - thus not only is common sense very much a product of the existence of minds but common sense also is very often a reflection of intuitive prejudice rather than a reflection of any truisms about the empirical world.loseyourname said:The major difference between the two is that common sense deals with trivially obvious truisms about the empirical world that are independent of the existence of minds.
Common sense is the ability to use practical knowledge and reasoning to make sensible decisions and judgments in everyday situations. It is based on a person's life experiences and cultural norms.
Logic is a systematic and mathematical approach to reasoning and problem-solving. It involves identifying and evaluating arguments based on their structure and coherence, rather than personal beliefs or emotions.
Common sense and logic are two different ways of thinking that can complement each other. Common sense is more focused on practicality and intuition, while logic is more analytical and objective. Both are important for making sound decisions.
Yes, there may be situations where common sense and logic lead to different conclusions. This can happen when cultural norms or personal biases influence common sense, while logic remains unbiased and objective. In such cases, it is important to carefully evaluate the reasoning behind both approaches.
This is a subjective question and the answer may vary depending on the situation. In some cases, common sense may be more useful for practical decision-making, while in others, a logical approach may be more effective. It is best to use both common sense and logic together to make well-rounded decisions.