Metaphysics - Broadly speaking, it is the field of study concerned with questions about reality in general. What is real or what is it for something to be real? What is it for something to remain the same thing it was (identity)? What is essential for a thing to be the thing it is (e.g. why is a table a table?)? How can someone be the same person he or she was yesterday if he or she has changed?
Epistemology - Broadly speaking, it is the field of study concerned with questions about knowledge in general. What is knowledge? What makes something knowledge? Epistemology is not concerned with specific questions of knowledge, such as "what's 2 + 2?" Instead, epistemology is concerned with questions about all the things we know or think we know. Why are these pieces of information we have (e.g. 2 + 2 = 4) "knowledge"?
René Descartes
(March 31, 1596 - February 11, 1650)
René Descartes - Known as the "Father of modern philosophy." (correction: Descartes was a 17th century philosopher, since that is when he did the bulk of his work, even though he was born in the 16th century). Developed the dream argument and the evil demon argument.
Dream Argument - Imagine you are in a dream that is very real. Everything appears to be as if you were awake. Your food tastes the same, the air seems the same, and everything around you looks the same as if you were awake. How can you tell you are dreaming? What tests could you make to tell if you were dreaming? Couldn't you dream your test "successfully" determined that you weren't dreaming? You could have a recurring dream that picks up every night where you left off the night before, and be none the wiser that any break happened (as someone suggested, perhaps this linking already happens whenever you experience deja vu!). What is the difference, if any, between reality and a very, very convincing dream?
Evil Demon Argument - Imagine an evil or mischevious demon is playing tricks on your head. You are, in fact, in a dark cave alone. However, the evil demon is sending images and sensations that are exactly the same as those you would sense if you were on a beach somewhere. How could you tell that there was an evil demon deceiving you if all your sensations are those of you being on a beach somewhere? The evil demon is a much more powerful version of the Matrix, because in the Matrix "rules" can be broken. But the evil demon does not allow you to break rules (you cannot dodge bullets or jump across huge gaps!). How can you be certain that you are not being deceived by an evil demon right now?
Additional notes: I will highly recommend to see me during office hours, or set up an appointment by email or phone, if you have any questions or just want to chat some more about these issues. I'd be more than happy to talk to you, and it counts as participation.
