Theme 1: Reflections

My research paper showed the importance of defining different variables out of a certain cause like the one I mentioned in Theme 1. How the definitions probably helped a lot to find out correlations between the variables and therefore make it easier to create understandable and great conclusions. On the other hand, I learned that those variables still could be pretty misleading because of the reliability of the exposure scale of the survey in this case. Hence, the reliability could always somehow be questioned and it may be important to discuss it within a paper of a study.

Russel taught me how to acknowledge the differences between particulars and universals. Particular objects are always given in sensation and could be defined by means of proper names while universals belong to a world which is neither mental nor physical and more likely something which corresponds and depends on relations. In addition Dahlberg mentioned some interesting thoughts about universals and particulars regarding the propositions explained by Russel. If we by means of our sense-data can´t define a specific color, for instance green, through our senses, then the color should according to Russel be defined as a universal. The confusion that surrounded me while reading Russel´s book became so much clearer during the last seminar by means of a simple summary by Dahlberg. Anyway I ´m still aware of how complicated the relationships are between definitions like sense-data, propositions, particulars and universals.

Dahlberg told me some philosophical notions in the lecture about the Epistemology. For instance “the Gettier problem”, which means that formalizations in turn create issues and there is also a certain criteria for justification. A lot of those notions gave me different point of views about significant parts of knowledge and showed me how complex and broad just a tiny part of the subject of philosophy really is and some engineers and students including myself might underestimate the difficulties within the philosophy. 

Finally I have learned the meaning and the importance of an impact factor and how it correlates with how many times a specific paper has been cited. Therefore I have been more skeptical about the trustworthiness of journals which either somehow hide the impact factor or don´t even have one.