Ok. Over
the years I have heard a lot of answers to the question:
What do you think Philosophy is?
Let me list a few that are not correct.
Some are very off the mark and others are
only partially correct.
Student attempts to define
philosophy
1.
Logical
reasoning to answer any questions or problems.
2. Means
by which to view and encounter life.
3.
A
system of beliefs and behaviors based upon experience and judgment.
4.
Different
views and beliefs that people have.
5.
Just
personal opinions
6.
Logical
thinking or reasoning, taking into account all that is known to be convincing
7.
A
frame of mind
8.
A
way of viewing the world and handling life’s experiences and explaining
it.
9. Great
thinkers thought and ideas.
10. The
way a person is able to maneuver their intellectual ability.
11. A
theory based upon moral codes and reasoning.
12. Study
of one’s thoughts without the impact of external opinions.
13. Someone’s
ideas and outlook on life or anything.
14.
Someone’s
point of view.
15. The
art of reasoning, thinking and discussing.
16. Logic,
knowledge, a body of principles to follow.
17.
A
discipline of thinking, which involves moral reasoning, logic and
principles.
18. View
or Opinion or Belief or Theory
19. Ability
to think and make your own judgments.
20. Things
I live by.
21.
A
belief, way of life or religion.
22.
A
way of Life
23.
A
translation of the complexities from all angles and summarizing it to its
simplistic terms.
24.
The
way the individual interprets ort rationalizes what is encountered.
25.
Analyzing,
questioning, discussing and thinking.
26.
Information
handed down from generation to generation: Beliefs, stories, rituals, and
experiences
It is possible that I will be adding additional attempts at an initial
definition to this list. Students and readers continue to surprise
me with answers to questions such as this one. Some of the
answers appear as if the answerer did go to some dictionary or reference
work while others appear to be very direct and simplistic.
Now
I do not want to start this introduction to Philosophy by giving you a clear definition of what
Philosophy is. Instead, I
shall tell you a great deal about it, most of which you will forget.
Then, I’ll show you some examples of Philosophy in the writings of
Philosophers on the major issues Philosophers have been thinking about for
over two thousand years, much of which you
will remember, if only vaguely. Finally,
I’ll attempt to engage you in doing philosophy through the discussions and
presentations of various positions on many of the issues and then I think you will understand both what
philosophy is and some of the most challenging and recurring issues with
which philosophy has dealt and continues to pursue.
For a good overview of different ideas
about what Philosophy is and forms or fields in Philosophy
READ: Dallas Roark, What is
Philosophy?
http://www.emporia.edu/socsci/philos/chp1.htm
Key questions in the history of Philosophy.
Perennial
Questions.
Defining
questions.
What
is the world about?
What
is the world made up of?
pre-Socratics
What
are human beings to do?
How
are Humans to live?
How
are humans to live the GOOD life? (Socrates)
What
is the GOOD? ( Plato
)
What
is it to know? (Aristotle)
What
is it to exist?
Is
there a meaning to existence? (
Judaism)
Is
there a meaning to human life, history, suffering???
Is
the world all there is? (Christianity
)
What
is REAL ?
Is
the world REAL? or illusion??? (
Hinduism )
Is
suffering what it is all about?
Is
suffering real?
Can
suffering be overcome? ended? (Buddhism)
Is
life without meaning? (Existentialism )
Is
life absurd? (Camus )
Are
humans free?
Are
humans free to shape their own existence and destiny? ( Sartre)
How
are humans to live in an honorable way?
How
are humans to live with their families in an honorable way? ( Confucius )
How
can we be certain of anything? (
Descartes )
How
are humans to live in a world with science? (
Dewey)
How
are humans to live in a technological society?
How
are humans to live in a society with constant change and problems?
A
Text
book Definition of Philosophy:
Philosophy
is an activity whose guiding principle is reason and whose goal is a
critical self understanding. - -Robert
Paul Wolff
Here
is the dictionary approach:
PHILOSOPHY
1.
all learning exclusive of the technical
2.
pursuit after wisdom
search for general understanding of values and reality by chiefly
speculative means
an analysis of the grounds and concepts expressing fundamental
beliefs
3.
a system of philosophical concepts
4.
a theory underlying or regarding a sphere of activity or thought
5.
the most general beliefs, concepts and attitudes of an individual or group
------ Webster's 9th New Collegiate
1.
pursuit of wisdom; knowledge of things & their causes, whether
theoretical or practical
9.
the system which a person forms for the conduct of life
-------
Oxford English Dictionary
Robert
Paul Wolff:
Philosophy:
love of wisdom
the
systematic, critical examination of the way in which we judge, evaluate,
and act, with the aim of making ourselves wiser, more self reflective, and
therefore better men and women.
Wisdom:
rational insight into the principles of thought and action.
Philosophy:
a.) conceptual analysis and armchair speculation on whatever other
sciences haven't yet claimed as their own domain.
b.) systematic reflection of the mind on the criteria of right
thought and right action.
Ok?
That’s quite a few definitions for anyone to ponder.
My favorite is still to come.
Consider now some things associated with Philosophy.
PHILOSOPHY:
It is a mental discipline that involves: problems, attitudes, methods, activities, conclusions, and effects
PROBLEMS:
Philosophical vs non-philosophical
all problems, if or when pursued far enough, enter or involve
philosophy
Basic
Problems: Knowledge, Truth,
Good, Beauty, GOD, Justice, Freedom, Mind, Reality
Philosophy
as a science (A.) Specific or (B.) General or comprehensive science
A.
Specific science-special science- with well defined subject matter
ETHICS
EPISTEMOLOGY
LOGIC
METAPHYSICS
ONTOLOGY
COSMOLOGY
EPISTEMOLOGY
AXIOLOGY
AESTHETICS
PHILOSOPHY
OF HISTORY
PHILOSOPHY
OF EDUCATION
PHILOSOPHY
OF LANGUAGE
PHILOSOPHY
OF ART
PHILOSOPHY
OF RELIGION
PHILOSOPHY
OF SCIENCE
PHILOSOPHY
OF NATURAL SCIENCE PHYSICAL
SCIENCE
PHILOSOPHY
OF SOCIAL SCIENCE HUMAN
SCIENCE
SOCIAL
PHILOSOPHY
POLITICAL
PHILOSOPHY
B.
General or comprehensive
Criticism
Analysis
synthesis
ATTITUDES:
the minds of Philosophers when doing philosophy
troubled
perplexed
wondering
doubting
reflective
undogmatic
open
minded, tolerant
willing
to be guided by experience
willing
to be guided by reason
uncertainty
suspended
judgment
persistent
unemotional
inquiry
disinterested
interest
METHODS:
Logical
Deductive
Inductive
Abductive
Dialectical
Empirical
ACTIVITIES:
Wondering
Questioning
Criticizing
Synthesizing
CONCLUSIONS Reached by
Philosophers produce
Traditions
of thought
Traditions
of Philosophy--- ways of thinking
Traditions
in Philosophy--views, assumptions, givens, first principles
Schools
of Philosophy
CONSEQUENCES
or EFFECTS:
a
sense of the "BETTER" life
a
sense of what is important
a
sense of what one values
a
sense of the limits of human knowledge
a
sense of one's self
For
college students it wouldn’t hurt to think of Philosophy as a discipline
that originates in the West in an attempt to answer the question: How am I
to live a GOOD Life?
PROBLEMS:
How to live a GOOD life in this modern, industrial, technological
society?
And : How do I answer
such a question with less than absolute certainty?
FUNCTION
of PHILOSOPHY
for the college student, the
undergraduate:
to assist one
in answering these questions for oneself.
All right, that will be enough of the telling about the nature of
Philosophy without defining it. In
the next section I shall attempt to show you a bit about what
philosophers do and it will involve you becoming engaged in doing a good
bit of thinking.
Before going on you might want to listen to some mildly amusing
comments on and about Philosophy by the actor and comedian, John Cleese.
They are available at
http://www.nodogs.org/cleese.html
topics include: