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PREFACE |
Philosophy is a human endeavor that has changed the course
of history. We are all what we are, in part, because of the ideas of
philosophers. There are not too many people who believe this. There
are not that many people who think very much of Philosophy at all. Yet
Philosophy has and does impact the lives of just about every thinking
person on the planet. In fact, the very way in which we think is
partly the result of the ideas which philosophers have produced over the
ages and in all cultures. Just how is this the case? This is
something that is not immediately obvious in contemporary culture.
Today philosophy, if it is thought about at all, probably is thought to be
some obscure and complicated subject for intellectuals that has no bearing
on the important matters of everyday life. Yet this is not the case
at all. In fact there are many things that people think are true and
believe that are not true at all. In fact there are many things that
appear to us to be so clearly understood that are, in fact and reality,
not the way they actually appear to us to be. Philosophers have been
pointing out such things for over 2500 years in all major cultures.
Philosophers have contributed to our ideas about our society and forms of
government and to our ideas about deities or the deity. Our world is
as it is , for better or worse, in part due to the contributions made by
philosophers. The ideas of philosophers often times take centuries
to work themselves into the everyday thought patterns of people but they
have done so many times.
In thinking about what is morally right or wrong philosophers have contributed a great deal. The study of the basic principles of the good that serve as the base for any moral system or set of ideas or rules is called Ethics. It is a branch of Philosophy.
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Philosophy is a manner of thinking about the most basic
questions and problems faced by human beings. Most people believe
they have nothing to do with Philosophy and it has nothing to do with
them. However there are times that such basic and important questions and problems
will occur and be experienced by most human beings. It is at these
times that Philosophy has arisen all over the world and within every
culture. People will experience the death of others and they will wonder whether or not there is anything more to our existence than life in the physical body. Questions will arise as to whether or not there are actually souls or spirits. Do they survive the death of the body? Are they real? These questions get into Metaphysics, a branch of Philosophy! Are stories about ghosts and spirits of the dead true? What is truth anyway? These questions get into Epistemology, a branch of Philosophy! Is there a god, many gods? What is God like? What is religion all about? Are the stories true? As important or perhaps even more important are questions concerning what is the morally correct thing to do. These moral issues are part of the subject matter for Ethics. So, there are many questions that arise in the lives of "ordinary" people that are actually questions that are at the center of Philosophy. The materials in this text will attempt to introduce the reader to what Ethics is about, what the issues have been and continue to be, and how those perennial questions are as alive today as ever and have a relevance for the lives of every thinking human being. At the same time it is hoped that the manner in which this is approached will be engaging, interesting, a bit entertaining and rewarding!
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In this text and course it is my task to challenge the
reader, to invite and to encourage the reader to think and to think
critically concerning these basic and important questions and
problems. Some materials and questions presented in this text will
challenge the accepted view, the predominant view, the popular view, and
the view which most people acquire through their culture and assume to be
not only true but the only view. The aim is to broaden and expand
awareness. The aim is to develop reasoning skills and critical
thinking abilities. It shall be my aim to get the reader to think
about new things. This is education. the text will also attempt to provoke
the reader to think about some old things, some old ideas, in a new manner. This is also
education but it may not be what some expect or want. It involves
growth. Sometimes people resist thinking about familiar subjects in
new ways. However, sometimes it is necessary in order to develop a
better understanding of the matter or to solve whatever problems there may
be with the old, accepted and familiar views. If this text is well
enough constructed then the reader should expect to be challenged.
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It is hoped that all who attempt to read this text and to take this course
will realize those aims. The author is open to suggestions as to how
he might accomplish those in more effective manner.
Please do not hesitate to email me with your ideas. |
© Copyright Stephen O Sullivan and Philip A. Pecorino 2002. All Rights reserved.
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