Philosophy A Brief Introduction

“The beginning of thought is in disagreement--not only with others but also with ourselves.”--Eric Hoffer

What is Philosophy Exactly? It is what everyone does when they’re not dealing with their everyday business and get a chance to wonder what life and the universe are all about.

Philosophy Could Be Not so much about the answers as the process of trying to find the answers

Greece: 2500 years ago Greek philosophers were not satisfied with the established explanations provided by religion and custom and sought explanations which had rational justifications They encouraged their students to disagree and criticize ideas as a means of refining them and coming up with new and different ones

Myth: The Solitary Philosopher Is a popular misconception New ideas emerge through dialogue, analysis, examination, and the criticism of other people’s ideas

Debate & Dialogue Socrates -debate, discussion, and questioning the assumptions of other people to gain deeper understanding and elicit fundamental truths

The Basic Branches of Philosophy Epistemology Ethics Politics Metaphysics Aesthetics

Epistemology: Reason, Thought, and Language: Or the science of evaluating arguments Can we know something from reason alone? Once wisdom was put to the test of rationality the next question was HOW WE COME TO KNOW WHAT WE KNOW? What are the scope and limits of our knowledge? Can we be sure that we know what we think we know and haven’t somehow been tricked into believing it by our senses? Is some or all knowledge innate? What is the source? Or do we learn everything from experience? Do absolutes exists? What is truth?

Ethics: Moral Philosophy the study of moral principles, attempts to establish rational grounds for good conduct How should we live? What is justice? What is the good life? What does justice and happiness actually mean? What is the nature of “right or wrong, good and bad, ought and ought not, duty and othersuch concepts?

Politics: the study of the value judgments operative in civil society After thinking about how we should live ethically, the next questions is what sort of society we would like to live in? How should it be governed? What are the rights and responsibilities of its citizens? Types of governments: democracy, totalitarianism, monarchy, communism, etc.

Metaphysics : Existence and Knowledge: Or the study of the ultimate reality 2500 years ago in ancient Greece the world inspired a sense of wonder What is the nature of whatever it is that exists Why is there something rather than nothing? They sought explanations for the stars, weather, earthquakes, and eclipses What is the relationship between our mind and body, and is there such thing as an immortal soul? Not through traditional myths, legends, gods but through the intellect What is the universe made of?

Aesthetics: the study of the nature and value of works of art and the aesthetic experience. What is quality? What is beauty? What is a work of art What is artistic creativity and how does differ from scientific creativity Does art have any moral obligations or constraints? What do works of art communicate (if anything)? Why are works of art considered to be valuable?

“The Life which is Unexamined is not Worth Living”--Socrates