Someone might wonder…. What am I? What is consciousness? Could I survive my death? Am I a puppet of destiny or do I have my own free will? Does the world presuppose a creator? How do I know if my opinions are objective or just subjective?

What is Philosophy? The term philosophy is a compound from the Greek words philo (love) and sophia (wisdom). It is best defined as the love of exercising one’s curiosity and intelligence. Pythagoras (ca. 530 BCE) was the first to call himself a philosopher. Three classes of people at the games: Athletes- skilled seekers of fame; merchants- shrewd seekers of wealth; spectators- contemplative seekers of truth. For Pythagoras, rational reflection on abstract mathematical concepts purifies the soul by freeing it from attachment to bodily desires.

Philosophy’s Four Main Areas Metaphysics: Examines the nature of reality. What is real? Does God exist? What is the self? Are we free? Logic: Examines reasoning. How can we make reliable inferences? Epistemology: Examines the concept of knowledge. What can we know and how do we know what we know? Ethics: Examines the concepts of right and wrong.

Science, Philosophy, and Religion What is the scientific method? Why is it reliable? What topics are outside the reach of science? What methods does religion use to support claims about the nature of ultimate reality? What are some conflicts between religion and science? What methods do philosophers use to support claims about issues in metaphysics, morality, and epistemology? What are some conflicts between philosophy and religion?

Why study philosophy? For fun! To satisfy our natural curiosity, to seek better answers to the existential questions. To enjoy the pleasures of philosophical reflection. For self-improvement. Reflection improves practice. Thinking about what you are doing, why you are doing it, and how you could do it differently make you better at what you do. Theory affects practice, bad theories lead to bad practices. E.g.. Karma, samsara, spirits, heaven, egoism.

Personal Freedom Only by subjecting the values and beliefs of our culture to critical scrutiny can we avoid being duped by persuasive propagandists who have an interest in manipulating us. To be truly autonomous and self determined we must learn to think critically, to question what we hear and ask for evidence. For a better society. True democracy requires citizens who can contemplate the common good without being duped by groups with a religious or political agenda. Only careful, critical thinkers can evaluate social policy proposals from an objective and impartial perspective.

Plato’s Conception of Philosophy Philosophical wisdom stands up to critical scrutiny. A clear, articulate, rational system of ideas. Dialectical method- critical analysis of traditional beliefs. Rational search for unchanging reality. To know a things reality is to know the end or purpose it serves. To know human nature is to grasp the ideal that human nature strives to realize. Discovering this ideal shows one how to live a life of fulfillment.

Recent Philosophers on Philosophy That department of knowledge which deals with ultimate reality, or the most general causes and principles of things. Oxford Dictionary. All those enquiries which have for their object to trace the various branches of human knowledge to the first principles in the constitution of our nature. D. Stewart …the scientific knowledge of man. J.S. Mill …a collective name for questions which have not been answered to the satisfaction of all that have asked them. William James The attempt to arrive at a general description of the whole universe. G. E. Moore Every philosophical problem…is found to be not really philosophical at all, or else to be…logical (arising out of the analysis of propositions). Bertrand Russell A critical discussion of critical discussion. John Passmore Philosophy of science is philosophy enough.

Origins of Philosophy A paradigm shift in ancient Greece- from supernatural to natural explanations of the universe. Supernaturalists rely on divination and inspiration to discover divine motives. What is Zeus thinking and how can we influence him? Claims are supported by intuition, shared subjective experience, and appeals to authoritative traditions. Naturalists rely on evidence and reasoning; claims that are open to criticism and investigation on the basis of consistency and empirical evidence.

Wednesdays’s Agenda Presentations on the Pre-Socratics: Thales Anaximander Anaximines Heraclitus Parmenides Zeno of Elea Empedocles Democritus Protagoras