1. Schools of Philosophy
An Introduction

2. What are “schools of philosophy”?
The term “school of philosophy” is used to label particular philosophical beliefs or traditions.
It is NOT a physical school building.
A “school” is a group of people, especially philosophers, artists, or writers, whose thoughts, works, or styles demonstrate a common origin, influence or unifying belief.
Basically, schools of philosophy are philosophical movements, wherein an idea gains popularity and becomes more widely believed.
A movement or school represents the broad views of many individual philosophers, even if they may not agree entirely in all respects.
Because of this, members tend to agree on most points, but not necessarily all.

3. Influential Schools of Philosophy
Different schools of philosophy gain and lose popularity over time. Some die out, while new ones continue to be developed.
However, many of the schools of philosophy developed by the ancient Greeks are still very influential today in Western civilization.
The following slide lists some of the major schools of philosophical thought throughout history. We will discuss some of these in greater detail.

4. Influential Schools of Philosophy
Absurdism
Agnosticism
Anarchism
Atheism
Atomism
Communitarianism
Confucianism/Ruism
Creationism
Cynicism
Deism
Egoism
Empiricism
Epicureanism
Existentialism
Hedonism
Humanism
Idealism
Intuitionism
Irrationalism
Liberalism
Marxism
Materialism
Nihilism
Objectivism
Phenomenology Spiritualism
Platonism Stoicism
Positivism Structuralism
Postmodernism Taoism
Pragmatism Transcendentalism
Pyhtagoreanism Transhumanism
Quietism Utilitarianism
Rationalism Vitalism
Realism Voluntaryism
Skepticism Theism
Solipsism and countless more
Sophism

5. Why so many?
Each of the previously mentioned philosophical schools represent a different way to think about and potentially understand the world and our place in it.
These various philosophies also approach the issue of ethics differently, some going so far as to claim that there really is no such thing as “right” or “wrong”.
These different philosophies have affected modern human development, from our ideas about education and health care to politics and economics. All of the decisions made that affect our individual lives and our civilization as a whole have some philosophical foundation.

6. 1. Absurdism
Absurdism is a philosophical school of thought stating that the efforts of humanity to find meaning will ultimately fail (and thus are absurd) because of the vast amount of information as well as the vast number of unknowns make total certainty impossible for humans.
Absurdism also explores how people should respond to the absurd conditions of life once they become aware of them. The absurdist philosopher Albert Camus stated that individuals should embrace the absurd condition of human existence while also defiantly continuing to explore and search for meaning.
Absurdism!

7. 2. Anarchism
Anarchism argues that the state lacks moral legitimacy; that there is no individual obligation or duty to obey the State, and conversely, that the State has no right to command individuals, however it does not advocate revolution to eliminate the state.
Philosophical anarchists may accept the existence of a minimal state as an unfortunate, and usually temporary, "necessary evil" but argue that citizens do not have a moral obligation to obey the state when its laws conflict with individual autonomy. 
Anarchism requires individuals to act in accordance with their own judgments and to allow every other individual the same liberty freedom.
What Is Anarchy?

8. 3. Confucianism
Confucianism, also known as Ruism, is described as a tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or simply a way of life.
Confucianism developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius.
Confucianism revolves around the pursuit of the unity of the self and Tiān (Heaven, or God), and the relationship of humankind to the Heaven. Individuals can realise their humanity and become one with Heaven through the contemplation of this relationship.
Confucianism is essentially a humanistic philosophy, with a major focus on compassion towards other people.
Mini Biography
10 Life Lessons From Confucius We Should All Follow
EASTERN PHILOSOPHY – Confucius

9. 4. Communitarianism
Communitarianism is a philosophy that emphasizes the connection between the individual and the community.
Although the community might be a family unit, communitarianism usually is understood, in the wider, philosophical sense, as a collection of interactions, among a community of people in a given place (geographical location), or among a community who share an interest or who share a history.
Communitarian philosophy is based upon the belief that a person's social identity and personality are largely molded by community relationships, with a smaller degree of development being placed on individualism.
The Five Minute Communitarian HD

10. 5. Creationism
Creationism is the religious belief that the universe and life originated "from specific acts of divine creation,” as opposed to the scientific conclusion that they came about through natural processes.
The first use of the term "creationist“ is found in an 1856 letter by Charles Darwin, describing those who objected on religious grounds to the emerging science of evolution.
Creationists base their beliefs on a literal reading of religious texts.
Creationists believe that evolution cannot adequately account for the history, diversity, and complexity of life on Earth.
Creationism (Biblical Creation) | Answers in Genesis

11. 6. Determinism
Everything is determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no control. It is determined for the insect as well as the star. Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper.
Albert Einstein ( )
Determinism is the philosophical theory that every event, including human cognition and behaviour, decision and action, is determined by an unbroken chain of prior occurrences.
Determinists generally believe in only one possible future, though deny that humans lack free will.
Determinism can take many forms, from theological determinism, which suggests that one’s future be predetermined by a god or gods, to environmental determinism, which suggests that all human and cultural development is determined by environment, climate and geography.
Determinism vs Free Will: Crash Course Philosophy #24

12. 7. Epicureanism
Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.
Epicurus ( BC)
Epicureanism is a philosophy based on the teachings Greek philosopher Epicurus.
Originally about simply finding happiness, it has become closely associated with hedonism, gluttony, and deviant sexuality.
Epicurus was skeptical of superstition and divinity, and proposed that the sole meaning of existence was finding personal pleasure, or more accurately, the absence of pain and fear, the combination of which would lead to happiness in its highest form.
For Epicurus, the highest pleasure was obtained by knowledge, friendship and virtue. More modern, hedonistic schools of thought also emphasize the benefits of food and sex.
PHILOSOPHY - Epicurus

13. 8. Existentialism Be that self which one truly is.
Soren Kierkegaard ( )
Existentialism is the belief that there is no meaning to life other than what individual human beings create themselves. In other words, we must create personal meaning in our own lives.
Existentialism has been described as, “The refusal to belong to any school of thought, the repudiation of the adequacy of any body of beliefs whatever, and especially of systems, and a marked dissatisfaction with traditional philosophy as superficial, academic, and remote from life”.
This dissatisfaction with society sometimes results in a type of depression known as existential despair.
Basically, human beings are to make their own choices in life and find their own meaning, with or without God.
Existentialism is a broad philosophical movement, and existential thinkers range from the religious (Kierkegaard) to the anti-religious (Nietzsche).
Existentialism: Crash Course Philosophy #16

14. 9. Liberalism
Liberalism is a political philosophy or worldview founded on ideas of personal freedom and equality.
Liberals support a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally they support ideas such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, free markets, civil rights, democratic societies, secular governments, gender equality and international cooperation.
Liberalism first became a distinct political movement during the Age of Enlightenment, when it became popular among philosophers and economists in the Western world.
Liberalism rejected the dominant social and political norms of hereditary privilege, state religion, absolute monarchy, and the Divine Right of Kings.
The 17th-century philosopher John Locke is often credited with founding liberalism as a distinct philosophical tradition. Locke argued that each man has a natural right to life, liberty and property, while adding that governments must not violate these rights based on the social contract.
Introduction to Ideologies - Lesson 4 What Does Liberalism Mean

15. 10. Nihilism
Nihilism, from the Latin nihil (nothing), is a philosophical ideology that suggests a lack of belief in one or more supposedly meaningful aspects of life.
Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism, which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value.
Moral nihilists assert that morality does not inherently exist, and that any established moral values are abstractly contrived, or made up.
Nihilism can also take forms that suggest that knowledge is not possible, or that reality does not actually exist.
Introduction to Nihilism
Existentialism and Nihilism

16. The Argument Against Nihilism

17. 11. Theism
Theism is the belief in the existence of a god or gods, who are largely (or entirely) responsible for the nature of reality and human existence. These gods are generally seen as omnipotent and omniscient, or all-powerful and all-knowing.
The term theism comes from the Greek word “theos” meaning “god”.
Most of the world’s major religions are theistic, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, as well as Hinduism and Sikhism.
Atheism is commonly understood as rejection of theism in the broadest sense, that is the rejection of belief in a god or gods.
The claim that the existence of any deity is unknown or unknowable is agnosticism.
PHILOSOPHY - Religion: Classical Theism 1 (Two Conceptions of God)

18. 12. Empiricism Empiricism is the philosophy of science.
Empiricism is a theory that states that knowledge comes only (or at least primarily) from sensory experience.
Along with rationalism and skepticism, empiricism emphasizes the role of empirical evidence in the formation of ideas, beliefs, and practices.
Empiricism in the philosophy of science emphasizes evidence, especially as discovered in experiments. It is a fundamental part of the scientific method that all hypotheses and theories must be tested against observations of the natural world rather than resting solely on logical reasoning, intuition, or revelation.
Empiricism says that "knowledge is based on experience" and that "knowledge is tentative and probabilistic, subject to continued revision and falsification.” In other words, we must continually test and question what passes as knowledge, and change our definition when new evidence arises.
Locke, Berkeley, & Empiricism: Crash Course Philosophy #6

19. 13. Stoicism
Stoicism is a school of ancient Greek philosophy founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium in the early 3rd century BC.
The Stoics taught that destructive emotions resulted from errors in judgment, of the active relationship between cosmic determinism and human freedom, and the belief that it is virtuous to maintain a life that is in accord with nature.
Because of this, the Stoics presented their philosophy as a way of life, and they thought that the best indication of an individual's philosophy was not what a person said but how that person behaved. 
To live a good life, one had to understand the rules of the natural order since they taught that everything was rooted in nature.
PHILOSOPHY - The Stoics
STOICISM - MEDITATIONS BY MARCUS AURELIUS ANIMATED BOOK REVIEW
STOICISM - ON THE SHORTNESS OF LIFE BY SENECA | ANIMATED BOOK REVIEW

20. Summary
1. Absurdism – The world is too crazy to understand, just enjoy it.
2. Anarchy – No government, no rules, personal freedom, but no private property, no rights.
3. Confucianism – Chinese humanist philosophy emphasizing compassion.
4. Communitarianism – Community comes first, self comes second. Opposite of individualism.
5. Creationism – The world and all life was created by a divine power, exactly as told in holy texts.
6. Determinism – The future has already been decided and is unchangeable.
7. Epicureanism – Eat, drink, and be merry. The purpose of life is experiencing pleasure.
8. Existentialism – There is nothing but this life and the personal meaning you create for yourself in it.
9. Liberalism – Personal freedom and equality, but with inherent rights.
10. Nihilism – nothing means anything, there is no point to life, and no “good” or “bad”.
11. Theism – Belief in a god or gods (i.e. Christianity, Islam, Judaism).
12. Empiricism – Philosophy of science; evidence (through direct experience) is the only way to gain true knowledge.
13. Stoicism – Suffering is natural, but if you live in accordance with nature you can limit that suffering.

21. Summary continued
Again, these are just a handful of the hundreds, if not thousands, of different schools of philosophy which have existed throughout history.
However, they do illustrate various ways of thinking about life and our existence.
In your next response journal entry you will be asked to reflect on which of the schools of philosophy discussed best suits your own personal beliefs.