PHIL 201STUDY GUIDE: LESSON 1What is Philosophy?Lesson OverviewWelcome to this introductory course in philosophy. For our first lesson, we are going to examine the question: What is philosophy? There are 4 ways you can get to know what a discipline is: define it, describe it, contrast and compare it with other disciplines, and finally experience it. In this first lesson, we will aim to accomplish the first 3 of these activities. The rest of the course will be an exercise in experiencing philosophy.TasksView and take notes of the presentation, “Misconceptions about Philosophy.”Read and take notes on Prelude to Philosophy, Chapter 1: “What is Philosophy?” As you read, make sure you understand the following points and questions:1. List 4 reasons students often presuppose a low view of philosophy. ***Philosophy has a major public relations problem1. There is an image that one has to be super intelligent to do philosophy 2. Most students study it late in their academic development3. Most people do not think it practical4. They do not know what it is or how it can benefit them2. Know Socrates’ quote: “The unexamined life is not worth living”o What is the unexamined life? Going through the motions of life without making the effort to reflect and think about what life is about. o What did he mean when he said it wasn’t worth living? We are not living the life we were created to live. To live the unexamined life is to live a less than fully human life. Human beings are designed to be able to reflect on the meaning and value of life and the world around them.3. Know the etymology of the word “philosophy.” It is a combination of two Greek terms: phileo and Sophos. Phileo is a term for “love”. Usually meant to express great affection for something. is the word “wise woman.” So philosophy can also be defined as the love of wisdom. 4. Know the working definition of “philosophy” and explain each of its elements. Philosophy is the critical examination of our foundational beliefs concerning the nature ofreality, knowledge and truth, and our moral and social values. o Critical- “analytical” in the mind. A person is critical if rather than accepting whathe reads/hears, he takes time to analyze it. There are three main tasks in analyzing: Clarification, justification, and evaluation. 5. List and explain each of the 6 characteristics under the description of philosophy.1. The relationship between philosophy and facts- When we try to get behind the facts, their meaning, truthfulness or significance, we are doing philosophy. Pg. 29-302. The importance of method in philosophical investigation- First-order discipline and second-order disciplinePHIL 2013. One of the primary tasks of philosophy is clarification- Philosophy is interested in finding the truth, and clear thinking is a key ingredient in that search. People often use language in an ambiguous or vague manner without thinking about what they are saying or believing. 4. Philosophy examines and evaluates everything. Nothing is taken for granted- Every belief and idea is open to critical examination.5. Philosophy is usually concerned with foundational issues that have been perennial throughout the history of humankind. – Dealing with the important questions of life. Are people free or determined? Is there such a things as truth? Pg. 39 1. There is value in taking the time to reflect critically on these fundamental issues. 2. Not all proposed solution are of the same quality. Philosophers are accustomed to disagreeingwith one another, and they have come to accept that as a part of philosophy. 6. Philosophy often appeals to systems of principles of guidelines regarded to be true- Philosophers must do one of two things: reject a new claim as true or adjust their system to adapt to the new claim. 6. Contrast and compare philosophy with religion, science, and art. How are they different and how are they similar? o Philosophy and religion: They are similar in that they both search for the ultimate-that which has ultimate meaning and value, the one thing that unified everything and form which everything finds its meaning and origin. They differ in how they conduct their search. Religion appeals to some authoritative revelation to discoverthe truths about the ultimate. Philosophy uses rational inquiry in attempting to understand the ultimate. The spiritual aspect is incorporated into religion that is not normally found in philosophy. o Philosophy and science: They are similar in that both try to understand reality in amethodical fashion. The first difference has to do with the extent of their research.Science generally examines that part of reality experienced with the senses, such as biology, physics and chemistry, deal with the relations between physical substances or elements. Philosophy extends outside the physical world. Scinec deals with first-order questions about reality, while philosophy deals with second-order questions about disciplines like science.o Philosophy and art: They often deal with similar topics and express philosophical ideas. Art usually only conveys a particular philosophical view, whereas philosophy seeks the rational justification of a view. 7. Explain the value of experiential knowledge in distinction to propositional knowledge. Experimental knowledge often enhances our understanding beyond what propositional knowledge can convey. TermsMake sure you fully understand the following terms and concepts:- The unexamined life- Going through the motions of life without making theeffort to reflect and think about what life is about- Presupposition- Beliefs people usuallydo not think about or try to prove.- First-order discipline- A field that studies reality directly. Ex. BiologyPHIL 201- The rational animal- Humans reason and reflect about the world around them. The rational creature has an obligation to behave like one.- Normative claim- makes a claim aboutsome action persons ought to do. - Wisdom- Knowledge applied. Using the knowledge one has in a way that benefits one’s life. - Philosophy- the critical examination of our foundational beliefs concerningthe nature of reality, knowledge and truth, and our moral and social values.- Critical examination- “analytical”- a critical mind, not heart. - Clarification- To clarify something means to determine what it means- Justification- Addresses the questions:Is this true, and are there good reasonsto believe that it is true?-