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:- List 4 reasons students often presuppose a low view of philosophy.o Philosophy is thought that you have to be super intelligento It’s taken late in academic developmento Thought not to be practicalo Students don’t know what it really is or how it can benefit them- Know Socrates’ quote: What is the unexamined life? What did he mean when he said it wasn’t worth living?o The unexamined life is just going through the motions without making the effort to reflect and think.o Socrates doesn’t mean to die or throw your life away, he suggests that we’re not living the life we were created to live.- Know the etymology of the word “philosophy.”o Philosophy: Greek- philoe (love) and Sophos (wisdom) meaning “love of wisdom.”- Know the working definition of “philosophy” and explain each of its elements.o Philosophy is the critical examination of our foundational beliefs concerning the nature of reality, knowledge, and truth, and our moral and social values.- List and explain each of the 6 characteristics under the description of philosophy.o Relationship between philosophy and facts: philosphers are more interested in what’s behind the facts rather than the facts themselveso Importance of method in philosophical investigation: philosophy isn’t as interested in 1st order discipline, but more in 2nd order disciplineo Clarification: two enemies of clear thinking are ambiguity and vaguenesso Examinging and evaluating everything: requiring clarification and justificationo Usually concerned with foundational issues that have been perennial throughout the history of human kindo Often appeals to systems of principles or guidelines: “those least aware of their own biases are most likely to be held in bondage to them.”PHIL 201- Contrast and compare philosophy with religion, science, and art. How are they different and how are they similar?o Religion: they are similar in that they both searth for the ultimate- that which has ultimate meaning and value, the one thing that unifies everything and from which everything finds its meaning and origin. They often differ in how they conduct that research. Religion usually appeals to some authoritative revelation to discover the truths about the ultimate.o Science: they are similar in that both try to understand reality in a methodical fashion, using observation and appeal to evidence. They are different by mainly two distinctions: the first has to do with the extent of their research and the secondis that science deals with 1st order questions about reality, while philosophy deals with 2nd order questions about disciplines like science.o Art: artists often use their medium to express philosophical ideas, which one way that they are similar. An example is Van Gogh’s artwork called The Wheat Field with Crows. They differ because in general, art usually only conveys a particular philosophical view, whereas philosophy seeks the rational justification of a view.- Explain the value of experiential knowledge in distinction to propositional knowledge.o Experiential Knowledge: it is knowledge that you obtain by experiencing somethingo Propositional Knowledge: consists of beliefs that can be formulated and coveyed in theoryTermsMake 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- The rational animal:humans are created to rationally reflect about life and have an obligation to do so- Normative claim: makes a claim aboutsome action persons ought to do (you shouldn’t lie)- Wisdom: knowledge applies- Philosophy: the critical examination ofbeliefs- Critical examination: analyzing - Clarification: to determine what it means- Justification: address the questions- Evaluation: determines the valie or significance of the idea- Presupposition: a belief people usuallydo not think about or try to prove- First-order discipline: a field that is studies reality directly (a frog has lungs)- Second-order discipline: a field that studies the methods and presuppositions of first-order discipline (no the conclusion as much as the means used to arrive to it)- Ambiguous: when there is more than one possible meaning- Vague: when the meaning is not clear/or unable to define the parameters of the wordPHIL 201- Foundational beliefs: beliefs that are central and fundamental to an overall worldview and yet are often not thought about- Worldview: a comprehensive system of beliefs that functions, first, as an explanation and interpretation of the world and, second, as an application of that system to the wat people life and the values they hold- Scientism: the notion that scientific knowledge is the only kind of knowledge- Propositional knowledge: beliefs that can be formulated and conveyed in propositions- Experiential knowledge: knowledge gained through experiencing