What is Philosophy The question of the nature of Philosophy is itself a philosophical question Open to debate we do not have a precise answer to this question Metaphilosophy The study of the nature of philosophy One way of looking at this question Philosophy comes from two Greek words Phelein Love Love might mean caring about passionate about or interest in Sophia Wisdom Wisdom might mean to have knowledge or the ability to solve problems and apply knowledge Basically this can be boiled down to the idea of caring about knowledge Another way of approaching the question Content Subject Matter Conceptual abstract fundamental issues questions Core Areas Epistemology the nature of reality the study of knowledge identifying and developing criteria and methodologies for what we know and why we know it Metaphysics the nature of knowledge the study of the ultimate characteristics of reality or existence Meta after about Physics study of the laws of nature and the physical world Axiology Value Theory the nature of value Ethics the study of moral values and principles Aesthetics the study of beauty art and taste Social Political Philosophy the study of social values and political forms of government Logic the nature of reasoning the branch of philosophy that seeks to establish the rules of correct reasoning clear understanding and valid arguments Conceptual Issues 1st Order Discipline They do philosophy 2nd Order Discipline Philosophy Process Method Attitude the most important part of philosophy Willingness to raise questions to be critical YOU DO NOT ACCEPT ANYTHING AS GOSPEL TRUTH Questioning Raising issues Critical Examination Analysis Skeptical Attitude Doubting Fallibilistic Attitude All of this will help us to arrive at the TRUTH Why should we study Philosophy Why should we live a philosophical life Practice Philosophy The word Philosophy is an ambiguous term Take on life way of life Values moral codes What is important Beliefs Having a Philosophy Doing Philosophy Process Method Questioning Analysis Argumentation debate Willingness to inquire Attitude Value Belief of others Criticism Destructive Critical examination thinking giving REASONS Thinking Philosophically Basically thinking outside of the box being open minded We must be able to critically reflect on our values and beliefs as well as the values and beliefs Not always a bad thing It can help you to avoid making poor decisions Inquiry Positive Constructive Open minded Skills Questions Traits Attitudes of a Critical Thinker In discussions they listen carefully to every viewpoint evaluating each perspective carefully and fairly Knowledgeable Mentally active Curious When they offer an opinion it s always based on facts or evidence On the other hand if they lack knowledge of the subject they acknowledge this They take initiative and actively use their intelligence to confront problems and meet challenges instead of simply responding passively to events They explore situations with probing questions that penetrate beneath the surface of issues instead of being satisfied with superficial explanations Independent thinkers They are not afraid to disagree with the group opinion They develop well supported beliefs through thoughtful analysis instead of uncritically borrowing the beliefs of others or simply going along with the crowd They are able to discuss ideas in an organized and intelligent way Even when the issues are controversial they listen carefully to opposing viewpoints and Skilled discussants respond thoughtfully Insightful They are able to get too the heart of the issue or problem While others may be distracted by details they are able to zero in on the essence seeing the forest as well as the trees Self aware Creative Passionate They are aware of their own biases and are quick to point them out and take them into consideration when analyzing a situation They can break out of established patterns of thinking and approach situations from innovative directions They have a passion for understanding and are always striving to see issues and problems with more clarity Apology apologia Defense against opposition NOT I m Sorry The catalyst for thinking philosophically about one s life is often wonder a search for unity of knowledge a desire to answer the great questions of life Scientists also use this kind of wonder That s how some of the greatest discoveries both physically and abstractly are made Another catalyst for human philosophy is the human desire for synthesis and integration to put all of the pieces together SOCRATES APOLOGY Basically Socrates is giving a backhanded defense for himself to the jury of the court of Athens He is accusing them of believing lies Socrates tries to tell them the truth not necessarily with the intention of avoiding the death penalty but so they can understand that the accusations brought forward by Meletus and Anytus to name a few are false and ill informed The people of Athens thought Socrates was a pain in the ass and wanted to exile or kill him simply because he called experts out on their lack of knowledge about their chosen subjects He was directly accused of Studying things in the sky and beneath the earth There must be other spiritual entities Studying things that are not practical Studying things that are not real Subject Matter His Response This is what philosophers do Abstract Conceptual Metaphysics Making bad arguments look good Method Process Critical Reflection Not believing in the gods His response Nonsense he believes in the god at Delphi Teaching these things to others Corrupting the youth because he encouraged them to question what they were taught about the difference between right and wrong Response 1 You don t care about this matter Response 2 He did not do it intentionally and voluntarily Response 3 This would involve harming himself He had two sets of accusers Those who spread rumors about him Socrates feared these shadowy rumors more than he feared the specific people who stood up against his ideas He thought of them as being his most dangerous accusers because he did not know exactly who was spreading these rumors Anytus Meletus Lycon WOW I have not been here in quite a long time Okay Time to catch up On to Descartes Perception of the wax proves his existence his mind
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