Transcript Lecture 1b: Introduction: What is Philosophy?

Dr. Paul R. Shockley: Worldview Thinking:
WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?
“Philosophy begins in wonder. And, at the
end, when philosophic thought has done
its best, the wonder remains.”
~ Alfred North Whitehead.
What is Philosophy?:
 “Philosophy” is derived from Greek term
meaning “love of wisdom.” “Philos” means
“friendship” and “sofia” means “wisdom.”
 If philosophy is the love of wisdom, then is
philosophy impractical and far removed from
living out the details of daily living, unable to
help us deal with practical problems, reach
our goals, fulfill our purposes, and make the
world a better place for us and our posterity?
Popular Usages:
Two men were drinking beer together. One of
them held his glass to the light, scrutinize it
thoughtfully, and then observed, “Life is like a
glass a beer.”
His friend looked up at the glass and turned to
his friend, and asked, “Why is life like a glass a
beer?”
“How should I know,” the other answered, “I’m
not a philosopher.
Popular Usages:
 We associate philosophy
with an attitude toward
certain activities (e.g.,
business)
 Detached view of certain
immediate problems
(perspective)
 An interpretation of what
is important or
meaningful in life
(reflection).
Popular Notions:
 Complex intellectual abstract activity without
any practical value.
 Meaningless
 Impractical
 Evil
 Dangerous
“Philosophy: The most interesting path to poverty.”
Consider this quote by Blaise Pascal:
“People almost
invariably arrive at
their beliefs not on
the basis of proof
but on the basis of
what they find
attractive.”
What is philosophy?
 An evaluation of:
 Arguments
 Beliefs
 Facts
 Opinions
 Positions
What is philosophy?
 Search for:
 Adequate, reasonable explanations that explains all that we
know and think
 Justification for our beliefs:
 Rationally defensible
 Empirically reasonable
 Answers to the ultimate questions of life
 Understanding, asking why we accept this ____, why we
ought to accept ______, and are there better alternatives
______.
 Coherence.
 Living life in a very enriching, meaningful way.
The Unexamined Life:
In his famous trial in 339 B.C., Socrates explained
that the reason why he was philosophized was
that “the unexamined life was not worth living.”
Why? He observed that most people spent their
time, energy, and resources on certain goals
such as pursuing popularity, pleasure, and wealth
without ever seriously asking whether these
pursuits are important? How does one know if
this is worth pursuing? What if these goals were
useless if not dangerous.
Philosophy brings to light…
 what our implicit beliefs are;
 what assumptions we make
about ourselves and the
world in which we are
imbedded.
 what, why, and how
something is valuable to us.
 what is worth living for.
Philosophy is a way of seeing and doing
that deals with:







Arguments
Authorities
Questions
Solving problems
Analyzing the obvious
Discovering new insights
Asks how particular kinds of things all fit
together.
Shared commitment to examining life:
Conviction:
Thinks about
Reflection
• Thoughtful
examination
• Analysis of views
• The pursuit of
knowledge is
worth pursuing.
• What do certain
ideas/concepts
actually mean?
• What do we base
our knowledge
on?
• What standards
should we use in
arriving at sound
judgments
• What beliefs we
ought to adhere
to
• To achieve more
significant
comprehension
of our world and
our relationship
to it.
• Better life
• Productivity
• Wisdom
Three Central Spheres of Philosophy:
Metaphysics:
• What is real?
• Does God Exist?
• Are we free or
determined?
• Mind-body?
• Life an illusion?
Epistemology
• What is
knowledge?
• How do we know
what we know to
be true?
• Are we justified
in believing
anything?
• What are the
sources of
knowledge:
Experience,
memory, recall,
revelation,
reasoning,
science, &
intuition?
Moral Philosophy
• What is evil?
• What is good?
• What actions are
morally right or
wrong?
• What charactertraits are
excellent?
• What is
beautiful?
• What is morally
valuable
• Social and
political
philosophy:
Justice;
retribution; just
war-theory;
liberty; state
rights vs.
personal rights.
Consider some of these questions:
 Where do we come from? (origin)
 What are we? Who are we? (Identity)
 Why are we here? (meaning)
 How should we live? (morality)
 What’s gone wrong with the world (evil?)
 What can be done to fix the problems of the
world? (hope)
Benefits of doing philosophy:


















Help us in the pursuit of intellectual and moral excellence
Enlarges our understanding of the world and our relationship to it
Generates creativity
Applicable in its scope (wide-ranging)
Learn how to listen carefully
Learn how to analyze carefully
Learn how to respond thoughtfully
Makes connections into why we do what we do
Engages in the offense and defense of powerful ideas and its consequences
Projects into the future as it reflects upon the past.
Helps us see what others fail to see
Gives us the skills to disagree amiably
Motivates us to know what and why we believe what we believe
Helps us to connect with what is meaningful and enriching, personally and collectively
Gives us skills in applying knowledge to changing situations.
Keeps the mind alive and sharp
Frees us from mundane living, short-sightedness, and dwarfed goals
Assists in building interpersonal relationships… go beyond the superficial.