What is Philosophy?

What is Philosophy?

Philosophy—the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with reality, existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language.The most basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or group.

What is philosophy?

• From the Greek word “philosophia” meaning “love of wisdom.”

What is Philosophy?

• Philosophy is a conceptual discipline that focuses on life’s most basic questions. It is the activity of thinking about these issues yourself, not simply understanding what philosophers from the past have said about these questions.

• Philosophy investigates both abstract issues (reality; free will; knowledge; etc.) & more practical issues (right and wrong; organization of societies; etc.).

What is Philosophy? • Philosophy is an activity. It’s a way of thinking, a skill you

get better at as you practice, not a body of facts that you memorize (though obviously some memorizing will be required).

• It encourages you to think independently. Philosophers are not “authorities.” They are only as good as their arguments. While Socrates, Aristotle, Locke, etc. may have been good philosophers, that doesn’t mean what they says is true. They must still convince you.

• Philosophy is thinking methodically about life’s most basic issues.

Sub-fields of Philosophy

• Epistemology• Logic• Metaphysics• Ethics• Political Philosophy

Epistemology

• Study of knowledge, truth, and related concepts.

Logic

• Part of philosophy devoted the study of correct reasoning & the structure of arguments

Metaphysics

• Part of philosophy concerned with the most basic issues, for example, reality, existence, personhood, and freedom versus determinism

Ethics

• Known as “moral philosophy,” ethics is concerned with right, wrong, & other issues related to evaluating human conduct.

Political Philosophy

• Addresses the philosophical issues that arise from the fact that we live together in communities. – These include the nature of political authority,

justice, and the problem of harmonizing freedom & obligation