CHAPTER ONE
What is Philosophy?
What’s In It For Me?
General Overview
Welcome to the world of philosophy. Whether we like to acknowledge it or
not, an inevitable fact of classroom life after the introductions have been
made and the syllabus handed out is that hand shooting up from the back
corner of the room followed by something akin to one of these two
questions: “Is there really a creator-God?” or “I think I’m really interested in
the subject, but I’m not quite sure what philosophy is all about. Whatever it
is, can you tell me if it is relevant to what’s going on in my world?” Though
you can attempt to address both questions the first day if you’re up to an
interesting challenge, you might want to put off answering that first question
until you get to the fourth chapter called, Epistemology, Metaphysics and
God and try to stick to answering the second.
In this chapter the student is presented with a rich narrative that
portrays philosophy both as an intellectual pursuit - that side of philosophy
that traverses both histories and cultures - and as a subject that has practical
applications to the everyday world of the student. It is assumed that the
student has had little, if any, exposure to the subject and therefore the first
part of this chapter provides the student with some of the basic terms and
concepts to be used throughout the text. The rest of the chapter is dedicated
to a broad overview of the subject material that will be explored throughout
the text.
Class Suggestion:
After starting the class off with a few of the definitions and key
concepts provided in the next section, you might want to take a few minutes
and do the first “Know Thyself” self-diagnostic (1.1). It can work as a great
‘icebreaker’ for that first day of class, and more importantly, help the student
develop an awareness of their preconceptions about the subject of
philosophy. Just so you know, all the statements in the self-diagnostic about
philosophy and philosophers are false.
CHAPTER ONE
What is Philosophy?
Key Concepts and Talking Points
Philosophy Defined (from the Greek):
• philos = love;
• sophia = exercise of one’s intelligence/wisdom.
A philosopher is a ‘lover of wisdom.’
Western Rational Tradition
• Approach to fundamental ideas about cosmic reality, human
nature, knowledge and society using forms of rational objectivity.
Reasonable
• A balanced and lucid approach to life and human inquiry.
Critically-minded
• To examine or criticize an argument/position with reason.
Questioning Attitude
• Verification of factual claims, and repudiation of ‘blind faith’ or
poorly reasoned arguments.
Rational Justification
• Principles used to validate a particular position, argument, or
action.
Seekers of Truth
• Philosophers are those that seek both ‘wisdom’ and ‘truth.’
Open-minded
• Consideration of opposing position, idea, or action.
Individual Qualities:
1. Objective
2. Impartial
3. Respectful of others
4. Cognizant of differing points of view
Wisdom: The Object of Love
Wisdom
• Sound and serene judgment regarding the practical conduct of
life.
Qualities can included (but not necessarily so):
1. Knowledge – fact or condition of knowing something.
2. Intelligence – ability to learn or understand new
situations.
3. Experience – direct participation in events.
Sense of Perspective
• Finding unity in separated things, and connectedness in things
that appear disparate/isolated from one another.
Integrated Mode of Existence
• Living a balanced, purposeful life that is fully engaged in the
world.
Perennial Wisdom
• The ‘Wisdom of the Ages’ that over time often reflects a pattern
of similar truths and insights.
The Practical Value of Philosophy
Intrinsic Value
• Value in pursuing knowledge or wisdom for its own sake.
Pure Research
• Research into theoretical problems and their possible solutions.
Applied Research
• Application of theoretical outcomes to concrete problems.
Instrumentally Valuable
• Philosophy is both a pursuit of pure wisdom and a means to an
end.
• Provides insights into the day-to-day living experience.
To quote Anthony Falikowski:
Theory without application feels empty. Application without
theory is blind. Reason is their devoted matchmaker, laboring in
the temple of the mind.
Philosophy as Liberating Experience
• The search for “the truth shall set you free.” Philosophy can be a
guiding light to existential liberation.
Philosophy can eliminate barriers created by:
1. Subjective Bias – narrow-minded perspective of the world
expressed by individual or small group.
2. Ethnocentrism – narrow-minded perspective of the world
expressed by one culture only.
3. Gender Bias – narrow-minded perspective of the world
expressed by one gender only.
Therapeutic Applications of Philosophy: Back to the Future
Alienation
• People and/or ideas being cut off or fragmented from a unified or
idealized reality.
Hellenistic Tradition
• Philosophical traditions influenced by such Greek/Roman
philosophical schools as (c. 400 B.C.E. – 350 C.E.):
1. Epicureans
2. Skeptics
3. Stoics
• Philosophy is practical way of dealing with stress, anxiety,
suffering and alienation.
Philosophical Counseling
• Developed in the 1980s by Gerd Achenbach.
• ‘Therapeutic philosophy’ to help people address problems from
new perspective.
Philosophy’s Relevance in an
Age of Information and Emerging Technologies
Information Age
• Post-Industrial Age of mass media, rapid communication of ideas
via television, Internet access, fax machine, cellular telephone,
etc., and emerging, innovative technologies.
Danger: ‘Quick’ information without understanding can be
perilous.
Is-Ought Fallacy
• A technology’s existence does not mean its application is
beneficial or ‘morally good.’
• Philosophy examines the ethical and moral ‘ought to do
something’ from the ‘is being done’ of empirical experience.
Fields of Philosophy
Metaphysics
• Branch of philosophy that studies ultimate reality, human
existence, personhood, freedom, God, causality, space and time.
Epistemology
• Branch of philosophy that studies the nature, source and limits of
knowledge.
Logic
• Branch of philosophy devoted to determining what counts as
solid, disciplined, reasoned thinking.
Ethics
• The study of moral ‘rightness’ and systems of social behavior.
Axiology
• The study of human values. A sub-field called aesthetics concerns
itself with artistic values, beauty and aesthetic appreciation.
Social-Political Philosophy
• Study of society and foundations of state and political institutions.
Two major components:
1. Study of individual’s relation to the state/social policies
(e.g., forced busing and integrated schools, quota systems,
corporate welfare, funding for stem-cell research).
2. Study of forms of government and political systems.
Foundational and Disciplinary Philosophies
• Serve as theoretical bases for all different human activities and
academic sub-disciplines (e.g., philosophy of education,
philosophy of science).
Philosophies of Life
• An individual’s reasoned and balanced approach to life.
• Includes underlying principles/values of one’s lifestyle, belief
system and chosen actions.
• As many ‘philosophies of life’ as intelligent thinking beings in the
world.
Approaches to Philosophy
Masculine Approach vs. Feminine Approach
Masculine
• Traditional ‘history of philosophy’ a male perspective.
Feminine
• New questions about ‘male norms’ as basis of ethical evaluation.
A General Perception of World Philosophies
1. Western philosophy is strongly influenced by religion.
2. Eastern religion is strongly influenced by philosophy.
3. Ethno/racial philosophy (Native, African, etc.) tends to be
transmitted orally with qualities that are emotive, intuitive
and spiritual (e.g., Medicine Wheel).
Rational Philosophy vs. Nonrational
Rational Philosophy
• Committed to ideals of reason and logic.
Nonrational
• Not all philosophy based on discursive reasoning proceeding from
premise to logical conclusion.
For example:
a) Symbols in spiritual practice
b) Meditation
c) Enneagrams
Historical Periods of Philosophy
Ancient Philosophy
• Period of philosophical thought from 6th century B.C.E. to 3rd
century C.E.
Medieval Philosophy
• Period of philosophical thought from 4th century to 16th century.
Modern Philosophy
• Period of philosophical thought from 16th century to the 19th
century.
Contemporary Philosophy
• Incorporates 20th century thinkers such as Jean Paul Sartre,
Simone de Beauvoir, Betrand Russell, Ludwig Wittgenstein and
those currently involved in philosophy during the infancy of the
21st century.
Philosophy Types
Analytic
• Contemporary philosophy that tends to focus on conceptual
analysis.
Continental
• Contemporary schools such as the Existentialists and
Phenomenologists that concentrate primarily on matters of being,
authenticity, freedom and meaning.
Postmodernism
Rejects the ideas of cultural certainties or ‘Grand Narratives’ on which
life in the West has been structured.