Chap 1- Intro to Philosophy

8/3/2019 Chap 1- Intro to Philosophy

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Introduction to Philosophy


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Definitions

Philosophy pursuit of wisdom

Ontology/metaphysics the study of whatis real

Epistemology the study of knowledge, itsscope and limits

Axiology the study of values Ethics the study of good and what constitutes a good life

Aesthetics the study of the beautiful


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The Value of Philosophy

Seeks knowledge increases knowledge

Gives freedom from narrow and practicalaims; an escape from the daily round

More apparent than real

Asks questions

Frees us from prejudices

Read the article The Value of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell.


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Philo-sopher

Philo-sopher one who loves

wisdomKnows, in reality, he knows and

understands very little

Draws people's attention to theeternally good, beautiful andtrue


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Mythology

Attempt to explain how things came to be,origins of the world, connected to religion,supernatural

Oral tradition

Roman and Greek

Most well-known Greek Homer writer circa850 BC Illiad and the Odyssey


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Rational Thinking

Aim of early Greek philosophers is to findnaturalrather than supernatural explanationsfor natural practices 580 Before CommonEra (BCE) or Before Christ (BC)

Emergence of rationalthinking, explanationswithout appealing to religion or tradition

First teachers who encourage students tothink for themselves, argue and discuss

Eastern Mediterranean was the birthplace of

Western Philosophy


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Eastern Philosophy

Confucianism TaoismBuddhist PhilosophyHindu Philosophy


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Natural Philosophers

Nature of the physical world

Science

Thales 625BC 545BC Greek colony in AsiaMinor first known philosopher everythingfrom water single basic substance

Anaximander 610-546 BC all created thingsare limited that which comes before and aftermust be boundless - basic stuff could not be asordinary as water

Anaximenes 570-526 BC source of all things

must be air or vapour


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Democritus

460-370 BC

everything was built up of tiny invisible blocks (p.

43) Each block was eternal and immutable

firm and solid

not all the same different shapes and sizes

unlimited number Called atoms, un-cuttable (p. 43)


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Athens

circa 450 BC

Cultural center of the Greek world. (p. 61)

Focus changed from natural philosophy tothe individual and the individuals place insociety. (p. 62)

Democracy evolved

Art of rhetoricsaying things in aconvincing manner. (p. 62)


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Prominent Philosophers

Sophista wise and informed person (p. 62)

man and his place in society (p. 62)

No absolute normsfor what was right or wrong. (p.63)

Protogoras (485-410 BC) Man is the measure of allthings (p. 62)


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Socrates

470-399 BC

there are norms

wrote nothing down

greatest influence on western thinking

taught in the city squares

known to us through Platos writings

we must use our reason to graspphilosophical truths p. 65

feigned ignoranceSocratic irony


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Reading Assignment

Athens (p. 72-77)

Plato (p. 78-93)

Aristotle (p. 104-120)


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Plato

428-347 BC

Pupil of Socrates

theory of ideas

Myth of the cavedenies the reality ofthe natural world

We must becomeenlightened


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Aristotle

384-322 BC

student of PlatoElemental theory fire, water, wind, earth

Rejected Plato's world of ideas

Senses are important

Women as inferior logic


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Ancient Eastern

Hinduism yoga, 3rd largest religion (Islam,Christianity), love, peace

Buddhism enlightenment, 3 jewels (Buddha- look up to enlightened one, Dharma belike Buddha, Sangha community ofenlightened), Kharma, end mental suffering

ConfucianismKung-tzu, 5 classics (),Golden Rule and Silver Rule (be nice toothers), respect and morality

Taoism Yin and Yang, positive andnegative, balance, duality that forms a whole


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Renaissance

Machiavelli 1469-1527 control populace politics, government - two books, The

Prince is still used today in politics (Stalinreally liked The Prince), ends justify themeans, fear tactic in leadership (better fearedthan loved)

Erasmus church is corrupt, opposed tochurch, but remained a catholic, wanted tobetter/purify

Luther reformation, better/clean up churchCalvin, Knox, Brahe, Descartes, Bacon


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Spinoza 1632-1677Ethicspantheismall is God one substance God is the

cause of all things, which are in himRationalist Mystic Man is the derived modeof all of Gods attributes

Hobbes 1588-1679 first materialistnatural, physical world is all there isgovernment and political thinking - TheLeviathanThe value or worth of a man is,as of all things, his price.


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Locke 1632-1704 father of empiricismand liberalism, education. All mankind is

good and ought not to harm one another.No mans knowledge here can go beyondhis experiences. primary and secondaryqualities in all objects

Hume 1711-1776 nothing is certain,empiricist, take actions because of moralssenses Beauty is in the mind whichcontemplates them. sensation is outwardsentiment and reflection is the inward


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Leibniz 1646 1716 rationalistborrowed realityThere is a reasonwhy every fact is as it is and nototherwise. calculus (Leibniz orNewton)


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Enlightenment

17th to 18th centuryMoving from religion to fact/scienceAge of reasonNot a single movement or thought, but rather

a set of values Figure out a reason why we are here without

using religion as an answer thinkingoutside the box The way people thought was changingPolitics and how people were governed


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European Thinkers

Voltaire (French) rationalist - theatre isgreatest form of artno reason for war

Rousseau (French) humans innately good,but corrupted by society common good ofsociety should live according to social rules

Smith (British) wealth and economicsmoney shapes the individual

Immanuel Kant (German) rationalism andempiricism come together

Schopenhauer (German) westernphilosophy meets eastern greatly

influenced music, literature and other arts


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Existentialism/Modernism

Kierkegaard 1813-1855 father ofexistentialism - individual finds own identity a

problem mystery of own existenceExistentialism study of existence,

questioning ones existence, perceive what isthought to be true

deBeauvoir - 1908-1986 Frenchexistentialist Sartre - feminism

Sartrewe create our own purpose, bad faithto lie to ones self free choiceDescartesI think therefore I am. doubted

method of doubt - rationalist


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Senses or Reason

Epistemology the theory of knowledge -nature of knowledge what we can know

Empiricists believe that we learn throughour senses; we learn based on observation,experience ; we are born with a clean slate(tabula rasa). Remember: Empiricist =Experience.

Rationalists believe one has to have anunderstanding of ones self to learn Knowthyself; senses offer a limited world; rely ontruths, logic and intuition

Kant synthesized the two need reason andthe senses to learn


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New words

Priori statements using reason alonePosteriori judgements using sensory

experienceNoumenal pertaining to things as they are in

themselves (not as they appear to oursenses)

Phenomenal pertaining to the senses


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Rationalists

DescartesLeibniz

Spinoza


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Empiricists

LockeBerkeley

Hume

Chap 1- Intro to Philosophy

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