12/10/2015

What is Philosophy?
• the study of the fundamental nature of
knowledge, reality, and existence, especially
when considered as an academic discipline.

• the study of the theoretical basis of a

particular branch of knowledge or experience

What is Philosophy?
• the study of general and fundamental
problems, such as those connected
with reality, existence, knowledge, values, reas
on, mind and language.

Philosophy as an Activity
• Philosophy is an activity: a quest after
wisdom. Philosophy is an activity of
thought. Philosophy is a particular unique type of
thought or style of thinking.

• Philosophy is an activity of thought, a type of

thinking. Philosophy is critical and comprehensive
thought, the most critical and comprehensive
manner of thinking which the human species has
yet devised.

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Philosophy as a Set of Attitudes

• the most basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an
individual or group

Philosophy as a Body of Content

• something that is to be expressed through some
medium, as speech, writing, or any of various arts

• the sum of the attributes or

notions comprised in a given conception; the
substance or matter of cognition.

Problem-solving
• EVERYDAY PROBLEM
– Everyday problem solving involves examining the solutions
that individuals generate when faced with problems that
take place in their everyday experiences.
• PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS
– Philosophers offer definitions and explanations in solution
to problems; they argue for those solutions; and then
other philosophers provide counter arguments, expecting
to eventually come up with better solutions.

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Branches of Philosophy
• LOGIC  Science of correct thinking
• ONTOLOGY (Metaphysics) and reasoning
• EPISTEMOLOGY  “What really is real?”
• COSMOLOGY  Concept of knowledge
• PHILOSOPHICAL  Change of position or time
PSYCHOLOGY
 Nature of the soul
• MORAL PHILOSOPHY
 Ethics
• THEODICY
• AESTHETICS  Existence and nature of
• AXIOLOGY God
 Beauty
 Value

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Sense Data
• are supposedly mind-dependent objects whose
existence and properties are known directly to us in
perception.
• They are supposed to be unanalyzed experiences
inside the mind, which appear to subsequent more
advanced mental operations exactly as they are.

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Common Sense
• is a basic ability to perceive, understand, and judge
things, which is shared by ("common to") nearly all
people, and can be reasonably expected of nearly all
people without any need for debate.

Logic
• Philosophical Logic is the use and study of valid
reasoning.

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Self-evidence
• Understanding meaning without proof

Intuition
• a phenomenon of the mind, describes the ability to
acquire knowledge without inference or the use of
reason.

Science
• a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes
knowledge in the form of testable explanations and
predictions about the universe.

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Choice
• Choice involves mentally making a decision: judging
the merits of multiple options and selecting one or
more of them.
• One can make a choice between imagined options or
between real options followed by the corresponding
action.

DISCUSSIONS

Conceived vs Operational Values

Value Judgements vs Guiding Values

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Good and Bad

Ends and Means

Morality and Religion