Module 3: Doing Philosophy Flashcards
According to him, Philosophy begins with wonder.
Aristotle
How do we express our wonder?
By asking questions
We are Doing Philosophy when…
We ask questions
It is continually engaging in asking, answering, and arguing questions.
Doing Philosophy
Philosophers are concerned with a wide range of issues, which includes
certainty, causalty, and ethics
What is the first major question of Philosophy?
The Question of Reality
The state of existence of thing independent of human consciousness.
Reality
Includes physical things that we feel, taste, and smell, as well as things we cannot easily perceive and comprehend
Reality
2 various category of reality
Concrete and abstract
Branch of Philosophy which addresses questions regarding reality
Metaphysics
Focuses on the classification of existing things
Ontology
4 topics of reality
concept of time
the nature of the universe
space
nature of the human being
The second major focus of philosophical investigation
Question of certainty
Refers to a perfect knowledge that is free error or doubt
Certainty
Central concept related in the question of certainty
Truth
Related to the question of certainty
“Concept of knowledge”
“The means by which human is able to know”
Theory in knowledge which believes that knowledge is a priori knowledge
Rationalism
based on pure reasoning without the benefit of experience
priori knowledge
theory which considers knowledge to be a posteriori knowledge
empiricism
knowledge gained from experience
posteriori knowledge
questions the certainty of established doctrines or truths and believes that the mind has limits in perceiving an understanding reality — thus all knowledge is uncertain
skepticism
branch of philosophy which deals with the nature and extent of knowledge
epistemology
the cause of events and phenomena
causalty
closely related to the concept of causalty
questions regarding the origin of things
important concept related to causalty
purpose, agency, and determinism
;explanation of a thing’s function or goal
;reason for a thing existence
purpose
capacity of man to control or govern his actions
agency
an important perspective regarding causalty and agency
determinism
shows that each event is determined or influenced by specific set of events or factors
determinism
refers to a pre-determined course of events leading to a specific outcome or future
destiny
branch of philosophy that studies causality
etiology
branch which deals with the question of purpose
teleology
the final significant question or problem that philosophy tackles
questions of ethics
deals with the standards of right and wrong, which defines human behavior
ethics
field of study that discusses and defines the concepts and principles which are meant to govern reasoning and action
ethics
important concepts related to ethics
right and wrong
the greater good
duty
obligation
virtue
branch that seeks to apply and analyze these concepts in various situations, context, and culture, and recommends guidelines that will govern the decisions and actions of people
ethics or moral philosophy
5 methods and tools of philosophers in their philosophical studies
systematic doubt
argument
socratic method
axiom
occam’s razor
method that implies the suspension of belief about absolutely everything
systematic doubt
according to him, the only thing that he cannot doubt is that, he is doubting, he is thinking, and therefore, must exist
Descartes
Cogito ergo sum
I think, therefore, I am
constitutes of a premise and conclusion
argument
claim the arguments intend to give a reason for believing
conclusions
engage in discussions and debate on their ideas, various perspectives are taken into consideration and examined
argument
taken together supports the reason for believing its conclusion
premise
also known as the elenchus or elenctic method
socratic method
form of cooperative argumentative dialogue, between individuals, which is based on asking and answering questions in order to encourage critical thinking and to draw out ideas and underlying presuppositions
socratic method
an established rule or principle or self-evident truth
axiom
statement of proposition that NEEDS NO PROOF because the truth is obvious, or one that is accepted as true without proof
axiom
problem-solving device which employed in analyzing possible explanations regarding a phenomenon
occam’s razor
among possible explanations, the one with the least assumption is the most acceptable
occam’s razor
practical uses of philosphy
- requires a person to engage in analysis and interpretation
- problem-solving and decision making
- good communicator
- wisdom
- self-development
the ability to apply knowledge to daily life
wisdom
capacity for inquiry, critical thinking, and reflection
self-development
everyone sees and interprets the world in their own unique way
perspective
FACTORS how we perceive this phenomenon and organize our beliefs and ideas
- family
- education
- social environment
- upbringing
there are 2 ways we “look at things”
partial point of view
holistic perspective
defined as the stance or point-of-view from which something is considered or evaluated
referred to as partial thinking
point-of-view
has narrow focus and often overlooks the role that the part plays in the overall operation
partial thinking
relating to or concerned with wholes or complete systems rather than analyzing, treating, or dissecting into pieces
holistic way of thinking
watching things from a macro-perspective
holistic way of thinking
useful from a philosophical standpoint, but only to a certain extent
partial thinking
what is expected of us when addressing issues and concerns related to human experience
holistic approach
concerned with looking at and thinking about our experiences, action, feelings, and responses, and then interpreting or analyzing them in order to learn from them
reflection
reflection is the act of devoting time to contemplating the meaning and purpose of one’s life
Marcel
2 kinds of philosophical reflection
primary reflection
secondary reflection
investigate objects through abstraction, dissecting, and breaking in down into its constituent parts
primary reflection
tends to dissolve the unity of experience of an object being reflected on
primary reflection
associated with partial point of view because it is fragmented and compartmentalized
primary reflection
synthetic and seeks to unite rather than divide
secondary reflection
recreates the unity of the original experience by collecting what primary reflection has dissected
secondary reflection
attempts to recover the unity of experience
secondary reflection
allows us to think in a more holistic manner “big picture”
secondary reflection
allows us to see connections and relations of people, places, events, actions, and its effects
reflection
critical philosophical process for ensuring that our choices, decisions, and actions are well thought out and taken into account the implications and consequences
reflection
