Philosophy I Leviathan Wakes

Philosophy Pointers to Review: - Introduction to Philosophy: Doing Philosophy - Philosophical Methods - The Human Person as an Embodied Spirit - The Human Person in their Environment - Freedom of the Human Person

Human Actions

Human Actions

Appropriate acts by human beings

Acts of (Hu)Man

Acts shared by human beings and animals

Voluntary Actions

These are acts originating from the individual using knowledge

Voluntary

Acts using Will & Reason

Compulsary

Acts related to compulsion, it is a mix of voluntary and involuntary action

Involuntary Actions

These are acts done under a force or coercion or as a failure to understand/ignorance

Under Compulsion

It is a result of circumstances beyond the control of an agent

Through Ignorance

A man steals a shotgun by mistake, he is knowingly or unknowingly ignorant of the law

Essence of Philosophy

To search for the answers to life’s questions

Philos

is Greek for Love

Sophia

Is Greek for Wisdom

Philosophers

Lovers of Wisdom

Philosophy seeks -

truth through reasoning rather than empiricism

Empiricism

pursuit of knowledge through experience (observation and experimentation)

Wisdom as an

An element of personal character that enables one to distinguish the wise from the unwise.

Heraclitus

• Change is a permanent aspect of the human condition

• ‘No man ever steps in the same river twice, for he is not the same man, nor is it the same river’

Diogenes

Advocate of living a simple and virtuous life. His teachings and views influenced the development of several schools of philosophy.

Epicurus

He believed philosophy could enable a man to live a life of happiness.

Epicureanism

It believes that living a wise and simple living will result in a life free of fear and pain.

Socrates

creator of the Socratic method, he is one of the big three of Ancient Greek philosophy

Socratic Method

Form of argumentative dialogue between individuals, based on answering and asking questions

Herodotus

He is called the “Father of History”

Plato

A student of Socrates, his contributions were theory of forms, ideal society, and invented the Academy

Where am I?, How do I know it?, What should I do?

Three main questions of Philosophy

Philosophy is a -

purely intellectual discipline which has nothing about love and can be pursued passionately

Ancient Greece

What is the Birthplace of Philosophy?

Thales

He is a called a “Father of Philosophy”

Water is the ultimate substance of the universe

Greatest contribution of Thales?

Wisdom, an ability -

ability to make a decision based on the combination of knowledge, experience, and intuitive reasoning.

Reflection

is an activity to examine one’s thoughts, feelings, emotions, and what they learned

Philosophical Reflection

to see the bigger picture about everything.

Involves generalizations, All about fundamentals, Desire to integrate things into one coherent whole

Characteristics of Philosophical Activity

Metaphysics, Epistemology, Ethics, Politics, & Aesthetics

Branches of Philosophy

Metaphysics

The study that deals with the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, identity, time, and space.

Epistemology

The study of knowledge

Ethics

The study of moral principles or morality

Politics

The study of governance structures

Aesthetics

The study of the nature of art and beauty

Deductive Reasoning

To apply general principles on specific instances

Inductive Reasoning

To apply specific instances as general principles

Primary Reflection

explains the relationship of an individual to the world based on their existence as an object in the world

Secondary Reflection

takes as its point of departure the being of the individual among others.

Holistic Thinking

Thinking that focuses on the whole

Partial Thinking

Thinking that focuses on specific aspects

Prepositions

statement which can be analyzed for it’s truth value

Truth

modern context; authenticity

Knowledge

clear awareness and understanding of something

Facts

objective statement, proven with evidence (empirical)

Claims

statements that are not evidently known to be true.

Doubt

serves as a means to seek truth and knowledge

Opinions

statement that someone believes regardless of it being the truth or not.

Beliefs

statements that express convictions that are not easily and clearly explained by facts.

Explainations

set of statements that render understandable the existence or occurrence of an object, event or state of affairs.

Arguments

a reason or set of reasons given in support of an idea, action or theory.

Fallacies

faulty reasoning

Biases

Personal views that influence how people view other people

Ad Hominem

where the person is attacked instead of the argument

Ad Baculum

Appeal to Force

Ad Misericordium

Appeal to one’s sympathy, emotions or pity

Ad Populum

Appeal to popularity, better known as bandwagon fallacy

Ad Antiquitatem

Appeal to tradition

Ad Vericundium

‘Misuse’ of an authority

Hasty Generalization

Generalization is reached too hastily

Dicto Simpiciter

Fallacy in which a general rule or observation is treated as universally true, regardless of the circumstances, or the individuals concerned.

Fallacy of Composition

What is true for the parts, is true for the whole.

Fallacy of Division

What is true for the whole, is true for the parts.

Petitio Princippi

Circular Reasoning

Post Hoc

False cause

Correspondence Bias

Tendency to judge a personality by their actions

Confirmation Bias

Tendency to accept information that confirms one’s own beliefs

Framing

Focusing on a certain aspect of a problem while ignoring other aspects

Hindsight

When after an event occurs, a person feels they already knew what was going to happen all along

Conflict of Interest

person or group is connected to has a vested interest in the issue

Cultural Bias

analyzing an event or culture based on one’s own culture

Man

A human being / an adult human male

Human

Relating to or characteristic of humankind

Human Being

A man, woman, or child from the species homo sapiens

Person

entity that possesses a mind

Personhood

Concept designed to determine which individuals have human rights and responsibilities

Human Nature

The collective essence of humankind

Embodied Spirit

the inseperable union of a human body and soul

Self-awareness

experience of one’s own personality or individuality

Self-determination (human person)

ability to make choices freely

Dignity

innate right to be respected and value

Externality

our interaction with others in the world

Transcendence

term for exceeding usual limits

Power

ability to surpass your limits

Soul

Causes the body to live; animates the body

Body

acts as a matter to the soul

Spirit

Exercise our capacity to reach to the outside world

Facticity

Things in our life that are already given.

Spatial-Temporal Being

Limited occupation of space and time, meaning a person is always stuck in one specific place and one specific time.

Body as Intermediary

We are intermediary between the physical world and us. It is because of the human body that humans experience from their own respective perspectives and not from the perspective of other humans.

Appreciation, Preservation, and Sustainability

Three definitions of Nature

John Donne

Who said “No man is an island, everyone is a piece of a continent”?

Environmental Justice

Social movement to address environmental injustice

Climate Ethics

Field of study that explores the morals of climate change

Climate Justice

Focuses on unequal impacts of climate change, putting equity and human rights at the core of decision-making

Environmental Aesthetics

philosophical view that believes in maintaining order in the environment will bring out the natural beauty of the surroundings and contribute to the well-being of the people and other organisms within it.

Environmental Ethics

It is our responsibility to start with our own actions and how they affect our immediate surroundings