Philosophy 120 Quiz 1 JMU Mark Piper

Why do we ask "what is philosophy?"

Because of widespread ignorance, misconceptions, and prejudices about philosophy.

What does philosophy translate to from the ancient greek translation

'philo' 'sophia' "lover of wisdom"

Theoretical Wisdom

they are wise in the ends of having justified understanding of the facts about the world; what is

Practical Wisdom

they are wise in the sense of having justified insight into the values and conduct necessary for living well; what ought to be

Theoretical Philosophy

inquiry for the purpose of gaining theoretical wisdom

Practical Philosophy

inquiry for the purpose of gaining practical wisdom

If everyone has theoretical and practical beliefs, what sets philosophers apart?

philosophers are set apart in that they systematically try to ensure that heir belief systems are consistent, concrete, and rationally grounded.

What is the definition of philosophy

philosophy is the discipline of rational inquiry into the truth of, reasons for, and meaning of our fundamental beliefs (those that cannot be determined by empirical science), undertaken in order to achieve theoretical and practical wisdom

Rational Inquiry

means there are rules to doing philosophy well or doing it poorly. you can't just bullshit philosophy; philosophy has to follow the rules of logic rationality

Truth

avoiding deception and subjective opinions. It is getting at the truth and backing it up. Philosophy is after the answer, NOT what we want the answer to be.

Reason

when you practice philosophy, not only do you want to know the truth, but you want to have solid claims and evidence to back those claims up

Meaning

sometimes what we're getting at is clarity, asking what you mean. It might be difficult to clarify, but it is crucial to make sure arguments are on the same page.

Fundamental Beliefs

philosophers don't just ask about any random beliefs, they try to downshift as much to the most basic, fundamental beliefs

Undertaken in Order to Achieve Theoretical and Practical Wisdom

What's the point? the point to philosophers is to achieve theoretical and practical wisdom. Wise people think about their beliefs and try to back them up with the truth, and they try to find depth in them.

What are the primary theoretical branches of philosophy

metaphysics, epistemology, and logic

What are the primary practical branches of philosophy

normative ethics and normative social political philosophy

Metaphysics

studies the ultimate nature or features of reality. they are super out there but have little practical real world application

Epistemology (theory of knowledge)

studies the nature of knowledge and the justification of knowledge claims. knowledge claims aren't slippery and they have right answers.

Empiricism

Think epistemology. But it's the idea that all knowledge has to tie into the senses.

Rationalism

idea that knowledge worthy of the name has to be grounded in logic or mathematics. this helps us understand why 1 + 1 = 2 when it doesn't fit into the empirical definition

Logic

studies the rules of reasoning (trying to separate out the correct ones from the incorrect ones). We all engage in persuasion and reason; logic is the study that tries to determine which rules are correct and which rules are incorrect

Normative Ethics

studies how one ought to live to be happy and flourish and how persons ought to treat one another

Normative Social Political Philosophy

studies how society, their people, and their institutions ought to be organized

Secondary Branches of Philosophy

"Philosophy of..." they break down the primary branches into smaller sub units. These are more focused in the object of investigation

Secondary Branches of Philosophy: Applied Ethics

medical ethics, business ethics, and business ethics.

Secondary Branches of Philosophy: Studies in the History of Philosophy

ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary.

Secondary Branches of Philosophy: 'Movements in Philosophy'

existentialism, secular humanism, and feminism.

Similarities Between Philosophy and Science

both disciplines try to use reason to undertake the nature of reality. In a general sense they are both trying to find truth and reason just on different levels

Differences Between Philosophy and Science

they work at different levels of specificity. Science is not equipped to tackle practical (ought) questions about good/bad right/wrong.

Science tackles questions through the scientific method

Philosophy tackles more abstract questions.

Similarities Between Philosophy and Religion

both disciplines tackle fundamental theoretical and practical questions. Both are trying to figure out the nature of the world and how to live in it. Many would even say people get their ethics from religion

Differences Between Philosophy and Religion

Philosophy proceeds with the open use or reason as much as possible while religion incorporated doctrine faith elements

Why Study Philosophy: Intrinsic reason

living a philosophical life is a core part of living a good life. Some people asking these philosophical questions belie that they are deepening their lives

Why Study Philosophy: practical reasons

studying philosophy helps one to achieve practical goals (regarding graduate success, jobs, and pay)