Doing Philosophy Lecture Notes

Practice flashcards covering the definitions, methods, branches, and reflective levels of philosophy as presented in the lecture.

Synoptic Vision

A broad and complete understanding of life, aimed at seeing the whole picture rather than focusing only on small fragments of reality.

Synoptikos

A Greek word meaning "seeing the whole together" or "taking a comprehensive view."

Holistic Thinking

A way of thinking associated with a generalist who looks at the bigger picture to increase awareness and understanding of everyday life.

Partial Thinking

A way of thinking associated with a specialist who focuses on a specific area and has a deep understanding of details within their field.

Dilettante or Dabbler

Critical terms used to describe generalists or holistic thinkers who are seen as lacking deep specialization in a specific field.

Philien and Sophia

The Greek roots of the word Philosophy, meaning "love" (philien) and "wisdom" (sophia).

Pythagoras

The individual credited with being the first to call himself a philosopher.

Conceptual Engineer

Simon Blackburn's description of a philosopher, who studies how thoughts and ideas are organized similarly to how engineers study structures.

Concept

The basic building blocks of philosophical thinking; they are universal, permanent, and come from experience.

Language

The words and symbols used to express concepts; unlike concepts, it is arbitrary and varies across cultures.

Metaphysics

The fundamental branch of philosophy that studies reality and existence.

Ethics

The fundamental branch of philosophy that studies morality, the good life, and what is right and wrong.

Epistemology

The fundamental branch of philosophy that studies knowledge and truth.

Logic

The fundamental branch of philosophy that studies correct reasoning and sound arguments.

Political Philosophy

The fundamental branch of philosophy that studies society, government, justice, and the duties of citizens.

Aesthetics

Also known as the Philosophy of Art, it is the fundamental branch that studies beauty and art.

Reflection

According to Gabriel Marcel, the act of paying attention to moments that interrupt daily routines to think deeply about life beyond automatic actions.

Primary Reflection

A level of reflection that views things as problems to be analyzed in a detached, objective way; it forms the basis of scientific knowledge.

Secondary Reflection

A level of reflection that reconnects the object to the self and personal experience, leading to a deeper understanding of meaning and value.