Introduction: What is Philosophy?

Introduction to Philosophy

• Welcome by Dave Ward, University of Edinburgh

• Aim of the lecture: Understand what philosophy is as a subject

  • Overview of structure:

    • Definition of philosophy

    • Relation of philosophy to other subjects

    • Features of philosophy derived from the definition

    • How to engage in philosophical thinking

    • Great philosophers and their contributions

What is Philosophy?

• Philosophy defined simply as the activity philosophers engage in.

  • Emphasizes that philosophy is more than just a subject; it is an activity.

  • Encouragement for students to actively engage with the material throughout the course.

  • Philosophy is the activity of determining the best way to think about things.

Philosophy vs Other Subjects

• Distinction between merely thinking about a subject and stepping back to evaluate the best way to think about it.

  • All subjects (e.g., astronomy, zoology) aim to think about their domains correctly.

  • Philosophers differentiate by examining the fundamental inquiries of those domains.

Example 1: Physics

• Performing physics involves data collection, measurements, experiments, and theory-building.

• Transitioning from physics to the philosophy of physics:

  • Asking foundational questions, such as:

    • What does it mean for data to confirm/refute a theory?

    • What constitutes our understanding of reality?

Example 2: Medieval Medicine

• Medieval medicine's explanation of diseases based on the 4 humors: blood, black bile, phlegm, yellow bile.

  • This perspective is outdated and has been replaced by more accurate understandings.

• Change in medical thought can arise from:

  • Questioning identities (e.g., what does it mean for a disease to be an imbalance of humors?)

  • Acknowledging important factors beyond humors.

  • Observing the ineffectiveness of treatments based on the outdated framework.

Ways to Revise Our Thinking

• Two sources prompting philosophical revisions:

  • Insight: Philosophical questioning can prompt changes without external validation.

    • Example: Inquiry into the meaning of disease treatment.

  • External Evidence: Observations and discoveries that challenge existing frameworks.

    • Example: Developments in quantum mechanics impacting physics understandings.

Quantum Mechanics as a Revision Case

• Quantum mechanics reveals complexities in traditional thinking about causes and effects:

  • Non-locality: One event can instantaneously affect another far away.

  • Wave-particle duality: Objects exhibiting properties of both waves and particles.

Philosophy's Relationship with Other Subjects

• Philosophy is closely linked to various academic fields.

• Examples include:

  • The philosophy of mind influenced by artificial intelligence developments.

  • Philosophy stepping back to reassess and rethink understanding based on empirical evidence.

Conclusion

• Philosophy characterized as the activity of stepping back to evaluate the best way to understand various domains.

  • Importance of active engagement in this activity, not merely consumption of information.

  • Encouragement for students to think critically and participate in philosophical discussions.