Chapter 1: The Nature of Philosophy

Chained prisoners watch shadows cast on a cave wall by objects passing in front of a fire. To them, the shadows are reality.
If someone is freed, they see the real objects as false and argue that the shadows are real-er.
This process would be blinding for the prisoner and they would begin by first looking at the shadows, then reflections, then objects, the moon and then the sun - the controller of the visual world.
If this man returned to the cave the others would consider him stupid.
The climb is like spiritual ascension.
%%This allegory represents the process of philosophy: hard to do and englightening.%%

It is important to consider philsophy from the prespective of women and those not of the standard western world.

Epistemology looks at the extent and realiability of our knowledge, truth, and logic, and whether knowledge is possible.
Stenstad argues that truth is many and that opposing views can be equally valid and true.

Metaphysics looks at the ultimate characteristics of reality of existence.
d’Holbach said everything is predetermined by causes we do not control, so we are not free.
Frankl, when in Nazi prison, saw humans as being ultimately free.
The hindu concept of Karma combine determinism and freedom.

asks about our moral obligations and moral virtues; our moral principles; what is morally good; and the morality of behaviours, social policies, and social institutions.
Gandhi said that we should selflessly harm no living thing and passively resist evil without violence.
Browne says selfishness is ought to be everyone’s policy.
Rachels says finding satisfaction in helping others is not selfishness.

Socrates question the conventional believes his fellow Athenians
In Euthyphro, he questions a priest knowledge of what holiness is, Socrates, wants but examples but characteristics, they all, and only holy things have in common
Euthyphro, says that whatever God‘s love is, holy, Socrates, replies, the gods can disagree
Also, Socrates, says, %%if the gods love what is holy because it is holy then what makes things holy is not what they are loved by the gods%%.
Euthyphro says that holiness is serving the gods. Socrates, points out that this is the view the earlier decide it was wrong.

In The Republic, Socrates’ questioning gave him the reputation of an irritating “gadfly.”
Thrasymachus says justice is doing what benefits the strong.
And the strong are rulers who make the laws, so justice is following their laws.
Socrates asks what happens if rulers mistakenly pass laws that do not benefit themselves.
Then justice would be following laws that do not benefit the strong, which contradicts what Thrasymachus said.

The Apology is Socrates’ speech at his trial on charges of impiety and corrupting youth.
Socrates says it was his mission to find if the oracle was right when it said he was the wisest man alive.
So he searched for a wiser man by questioning everyone’s knowledge.
He made enemies but learned the wisest man is he who knows he does not know.
His young followers did the same kind of questioning.
He must continue on his mission because it is better to obey god, not people.
If corruption is teaching the young to care more for their inner selves than anything else, then he does corrupt youth.
Questioning is the greatest thing people can do because the unexamined life is not worth living.

In Crito, Socrates’ friend urges him to escape from prison as “the many” would advise.
Socrates replies that we should not listen to the opinions of the many but do what is truly right.
The government will collapse if its laws are not followed, so laws should be obeyed.
Moreover, citizens should obey their government because it is like a parent: It gave them many benefits, and they agreed to obey by freely choosing to stay. So, it is wrong to escape the judgment of the government.

For Buddha, philosophical knowledge frees us from the cycle of birth, suffering, death, and rebirth.

Maslow said humans have “maintenance needs” and “actualizing needs.” Philosophy helps fulfill actualizing needs.
A self-actualized person forms his or her own beliefs, is self-aware, flexible, and creative, and has a clear value system.
Aristotle said happiness is found by developing abilities that satisfy our higher level needs, which are satisfied by exercising our reason and making reasonable choices. Philosophy develops these.

Philosophy also helps us to be more aware, to understand the history of thought, and to think critically.

Feminists such as Moulton and Lloyd argue that philosophy has had a male bias.
Women must engage in philosophy to correct the male biases of previous philosophizing.