Introduction to Philosophy

Definitions
Philosophy pursuit of wisdom Ontology/metaphysics the study of what is real Epistemology the study of knowledge, its scope and limits Axiology the study of values
Ethics the study of good and what constitutes a good life Aesthetics the study of the beautiful

The Value of Philosophy

Seeks knowledge increases knowledge Gives freedom from narrow and practical aims; an escape from the daily round More apparent than real Asks questions Frees us from prejudices
Read the article The Value of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell.

Philo-sopher

Philo-sopher one who loves wisdom Knows, in reality, he knows and understands very little Draws people's attention to the eternally good, beautiful and true

Mythology
Attempt to explain how things came to be, origins of the world, connected to religion, supernatural Oral tradition Roman and Greek Most well-known Greek Homer writer circa 850 BC Illiad and the Odyssey

Rational Thinking
Aim of early Greek philosophers is to find natural rather than supernatural explanations for natural practices 580 Before Common Era (BCE) or Before Christ (BC) Emergence of rational thinking, explanations without appealing to religion or tradition First teachers who encourage students to think for themselves, argue and discuss Eastern Mediterranean was the birthplace of Western Philosophy

Eastern Philosophy
Confucianism Taoism Buddhist Philosophy Hindu Philosophy

Natural Philosophers
Nature of the physical world Science Thales 625BC 545BC Greek colony in Asia Minor first known philosopher everything from water single basic substance Anaximander 610-546 BC all created things are limited that which comes before and after must be boundless - basic stuff could not be as ordinary as water Anaximenes 570-526 BC source of all things must be air or vapour

Democritus
460-370 BC everything was built up of tiny invisible blocks (p. 43) Each block was eternal and immutable firm and solid not all the same different shapes and sizes unlimited number Called atoms, un-cuttable (p. 43)

Athens circa 450 BC

Cultural center of the Greek world. (p. 61) Focus changed from natural philosophy to the individual and the individuals place in society. (p. 62) Democracy evolved Art of rhetoric saying things in a convincing manner. (p. 62)

Prominent Philosophers
Sophist a wise and informed person (p. 62) man and his place in society (p. 62) No absolute norms for what was right or wrong. (p. 63) Protogoras (485-410 BC) Man is the measure of all things (p. 62)

Socrates
470-399 BC there are norms wrote nothing down greatest influence on western thinking taught in the city squares known to us through Platos writings we must use our reason to grasp philosophical truths p. 65 feigned ignorance Socratic irony

Reading Assignment
Athens (p. 72-77) Plato (p. 78-93) Aristotle (p. 104-120)

Plato
428-347 BC Pupil of Socrates theory of ideas Myth of the cave denies the reality of the natural world We must become enlightened

Aristotle
384-322 BC student of Plato Elemental theory fire, water, wind, earth Rejected Plato's world of ideas Senses are important Women as inferior logic

Ancient Eastern
Hinduism yoga, 3rd largest religion (Islam, Christianity), love, peace Buddhism enlightenment, 3 jewels (Buddha - look up to enlightened one, Dharma be like Buddha, Sangha community of enlightened), Kharma, end mental suffering Confucianism Kung-tzu, 5 classics (), Golden Rule and Silver Rule (be nice to others), respect and morality Taoism Yin and Yang, positive and negative, balance, duality that forms a whole

Renaissance
Machiavelli 1469-1527 control populace politics, government - two books, The Prince is still used today in politics (Stalin really liked The Prince), ends justify the means, fear tactic in leadership (better feared than loved) Erasmus church is corrupt, opposed to church, but remained a catholic, wanted to better/purify Luther reformation, better/clean up church Calvin, Knox, Brahe, Descartes, Bacon

 Spinoza 1632-1677 Ethics pantheism all is God one substance God is the cause of all things, which are in him Rationalist Mystic Man is the derived mode of all of Gods attributes Hobbes 1588-1679 first materialist natural, physical world is all there is government and political thinking - The Leviathan The value or worth of a man is, as of all things, his price.

 Locke 1632-1704 father of empiricism and liberalism, education. All mankind is good and ought not to harm one another. No mans knowledge here can go beyond his experiences. primary and secondary qualities in all objects Hume 1711-1776 nothing is certain, empiricist, take actions because of morals senses Beauty is in the mind which contemplates them. sensation is outward sentiment and reflection is the inward

Leibniz 1646 1716 rationalist borrowed reality There is a reason why every fact is as it is and not otherwise. calculus (Leibniz or Newton)

Enlightenment
17th to 18th century Moving from religion to fact/science Age of reason Not a single movement or thought, but rather a set of values Figure out a reason why we are here without using religion as an answer thinking outside the box The way people thought was changing Politics and how people were governed

European Thinkers
Voltaire (French) rationalist - theatre is greatest form of art no reason for war Rousseau (French) humans innately good, but corrupted by society common good of society should live according to social rules Smith (British) wealth and economics money shapes the individual Immanuel Kant (German) rationalism and empiricism come together Schopenhauer (German) western philosophy meets eastern greatly influenced music, literature and other arts

Existentialism/Modernism
Kierkegaard 1813-1855 father of existentialism - individual finds own identity a problem mystery of own existence Existentialism study of existence, questioning ones existence, perceive what is thought to be true deBeauvoir - 1908-1986 French existentialist Sartre - feminism Sartre we create our own purpose, bad faith to lie to ones self free choice Descartes I think therefore I am. doubted method of doubt - rationalist

Senses or Reason
Epistemology the theory of knowledge nature of knowledge what we can know Empiricists believe that we learn through our senses; we learn based on observation, experience ; we are born with a clean slate (tabula rasa). Remember: Empiricist = Experience. Rationalists believe one has to have an understanding of ones self to learn Know thyself; senses offer a limited world; rely on truths, logic and intuition Kant synthesized the two need reason and the senses to learn

New words
Priori statements using reason alone Posteriori judgements using sensory experience Noumenal pertaining to things as they are in themselves (not as they appear to our senses) Phenomenal pertaining to the senses

Rationalists
Descartes Leibniz Spinoza

Empiricists
Locke Berkeley Hume