Philosophy Q3

• Philosophy


  The study of general and fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language
• Philosophers


  People who engage in philosophy
• Pre-Socratic Philosophers


  • Greek thinkers who developed independent and original schools of thought from the time of Thales of Miletus (l. c. 585 BCE) to that of Socrates of Athens (470/469-399 BCE)
• Thales of Miletus


  • The first man who coined the word "philosophy"
  • He challenged the traditional Greek view of religion, mythology, and superstition as an explanation for the universe and its contents
  • He believed the Earth floats on water and all things come to be from water
• Anaximander


  • He thought there was something called the "apeiron", which means the infinite or boundless, that created everything in the universe in a systematic way
  • He suggested that living things changed over time to fit their surroundings, like the idea of evolution
• Anaximenes


  • He considered air as the primary element, or the First Cause, behind the existence of all things
  • He believed air could change its form by becoming denser or rarer, which led to the creation of different substances and phenomena
• Pythagoras


  • A mathematician and scientist who formulated the Pythagorean theorem
  • He believed that numbers and mathematics were the ultimate truth behind everything
  • He believed in the idea of reincarnation
• Heraclitus


  • He proposed that everything that exists is based on a higher order or plan which he called logos, and fire forms the basic material principle of an orderly universe
  • He taught that everything was in flux, constantly changing
• Parmenides


  • Founder of Eleatic School of thought
  • He believed in Monism: the idea that everything in the world is made of one substance that is unchanging and eternal
  • He argued that change is just an illusion because the true essence of reality remains constant
• Empedocles


  • He disagreed with the idea that change was just an illusion and thought diversity was the fundamental aspect of existence
  • He reintroduced the traditional Greek concept of the four elements: water, air, fire, and earth and added the notions of strife and love as forces driving change
• Leucippus


  • He and his student Democritus proposed the idea of atoms, which are tiny, indivisible particles that make up everything in the universe
  • This led to the belief that fate was more powerful than free will because human life is governed by the continual change of atoms
• Aristotle


  • He considered Thales to be the first philosopher and his philosophical predecessor
  • He believed that Thales may have thought the world came from water because everything contains moisture
  • He attended Plato's Academy and was a prominent student and teacher
• Democritus


  He proposed that everything in the universe is made up of tiny, indivisible particles called atoms, which are the fundamental building blocks of matter
• Socrates


  He was credited with formulating the Socratic method, a means of examining a topic by devising a series of questions that let the learner examine and analyze his knowledge and views
• Plato


  • A student of Socrates, he wrote down his mentor's teachings and incorporated some of his own ideas
  • His most significant ideas included his Theory of Forms and the dialectic method
• Diogenes of Sinope


  He is considered one of the founders of Cynicism, a philosophical school that emphasized living a simple life in accordance with nature and rejecting social conventions and material possessions
• Epicurus


  • He believed that the goal of life was to achieve happiness, which he defined as the absence of pain and the presence of pleasure
  • He advocated for the pursuit of simple, moderate pleasures over extravagant ones
• Holistic Thinking


  • A perspective that considers large-scale patterns in systems
  • Requires an open mindset and ability to get the general sense or impression regarding a situation
• Partial (Detail-Oriented)


  • Focuses on specific aspects of a situation
  • An important component of analytical thinking
• We philosophize because it's inherent in human nature, driven by our tendencies to wonder and doubt
• Wondering


  The start of philosophizing and the beginning of wisdom
• Plato: 'The urge to philosophize stems from our innate sense of wonder when faced with new experiences'
• Descartes: 'The need to philosophize is attributed to doubt, as it prompts us to critically examine ideas and determine their truthfulness'
• Doing Philosophy


  Engaging oneself in wondering and seeking answers
• Plato: 'The urge to philosophize stems from our innate sense of wonder when faced with new experiences'
• Socrates: 'I know that I know nothing'
• Descartes


  The need to philosophize stems from doubt, as it prompts us to critically examine ideas and determine their truthfulness
• Karl Jaspers: 'Philosophy arises from our experiences, particularly those that present challenges or limitations, allowing us to understand and transcend these obstacles'
• Karl Jaspers: 'Philosophy arises from our experiences, particularly those that present challenges or limitations. Philosophy allows us to understand and transcend these obstacles, gaining new perspectives'
• The driving force behind the need to philosophize is the love for wisdom, characterized by an insatiable desire for truth
• Metaphysics


  The study of the fundamental nature of reality, exploring concepts such as existence, identity, time, space, causality, and possibility
• Branches of Metaphysics

  • Ontology
  • Cosmology
  • Theodicy
  • Psychology
• Epistemology


  The study of the nature of knowledge, belief, and justification, focusing on questions like what is knowledge, how is it acquired, and what are the limits of knowledge
• Logic


  The study of reasoning and argumentation, concerned with the validity and soundness of arguments
• Logic involves deductive reasoning
• Ontology


  A metaphysical study of all realities so far as they exist. It examines the fundamental categories of being and the relationships between them.
• Cosmology


  Investigates questions related to the origin, structure, and fate of the universe.
• Theodicy


  Examines questions about the nature of God, the nature of evil, and the relationship between human beings and the divine.
• Psychology (in the context of special metaphysics)


  Delves into the nature of the mind, consciousness, and mental phenomena.
• Epistemology


  Study of the of knowledge, belief, and justification.