Introduction to Philosophy

philosophy
 Our primary concern is to do what is right
and to believe what is true.
 Philosophy provides us with some of the
intellectual/conceptual skills we need to
achieve this.
 But these skills are difficult to acquire.
 reading philosophy
 Reading philosophy is not like reading other sorts of
texts.
 It is not simply a matter of memorizing facts.
 It involves being able to understand and evaluate claims (views,
positions, theories, analyses, etc.).
 That is, it is a matter of understanding the claims philosophers
are arguing for and the reasons they give for them.
 philosophical lingo

 Grasping philosophical concepts is of the utmost importance to

understanding what philosophers are claiming (and why).
 So, you should make sure to identify all terms or phrases that
you do not understand.
 Look them up in the dictionary (or better yet, in a philosophical
dictionary).
 If this fails, ask us.
doing philosophy
 Philosophy is not merely a matter of developing and
defending one’s own view.
 It requires understanding, considering, and giving fair
weight to competing alternative views.
 You will often see both of these things going on in the
papers you read.
 It is important to distinguish the philosopher’s own view
from those he/she are arguing against.
 doing philosophy
 Philosophy requires that we consider the rational
implications/consequences of our beliefs.
 If you believe that x, then what does that commit you to? what
follows from x?
 Often, upon examination, we find that our beliefs lead us to
unacceptable conclusions:
 “Lying is (always) wrong”
 “Poor people are just lazy”
 “God is omnipotent”
 doing philosophy
 Philosophy involves evaluating arguments.
 To give an argument for a claim is to give reasons (evidence) for
that claim.
 As this suggests, claims are not the same things as arguments.
 What counts as good vs. poor reasons (evidence)?
 Good: Perception/Introspection/Rational intuition/Reasoning/Empirical
data/Expert opinion
 Poor: Hearsay/Social conditioning/Popular opinion/Blind faith