Mid term exam

Introduction to philosophy
Instructor name
mam saima amir
submitted
by aqsa minhas
18601502-033
Q1-What is the role of philosophy in our life?
The role of philosophy in our life is to look for the abstract truths that are relevant to human existence.

Philosophy is a science that studies that studies the elemental aspects of nature of existence

Few key feature of role of philosophy in our life are

• Philosophy help us be reasonable

• Philosophy help us be moral
• It help lead us to attain great achievements
• It satisfy our sense of being human in a very unique/different way
• It help us be more creative
• It help us to identify betrayal

Q2-Has this course so far answered any of your

question related to the world?
Yes this course help me a lot in resolving my queries about this world. Firstly, it
change my perspective of thinking and evaluating different matters. It engage me
to think with reason and logic. One of my query was that DO WE HAVE FREEE
WILL. Moreover, I got my answer is yes with a reason, second query was that how
philosophy change our life and I also got the answer with a logic, and so far many
of my questions were answered.

Q3- Do you think you have free will? Give at least two
examples.
Yes, we do have free will to some extent. As a Muslim we do have free will on
some things like our fate has already been decide but the option to choose the
right or wrong path or in simple word to make decision between good or bad is in
our hands .For example we follow ALLAH and HOLY PROPHET [PBUH] Their
teaching told us to offer prayers, but If we don’t obey no one can physical enforce
us. It is the case when a doctor told us not to take sugar, can take on our own free
will, because non-one can physically enforce us
Q4-Give at least two examples of Casual Determinism.

Casual determinism is a belief that the future events are oblige with past and
present events. Combined with the law of nature, all events have a cause and
effect
Example 1
If you put water in freezer, the water will ultimately change its shape from liquid
to ice
Example 2
On a very cold day, you take shower and immediately after shower, you turn on
the fan so ultimately you will get cold and fever.

Q5-How do you know that you are not a computer

program?
YES, we are not a computer program because we do have some innate knowledge
of things, but software’s or any other program does not control us, we have your
own choice in making decision and in their implementation. We are responsible
for our own thoughts, emotions, feelings.no one can enforce us to change our
mood

Q6-Difference between the philosophy of Islam and

other western philosophy?
Islamic and western philosophy are quit same because they both are the
continuation of ancient Greek thoughts.
Islamic philosophy is concerned with problems of being, knowledge ,soul ,god and
religion ,on the other hand western philosophy is more concerned on logic and
reason moreover its lies more emphasis on determinism .Islamic philosophy
originated IN GREECE and first Muslim philosopher was AL – KINDI and first
Islamic philosophy was AL –FARABI.
Western philosophy studies secularism, humanism, scientific temperament,
progress and development.

Q7-What is the difference between mind and brain

Mind is immaterial and abstract in nature. another word for mind is soul or spirit
.Mind exist but can’t be seen anywhere, we can’t say that mind is located at one
particular place, while the brain is thee boss of body which control everthing.mind
cannot function without the brain ,its psychological, whereas the brain is purely
biological.so the philosopher uses both in doing his job . Therefore, for me, simple
without the brain there cannot be mind. I do believe that our thoughts and
feelings are real in sense that they emerged from our brain and we can record
them verbally o can write them down.

Q8-RENE DESCRATE says, “I think therefore I am” what is

your point of view?
Renee Descartes was trying to prove that he exists. He had doubts about his and
other people’s existence. He was a Rationalist philosopher. I think therefore I am
means that the fact that someone is doubting (thinking), someone must be doing
the doubting (thinking). Therefore, the doubter (thinker) exists. Renee Descartes
used this argument to prove his existence. He was a hyperbolic doubter so he
tried to establish certainty with his philosophy, specifically using his method
described in his book ‘Meditations on First Philosophy.

Q9-what do you understand by the term inner justice?

Inner justice as psychic harmony refers not merely to psychological stability, for
that is present in the masterful, perfectly unjust person who sticks to a rationally
organized path of injustice.
Plato’s theory of justice quite different from and contrary to the justice as we
understand it in constitutional-legal terms, can be precisely summed in following
two quotes from the Republic: “Justice is having and doing what is one’s own
“and “A just man is a man just in the right place doing his best and giving full
equivalent of what he receives”.
Inner justice is a human virtue, which make a person self-consistent.

Q10-In one word characterize the overall approach of

ancients sages, it is humanism?

Humanism is a belief in the value, freedom, and independence of human beings.

For a humanist, all human beings are born with moral value, and have a
responsibility to help one another live better lives. Humanism emphasizes reason
and science over scripture (religious texts) and tradition, and believes that human
beings are flawed but capable of improvement. It also tries to discover the truths
about the universe and humanity’s place within it. Humanism is usually very
individualistic, seeing each person as important in his or her own right, regardless
of the needs of the community. Some humanists, however, have a more
collectivist outlook that focuses on balancing individual rights against the needs of
the community.