Content

• Philosophy
– Introduction
– Definition
– Nature
– Scope
– Concept
– Branches
 Philosophy

Derivation of the word "philosophy"

from the Greek is

•philo—love of, sophos—wisdom

affinity for, liking of
 Introduction to Philosophy

Philosophy is study of the fundamental structure of the universe.

• Theories:………………………..IDEAS
– a) are based on observation,
– b) used to explain observations
• Philosophies are based on theories:…. BELIEFS
– Explain:
• The way things are
• peoples thoughts and emotions
• Concepts over long periods of time
 Importance of Philosophy
1. The study of Philosophy enables us to think carefully and clearly
about important issues.
2. The focus in the study of Philosophy is to learn not what to
believe, but how to think.
3. Studying philosophy sharpens your analytical abilities, enabling
you to identify and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses in any
position.
4. It prompts you to work across disciplinary boundaries and to
think flexibly and creatively about problems which do not
present immediate solutions.
5. Because philosophy is an activity as much a body of knowledge,
it also develops your ability to think and work independently.
 Philosophy- Definition
Philosophy is the systematic inquiry into the principles and
presuppositions of any field of study.
1. From a psychological point of view, philosophy is an attitude,
an approach, or a calling to answer or to ask, or even to
comment upon certain peculiar problems.
2. There is, perhaps, no one single sense of the word
"philosophy." Eventually many writers abandon the attempt to
define philosophy and, instead, turn to the kinds of things
philosophers do.
3. What is involved in the study of philosophy involves is
described by the London Times in an article dealing with the
20th World Congress of Philosophy: "The great virtue of
philosophy is that it teaches not what to think, but how to
think. It is the study of meaning, of the principles underlying
conduct, thought and knowledge. The skills it hones are the
ability to analyse, to question orthodoxies and to express
things clearly.
 Philosophy- Nature
1. Philosophy is a set of views or beliefs about life and the universe, which are
often held uncritically. We refer to this meaning as the informal sense of
philosophy or “having” a philosophy. Usually when a person says “my
philosophy is,” he or she is referring to an informal personal attitude to
whatever topic is being discussed.
2. Philosophy is a process of reflecting on and criticizing our most deeply held
conceptions and beliefs. These two senses of philosophy— “having” and
“doing”— cannot be treated entirely independent of each other, for if we did
not have a philosophy in the formal, personal sense, then we could not do a
philosophy in the critical, reflective sense. Philosophers are reflective and
critical.
3. Philosophy is a rational attempt to look at the world as a whole. Philosophy
seeks to combine the conclusions of the various sciences and human experience
into some kind of consistent world view. Philosophers wish to see life, not with
the specialized slant of the scientist or the businessperson or the artist, but with the
overall view of someone cognizant of life as a totality.
4. Philosophy is the logical analysis of language and the clarification of the
meaning of words and concepts.
 Philosophy- Scope
• Philosophy is undeniably a central pillar underpinning research
design.
• However, prior to developing research projects, many novice
researchers have not previously had reason to identify their own
personal world-view and individual philosophy.
• Despite the potentially confronting process of identifying an
individual philosophy, it is an essential first step in the research
process and demands appropriate attention at the very beginning
of any research project, particularly one with such significant
professional ramifications as the PhD.
• The light-bulb moment when you find the philosophical view that
resonates with you is truly spectacular.
• At that time you start to believe you actually belong here and that
you are not a fraud after all.
 Philosophy- Branches

 Epistemology: examines questions of “how” we come to know

what we know. Knowledge
 Metaphysics, or ontology: considers the nature of reality. What is
Real.
 Axiology: considers questions of values and ethics.
 Logic: examines the processes of deriving valid conclusions
from basic principles.
 Philosophy- Branches: Epistemology

Epistemology: the study of knowledge. In particular, epistemology

is the study of the nature, scope, and limits of human knowledge.
Epistemology investigates the origin, structure, methods, and
integrity of knowledge.

Consider the degree of truth of the statement, "The earth is round."

Does its truth depend upon the context in which the statement is
uttered?
 Philosophy- Branches: Metaphysics (ontology)

• Perceive (Debate)

 Independent of our perception exists.

1) reality is objective and observable

2) reality is actually perceived, since our behavior depends

on our perception.

 Are people basically good?

 What or who is God?

 Philosophy- Branches: Metaphysics (ontology)
Ontology or Metaphysics: the study of what is really real.
Metaphysics deals with the so-called first principles of the natural
order and "the ultimate generalizations available to the human
intellect." Specifically, ontology seeks to indentify and establish the
relationships between the categories, if any, of the types of existent
things.
 Philosophy- Branches: Axiology
Axiology: the study of value; the investigation of its nature, criteria,
and metaphysical status. More often than not, the term "value
theory" is used instead of "axiology" in contemporary discussions
even though the term “theory of value” is used with respect to the
value or price of goods and services in economics.Some significant
questions in axiology include the following:
1. Nature of value: is value a fulfillment of desire, a pleasure, a
preference, a behavioral disposition, or simply a human
interest of some kind?
2. Criteria of value: de gustibus non (est)
disputandum (i.e., (“there's no accounting for tastes”) or do
objective standards apply?
3. Status of value: how are values related to (scientific) facts?
What ultimate worth, if any, do human values have?
 Philosophy- Branches: Axiology
Axiology: PARTS

1. Ethics: the study of values in human behavior or the study of

moral problems: e.g., (1) the rightness and wrongness of actions, (2)
the kinds of things which are good or desirable, and (3) whether
actions are blameworthy or praiseworthy.

2. Aesthetics: the study of value in the arts or the inquiry into

feelings, judgments, or standards of beauty and related concepts.
Philosophy of art is concerned with judgments of sense, taste, and
emotion.
 Philosophy- Branches: Logic
It is the processing of deriving valid conclusions from basic
principles.
• Deductive reasoning
• A major premise, which can be a principle or
generalization.
– 1) Minor premise
– 2) Major premise
– 3) Conclusion
 Philosophy- Branches: Logic

• The term "logic" came from the Greek word logos, which is
sometimes translated as "sentence", "discourse", "reason", "rule",
and "ratio".
• Of course, these translations are not enough to help us understand
the more specialized meaning of "logic" as it is used today.
So what is logic?
• Briefly speaking, we might define logic as the study of the
principles of correct reasoning. This is a rough definition,
because how logic should be properly defined is actually quite a
controversial matter.