General Philosophy Overview

General Philosophy

• Philosophy is all rational inquiry, excluding science
• Philosophical questions examine the limits of human inquiry and knowledge
• Philosophy seeks better understanding through non-scientific issues

Branches of Philosophy

• Metaphysics: the study of reality, including the existence of God, and the nature of free will
• Epistemology: the study of knowledge and justified belief
• Ethics: the study of what one ought to do and how one should live

Metaphysics

• Attempts to establish metaphysical worldviews have often been unsuccessful
• 19th-century dismissal, followed by a resurgence in recent decades
• Modern analytic metaphysics aims for modest goals, avoiding absolute truth claims about reality

Epistemology

• Concerned with the nature of knowledge and justified belief
• Examines questions about the extent of human knowledge, such as knowledge of the laws of nature or the existence of other minds.
• Extreme skepticism denies the possibility of any knowledge.

Ethics

• Examines what ought to be done and how one should live
• Includes religiously inspired views and moral relativism
• Aims to understand right and wrong, regardless of whether they're religiously motivated or based on social consensus

The Philosophy of Science

• Investigates the nature of science
• Addresses metaphysical and epistemological questions related to science, such as what science is and how we can know scientific truths.

The Philosophy of Love

• Focuses on metaphysical and ethical aspects of love.
• Studies the nature of love and its value.

Main Characteristics of Philosophy

• Universality: avoiding mystical or superstitious beliefs
• Critical Knowledge: verification through diverse methods
• Certainty: seeking profound answers, rather than simple responses
• Systematicness: structured presentation of ideas
• Transversality: consideration of multiple areas of study
• Methodology : utilization of reason and logical discourse for analysis
• Worldview: understanding the totality of the universe

Value of Philosophy

• Philosophy does not always establish definitive knowledge.
• It helps probe deeply into philosophical questions originally considered unanswerable.
• It can encourage and lead to rejection of intuitive and commonplace notions.

Bertrand Russell's View on Philosophy

• Philosophy is important for several reasons, including frustrating beliefs about easy answers, encouraging the exploration of new possibilities, and exposing prejudices.
• The primary value of philosophy, in Russell's view, lies in questioning unexamined presumptions and opening the mind to new possibilities.

Western versus Eastern Philosophy

• Eastern philosophy emphasizes practical application for a virtuous life
• Eastern philosophies tend to consider all things interconnected, emphasizing how to deal with life's struggles
• Western philosophy is more frequently analytical, trying to define terms in relation to the world

Indian Philosophy

• Focuses on oneness, transcending dualities.
• Values self-knowledge and emphasis on selflessness
• Includes six types of knowledge -Perception -Inference
• Verbal testimony
• Comparison
• Presumption -Non-existence

Law of Karma

• Actions in past or present affect future.
• Consequences determine future lives or states (heaven/hell).
• Unseen forces direct effects of karma.

Chinese Philosophy

• Rooted in practical politics, not necessarily cosmology
• Many schools of thought post-Zhou dynasty
• Influenced Western concepts of just rule
• Ideas of Daoism and virtue in governance

Stages of Change

• Cyclical/dynamic view of world
• Change is viewed as transition, not opposition.
• 10,000 manifestations form the world

Dao

• Dao is beyond human comprehension
• Living in accordance with the Dao is intuitive and spontaneous actions, rejecting human ambition and social expectations.

Greek Philosophy

• Pre-Socratics: philosophers prior to Socrates, interested in the fundamental concepts that underlie reality.
• Milesians: early Greek philosophers who questioned the nature of the cosmos, such as Thales (who proposed water as the basic substance of all things) .
• Pythagoreans: recognized the importance of mathematics and numbers in understanding the cosmos.
• Sophists: early Greek philosophers who focused on practical application of rhetoric and argumentation.
• Plato: student of Socrates, emphasized forms as the true objects of knowledge and the importance of intellectual and moral excellence.
• Aristotle: student of Plato, rejected the Theory of Forms, focused on the empirical world, and developed a system of logic.

Islamic Philosophy

• Islamic philosophy was largely inspired by Greek philosophy
• Islamic philosophers engaged in translating and interpreting Greek works
• Islamic Philosophy sought to harmonize faith and reason, combining religious beliefs with Greek rationalism.
• Islamic philosophers faced challenges from religious scholars and authorities
• Later, the focus shifted to trying to reconcile faith with reason.