Introduction to Philosophy

Philosophy

• Derived from Greek words "philos" (love) and "sophia" (wisdom), meaning "love of wisdom".
• Pythagoras was the first to identify as a "philosopo," meaning "lover of wisdom".
• A systematic approach to examining what is right, true, good, and beautiful, relying solely on human reason.

Holistic vs. Partial Perspective

• Holistic Perspective: Views the entire artwork or situation, enabling an appreciation of its overall beauty and nuances.
• Involves understanding all sides of an issue to maintain objectivity.
• Partial Perspective: Focuses on specific details, akin to "zooming in" on an image.
• Offers a subjective interpretation that fosters empathy based on personal experience.

Importance of Philosophizing

• Philosophy cultivates a "full man," characterized by being cultured, refined, and well-rounded.
• Enhances abilities to synthesize, criticize, systematize, assimilate, and evaluate diverse knowledge.

Logic

• A branch of philosophy analyzing arguments and good argumentation.
• Concerned with correct thinking and reasoning processes.

Fallacies

• Groups of statements that appear as arguments but fail to substantiate their conclusions.

Common Fallacies

• Argumentum ad Hominem: Attacks the person instead of the argument, undermining the issue at hand.
• Argumentum ad Baculum: Uses threats or force as a means to advance an argument.
• Argumentum ad Misericordiam: Appeals to pity or compassion to persuade.
• Argumentum ad Populum: Argues that a claim is acceptable because many people support it.
• Argumentum ad Tradition: Claims an idea is valid because it has been practiced for a long time.
• Argumentum ad Ignorantiam: Suggests something is true or false solely based on lack of evidence against it.
• Petitio Principii: Assumes the truth of what it is trying to prove; also known as circular reasoning.
• Hasty Generalization: Draws conclusions based on insufficient or inadequate evidence.
• Post Hoc, Ergo, Propter Hoc: Assumes causation merely because two events occur sequentially.
• Fallacy of Composition: Infers that what is true for a part is true for the whole.
• Fallacy of Division: Infers that what is true for the whole applies to its individual parts.
• Fallacy of Equivocation: Uses the same term in different contexts with varying meanings.
• Fallacy of Accident: Applies a general rule to a situation that does not fit.
• Argumentum ad Vericundiam: Utilizes the authority of an expert or popular figure to strengthen an argument.

Additional Concepts

• Red Herring: Introduces an irrelevant topic to divert attention from the original issue, though details were not provided in the text.