Introduction to Philosophy

Philosophy Overview

• Philosophy comprises all rational inquiry outside of science.
• Historical views, such as those from Logical Positivists, suggested only scientific inquiry was intelligible, but this is now contested.
• Issues around the scope of rational inquiry highlight philosophical questions, rather than scientific ones.

Key Areas of Philosophy

• Philosophy spans various inquiries beyond scientific topics, often categorized into three primary branches: metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics.

Metaphysics

• Explores fundamental questions about the nature of reality.
• Traditional questions include:
  • Existence of God.
  • Nature of human free will.
• Contemporary queries focus on:
  • Definition of a "thing."
  • Relationship between space and time.
  • Existence of the past and future.
  • Reality of abstract entities like numbers and properties.
• Historical skepticism towards metaphysics has shifted; recent interest has emerged even though definitive truths remain elusive.
• Modern analytic metaphysics aims to understand how various claims about reality are logically connected.

Epistemology

• Concerned with the nature of knowledge and justified beliefs.
• Central questions include:
  • What constitutes knowledge?
  • Is knowledge possible, particularly regarding natural laws, morality, and other minds?
• Skepticism is a significant topic, with extreme forms denying any possibility of knowledge.
• Some accept scientific knowledge but remain skeptical of moral knowledge.
• Ethical and scientific knowledge share similar skeptical concerns but may resolve these issues differently.
• Rational justification of beliefs is a key focus, emphasizing that even without absolute certainty, beliefs can still be reasoned.

Ethics

• Addresses what actions we ought to take and how lives and communities should be structured.
• Many students are surprised to learn that moral reasoning can be systematic and rational.
• Ethical concerns often involve considerations of individual and societal well-being beyond divine command.