PHCL 102: Philosophical Questions - 2022 Lecture 1 PDF

PHCL 102: PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTIONS PRESENTATION 1: WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY? Dr. Mrs. Nancy Myles B. Gyamfi (Lecturer/Examiner) U.G; Humanities; Philosophy and Classics, June – August 2022 [email protected] ...

PHCL 102: PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTIONS PRESENTATION 1: WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY? Dr. Mrs. Nancy Myles B. Gyamfi (Lecturer/Examiner) U.G; Humanities; Philosophy and Classics, June – August 2022 [email protected]  Understanding Philosophy as an academic discipline What it is… What it is not… What you need to do it… Etymology… Main branches… Sub-fields… Approaches to doing it… Values/general uses of Philosophy… 6/28/2022 Dr. (Mrs.) Nancy Myles Baffour Gyamfi 2  WHAT IT IS NOT? 1. not an atheist discipline 2. not a reserve of elderly sages 3. not abstruse (difficult to understand) 4. not abstract (impractical) 5. not a descriptive study (not narration, memorization, field work, laboratory experiments etc.; not the mere gathering of factual information) 6/28/2022 Dr. (Mrs.) Nancy Myles Baffour Gyamfi 3  WHAT IT IS 1. A discipline that nurtures and improves the natural reasoning skill or ability that each person already has and exercises (curiosity, wonder, question asking aimed at acquiring wisdom for bettering human co-existence). 2. Discipline of people of great wisdom (applicable/useful knowledge) 3. Practical to every-day life 4. A normative study (a rational activity, centering in argument and the critical evaluation of evidence/premises) 6/28/2022 Dr. (Mrs.) Nancy Myles Baffour Gyamfi 4  What do you need to be a philosopher one indispensable tool needed to be a good philosopher is an inquiring or questioning mind!!! - Necessary for (Reflecting upon the fundamental presuppositions of thought and action, or the ends to which the conduct of human life should be directed). 6/28/2022 Dr. (Mrs.) Nancy Myles Baffour Gyamfi 5  ETHYMOLOGY (Ancient Greece) Philo and Sophia- Loving wisdom (what you love you pursue!) Wisdom is not mere knowledge (it is using what you know to solve problems … e.g. Solomon) Kwame Gyekye’s view of Philosophy: a conceptual response to practical existential problems “The unexamined life is not worth-living” – Socrates 6/28/2022 Dr. (Mrs.) Nancy Myles Baffour Gyamfi 6  Main branches Metaphysics: What is real? What exists? Etc Epistemology: What is knowledge? What is the justification of… Logic: principles for correct and incorrect reasoning Value-Theory: – Ethics: What is ‘good’? What is right? – Aesthetics: what is ‘art’, beauty etc? 6/28/2022 Dr. (Mrs.) Nancy Myles Baffour Gyamfi 7  SUB-FIELDS SUB-FIELDS OF ETHICS - Social and political - Philosophy of Law - Medical Ethics - Business Ethics As a second-order activity: Philosophy of history, of religion, of science, of culture, of language, of feminism 6/28/2022 Dr. (Mrs.) Nancy Myles Baffour Gyamfi 8  APPROACHES TO DOING PHILOSOPHY There are two main overlapping, related and complementary approaches to doing philosophy: 1. Analytic approach (conceptual analysis or metaphilosophical): analysis of concepts; clarification of language. E.g. “good”, “freedom”. Critique: overemphasizes questions of meaning and underemphasizes questions of truth(reality). 6/28/2022 Dr. (Mrs.) Nancy Myles Baffour Gyamfi 9  Approaches cont’d 2. Speculative approach: systematic inquiry into a comprehensive and integrated view of reality. E.g. The question of the highest good, life after death, the possibility of altruistic acts, whether a lie is ever ‘right’, the correct standard of morality etc. Critique: impossible and non-sensed (pseudo- scientific) questions. 6/28/2022 Dr. (Mrs.) Nancy Myles Baffour Gyamfi 10  A WORKING DEFINITION! Philosophy is A critical analysis of fundamental concepts and a normative discussion of how human thought and action ought to function, as well as the description of the nature of reality. 6/28/2022 Dr. (Mrs.) Nancy Myles Baffour Gyamfi 11  GYEKYE’S VIEW Philosophy is a conceptual response to practical problems of existence. 6/28/2022 Dr. (Mrs.) Nancy Myles Baffour Gyamfi 12  THE VALUE OF PHILOSOPHY 1. Nurtures critical and evaluative abilities: 2. An understanding and appreciation of the ideas, values and institutions of human society. 3. Liberation from prejudice by challenging (traditions, beliefs, norms)to a well-reasoned and matured faith for instance. 4. Less susceptible to gullibility (advertisements; cultural borrowing, politics, propaganda, …) 5. Develops the capacity to see the world from the perspective of other persons and cultures. 6/28/2022 Dr. (Mrs.) Nancy Myles Baffour Gyamfi 13  GENERAL USES OF PHILOSOPHY General Problem Solving (managerial skills) Communication Skills Persuasive Powers Writing Skills (organize ideas and issues to fish out pros and cons) Development of sound methods of research and analysis 6/28/2022 Dr. (Mrs.) Nancy Myles Baffour Gyamfi 14  Identifying a Philosophical issue Person 1: widespread use of pesticides and additives in the production of food has serious and damaging effects on the human body. Person 2: the increased instances of cancer in modern society are directly related to the expanded use of chemicals. 6/28/2022 Dr. (Mrs.) Nancy Myles Baffour Gyamfi 15  Philosophical issue cont’d Person 3: the government has a responsibility to ban such agents from foods, since all persons are obligated to preserve life. Person 4: I think the highest good is not the preservation of life. The government has no obligation to its people except non-interference in their private affairs. * do you see that persons 3 and 4 are not just stating observations? They are prescribing not just describing. They are arguing (giving reasons why something ought to be the case, not just describing what is the case… 6/28/2022 Dr. (Mrs.) Nancy Myles Baffour Gyamfi 16  END OF PRESENTATION 1 PHCL 102 BLESSED WEEK!! Dr. Nancy Myles Gyamfi 6/28/2022 Dr. (Mrs.) Nancy Myles Baffour Gyamfi 17