Philosophy People Hunt
1. Find someone who can tell you what philosophy means.
2. Find someone who can tell you something about a
particular philosopher.
3. Find someone who can tell you what wisdom is and
identify a wise person.
4. Find someone who can give you a reason why someone
would want to prove the existence of God.
5. Find someone who can tell you about a philosophical
question he/she is particularly interested in.
6. Find someone who can tell you his/her goal in taking
this course and how it will be achieved.
What is Philosophy?
Etymological definition from
Greek: “the love of wisdom”
We sometimes use the term
“philosophy” to refer to a
person’s code of values or the
beliefs by which they live
An academic discipline
A methodology which lies at
the root of all subjects
The practical activity of raising
fundamental questions and
attempting to answer them in
thinking and writing
The Branches of Philosophy
Metaphysics – literally, “after or beyond the
physical,” the study of “ultimate reality” or how
things really are.
Epistemology – the study of knowledge or how to
tell when we really know something.
Ethics – the study of moral problems, right and
wrong, and practical reasoning.
Logic – the study of the rules of correct reasoning.
Aesthetics – the study of feelings and judgments
related to beauty and art.
See also Fields of Philosophy
The Goal of Wisdom:
Who is Wise?
The chief goal of wisdom is a
fundamental understanding of
reality as it relates to living a
good life.
A wise person practices calm
and serene judgment in
everyday life.
The attainment of wisdom
involves reflection, insight,
learning from experience, and a
plausible conception of the
human condition.
The History of Philosophy
Ancient Philosophy (7th
century B.C. to 5th century
A.D.)
Medieval Philosophy (500
to 1500)
Modern Philosophy (16th
to 19th centuries)
Postmodern or
Contemporary Philosophy
(20th century to present)
The Search for Truth
Philosophy is perhaps the most “open” of all
subjects, since no question or point of view is off
limits.
The history of philosophy has been described as
“the history of heresy,” since it challenges us to
question even our most cherished beliefs.
As one famous philosopher put it, “I do not know
how to teach philosophy without becoming a
disturber of the peace.” – Baruch Spinoza
What is your goal? How will you
achieve it?
Be active and responsible
Ask questions
Read, reflect, reread, discuss,
self-recite
Reading strategies
PQRST
How to Read a Book, by
Mortimer Adler and Charles
Van Doren
Inspectional, Analytic, and
Syntopic
Be mindful and confident!
Why try to prove the
existence of God?
Alleviate doubt, have
certainty and increase
knowledge
Reconcile faith and reason
Convert non-believers
Increase the power of the
Church
Avoid “begging the
question”
Begging the Question
A type of logical fallacy involving circular reasoning in
which the conclusion of an argument (what is to be
proved) is already assumed in the premises. For example,
the following argument can be said to beg the question:
“God exists. This is true because the Bible says that God
exists, and the Bible is the Word of God.” The existence of
God, which this argument purports to prove, is assumed in
the premises. The phrase “begging the question” is
frequently misused in conversation and popular media.
However, begging the question is not equivalent to raising
the question.