Introduction to the Philosophical Journey

Kierkegaard–despairs over achieving fame for making life easier for people

Kierkegaard–task was to create difficulties everywhere

Philosophy and Aerobics

Kierkegaard's point: gain something valuable only by facing difficult issues

What philosophy can give is self-understanding

Self-understanding is a difficult task–"no pain, no gain"

First definition: philosophy is the search for self-understanding

Philosophy and Love

Philosophy means "love of wisdom” Pythagoras: first to call himself a

philosopher Socrates: philosopher has a passion

for wisdom; was intoxicated by this love

Second definition: philosophy is the love and pursuit of wisdom

Philosophy and Peanut Butter

What makes certain questions philosophical questions?

Orwell: meanings of words are important to philosophy

Third definition: philosophy is the asking of questions about the meaning of our most basic concepts

Philosophy and Colds

Everyone is, in one sense, a philosopher Philosophy has to be learned and

practiced Catch ideas as you catch a cold Philosophy asks for evidence and

justification Fourth definition: philosophy is the

search for fundamental beliefs that are rationally justified

What Do Philosophers Study?-1

Logic: Study of principles for distinguishing correct from incorrect reasoning

Epistemology: Questions about nature and source of knowledge, concept of truth, and objectivity or relativity of our beliefs

What Do Philosophers Study?-2

Metaphysics: Area of philosophy concerned with fundamental questions about the nature of reality

Philosophy of religion: Questions about the existence of God, problem of evil, and relationship of faith and reason

What Do Philosophers Study?-3

Ethics Are there any objectively correct

values? Or are they all relative? Which ethical principles (if any) are

the correct ones? How do we decide what is right or

wrong?

What Do Philosophers Study?-4

Political Philosophy What makes a government legitimate? What is justice? What is the proper extent of individual

freedom? What are the limits of governmental

authority? Is disobeying the law ever morally

justified?

Philosophy as a Journey

Text is a guidebook to a journey Readers are explorers Limitation of the metaphor: the

philosophical journey is never finished

Guideposts for Your Journey-1

Scouting the territory Charting the terrain–what are the issues? Choosing a path–what are my options? What do I think? Questionnaire Key to the questionnaire Leading questions Surveying the case for... A reading from...

Guideposts for Your Journey-2

Looking through X's lens Examining the strengths and weaknesses of X Philosophy in the marketplace Thought experiment Stop and think Spotlight on… Checklist Reward of the journey.....self-understanding

Socrates and the Search for Wisdom

Two questions arise from Socrates’ death: 1. Why was a philosopher considered

so dangerous? 2. Why was Socrates willing to die for

his philosophical ideas?

Socrates’ Life and Mission-1

Born 470 B.C. in Athens Father was a sculptor and mother was a

midwife Information about his life comes from Plato's

dialogue, Apology Apology means a formal defense at a court of

law Oracle at Delphi said no man was wiser than

Socrates

Socrates’ Life and Mission-2

Socrates would not forsake his mission, even on pain of death

Socrates calls himself a gadfly Socrates is perceived as arrogant in

arguing his sentence For Socrates, the real danger in life is

not death but living an evil life

Seven Stages of Dialectic 1. Unpacking the philosophical issues 2. Isolating a key philosophical term 3. Professing ignorance and requesting help 4. Proposing a definition 5. Analyzing a definition through questioning 6. Producing an improved definition 7. Facing ignorance

Socrates’ Teachings

The unexamined life is not worth living The most important task in life is caring

for the soul A good person cannot be harmed by

others

Argument and Evidence:How Do I Decide What to

Believe? Does the conclusion logically follow

from the other statements? Avoid the bottom-line syndrome:

looking at the conclusion and not paying attention to the reasons

Criteria for Evaluating Claims and Theories

Clarity Consistency

logical inconsistency self-referential inconsistency

Coherence Comprehensiveness Compatibility Compelling arguments

Elements of Arguments

Premise(s)

Conclusion

Premise and conclusion indicators

Evaluating Arguments

Valid and invalid

Deductive argument

Sound, strong, and cogent arguments

Inductive argument

Conditional Statements

Antecedents

Consequents

Sufficient condition

Necessary condition

Deductive Arguments Modus ponens Modus tollens Fallacy of denying the antecedent Fallacy of affirming the consequent Syllogism Hypothetical syllogism Disjunctive syllogism Fallacy of affirming the disjunct Reductio ad absurdum arguments

Inductive Arguments

Probability Three fallacious inductive arguments

Hasty generalization False cause False analogy

Informal Fallacies Ad hominem (abusive, circumstantial) Appeal to ignorance Begging the question Composition Division Equivocation False dichotomy Strawman Wishful thinking