Introduction to Philosophy

The Great Questions

The philosophers asked What is Beauty? What is
Goodness? What is Justice? What is the best
way to govern a society? What people are fit to
be rulers? (p. 6, What the Bleep do We Know?)
Definitions
Philosophy pursuit of wisdom
Ontology/metaphysics the study of what
is real
Epistemology the study of knowledge, its
scope and limits
Axiology the study of values
Ethics the study of good and what constitutes a good life
Aesthetics the study of the beautiful



The Value of Philosophy
Seeks knowledge increases knowledge
Gives freedom from narrow and practical
aims; an escape from the daily round
More apparent than real
Asks questions
Frees us from prejudices

Read the article The Value of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell.
Philo-sopher
Philo-sopher one who loves
wisdom
Knows, in reality, he knows and
understands very little
Draws people's attention to the
eternally good, beautiful and
true
Mythology
Attempt to explain how things came to be,
origins of the world, connected to religion,
supernatural
Oral tradition
Roman and Greek
Most well-known Greek Homer writer circa
850 BC Illiad and the Odyssey
Rational Thinking
Aim of early Greek philosophers is to find
natural rather than supernatural explanations
for natural practices 580 Before Common
Era (BCE) or Before Christ (BC)
Emergence of rational thinking, explanations
without appealing to religion or tradition
First teachers who encourage students to
think for themselves, argue and discuss
Eastern Mediterranean was the birthplace of
Western Philosophy

Aegean Sea
Eastern Philosophy
Confucianism
Taoism
Buddhist Philosophy
Hindu Philosophy
Sophies World
A Course in Philosophy. Handle with
care. (p. 11)
The best way of approaching
philosophy is to ask a few philosophical
questions... (p. 13)
Today as well each individual has to
discover his own answer to these same
questions. (p. 13)
The only thing we require to be good
philosophers is the faculty of wonder.
(p. 15)
Analogy of the Rabbit's Fur
Who is the magician?
All mortals are born at the very tip of the
rabbit's fine hairs, where they are in a position
to wonder at the impossibility of the trick. But
as they grow older they work themselves ever
deeper into the fur. And there they stay. (p.
18) Where are you?
Why do adults stay deep into the fur?
What are the benefits of crawling back up to
the tip?
Natural Philosophers
Pre-Socratics
Nature of the physical world
Science
Thales 625BC 545BC Greek colony in Asia
Minor first known philosopher everything
from water single basic substance
Anaximander 610-546 BC all created things
are limited that which comes before and after
must be boundless - basic stuff could not be as
ordinary as water
Anaximenes 570-526 BC source of all things
must be air or vapour
Democritus
460-370 BC
everything was built up of tiny invisible blocks (p.
43)
Each block was eternal and immutable
firm and solid
not all the same different shapes and sizes
unlimited number
Called atoms, un-cuttable (p. 43)
How accurate is Democritus
theory to what we know today?
Atoms theory still exists
P. 84 the lego horse Platos idea of the
model plan World of ideas

Athens circa 450 BC
Cultural center of the Greek world. (p. 61)
Focus changed from natural philosophy to
the individual and the individuals place in
society. (p. 62)
Democracy evolved
Art of rhetoric saying things in a
convincing manner. (p. 62)
Prominent Philosophers
Sophist a wise and informed person (p. 62)
man and his place in society (p. 62)
No absolute norms for what was right or wrong. (p.
63)
Protogoras (485-410 BC) Man is the measure of all
things (p. 62)
Socrates
470-399 BC
there are norms
wrote nothing down
greatest influence on western thinking
taught in the city squares
known to us through Platos writings
we must use our reason to grasp
philosophical truths p. 65
feigned ignorance Socratic irony

Socrates
died because of his convictions
The unexamined life
is not worth living.
Reading Assignment
Athens (p. 72-77)
Plato (p. 78-93)
Aristotle (p. 104-120)
Plato
428-347 BC
Pupil of Socrates
theory of ideas
Myth of the cave
denies the reality of
the natural world
We must become
enlightened
Myth of the Cave
From The Republic
What we take in with our senses is not real,
but rather a poor copy of it we see only
shadows imprisoned by our senses the
shadows are less real than the actual
Should take in the world intellectually
Ignorance is likened to imprisonment


Earthly knowledge
is but
Shadow.
Put the Myth of the Cave
in your own words.
l
Plato and
Aristotle
Aristotle
384-322 BC
student of Plato
Elemental theory fire, water, wind, earth
Rejected Plato's world of ideas
Senses are important
Good character ethics and morality
Women as inferior
logic


Four Cardinal Virtues
(according to the Greeks)
Courage
Justice
Temperance
Intelligence
According to Aristotle all virtues necessary
According to Plato knowledge (wisdom)
most important


Cynics
400 BCE
Humans one with nature
True happiness is in our attitude; is not
related to wealth or material possessions;
not in fleeting things
Only need bare necessities
People need not be concerned with health
or other peoples problems
Death should not disturb
Virtue

Stoics
300 BCE
Natural laws
Everything has a necessity, fate
Nothing happens accidently
Must endure suffering
No use in complaining related to own
modern definition
Neg feelings bad judgment

Epicureans
300 BCE
garden philosophers
Pleasure is the highest good.
Pleasure not just physical; includes
friendship, art, self-control
Live for the moment (carpe diem)
Death is not a concern
Today epicurean has negative connotation
of living for pleasure

Mystics
Cosmic spirit one with God

Jesus Christ as a philosopher
Way of life
Taught by speaking to the people
Never wrote anything down
Persecuted for his views
Whom does he resemble?
Socrates

Christs teachings
Love your neighbour, as yourself
Love your enemy
Definition of Love:
Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous,
or conceited, or proud; love is not ill-
mannered, or selfish, or irritable; love does
not keep a record of wrongs; love is not
happy with evil, but is happy with the truth.
Love never gives up: its faith, hope and
patience never fail. (Good News for Modern
Man)

Definitions
Teliology
Monism
dualism
Middle Ages/Medieval
St Augustine - 350 CE religion Platos
world of ideas is world of God God and
nature morally responsible
Religion and philosophy becoming one
Ockham (Occam) Everything should be
made as simple as possible, but not simpler.
(Einstein)
Aquinas philosophy and theology -
christianized Plato
Peckam theologian relied on Augustine
Scotus Aristotle's views nature senses
and intellect



Research Project
In a small group (4-6) research an era or
group of philosophers

Ancient Eastern
Medieval
Renaissance
Baroque
Enlightenment
Romanticism
Modern and Existentialism




Research Project contd
Library time Fri, Mon, Tues - Who are the
prominent thinkers of the era? What were
the key ideas from the era? What did they
think? How did they differ in thinking?
Class time Wed

Presentation of Research
Creative How might these thinkers interact?
Create and present a political campaign, rap
or music video, tea or dinner party; include
costumes and props (last year someone
shaved his head to resemble Buddha : )
Information Teach the class about this era;
include a handout with a summary of key
ideas.
Length 10-20 minutes
Due Date Tues Feb 26
Ancient Eastern
Hinduism yoga, 3
rd
largest religion (Islam,
Christianity), love, peace
Buddhism enlightenment, 3 jewels (Buddha
- look up to enlightened one, Dharma be
like Buddha, Sangha community of
enlightened), Kharma, end mental suffering
Confucianism Kung-tzu, 5 classics, Golden
Rule and Silver Rule (be nice to others),
respect and morality
Taoism Yin and Yang, positive and
negative, balance, duality that forms a whole
Wu-wei action through non-action
Renaissance
Machiavelli 1469-1527 control populace
politics, government - two books, The Prince
is still used today in politics (Stalin really liked
The Prince), ends justify the means, fear
tactic in leadership (better feared than loved)
Erasmus church is corrupt, opposed to
church, but remained a catholic, wanted to
better/purify
Luther reformation, better/clean up church
Calvin, Knox, Brahe, Descartes, Bacon









Humee
Spinoza 1632-1677 Ethics pantheism
all is God one substance God is the
cause of all things, which are in him
Rationalist Mystic Man is the derived mode
of all of Gods attributes
Hobbes 1588-1679 first materialist
natural, physical world is all there is
government and political thinking - The
Leviathan The value or worth of a man is,
as of all things, his price.

Locke 1632-1704 father of empiricism
and liberalism, education. All mankind is
good and ought not to harm one another.
No mans knowledge here can go beyond
his experiences. primary and secondary
qualities in all objects
Hume 1711-1776 nothing is certain,
empiricist, take actions because of morals
senses Beauty is in the mind which
contemplates them. sensation is outward
sentiment and reflection is the inward

Leibniz 1646 1716 rationalist
borrowed reality There is a reason
why every fact is as it is and not
otherwise. calculus (Leibniz or
Newton)

Enlightenment
17
th
to 18
th
century
Moving from religion to fact/science
Age of reason
Not a single movement or thought, but rather
a set of values
Figure out a reason why we are here without
using religion as an answer thinking
outside the box
The way people thought was changing
Politics and how people were governed
European Thinkers
Voltaire (French) rationalist - theatre is
greatest form of art no reason for war
Rousseau (French) humans innately good,
but corrupted by society common good of
society should live according to social rules
Smith (British) wealth and economics
money shapes the individual
Immanuel Kant (German) rationalism and
empiricism come together
Schopenhauer (German) western
philosophy meets eastern greatly
influenced music, literature and other arts


Existentialism/Modernism
Kierkegaard 1813-1855 father of
existentialism - individual finds own identity a
problem mystery of own existence
Existentialism study of existence,
questioning ones existence, perceive what is
thought to be true
deBeauvoir - 1908-1986 French
existentialist Sartre - feminism
Sartre we create our own purpose, bad faith
to lie to ones self free choice
Descartes I think therefore I am. doubted
method of doubt - rationalist


Nietzsche
1844-1900
Influenced by Schopenhauer (1788-1860
the philosopher of pessimism)
Humans are too dependent on existing
values and morals, which are derived from
the ancient Greeks and religions
God is dead.
There are no facts, only interpretations.
bermensch Superman what humans
should aspire to
Idealize Socrates like Jesus
Senses or Reason
Epistemology the theory of knowledge -
nature of knowledge what we can know
Empiricists believe that we learn through
our senses; we learn based on observation,
experience ; we are born with a clean slate
(tabula rasa). Remember: Empiricist =
Experience.
Rationalists believe one has to have an
understanding of ones self to learn Know
thyself; senses offer a limited world; rely on
truths, logic and intuition
Kant synthesized the two need reason and
the senses to learn
Aristotle
Philosophy begins and always begins and has
always begun with wonder, and nothing is so
productive of wonder as a little doubt...except
perhaps a big doubt.
Knowledge as justified true belief
At the gates of knowledge the sceptic stands
guard; before we can enter the citadel we
must answer his challenge. (Annas and
Barnes, 1985)
Why?
Are you sure?
How do you know?
Might it not be otherwise?
Knowledge the Fortress of
Philosophy
Doubt
Errors
Illusions
Biases

Innate vs Acquired Knowledge
New words
Priori statements using reason alone
Posteriori judgements using sensory
experience
Noumenal pertaining to things as they are in
themselves (not as they appear to our
senses)
Phenomenal pertaining to the senses
Rationalists
Descartes
Leibniz
Spinoza
Empiricists
Locke
Berkeley
Hume
Evaluations
1. Presentation all categories
2. Intellectual Journal personalizing your
learning Thinking and communication
3. Quiz - Knowledge (least weight)
4. Essay Thinking and application (most
weight)


Philosophy Essay
Part 1: Biography
Part 2: Presentation of key ideas
Part 3: How did your thinker break from or
change previous ideas? (Refer to 2 or 3 other
thinkers)
Part 4: Historical impact (significance of your
thinker)
Part 5: Relevance to contemporary thinking
Part 1 Biography (Introduction)
Birth time and place
Family information
Education
Hobbies, interests
Thesis Why is this philosopher important?

Part 2, 3, and 4
Overview of the philosophers ideas
How did these ideas connect with or
contradict with previous thinkers?
What new thinking did your thinker
introduce?
What impact did this thinker have?
Part 5 (Conclusion)
Why do we still talk about this thinker today?
What relevance does this thinker still have?
Connect to modern day
Philosophy Essay Planning
Plan your thinking before you begin to write
Topic Your philosophers importance
Audience interested students and adults
Purpose To convince your audience of your
philosophers importance
Outline traditional, mind map or cluster,
looseleaf
Draft 1
Draft 1 turn-off spell and grammar check
Dont worry about fonts
Just write its ideas that count

Draft 2
Read first draft
Are details vivid and convincing?
Check organization paragraph structure,
topic sentence for each paragraph, smooth
transitions
Fix grammar and spelling errors
Draft 3

Get a trustworthy, honest proof reader.
Decide which suggestions you will use
and which ones you will discard.
Polish your paper.

Final Draft

Neatness
Title page, including the title of your
essay
Double space
Bibliography

Writers Block

Insecurities
Fear of risk
Lack of perseverance
Remember no first draft sounds polished
write it anyways
Use free writing
Manipulate your environment work at the
best time of the day for you; dont write with
the tv on; tell family members not to interrupt