CHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHYCHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY

P H I L O S O P H YP H I L O S O P H Y

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CHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHYCHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY

P H I L O S O P H YP H I L O S O P H Y

• Philosophy, which literally means the love of wisdom, begins with wonder about our most basic beliefs. Its goal is to help us achieve autonomy by making us more aware of our own beliefs and encouraging us to reason and think through issues for ourselves.

CHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHYCHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY

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• The Myth of the Cave is one of the best-known passages in The Republic, a work of the Greek philosopher Plato. The myth describes the philosopher's climb from the dark cave of philosophical ignorance up into the light of philosophical wisdom.

CHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHYCHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY

P H I L O S O P H YP H I L O S O P H Y

• Philosophy is the critical and rational examination of the most fundamental assumptions that underlie our lives, an activity of concern to men and women of all cultures and races.

CHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHYCHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY

P H I L O S O P H YP H I L O S O P H Y

• The three main fields of philosophy are epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics.

CHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHYCHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY

P H I L O S O P H YP H I L O S O P H Y

• Epistemology deals with questions of knowledge (including the structure, reliability, extent, and kinds of knowledge); truth, validity, and logic; and a variety of linguistic concerns. An example is the question of whether truth is relative.

CHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHYCHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY

P H I L O S O P H YP H I L O S O P H Y

• Metaphysics addresses questions of reality (including the meaning and nature of being); the nature of mind, self, and human freedom; and some topics that overlap with religion, such as the existence of God, the destiny of the universe, and the immortality of the soul. An example is the question of whether human behavior is free or determined.

CHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHYCHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY

P H I L O S O P H YP H I L O S O P H Y

• Ethics is the study of our values and moral principles and how they relate to human conduct and to our social and political institutions. For example, do we have a moral obligation to love and serve others, or is our only obligation to ourselves?

CHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHYCHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY

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• Philosophy also includes several fields usually referred to as "the philosophy of . . . ," including the philosophy of science, the philosophy of art, and the philosophical meaning of life. These fields of philosophy examine the basic assumptions underlying particular areas of human knowledge or activity.

CHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHYCHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY

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• Socrates is usually considered the father of Western philosophy, although he was preceded by a group of earlier Greek philosophers, the pre-Socratics. Socrates was put to death for persistently examining the unquestioned assumptions of his fellow Athenians. The views of Socrates were preserved by his disciple, Plato, in his dialogues, including Euthyphro, The Republic, The Apology, and Crito.

CHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHYCHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY

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• Euthyphro shows Socrates questioning traditional religious beliefs; The Republic shows Socrates inquiring into the meaning of justice; The Apology shows Socrates at his trial explaining his lifelong commitment to philosophy; Crito shows Socrates awaiting death and questioning his own beliefs about the authority of the state.

CHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHYCHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY

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• Philosophy can help satisfy actualizing needs (the need for self-fulfillment, the realization of one's potential) by helping us develop our own opinions and beliefs, increasing our self-awareness, equipping us to deal with uncertainty, eliciting creativity, and aiding us in clearly conceptualizing our value systems.

CHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHYCHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY

P H I L O S O P H YP H I L O S O P H Y

• In studying philosophy we risk having the weaknesses of our personal and cultural beliefs and assumptions exposed, but this risk is worth taking, considering the value of philosophy. Because philosophy has had many "male tendencies," it is especially important for women to philosophize now.