What Is Philosophy Introduction Definition Of Philosophy

What Is Philosophyintroductiondefinition Of Philosophythere Is No Una

What is Philosophy? Introduction Definition of Philosophy There is no unanimity among philosophers as to the exact meaning or definition of philosophy. This is so because the nature of philosophical problem is such that philosophers cannot but disagree. The world itself is one diverse phenomenon exhibiting disorder and perpetual conflict. Philosophy as an attempt to comprehend reality in its entirety cannot but exhibit varieties of viewpoint because it is not possible for a single philosopher to embody everything that we need to know about the universe.

Philosophy as a Search for reality Some philosophers see philosophy as the search for reality This is the attempt to know the basic stuff i.e. reality out of which everything is made. Thales identified the basic stuff as water Anaximenes identified reality as air Anaximander identified reality as something that is limitless, boundless and infinite 3 Philosophy as a rational explanation of nature Philosophy is also regarded as the rational explanation of nature The Ancient Greek philosophers like Thales, Anaximenes and Anaximander relied heavily on human reason to understand the world This is rational explanation of nature that is devoid of religious myths, faith and dogmas. Note that they cannot engage in rational explanation of nature that will completely get rid of religious and supernatural ideas in their thinking.

Rather, they refuse to accept purely religious as adequate explanations of empirical conditions of things in the universe Philosophy as the formulation of Metaphysical Systems Philosophy is also conceived as the formulation of metaphysical systems This has to do with the understanding of the nature of every distinct object in the world and their relationships to one another Philosophy as the critical/logical analysis of language This conception of philosophy started at the beginning of the 20th century This conception was championed by philosophers in the West, especially in Britain and United States of America. They complained that philosophy has come into some sort of obscurity because the language in which philosophical theories are formulated make use of spurious entities and expressions These philosophers see the central task of philosophy as that of explaining, clarifying and marking out the logical as well as the semantic implications of our language So philosophy lays emphasis on the clarity of terms, on consistency in argument The belief here is that once our language of expression is clear, unambiguous and systematic, we will be in a better position to know exactly we are talking about.

This clarity greatly enhances the possibility of reaching some consensus on important matters both of everyday life and philosophy Philosophy as a Search for the Ideal Life The lead proponent of this conception of philosophy is Socrates For Socrates, philosophy is the search for the ideal life and how to live it. Socrates demonstrated this when he was in jail in Athens, condemned to death for allegedly leading the youths against the state His friends came in the night ready with plans for his escape. Socrates refused the offer and answered that a good citizen always obey the laws of his society Since running away from prison and invariably from his condemnation to death amounts to a disobedience to his state, Socrates said he would do no such thing.

Philosophy as the Concern with Human Existence This is the view of the existentialists like Martin Heidegger, Soren Kierkergaard, Albert Camus, and Karl Jaspers They refused to see philosophy as the abstract speculations about reality or the objective world. Rather, they see philosophy as dealing with man, his goal of living and his position in the scheme of things. They see man as the determinant and discoverer of truth For the existentialists, what constitutes truth is human interest, his harmonious relationship with others, his experience and his reason Things to Note None of these definitions can be completely ignored by a practising philosophers The important thing to note is that philosophy is a discipline, the nature and scope of which is a problem in itself Philosophy is a critical discipline which does not exempt itself from its own criticism but applies its critical tool to itself The very disagreement among philosophers about the nature of philosophy is, ironically, part of philosophy.

Summary of these Definitions

Philosophy is a rational search for answers to the questions that arise in the mind when we reflect on human experience. Philosophy is a rational search for answers to the basic questions about the ultimate meaning of reality as a whole and of human life in particular (Omoregbe, 2005). From the above definitions, the following could be understood with regard to the definition of philosophy: Philosophy is a search, a continuous search for meaning, for intelligibility and for answers. It is a search that never ends. Philosophy is a rational search. The philosophical inquiry is purely rational inquiry. Philosophy does not accept dogmatic answers that would put an end to any further questioning. The questions asked in philosophy are not questions of a particular nature but of a general nature. For example, philosophy does not ask questions about any particular man but about man in general. Philosophy arises from reflection on human experience, i.e., man’s experience of his own being and of reality outside him. The Truth about Philosophy Literally, philosophy means the love of wisdom. Etymologically, it is derived from two Greek words philos, which means love and Sophia, which means wisdom.

The hallmark of philosophy is argument. Philosophy is out to clarify concepts. It also analyzes, and tests propositions and beliefs. Most importantly, it analyzes and constructs arguments. It deals with the nagging problems of life. It is also a reflection on human experience.

Methods of Philosophy

The question that has often been asked by new students of philosophy is whether philosophy has a method of its own. The answer to this question, just like the attempt to define philosophy, has remained controversial to a certain extent. Basically, critical reflection is the method of philosophy. However, it is pertinent to stress the fact that philosophy depends on a combination of methods in order to achieve its ultimate goal.

Socratic Method: This ancient method is also known as dialectics. It involves reasoning through argument and counter-argument to discover the truth. Socrates used this in his philosophical inquiries, emphasizing that truth is innate and uncovered through questioning. Critics argue against the idea of innate knowledge but acknowledge its historical significance.

Method of Deduction: Popularly associated with Aristotle, this method involves reasoning from general principles to specific conclusions, aiming for logical necessity. For example, from general premises like “All men are mortal” and “Socrates is a man,” one concludes “Socrates is mortal.” This method emphasizes logical validity independently of the truth of premises.

Method of Induction: This involves deriving probable conclusions based on observed cases. An instance is inferring that all students are stubborn based on specific examples. However, it faces criticism for potential hasty generalization and its probabilistic nature.

Existential Method: Led by the existentialists, this method emphasizes personal conviction and individual experience as the key to truth. It recognizes that truth can be influenced by individual will, raising concerns about relativism and subjective bias.

Analytic Method: Popularized by Ludwig Wittgenstein, it involves analysis and clarification of language to resolve philosophical puzzles. Logical Positivists advocate for meaningful statements to be either analytic or empirically verifiable, criticising metaphysical assertions as meaningless.

Phenomenological Method: Developed by Edmund Husserl, it involves objective observation of consciousness and experience. It seeks to describe phenomena as they are perceived purely, free from assumptions and presuppositions, emphasizing raw awareness of the world.

Traditional Main Branches of Philosophy

Philosophy is traditionally divided into four main branches:

• Metaphysics: The study of ultimate causes and reality beyond appearance, exploring the nature of existence.
• Epistemology: The investigation of knowledge itself, its origins, scope, reliability, and limits.
• Ethics: The study of morality, examining how humans ought to behave and the principles governing right conduct.
• Logic: The science of reasoning, analyzing arguments to distinguish valid from invalid forms.

Some scholars consider logic as a tool rather than a core domain. Throughout history, these branches have evolved and expanded, reflecting the dynamic nature of philosophical inquiry.

References

• Crane, T. (2018). Introduction to Philosophy. Routledge.
• Descartes, R. (1641). Meditations on First Philosophy. Cambridge University Press.
• Husserl, E. (1931). Ideas: General Introduction to Pure Phenomenology. Collier.
• Kant, I. (1781). Critique of Pure Reason. Cambridge University Press.
• Loeb, B. (2012). The Significance of Metaphysics. Oxford University Press.
• Nagle, J. (2017). Logic and Critical Thinking. Routledge.
• Sartre, J.-P. (1943). Being and Nothingness. Routledge.
• Russell, B. (1912). The Problems of Philosophy. Oxford University Press.
• Wittgenstein, L. (1953). Philosophical Investigations. Blackwell.
• Omoregbe, J. (2005). Knowing Philosophy. Joja Educational Research and Publications.