Philosophy: The Power of Ideas

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Philosophy The Power of Ideas

• Philosophy (from philein and sophia) is literally
  the love of wisdom
• Originally, any pursuer of wisdom was a
  philosopher
• Philosophy gave birth to many later academic
  disciplines
• Philosophy is the source of ideas that have
  revolutionized the world

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Philosophy Asks Foundational Questions

• What is truth and knowledge?
• Is there a meaning to our existence?
• What is beauty and art?
• What makes something good, bad, right, or wrong?
• Why should there be a state?
• Is there a God?

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Characteristics of Philosophical Questions

• They lurk in common situations for thoughtful
  people
• They arent covered by any of the specialized
  disciplines
• Observation alone cant solve them
• They often involve norms and values
• At first they seem simple but they resist easy
  answers

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Traditional Divisions of Philosophy

• Metaphysics studies the nature of being
• Epistemology studies issues about truth and
  knowledge
• Ethics studies moral judgments
• Social and political philosophy studies moral
  judgments about society and the state
• Aesthetics studies beauty and art
• Logic studies correct reasoning

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The Benefits of Philosophy

• Philosophy deals with issues that are inherently
  interesting
• Philosophy increases our ability to make careful
  distinctions and follow subtle arguments
• Philosophy improves scores on verbal and
  problem-solving tests
• Philosophy helps prevent dogmatism and prejudice

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Myths About Philosophy

• Myth 1 Philosophy is just opinions, and one
  opinion is just as good as another.
• Response In philosophy, only those opinions
  supported by good reasons matter.
• Myth 2 Philosophy is easy reading
• Response It is often complex, technical and deep
  (even when it seems easy)

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Common Fallacies

• Attacking the person (argumentum ad hominem)
• Appealing to emotion
• The straw man
• The red herring
• Begging the question (circular argument)
• The black-or-white fallacy

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Whats Next?

• This unit also includes chapter 2. Once you have
  read the chapter, follow the link from the
  assignment calendar to the PowerPoint
  presentation.