Philosophy : The Basics

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Philosophy The Basics

• An engaging introduction to philosophy, the
  social pursuit of knowledge, ethical and legal
  theories. Accordingly, we will begin with an
  examination of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle,
  then move to a selection of 17th and 18th century
  philosophical themes. By developing techniques
  of critical reasoning and logical thinking we
  will then attempt to untangle the basic
  philosophical problems that are still fiercely
  contested today. Additionally, questions
  involving the pursuit of knowledge, the skeptical
  challenge along with questions concerning the
  relationship between duty, justice and liberty
  will also be explored.
• Marc Legacy
• mlegacy_at_interchange.ubc.ca
• http//weblogs.elearning.ubc.ca/marc/
• Office Pond F 208

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Top 10 Philosophic Problems

• What is the nature of the universe ?
• What is our place in the universe ?
• What is good and what is evil ?
• What is the nature of God ?
• The question of fate vs. free will.
• The question of soul and immortality.
• The question about our place within the the
  state.
• The question about the appropriate form of
  education.
• The question about mind and matter.
• The question about ideas and thinking.

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What is Philosophyphilos love ? sophia wisdom

• Philosophy
• Inquires into a wide range of interlinked
  questions about the underlying nature of
  understanding, logic, language and causality
• ie. philosophy is a quest for uncovering the
  most fundamental nature of human understanding
• Aims at knowledge which results from the critical
  examination of our beliefs, convictions, and
  prejudices
• eg. the philosopher asks questions about the
  nature of perception, experience and
  understanding

• 3 Major Branches
• Epistemology
• the study of of knowledge
• ie. K JTB
• Ethics
• the study of morality
• eg. how ought we live
• Political Philosophy
• the study of the nature and justifications of
  coercive institutions
• ? philosophy is committed to seeking
  justification truth

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Epistemology

• EPISTEMOLOGY
• Studies the nature of knowledge justification -
  truth - belief
• so defining features
• substantive conditions
• epistemic responsibility
• ie. K JTB
• Skepticism
• suspending judgment on questions of knowledge
• W justification
• S knowledge

• Philosophy of Education
• if K JTB
• then the conveyance of knowledge via
  instruction must somehow provide students with a
  justified true belief
• Philosophy of Language
• studies the workings of natural languages in
  particular the linguistic meaning and use of
  language.
• words ? sentences ? knowledge
• eg. theory of meaning
• ? snow is white ?
• ? land of milk honey ?

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Ethics

• ETHICS
• - the study of morality
• - the study of right action
• ie. principles of right and wrong that
  governs our choice of actions
• Morality
• a public system of behavior that governs our
  actions which affect others
• Moral dilemma
• any situation where it is not known what, if
  anything, is morally good or right
• eg. law morality
• religion morality
• Moral Skepticism
• eg. moral relativism
• moral subjectivism

• Applied Ethics
• the branch of ethics that considers specific and
  controversial moral issues
• if issues of social policy that attempt to make
  society run efficiently by devising social
  conventions, such as traffic laws, tax laws
• then moral issues, by contrast, concern more
  universally obligatory practice and are not
  confined to individual societies
• eg. environmental ethics
• business ethics
• medical ethics
• so to be an applied ethical issue there must be
  a distinctly moral issue

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Political Philosophy

• POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
• if on one hand, coercive institutions sometimes
  use force, or threaten to use force to control
  behavior
• but on the other anarchism maintains that no
  coercive institutions can ever justified
• then political philosophy is the study of the
  nature and justification of coercive
  institutions
• ? Social Philosophy
• Political ?
  Ethics
• Philosophy ? Philosophy of Law
• ? Natural Law
• Legal ? Command Theory
• Theories ? Legal Positivism

• Social Philosophy
• a normative approach to social actions and
  individual conduct within society in relation to
  social benefits and burdens
• Philosophy of Law
• the study of conceptual and theoretical problems
  concerning the nature of law, obligation,
  punishment, interference and justifiable limits
• Legal Concepts
• The nature of legal rules
• The authority of law
• Legal validity interpretation
• Justification of legal decisions