Transcript 1 - Homework Market

Introduction to Philosophy:
Philosophy 1301:DE
Philosophy 1301
• Danny Brown: Professor
• M.A. PhilosophyUniversity of Houston
• B.A. Philosophy- North
Carolina State University
• B.A. CommunicationsNorth Carolina State
University
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.
-- Velasquez
Survey Course
• The Introduction to Philosophy class
is a survey course designed to
familiarize students with the various
fields in philosophy and with those
philosophers associated with them.
• It should also enable students to
develop skills in logic and critical
thinking.
PHILOSOPHY
• My Mini-definition:
• The History of human thought.
• How do we (humans) think about and of
ourselves as human beings.
• What, if any, is our purpose in the universe.
• How do we view the world around us.
What is Philosophy?
• Philosophy is a 5,000 year old academic
tradition that systematically analyzes the
very foundational questions of human
existence.
• Philosophy seeks clarity on issues ranging
from the existence of God, the validity of
scientific knowledge, arguments over right
and wrong, and the existence of the soul.
Philosophy 1301
• “Philosophy” is a combination of two
ancient Greek words, “Philein” and
“Sophia”, which mean “love of
wisdom.”
• “Hard thinking” -- Alvin Plantinga
- Analysis and critique of fundamental
beliefs and concepts.
What is Philosophy?
• It is an enterprise which starts with
wonder at the mystery and marvel
of the world.
• Philosophy pursues a rational
investigation of those mysteries
and marvels, seeking wisdom and
truth.
What is Philosophy?
• If the quest is successful, it results
in a live lived in passionate moral
and intellectual integrity.
• Believing that “the unexamined life
is not worth living,” the philosophy
leaves no facet of live untouched
by its probing glance.
What philosophy is not
• Not mere speculation
–Offer reasons
–Peer review
• Not Dogmatic
Preview of Things to Come
• Why be moral?
• What is the best form of political
organization?
• Is there an afterlife, and if so,
what is its nature?
• What is the meaning of life?
Does God Exist?
How Does the Mind Relate to the
Body?
What Is Real? (What Actually Exists?)
So Why Study Philosophy?
Some Reasons
• Critical thinking skills, writing skills
and speaking skills
• Liberation from prejudice and
provincialism.
• Expansion of one’s horizon
• Understanding Society
Not usually taught before college
Guard against propaganda
Intrinsically interesting
Helps fulfill our “self actualization”
needs (Abraham Maslow)
Critical Thinking
In most academic
subjects, students are
taught what to think,
rather than how to
think.
The goal of philosophy:
• Autonomy
– The freedom of being able to decide for
yourself what you will believe in by using
your own reasoning abilities.
• In other words, learn to think for yourself.
Traditional Divisions of Philosophy
• Epistemology
• Metaphysics
• Ethics
• Political & Social Philosophy
• Logic and Critical Thinking
• Aesthetics
Epistemology
• Epistemology refers to that
branch of philosophy that critically
evaluates the nature,
methodology, limitation, and
origin of human knowledge.
Metaphysics
•
a division of philosophy that is
concerned with the fundamental
nature of reality and being.
ETHICS
• The theoretical study of morality
(likened to a theoretical study of physics)
• …is a code or set of principles by
which people live by.
Political & Social Philosophy
• The study of social values and
political forms of government.
• Studies the nature of justice.
Logic and Critical Thinking
• Logic maybe defined as the branch of
philosophy that reflects upon the nature of
thinking itself.
• Distinguishes, “What is the correct way of
thinking?”
• Logic is perhaps the most fundamental branch
of philosophy.
• All branches of philosophy employ thinking;
whether this thinking is correct or not will
depend upon whether it is in accord with the
laws of logic.
Aesthetics
• The Study of Beauty and Art.
Inappropriate Authority
We base much of what we
believe on the evidence of
authority, and citing an
authority is a legitimate way
of justifying a belief.
Generally speaking,
philosophers do not accept a
statement solely on the basis
of an individual’s authority, no
matter how eminent.
Ludwig Wittgenstein
• "Philosophy aims at the logical
clarification of thoughts. Philosophy
is not a body of doctrine but an
activity. . . . Without philosophy
thoughts are, as it were, cloudy and
indistinct: its task is to make them
clear and to give them sharp
boundaries."
But why Philosophy?
What is Philosophy?
• It aims for a clear, critical,
comprehensive conception of
reality.
Rational Argument
• The hallmark of philosophy is
rational argument.
• Philosophers clarify concepts and
analyze and test propositions and
beliefs, but their major task is to
analyze and construct arguments.
Distinction: Scientist vs.
Philosopher
• Philosophical reasoning is closely
allied with scientific reasoning in that
both build hypotheses and look for
evidence to test those hypotheses
with the hope of coming closer to the
truth.
Scientific Experiments:In Lab
• However, scientific experiments
take place in laboratories and
have testing procedures to record
empirically verifiable results.
Philosophical Experiments: In Mind
• The laboratory of philosophers is the
domain of ideas—the mind, where
imaginative thought experiments take
place; the study where arguments are
written down and examined; and
wherever conversation or debate about
perennial questions of life takes place ,
where thesis and counterthesis are
considered.
(How Should We Live? Louis P. Pojman)
Philosophy’s Mission
• While various disciplines such as
mathematics and science are
concerned with determining specific
knowledge of the universe, philosophy
has a grander mission: understanding
how and why the universe is the way it
is, the core principles that underlie and
govern the whole experience.
(The Philosophers Way: John Chaffee)
Victor Frankl
“Man’s concern about the
meaning of life is the
truest expression of
the state of being
human…
Victor Frankl
…It is the rational man’s ultimate
concern. It may be the search
of what defines us… is what
ultimately defines us.”
In the beginning of all
Philosophy 1301 Classes….
• Students are introduced to the correct and
valid way to construct an argument.
• Valid Arguments lead to Valid hypothesis.
• Reason is the tool of the philosopher.
9 Tips to become a
better Critical Thinker
1) Be open-minded to new ideas.
2) Know that people have different ideas
about the meaning of words.
3) Separate emotional and logical thinking.
4) Question things that don't make sense to
you.
5) Avoid common mistakes in your own
reasoning.
9 Tips to become a
better Critical Thinker
6) Don't argue about something that you
know nothing about.
7) Build a strong vocabulary to better share
and understand ideas.
8) Know when you need more information.
9) Know the difference between conclusions
that could and must be true.
Logical Fallacies
• A fallacy is a bad method of argument,
whether deductive or inductive.
• Arguments can be "bad" (or unsound) for
several reasons: one or more of their
premises may be false, or irrelevant, or the
reasoning from them may be invalid, or the
language expressing them may be
ambiguous or vague.
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Logical Fallacies
• There are certainly an infinity of bad
arguments; there may even be an infinity
of ways of arguing badly.
• The name fallacy is usually reserved for
typical faults in arguments that we
nevertheless find persuasive.
• Studying them is therefore a good defense
against deception.
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List of 17 Logical Fallacies
• I stumbled upon a very helpful list of
maxims of clear and careful thinking that
I’m passing on to you.
• It comes from James Beverley and is
gleaned from a section entitled “How to
Think and Reason Correctly” in his book
Holy Laughter and the Toronto Blessing,
published by Zondervan.
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1. Emotion does not settle issues of truth.
2. Tradition is not always right.
3. Do not give human authority figures
uncritical allegiance.
4. Be careful of the way you use words.
Words are tools. They must be used
properly and carefully.
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5. Do not force people into limited or false
options.
6. Do not use name-calling or put-downs as a
debate tactic (argumentum ad hominem).
7. Be careful of accusations based solely on the
presumed origin of a given idea or practice (the
genetic fallacy).
8. The popularity or unpopularity of something
does not make it either true or false.
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.
9. The fact that something is either an old or
a new idea does not automatically make it
correct (chronological snobbery).
10. Be careful in the use of “guilt by
association.”
11. Do not dismiss good ideas or practices
by letting your imagination take them to
inappropriate extremes. Be prudent when
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using the “slippery slope” argument
12. Be alert to cause and effect errors (post hoc
propter hoc).
13. Make sure that conclusions follow from
adequate evidence and support.
14. Do not accept clichés or popular slogans
uncritically.
15. Do not “stack the deck,” i.e. only point out
observations that support your pet theory,
ignoring all evidence to the contrary.
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16. Be wary of generalization.
Remember that the truth is not always
in the middle.
And Last:
17. Do not take ideas or people out of
context.
(END)
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