Lecture 02

Summary

The script explores the dichotomy between 'Technia' and 'Epistemia,' using art and craft as metaphors for technique and intuition. It delves into the nature of philosophy, emphasizing its role in questioning the fundamental and challenging the obvious. Philosophy is portrayed as a second-order study, examining the foundations of knowledge and values, and promoting a self-correcting approach to understanding. The speaker encourages embracing philosophy to foster curiosity, enhance knowledge, and reduce conflicts by resisting dogmatism.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Art and Craft: The script distinguishes between 'Art' and 'Craft', explaining that while craft is governed by techniques, art involves intuitive leaps and breaking of molds.
• 🤔 Philosophy's Role: It is described as dealing with fundamental questions, questioning the obvious, and being philosophical about life involves asking existential questions about the point of life and its various aspects.
• 🧐 Philosophy as a Second-Order Study: The script emphasizes that philosophy is a study of the foundations of knowledge, making it a second-order study that asks foundational questions.
• 🚫 Non-Empirical Questions: It clarifies that philosophical questions are not those that can be empirically resolved but are foundational and help in understanding the basis of empirical inquiries.
• 🔍 Articulating Assumptions: The role of philosophy is to make implicit assumptions explicit, which is crucial for understanding and interpreting decisions, policies, and actions.
• 📜 Philosophy of Life: It is presented as a tool for introspection and understanding one's own life experiences, encouraging individuals to reflect on their implicit knowledge and values.
• 🏛 Core Values and Motto: Philosophy is identified as the articulation of fundamental values or the 'motto' of any project, organization, or nation, guiding its actions and decisions.
• 🔄 Self-Correcting Endeavour: The script highlights philosophy's nature as a self-correcting endeavor, accepting the fallibility of knowledge and being open to revision based on new evidence.
• 🧗‍♂️ Why Philosophise: The speaker likens the pursuit of philosophy to climbing Everest, driven by curiosity and the desire to make sense of the world and oneself.
• 🤝 Debate and Openness: Philosophy encourages debate not just for advocacy but also as a platform for learning and being open to revising one's own convictions.
• 🌟 Wisdom and Philosophy: The script concludes by inviting the audience to embrace philosophy as a journey towards wisdom, understanding, and intellectual and spiritual growth.

Q & A

What is the fundamental difference between 'Art' and 'Craft' as discussed in the script?

The script explains that 'Craft' is governed by techniques, meaning there is a specific way of doing things, while 'Art' involves intuitive leaps and is not bound by techniques. Art allows for breaking molds and doing something new, which is not limited by the traditional methods.

How does the script describe the role of techniques in limiting creative thinking?

The script suggests that while techniques provide simplicity and clarity, they can also bind us and prevent us from pushing the envelope or thinking out of the box. A technique-driven person may find it difficult to go beyond established methods.

What does the script imply about the importance of philosophy in everyday life?

The script implies that philosophy is relevant in everyday life, especially when we engage in existential questioning about the meaning and purpose of life, success, victory, and the nature of playing the game.

How is philosophy defined in terms of its scope and function according to the script?

Philosophy is defined as dealing with the most fundamental questions, questioning the obvious, and making the implicit explicit. It is a second-order study, focusing on the foundations of knowledge and various knowledge endeavors.

What is the script's stance on the empirical resolvability of philosophical questions?

The script states that philosophical questions are not empirically resolvable, although they can be helped and influence empirical inquiries. Philosophy deals with foundational questions that are not answerable through empirical evidence alone.

How does the script relate the process of making the implicit explicit to personal growth and understanding?

The script suggests that making the implicit explicit, such as through writing a life journal or reflecting on daily experiences, leads to a deeper understanding of oneself and one's experiences, creating introspective knowledge.

What role does philosophy play in the context of a company or organization's core values?

The script describes philosophy as articulating the fundamental values or the core motto of any project, such as a company or organization, guiding its principles and actions.

How does the script characterize philosophy as an ever self-correcting endeavor?

The script characterizes philosophy as a self-correcting endeavor that does not seek eternal absolute answers but rather the best possible answers under current circumstances, accepting the fallibility and revisability of knowledge.

What is the script's perspective on the practical benefits of philosophizing?

The script suggests that philosophizing helps in reducing conflicts and enhancing knowledge by promoting an open-minded approach to understanding different positions and being willing to revise one's own beliefs in light of new evidence.

What skills or abilities does the script suggest a student of philosophy should develop?

The script suggests that a student of philosophy should develop the ability to identify foundational philosophical positions, unearth foundational assumptions, become aware of the limitations of these assumptions, and engage in debate as a learning platform.

How does the script view the importance of debate in the philosophical process?

The script views debate as an essential part of the philosophical process, not just for advocating one's views but also as a means of learning, being open to revising one's beliefs, and resisting dogmatism.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Art and Craft: The Essence of Creativity

This paragraph explores the distinction between 'Technia' and 'Epistemia', using the example of art and craft. It explains that while craft is governed by techniques and methods, art involves intuitive leaps and breaking of molds. The speaker emphasizes the importance of art in fostering out-of-the-box thinking and contrasts it with the limitations that techniques can impose. The paragraph also delves into the nature of philosophy, its role in questioning the obvious, and its fundamental questions about life and existence. It highlights philosophy as a second-order study, focusing on the foundations of knowledge and the philosophical underpinnings of various disciplines, including language and social sciences.

05:01

🤔 The Philosopher's Role: Articulating Assumptions

The second paragraph delves into the role of a philosopher, who is tasked with articulating assumptions and analyzing the value positions behind decisions and policies. It discusses the importance of making implicit knowledge explicit, which enhances understanding and self-awareness. The speaker uses the metaphor of a life journal to illustrate how introspection and reflection can lead to a deeper understanding of one's experiences. The paragraph also touches on the concept of a philosophy of a company or nation, which represents the core values and abstract principles guiding any project or endeavor. Furthermore, it addresses philosophy as a self-correcting endeavor that embraces the fallibility of knowledge and the importance of being open to revision and new evidence.

10:07

🧐 The Practical Impact of Philosophy: Enhancing Knowledge and Reducing Conflicts

This paragraph discusses the practical implications of engaging in philosophy. It suggests that philosophizing helps in reaching and articulating the axioms of knowledge endeavors, leading to a better understanding of foundations and more accurate descriptions of knowledge. The speaker argues that the fallibility of knowledge, a key philosophical outlook, resists dogmatism and promotes open-mindedness, which in turn lessens conflicts and enhances knowledge. The paragraph also highlights the historical seesawing of knowledge claims and the importance of perpetual conceptual examination in philosophy. It concludes with advice for budding philosophers on how to identify foundational philosophical positions, unearth assumptions, and engage in meaningful debate.

15:07

🌟 Embracing Wisdom Through Philosophy: A Journey of Understanding

The final paragraph invites the audience to embark on a journey of philosophy, emphasizing the importance of wisdom in philosophical studies. It encourages individuals to exercise their intellect and spirit to make sense of the world of values. The speaker highlights the value of debate as a platform for learning and understanding differing opinions, rather than merely advocating for one's own views. The paragraph concludes by expressing hope that the study of philosophy will be useful and self-revealing, aiding individuals in making sense of their own positions and those of others.

Keywords

💡Technia

Technia, as opposed to Epistemia, represents the practical skills and techniques used in the creation of art or craft. In the script, it is contrasted with 'Art', which is more about the intuitive and creative process. The term 'Technia' is used to highlight the difference between following established methods (techniques) and breaking new ground in artistic expression.

💡Epistemia

Epistemia refers to the theoretical understanding or knowledge that underpins a field of study or practice. In the context of the video, it is juxtaposed with 'Technia' to emphasize the distinction between theoretical knowledge and practical skill. The script uses this term to discuss the importance of both theoretical and practical aspects in the realm of art and craft.

💡Craft

Craft in the script is defined by its reliance on techniques and methods. It is a form of art that is governed by specific ways of doing things, which can provide clarity and simplicity but may also limit creativity. The term is used to illustrate the structured approach to creating art, as opposed to the more free-form 'Art'.

💡Art

Art, as discussed in the script, is characterized by its lack of strict adherence to techniques. It involves intuitive leaps and the breaking of molds, allowing for innovation and creativity that transcends traditional methods. The script uses 'Art' to represent the more fluid and imaginative side of artistic expression.

💡Philosophy

Philosophy is presented in the script as the discipline that deals with fundamental questions, often questioning the obvious and seeking to understand the underlying reasons behind it. It is related to the video's theme by providing a framework for understanding the nature of knowledge, the process of questioning, and the pursuit of wisdom.

💡Fundamental Questions

The script emphasizes the importance of asking fundamental questions as a philosophical pursuit. These are deep, existential inquiries into the nature of life, success, and the purpose of various human endeavors. The term is integral to the video's message about the importance of probing beneath the surface to understand the core of our experiences.

💡Existential Questions

Existential questions are those that pertain to the meaning and purpose of life. In the script, these questions are used to illustrate the philosophical approach to understanding life's deeper issues, such as the significance of success, victory, and the nature of playing the game of life.

💡Second Order Study

The script describes philosophy as a 'second order study,' meaning it is a discipline that examines and questions the foundations of other knowledge endeavors. This concept is key to understanding the script's exploration of how philosophy seeks to understand the underpinnings of various fields of study.

💡Empirically Resolvable

The term 'Empirically Resolvable' in the script refers to questions or problems that can be solved through empirical evidence or scientific investigation. It is contrasted with philosophical questions, which often cannot be resolved through empirical means alone, highlighting the unique nature of philosophical inquiry.

💡Theoretical Leap

A theoretical leap is a conceptual advance or interpretation that goes beyond empirical data. In the script, it is used to describe how philosophy connects empirical findings, such as archaeological artifacts, to broader narratives about past societies, requiring more than just empirical evidence.

💡Articulating Assumptions

Articulating assumptions involves making explicit the underlying beliefs or presuppositions that inform a position, policy, or decision. The script discusses this concept as a key philosophical activity, which helps to clarify and challenge the foundations of various claims and viewpoints.

💡Fallibility of Knowledge

The fallibility of knowledge, as discussed in the script, is the idea that all knowledge is subject to revision and is not absolute. This concept is central to the video's message about the nature of philosophical inquiry and the pursuit of truth, emphasizing the importance of being open to new evidence and perspectives.

💡Paradigm Shifts

Paradigm shifts refer to significant changes in the fundamental assumptions or theories within a discipline. The script uses this term to illustrate how knowledge evolves and how philosophical examination can lead to such transformative changes in our understanding of the world.

💡Dogmatism

Dogmatism is the unwavering adherence to a particular belief or ideology without questioning. In the script, it is presented as an obstacle to knowledge and understanding, in contrast to the philosophical approach that embraces the fallibility of knowledge and is open to revision.

💡Wisdom

Wisdom, in the context of the script, is associated with the pursuit of deep understanding and the ability to make sense of complex issues. It is presented as a goal of philosophical inquiry, encouraging a reflective and open-minded approach to learning and debate.

Highlights

The distinction between 'Technia' and 'Epistemia', using Art and Craft as examples.

Craft is governed by techniques, while Art involves intuitive leaps and breaking molds.

Art is not bound by techniques, allowing for out-of-the-box thinking.

Philosophy deals with fundamental questions and the nature of the obvious.

Philosophy is a second-order study, focusing on the foundations of knowledge.

Philosophical questions are not empirically resolvable but are foundational in nature.

Philosophy helps in making implicit assumptions explicit and understanding them better.

Philosophy is about articulating the fundamental values of any project or endeavor.

Philosophy is an ever self-correcting endeavor, accepting the fallibility of knowledge.

The importance of debate in philosophy as a means to revise and understand differing viewpoints.

Philosophy resists dogmatism and promotes open-mindedness to new evidence.

The seesaw history of knowledge and the role of philosophy in conceptual examination.

The practical applications of philosophy in reducing conflicts and enhancing knowledge.

The role of a philosopher in identifying foundational positions and assumptions in any claim.

The importance of being philosophical in gaining a deeper understanding of the world and oneself.

The invitation to embark on a journey of philosophy for self-enlightenment and intellectual growth.

Transcripts

So, coming to Art and Craft.

That is an example, that I would like to use, to explain the difference between, Technia

and Epistemia.

So, we have heard these two words, together, almost taken, almost always together.

Art and Craft.

But, there is a difference between the two.

Craft is governed by techniques.

There is a way of doing it.

There are techniques of doing a piece of art, of craft.

But, art on the other hand, has intuitive leaps.

So, you are particularly, or one must particularly be aware, or heard of artists, breaking moulds,

breaking techniques, and doing something new.

So, art is not bound by techniques.

Because, techniques that give us simplicity and clarity, can also be techniques, that

bind us, that do not allow us to push the envelope.

So, when we want to do out of the box thinking, or we want to do something unusual, somebody

who is very technique driven, will find it difficult to push the envelope, or go beyond

techniques.

So, art typically, art and craft together is of course, always a subject in schools

and colleges.

But, they are two distinct methods of doing things.

Art is about following a technique, and art is about not being limited by the technique,

and letting the intuitive process take its own way.

So now, summing up, let me read out, what Philosophy is.

Well, one, Philosophy deals with the most fundamental questions.

It is questioning the obvious.

And what makes the obvious, obvious.

So, Philosophy is dealing with the most fundamental questions.

So, there can be Philosophy of Mathematics, Philosophy of Life, when we look at, especially

let me take a lived experience example, that perhaps many of us have had.

In conversations, when somebody has lost something, or is in a state of despair and defeat, one

tends to be Philosophical.

What does it mean there, to be Philosophical?

So, to be Philosophical about life.

So, to be Philosophical about life, is to look at, what is the point of life.

Is success the point of life?

Is victory the point of life?

What is the point of playing the game?

So, whenever we ask such existential questions, that are fundamental questions in human life.

So, being Philosophical about life, is asking existential questions of life.

What is the point of life?

What is the point of fighting, not fighting, winning, losing, cheating, not cheating, point

of sticking to the rules.

So, when we ask these questions, we are also asking fundamental questions, and this is

in the domain of the human life.

The same questions, or the same fundamental questions, can be asked in various domains.

So, in Social Sciences, in Physics, in Language, we all have, when Philosophy of Language looks

into the Philosophical underpinnings of Language, Language as a life form.

Second, Philosophy is a study of foundations of knowledge, and various knowledge endeavours.

Hence, Philosophy is a second order study.

That is, Philosophy is a study of foundations of knowledge.

So, what is peculiar, or when you want to look at, is this Philosophical, or is this

not Philosophical.

The first filter that should come to your mind is, whether this is asking a foundational

question or not.

So, asking a foundational question, is very often a Philosophical question.

Then, what is not a Philosophical question.

That might again be well, if this seems too widespread and exhaustive, what kind of questions

are not Philosophical questions.

And here, Philosophical questions are questions, that are not Empirically Resolvable questions.

Although they help, and are helped by Empirical enquiries.

But they are not Empirically Resolvable questions.

So, if you look at, and here you can see the commonality between theory and philosophy,

is when we look, say going back to the example of the Archaeologist, who has dug up certain

artefacts.

Well, those are Empirical content.

But those Empirical content, do not tell the story of the way people were living their

lives then.

That requires a theoretical leap.

That requires a story.

That requires an interpretation, to connect these Empirical artefacts, to what kind of

life people were living then.

Philosophy attempts at articulating assumptions, making the implicit, explicit.

Now, what does that mean.

Well, as a Philosopher, when you wear the Philosopher's cap.

I am wearing a cap today.

But this is not a Philosopher's cap.

Just a cap.

So, when you are a Philosopher, you are articulating assumptions.

You are able to look at the assumptions of a position.

Right.

So, when somebody does something, or when there is a policy, or when there is a decision

made, you should be able to, or analyse, what is the value position, or what is the position

from which this decision is being made.

Say a Welfare state, where there is an increase in taxes.

So, you need to understand that well, where is this coming from.

Perhaps, the Parliament has debated, and the Parliament, which echoes the Philosophy of

the nation, is more inclined to being a Welfare state, and therefore justifies increasing

taxes, or if a real politic explanation that comes to be.

If you look at newspaper editorials, they are classical cases of Philosophical pieces,

connected to day to day life.

Sometimes, they unearth the assumptions of decisions made, and policies given.

So, making the implicit explicit.

That means, everything that is understood, that we know implicitly, we articulate it,

and make it explicit.

And, in this process of making it explicit, we understand it much better.

So, if those of you perhaps, who are used to writing a Life Journal, or a Life Diary,

your day to day reflecting, and writing on your experiences in life, would understand

the value of making this implicit explicit.

We all go through life.

Right.

But then, when you think over your experiences of the day, and write it down, or make it

explicit, there is a newer understanding to yourself, that emerges.

That is when, you make the implicit explicit, and some knowledge is created.

That is more of an introspective knowledge for your own self.

Philosophy is also the spirit, as a core motto of any project.

It articulates the fundamental values of the project.

So, when you say a philosophy of a company, or a philosophy of an organisation, or a philosophy

of a nation, is what it means, that it is the abstract, it is the core or the motto

of any project, or any say a school has a motto.

The motto determines the philosophy of the school.

So, philosophy articulates the fundamental values of the project, no matter what the

project be.

Philosophy as an ever self-correcting endeavour, and that is the property of knowledge too.

Not looking for an eternal absolute answer, but rather the best possible answer, under

the current situation.

It accepts the fallibility of knowledge.

So, philosophy as a self-correcting endeavour.

That is true also for knowledge, that knowledge has to be falsifiable, it has to be revisable.

That means, we are not looking at eternal knowledge claims, but we are looking at knowledge

claims that fit the bill now.

And if you look at the history of knowledge, knowledge claims have always been revised,

in various disciplines that you look at.

Say, at one time, the world was supposed to be Geocentric, then Heliocentric.

Look at Biology, once we looked at milk as the most nutritious food available.

Now, we look at, the tendency is to understand milk as not a very suitable food for nutrition

source for human.

So, that knowledge is revisable, is epitomised in philosophy, that we are open to revision.

That is an ever correcting endeavour.

And then, the question, why philosophise?

Now, the question to why philosophise is, let me counter question, why climb the Everest?

Now, those people who are climbing the Everest, or any mountain peak, or any adventure, there

is always an easier way to reach there.

You can take a helicopter ride to that place, or you can watch a film, the details of that

place.

Why is it that, powers this sense of adventure, in people who undertake these tasks, for which

there is a very safe, comfortable alternative path to reach.

Well, curiosity and the experience.

So, philosophising, like many Greek philosophers would have it, is something which is being,

which we are embedded with, just by virtue of being human.

Curiosity, making sense of the world, and oneself, as an individual, a community and

species.

So curiosity, yes, that is a fundamental drive for philosophy.

At the existential level, it is to make sense of the world, and to make sense of one's own

self, both independently and within the world.

But if that is not enough, and we should pay heed to, how it affects the world out there,

lest this sounds too esoteric, and unconnected to the world we inhabit.

To philosophise is to reach, and articulate the axioms of any knowledge endeavour, and

having a better understanding of the foundations, one can know better.

So, the whole point of articulating, what is foundational.

This process leads to, more accurate description of knowledge, and lays the foundations for

a revision, whenever that is required.

Fallibility of knowledge, what we talked about is, a philosophical outlook, that strongly

resists Dogmatism.

Dogmatism is unquestioned belief.

And what we just talked about is, knowledge being fallible, being revisable.

It is ever open to revision, when presented with better, and more compelling evidence.

This is fallibility of knowledge, that is a crux of philosophical method.

Conflicts often occur, when dogma prevails.

With fallibility of knowledge as a background, conflicts lessen, and knowledge enhances.

So, this is, if we are looking for a practical takeaway from doing philosophy, is societies,

which are less philosophical, or companies, or organisations, or families, which are less

philosophical, tend to have more dissatisfaction.

Because, dogma prevails, and one fights for one's dogma, without being open to understand,

or the other's position, or to revise one's position, in light of new knowledge.

So, conflicts often occur, when dogma prevails.

With the fallibility of knowledge as a background, conflicts lessen, and knowledge enhances.

Knowledge has a seesaw history, seesawing between paradigms, or what many of you may

have heard of as, paradigm shifts.

It results from a perpetual conceptual examination.

So, there are paradigm shifts in the story of knowledge, in history that we see, that

where at one point, one paradigm was held as extreme, and there was a paradigm that

we change.

So, when one, and this is why history is important to make sense of the world, is when one looks

at the way, ideas have seesawed all through the history.

Once gaining enormous prominence, and at one other time, being condemned.

And then again, coming back into vogue.

So, to look at this seesawing nature of knowledge, is also promotes a perpetual conceptual examination,

that philosophy as a discipline moves to.

Now, as a student of philosophy, what should you be doing, or as a budding philosopher,

not just as an academic philosopher, but a philosopher in spirit.

You should be able to, and this will also be hopefully, the takeaway, the learning outcomes

from this course.

You should be able, one, to identify foundational philosophical positions, in the most empirical

of all questions.

So, to identify assumptions, that is going to be your fundamental question.

Then, unearth the foundational assumptions of any claim, and become aware of the limitations,

owing to the assumptions, connected to the previous claim, that once we arrive at the

foundational assumptions, then we can be aware of the limitations, owing from these assumptions.

And what does this ultimately do?

Three, finally is, debate better, and more importantly, gain from debate.

So, now before I end, I would share the wisdom of philosophy.

Wisdom is a word used in philosophy.

Wisdom studies is a part of philosophy.

To look at debate, not as a platform to only advocate for the views one holds, but also

as a learning platform.

And till there is debate, and I can understand, there will be a lot of disappointment, and

impatience with debate, because debate delays processes very often, or sometimes does not

get resolved, and leads to a standstill.

But if you look at the alternative to debate, it is coercion, it is force.

So, that is where debate sounds better.

And that is where debate is a better method of engaging with differing opinions.

And to be philosophical, is to be able to debate.

And debate, not just in arguing for what one is convinced of, but being open to revise

what one has earlier held as convincing.

So, with this, I invite you all into a journey of philosophy, and hope it is useful, and

self-revealing to you, to make sense of the positions that you hold, and to understand

others, and to exercise your intellect, and spirit, to make sense of the world of values

that we inhabit.

Thank you. .