Doing Philosophy

Summary

In this whiteboard edition, the host delves into the fundamental concepts of philosophy, emphasizing the importance of questioning, contemplation, and logical argument construction. Philosophy is accessible to all, not just the academically trained, as it begins with wonder and perplexity. Gabrielle Marcel's distinction between primary and secondary reflection is highlighted, with the latter offering a holistic view of reality. The ability to construct and evaluate arguments is crucial for expressing and supporting philosophical claims, fostering objective thinking and understanding.

Takeaways

• 🤔 Doing philosophy involves asking questions, contemplating life's mysteries, and evaluating arguments rationally.
• 🎓 Philosophy is accessible to anyone who raises intelligent questions and engages in reflective and logical thinking, regardless of formal education.
• 🧐 Originating from wonder and perplexity, philosophy begins when one starts to think deeply about life's mysteries.
• 🤓 Philosophical reflection, as described by Gabrielle Marcel, is a deeply personal process that requires time to consider life's meaning and purpose.
• 🔍 There are two types of reflection: primary, which is fragmented and selfish, and secondary, which is holistic and genuine, integrating experiences into a coherent whole.
• 💭 Secondary reflection is essential for genuine philosophical thinking, as it respects the interconnectedness of life's experiences.
• 🔑 Philosophical reflection is a tool in doing philosophy that helps to see the bigger picture and our role in the world.
• 📐 Logical thinking is crucial for constructing and evaluating arguments, which is a key skill in philosophy.
• 📝 The ability to express and support claims rationally is a hallmark of doing philosophy properly.
• 🔗 Arguments are a systematic way to express thoughts clearly and logically, promoting agreement, harmony, and objective thinking.
• 🌟 The benefits of doing philosophy include deepening self-understanding, seeing reality's interconnectedness, and critically examining ideas.

Q & A

What does the act of doing philosophy involve according to the script?

The act of doing philosophy involves asking questions, contemplating about the mystery of life, constructing arguments, and rationally evaluating them.

Is it necessary to have a philosophy degree to do philosophy?

No, one does not necessarily need a philosophy degree to do philosophy. Anyone can do philosophy as long as they raise valid or intelligent questions, reflect meditatively, and argue in a logical manner.

What does Aristotle argue is the origin of philosophy?

Aristotle, following Socrates, argues that philosophy begins in wonder or in the act of being perplexed.

What is philosophical reflection according to Gabrielle Marcel?

Philosophical reflection, according to Gabrielle Marcel, is deeply personal and intimately anchored on day-to-day existence. It is the act of giving time to think about the meaning and purpose of life.

What are the two types of philosophical reflection as per Marcel's concept?

The two types of philosophical reflection are primary reflection, which is fragmented and compartmentalized thinking, and secondary reflection, which is holistic and integrates fragmented experiences into a coherent whole.

Why is primary reflection considered selfish thinking by Marcel?

Primary reflection is considered selfish thinking because it is instrumental thinking, focused on what can be practically gained from a relationship or situation.

How does secondary reflection differ from primary reflection in terms of human relations?

Secondary reflection, in the context of human relations, does not think of what can be practically gained. It is based on the premise that the other person is a human being who deserves respect, care, and love.

What role does philosophical reflection play in doing philosophy?

Philosophical reflection provides a holistic picture of reality, allowing us to see the interconnectedness and interdependence of people, actions, and events, as well as our direct relation to them.

Why is the ability to construct and evaluate arguments important in doing philosophy?

The ability to construct and evaluate arguments is important in doing philosophy because it allows us to express our thoughts in a clear and logical manner, promoting agreement, harmony, and objective thinking.

What is an example of a valid or sound argument given in the script?

The example given is: If all human beings are mortal (premise 1) and the President of the Republic of the Philippines is a human being (premise 2), then the President of the Republic of the Philippines is mortal (conclusion).

What are the benefits of being able to do philosophy in a meaningful way as outlined in the script?

The benefits include deepening our understanding of ourselves and our role in the world, promoting agreement and harmony through clear and logical expression of ideas, and the ability to examine the ideas of others.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Introduction to Philosophy and Reflection

This paragraph introduces the concept of doing philosophy, emphasizing that it involves asking questions, contemplating life's mysteries, and evaluating arguments rationally. It asserts that philosophy is accessible to anyone capable of raising intelligent questions and thinking logically. The script references Aristotle and Socrates, suggesting that philosophy begins with wonder and perplexity. Gabrielle Marcel's concept of philosophical reflection is introduced, distinguishing between primary and secondary reflection. Primary reflection is described as fragmented and selfish, focusing on practical gains in relationships, while secondary reflection seeks to understand life holistically, promoting genuine and unselfish thinking.

05:02

📚 The Importance of Argument Construction in Philosophy

The second paragraph delves into the significance of constructing and evaluating arguments in philosophy. It posits that expressing and supporting claims rationally is fundamental to philosophical discourse. The paragraph provides an example of a logical argument to illustrate how premises can lead to a valid conclusion. It underscores the importance of both philosophical reflection and argument construction as essential skills in philosophy. Reflection allows for a deeper understanding of experiences and reality, while argument construction enables the systematic and logical expression of ideas. The ability to evaluate arguments also facilitates the examination of others' ideas, contributing to the benefits of engaging in meaningful philosophical inquiry.

Keywords

💡Philosophy

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. In the video, philosophy is presented as an activity that involves questioning, contemplating, and constructing arguments. It is a pursuit accessible to anyone who engages in these activities, regardless of formal education in the field.

💡Philosophical Reflection

Philosophical reflection, as discussed in the video, is a deeply personal act of giving time to think about the meaning and purpose of life. It is central to the practice of philosophy, allowing individuals to see the interconnectedness of experiences and to gain a holistic understanding of reality.

💡Primary Reflection

Primary reflection, according to Gabrielle Marcel, is a type of thinking that is fragmented and compartmentalized, focusing on calculating, analyzing, or recounting past events. In the context of the video, it is presented as a form of 'selfish thinking' because it is instrumental and seeks practical gains, such as establishing relationships for personal benefit.

💡Secondary Reflection

Secondary reflection is the act of recapturing the unity of the original experience by integrating fragmented thoughts into a coherent whole. In the video, it is contrasted with primary reflection and is considered 'genuine' or 'unselfish' thinking, which respects and values others for their inherent worth as human beings.

💡Instrumental Thinking

Instrumental thinking is a mode of thought applied to human relations where the focus is on what can be practically gained from a relationship. In the script, it is used to illustrate the self-centered nature of primary reflection, where relationships are formed for the sake of personal advantage.

💡Argument

An argument in the context of philosophy is a set of statements, one of which is the conclusion, and the others are premises that support the conclusion. The video emphasizes the importance of constructing and evaluating arguments as a means to express thoughts clearly and logically, using the example of an argument about the mortality of human beings.

💡Validity

In logic, validity refers to the logical soundness of an argument, where if the premises are true, then the conclusion must also be true. The video uses the concept of validity to illustrate the necessity of constructing arguments that are logically consistent and persuasive.

💡Mortality

Mortality, as used in the video's example argument, refers to the condition of being subject to death. It is used to demonstrate how philosophical arguments can be structured to lead to a logical conclusion, in this case, that the President of the Philippines, being a human, is mortal.

💡Rational Evaluation

Rational evaluation is the process of assessing arguments or claims based on reason and logic. The video stresses that doing philosophy requires the ability to rationally evaluate one's own and others' arguments to ensure they are sound and well-founded.

💡Interconnectedness

Interconnectedness is the concept of things being interconnected or interrelated. In the video, philosophical reflection is said to allow us to see the interconnectedness and interdependence of people, actions, and events, emphasizing the holistic view that philosophy offers.

💡Objectivity

Objectivity in philosophy refers to the pursuit of knowledge without personal feelings or opinions influencing the conclusions. The video suggests that the construction and evaluation of arguments promote objective thinking by encouraging clear and logical expression of ideas.

Highlights

The act of doing philosophy involves asking questions, contemplating life's mysteries, and evaluating arguments rationally.

Philosophy is accessible to anyone who raises valid questions and reflects meditatively and logically.

Aristotle and Socrates argue that philosophy begins with wonder and perplexity, leading to thought and philosophizing.

Philosophical reflection, as described by Gabrielle Marcel, is deeply personal and connected to everyday existence.

Primary reflection is fragmented and compartmentalized, failing to make sense of life's mystery.

Secondary reflection integrates fragmented experiences into a coherent whole, allowing holistic thinking.

Secondary reflection is considered genuine and unselfish, focusing on respect, care, and love in human relations.

Philosophical reflection provides a holistic picture of reality, understanding interconnectedness and our role in the world.

Primary reflection's ability to think logically is essential for constructing and evaluating arguments in philosophy.

The ability to express and support claims rationally is a key characteristic of doing philosophy properly.

Constructing and evaluating arguments is crucial for expressing thoughts clearly and promoting objective thinking.

An example argument is provided to illustrate the process of logical reasoning in philosophy.

The validity of an argument depends on the truth of its premises and the logical connection to the conclusion.

Philosophical reflection and argument construction are necessary skills for a deeper understanding of experiences and reality.

The benefits of doing philosophy include deepening self-understanding, examining others' ideas, and promoting harmony.

The video aims to make the learning and understanding of philosophy easy through daily whiteboard editions.

The full transcript of the video is available for further reading and understanding of the discussed concepts.

Transcripts

hello Fela notes friends welcome back in

today's whiteboard edition I will

discuss the important concepts in doing

philosophy to provide the students in

philosophy with basic information that

would help them understand the

approaches to doing philosophy to begin

with the act of doing philosophy

necessarily involves the act of asking

questions contemplating about the

mystery of life and constructing

arguments and be able to rationally

evaluate them in the end

for this reason doing philosophy means

to ask questions to reflect in to

formulate and evaluate arguments in this

way one does not necessarily have to be

a graduate of a philosophy degree for

one to do philosophy anybody can do

philosophy as long as she raises valid

or intelligent questions reflects

meditatively and argues in a logical

manner if we recall the discussion of

the origin of philosophy Aristotle

following Socrates argue that philosophy

begins in wonder or in the act of being

perplexed as we already know when one is

perplexed as Aristotle would have us

believe one begins to think in a sense

one begins to philosophize now in doing

philosophy one needs to master an

important skill that is philosophical

reflection according to Gabrielle Marcel

whose notion of philosophical reflection

is deeply personal and is intimately

anchored on day-to-day existence

philosophical reflection is first and

foremost the act of giving time to think

about the meaning and purpose of life

[Music]

now there are two types of philosophical

reflection according to Marcel namely

primary reflection and secondary

reflection primary reflection is a kind

of thinking that calculates analyzes or

recounts past events in this way primary

reflection is fragmented in

compartmentalized thinking thus for

Marcel primary reflection cannot be a

genuine thinking because it failed to

make sense of the whole of the mystery

of life in other words primary

reflection is selfish thinking because

it is instrumental thinking as we

already know instrumental thinking is a

means and kind of thinking and applied

to human relations instrumental thinking

thinks only of what it can practically

get in a relationship for example one

may establish a relationship or

friendship with somebody who is rich so

that she may be able to borrow money in

times of need secondary reflection and

the other hand is characterized by the

act of recapturing the unity of the

original experience by gathering back

together what has been separated by the

primary reflection

thus secondary reflection allows us to

think holistically in this way

secondary reflection enables us to

integrate our fragmented and

compartmentalized experience into a

coherent whole

[Music]

this gives us the impression that

secondary reflection for Marcel is a

genuine or unselfish thinking and

applied to human relations secondary

reflection does not think of what it can

practically get in a relationship here

the human person establishes a

relationship with the other not because

of what she can get but is premised on

the idea that the other is a human

person that deserves respect care and

love and so when Marcel speaks of

philosophical reflection he specifically

refers to secondary reflection for this

reason philosophical reflection provides

us with a holistic picture of reality

thus philosophical reflection is a tool

in doing philosophy enables us to see

the interconnectedness and

interdependence of people actions and

events as well as our direct relation to

them indeed philosophical reflection as

a tool in doing philosophy allows us to

deepen our understanding of ourselves as

well as our role in place in the world

Marcel's notion of primary reflection

can be expressed most visibly in our

ability to think logically that is in

the ability of the mind to construct and

evaluate arguments for this reason

although it may appear as a kind of

selfish thinking when applied to human

relations primary reflection can be

considered as another important tool in

doing philosophy

one important characteristic of doing

philosophy properly is the ability to

express and support one's claim

rationally thus if we are not able to

justify our views or claims then we are

not doing philosophy for this reason in

doing philosophy we must learn how to

construct and evaluate arguments

properly for it is with the use of

arguments that we are able to express

our thoughts in a clear and logical

manner in this way we do not only

promote agreement and harmony but also

objective thinking let us consider this

argument as an example premise 1 all

human beings are mortal premise 2 but

the president of the Republic of the

Philippines is a human being

conclusion therefore the president of

the Republic of the Philippines is

mortal

in this argument we can see that if the

premises are assumed to be true then the

conclusion must also be true that is if

all human beings are indeed mortal and

that the President of the Republic of

the Philippines is a human being then we

have to accept the conclusion that the

president of the Republic of the

Philippines is mortal if we reject the

conclusion then we are making a logical

error since it is what the premise

entails since the premises of the

argument inevitably lead us to this

particular conclusion then the argument

is valid or sound argument indeed both

philosophical reflection and the

construction and evaluation of arguments

are some of the necessary skills that we

need in doing philosophy to reiterate

philosophical reflection on the one hand

enables us to look deeper into our

experiences and see the bigger picture

of reality on the other hand the

construction and evaluation of arguments

allows us to express our ideas in a

systematic and logical way furthermore

the ability to construct and evaluate

arguments allows us to examine the ideas

of other people in the end these are

some of the benefits of being able to do

philosophy in a meaningful way

[Music]

all right that's it for today

keep looking forward to our series of

daily whiteboard additions as we try to

make the learning and understanding of

philosophy incredibly easy thanks for

joining us today in this edition of our

daily whiteboard here at filo notes full

transcript of this video is available at

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until then thanks take care

[Music]