What is Philosophy? Meaning of Philosophy
Summary
TLDRIn this introductory episode of Filo Notes, the host delves into the essence of philosophy, tracing its etymological roots and defining it as the love of wisdom. The video outlines the major branches of philosophy, including metaphysics, epistemology, logic, and ethics, each with its unique focus on understanding the world, knowledge, reasoning, and moral conduct. The script poses fundamental questions that philosophy addresses, like the origin of the world, the nature of reality, and the justification of God's goodness amidst evil, inviting viewers to explore these profound topics further.
Takeaways
- 📚 Philosophy is defined as the love of wisdom, derived from the Greek words 'philia' (love) and 'Sophia' (wisdom), and is a pursuit of knowledge and its correct application.
- 🌐 Traditionally, philosophy is viewed as a science that investigates the ultimate causes, reasons, and principles of all beings, both material and immaterial, using human reason alone.
- 🤔 Key philosophical questions include the origin of the world, the reason for existence, the existence of God, the justification of God's goodness amidst evil, and the meaning and purpose of life.
- 🔍 Philosophy uses reason as a tool, involving reflection, questioning, articulation of thoughts, and analysis of phenomena or events in a critical and logical manner.
- 🤷♂️ Philosophers do not agree on a single definition of philosophy; for instance, Karl Jaspers sees philosophy as a discipline where questions are more important than answers.
- 📘 Philosophy is divided into four major branches: metaphysics, epistemology, logic, and ethics, each with its own focus and set of questions.
- 🌌 Metaphysics, or 'the study of things beyond the physical,' is further divided into general metaphysics (ontology) and special metaphysics, which includes cosmology, psychology/anthropology, and theodicy.
- 🧠 Ontology, a branch of metaphysics, studies the essence of all things and their first principles, seeking to understand the nature of being and the reasons for existence.
- 🌍 Cosmology, a part of special metaphysics, examines the origin, dynamics, and characteristics of the universe, as well as the laws governing its order.
- 🧐 Psychology, another aspect of special metaphysics, explores the nature of the human soul or mind, including the dynamics of human behavior and the meaning of life.
- 🙏 Theodicy, or natural theology, justifies the goodness of God in the face of evil, questioning the existence and nature of God, and how evil and suffering can coexist with a benevolent deity.
- 📝 Epistemology is the study of knowledge and justified belief, analyzing what knowledge is, how it is acquired, and the criteria that define its limits and justification.
- 🔧 Logic is the science of correct thinking, distinguishing between sound and unsound reasoning, and establishing criteria for valid arguments.
- 👤 Ethics, derived from 'ethos' meaning custom or habit, is the study of morality, focusing on how humans should act, defining right conduct, and seeking the good life.
Q & A
What is the etymological meaning of the word 'philosophy'?
-The word 'philosophy' comes from the Greek words 'philia' meaning love, and 'Sophia' meaning wisdom, thus it means the love of wisdom. It refers to the strong desire of a person to possess knowledge and apply it correctly.
What is the traditional definition of philosophy according to the script?
-Traditionally, philosophy is defined as a science that studies beings in their ultimate causes, reasons, and principles through the aid of human reason alone.
What are some of the fundamental questions that philosophy attempts to address?
-Philosophy attempts to address questions such as the origin of the world, the reason for existence, the existence of God, the justification of God's goodness in the face of evil, and the meaning and purpose of life.
How does philosophy use reason as a tool?
-Philosophy uses reason as a tool to reflect, question, articulate thoughts, and analyze phenomena or events in a critical and logical manner.
What are the four major branches of philosophy mentioned in the script?
-The four major branches of philosophy mentioned are metaphysics, epistemology, logic, and ethics.
What is the meaning of 'metaphysics' and how is it subdivided?
-Metaphysics is the study of things beyond the physical, including concepts that cannot be experienced. It is subdivided into general metaphysics (ontology) and special metaphysics, which includes cosmology, psychology or anthropology, and natural theology or theodicy.
What is the specific focus of ontology within metaphysics?
-Ontology, as a part of metaphysics, focuses on the study of beings in their ultimate causes, reasons, and principles through the aid of reason alone. It studies the first principles and the essence of all things.
What are the main areas of study within special metaphysics?
-Special metaphysics includes the study of cosmology, which examines the world or universe; psychology or anthropology, which studies the soul or mind; and natural theology or theodicy, which justifies the goodness of God in the face of evil.
What is epistemology and what are some of its key questions?
-Epistemology is the study of the nature and scope of knowledge and justified belief. Key questions include what knowledge is, how it is acquired, the structures and limits of knowledge, and what makes beliefs justified.
What is the main focus of logic in philosophy?
-Logic is the science of correct thinking or the study of principles and criteria of valid argument. It focuses on distinguishing sound reasoning from unsound reasoning and includes questions about what makes an argument good or bad, how to detect fallacies, and the criteria for determining argument validity.
What is ethics in philosophy and what are some of its primary concerns?
-Ethics is the branch of philosophy concerned with moral principles, human actions, and the search for right conduct and the good life. It asks questions about what constitutes right conduct, how to determine it, what a good life is, and the difference between human actions and those based on instinct.
Outlines
📚 Introduction to Philosophy
This paragraph introduces the concept of philosophy, highlighting its etymological roots in the Greek words 'philia' (love) and 'Sophia' (wisdom), thus signifying a deep desire for knowledge. It discusses the traditional definition of philosophy as a science that studies beings and their ultimate causes using human reason. The paragraph also poses fundamental philosophical questions about the origin of the world, existence, God, and the meaning of life. It emphasizes philosophy's role in critical and logical thinking and acknowledges the diversity of views among philosophers, referencing Karl Jaspers' view on the importance of questions over answers in philosophy.
🌐 Branches of Philosophy: Metaphysics
The second paragraph delves into the first major branch of philosophy, metaphysics, which is derived from Greek and signifies the study of things beyond the physical. It is further divided into general metaphysics (ontology) and special metaphysics, including cosmology, psychology or anthropology, and natural theology or theodicy. Ontology focuses on the ultimate causes and principles of all beings, while cosmology examines the universe's origin and laws. Psychology explores the nature of the human soul or mind, and theodicy addresses the justification of God's goodness amidst evil. The paragraph provides an overview of the key questions each subcategory seeks to answer.
🧠 Branches of Philosophy: Epistemology
This paragraph discusses the second branch of philosophy, epistemology, which is concerned with the nature and scope of knowledge and justified belief. Epistemology seeks to understand what constitutes knowledge, how it is acquired, and the criteria for justified beliefs. It raises questions about the nature of truth, the limits of knowledge, and the process of belief justification, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between sound and flawed reasoning.
🔍 Branches of Philosophy: Logic
The third branch, logic, is explored in this paragraph. Logic is defined as the science of correct thinking and the principles of valid argumentation. It aims to differentiate between sound and unsound reasoning and to identify fallacies. The paragraph outlines the fundamental questions of logic, such as the criteria for a good argument, detecting fallacies, and understanding the types of logic, highlighting the importance of logical analysis in reasoning.
🤔 Branches of Philosophy: Ethics
The final paragraph of the script addresses ethics, the branch of philosophy that deals with morality and human conduct. Ethics is concerned with defining right action, the good life, and the criteria for moral judgments. It distinguishes between ethics as a theoretical framework and morality as a practice, and poses questions about the nature of right conduct, the good life, and the basis for moral decisions. The paragraph concludes with an invitation to continue exploring philosophy through the series of daily whiteboard discussions.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Philosophy
💡Etymology
💡Metaphysics
💡Epistemology
💡Logic
💡Ethics
💡Ontology
💡Cosmology
💡Psychology
💡Theodicy
💡Socrates
Highlights
Introduction to the etymological definition of philosophy as 'the love of wisdom' from Greek words 'philia' and 'Sophia'.
Philosophy's definition as a science studying beings in their ultimate causes, reasons, and principles through human reason alone.
Discussion of the basic questions in philosophy, such as the origin of the world and the existence of God.
Philosophy's role in addressing moral dilemmas like euthanasia and assisted suicide.
The use of reason as a tool in philosophy for critical and logical understanding.
Diversity of opinions among philosophers on the definition of philosophy.
Introduction to the four major branches of philosophy: metaphysics, epistemology, logic, and ethics.
Metaphysics defined as the study of things beyond the physical, including concepts like God, freedom, and soul.
Ontology as the branch of metaphysics studying the essence and first principles of all things.
Special metaphysics subdivided into cosmology, psychology/anthropology, and natural theology/theodicy.
Cosmology's focus on the origin, dynamics, and characteristics of the universe.
Psychology's exploration of the nature and dynamics of the human mind and behavior.
Theodicy's concern with justifying the goodness of God amidst the existence of evil.
Epistemology's role in analyzing the nature and scope of knowledge and justified belief.
Logic as the science of correct thinking and the criteria of valid argument.
Ethics' focus on morality, defining right conduct, and the search for a good life.
Ethics' distinction from morality in terms of theory versus practice.
Invitation to subscribe for more daily whiteboard additions on philosophy.
Transcripts
hello everyone welcome to filo notes
this is our daily whiteboard where we
will be discussing relevant topics in
philosophy every single day and for our
very first edition I will present the
definition of philosophy and briefly
discuss its major branches but
specifically I will address the question
what is philosophy now I would like to
start off with its etymological
definition so philosophy particularly
Western philosophy comes from the two
Greek words
philia which means love and Sophia which
means wisdom
thus etymological is speaking philosophy
means the love of wisdom as is well
known love in this context is understood
as a strong desire for a particular
objects while wisdom is understood as a
correct application of knowledge thus
philosophy as the love of wisdom at
least in this context could refer to the
strong desire of the human person to
possess knowledge and apply it correctly
so it's not a coincidence therefore that
most philosophers in the ancient world
particularly in Greece India and China
were sages or wise men
think for example of Socrates Gautama
Buddha Confucius and loud -
traditionally however philosophy is
defined as a science that studies beings
in their ultimate causes reasons in the
principles through the aid of human
reason alone and when we speak of being
or beings in philosophy in this context
we mean all things that exist material
or immaterial an example of beings are
stones trees persons cars air water and
the notions of God soul and or spirits
all of these are beings and philosophy
studies their ultimate causes reason and
principles through the aid of human
reason alone in other words philosophy
is concerned with a reason and
principles that account for everything
that exists the some of the basic
questions in philosophy are what is the
origin of the world of everything that
exists why do this things exist rather
than not to exist at all and is there
God
if so how can we justify the goodness of
God in the face of evil and what is the
meaning and purpose of life why do we
have to suffer and if one is suffering
from an unbearable pain such as cancer
is it morally right to resort to
euthanasia or assisted suicide these are
just some of the questions that
philosophy attempted to address and in
doing so philosophy uses reason as a
tool which can be expressed in many
forms such as the ability to reflect
question articulate one's thoughts and
analyze certain phenomenon or events in
short philosophy attempts to understand
things in a critical and logical manner
it is important to note however that
philosophers do not agree in a single
definition of philosophy in fact
philosophers differ in their basic
understanding of philosophy for example
Karlee Esper's a famous german existence
of philosopher understands philosophy as
a discipline in which questions are more
important than answers because answers
themselves will in turn becomes
questions
after addressing the question what is
philosophy I will now proceed and
discuss its major branches so basically
philosophy is divided into four major
branches namely metaphysics epistemology
logic and ethics metaphysics comes from
the two Greek words meta which means
beyond or after and physica which means
physical or in nature hence etymological
is speaking metaphysics means the study
of things beyond the physical
that is concepts or things that cannot
be experienced such as the concepts of
God freedom and soul metaphysics is
commonly understood as the foundation of
philosophy in fact hours total calls it
the first philosophy originally the
Greek word metaphysical which literally
means after physics actually designated
that part of our totals works which came
after those chapters that dealt with
physics
however it was misappropriated later by
the medieval commentators on a classical
texts as that which is beyond the
physical this overtime metaphysics has
been understood as the study of that
which exists beyond the physical
now metaphysics is further subdivided
into two namely general metaphysics and
special metaphysics general metaphysics
is also referred to as ontology and
under special metaphysics we have
cosmology psychology or anthropology and
natural theology or a theodicy as
mentioned earlier general metaphysics is
also known as ontology ontology is
derived from the two greek words
Anto which means being or that which is
that is everything that exists and logos
which means knowledge or study
note however that the term logos in
ancient Greek scholarship have different
connotations for example Heraclitus a
Greek philosopher of the late 16th
century BCE
understands logos as reason or the
underlying principle of all that is but
going back however ontology therefore is
the specific branch of philosophy that
studies beings in their ultimate causes
reasons and principles through the aid
of reason alone in other words ontology
studies the first principles are the
essence of all things so some of the
basic questions in ontology
are what is being and why do thinks
exist rather than not to exist at all
and what is the meaning and nature of
reality also what is the underlying
principle of all that exists and is
there nothing although these
philosophical questions are mentioned in
this edition please note that our
concern here is just to describe very
schematically the four major branches of
philosophy and if you want to know more
about the nature and dynamics of
ontology per se you may check out this
resource
[Music]
on the other hand we have special
metaphysics which includes cosmology
psychology or anthropology and natural
theology or Theo de si and I will also
briefly discuss each of these
subcategories cosmology from the ancient
Greek words
cosmos which means the world and logos
which means study is the specific sub
branch of philosophy that studies the
world or the universe including its
origin dynamics and characteristics as
well as the laws that govern its order
and some of the basic questions in
cosmology are what is the origin of the
world what is the basic material of
which the world is formed how do things
arise and in what consists its
fundamental form or principle of order
and is the world or universe infinite
next we have psychology psychology comes
from the two Greek words psyche which
means soul but this is loosely
understood his mind and longus meaning
study the psychology is the specific sub
branch of philosophy that studies the
soul or mind broadly construed though
psychology is the study of the nature
and the dynamics of the Union person as
a whole with emphasis on the way the
person's mind functions and the way she
behaves some of the questions in
psychology are what is the nature of the
human person is there such thing as
human nature and what is the meaning and
purpose of any of life
and it's their life after death
now how do we account for the existence
of sufferings in the world lastly we
have theodicy or natural theology Theo
de si is derived from the Greek word
theose which means God the word theodicy
was coined by the famous 18th century
German philosopher named gut freed fell
home live nets in his 1970 work titled
geodesy broadly construed theodicy is
the study of God but specifically the
Odyssey is concerned with a
justification of the goodness of God in
the face of the existence of evil in the
world some of the basic questions in
theology are is there God what and who
is God if he exists at all how do we
prove the existence of God
and if God exists how do we justify the
existence of evil and suffering in the
world and disability fin God's really
necessary but then again these are just
brief descriptions of those
subcategories of the special metaphysics
and for a detailed discussion on the
special metaphysics you may refer to
this material all right I think I
already have briefly described the first
branch of philosophy called metaphysics
now let's move on to the second branch
of philosophy that is epistemology
epistemology comes from the two Greek
words epistle
which means knowledge and logos which
means study as it is formally defined as
the study of the nature and scope of
knowledge and justified belief
specifically it analyzes the nature of
knowledge and how it relates to similar
notions such as truth belief in
justification here are some of the basic
questions in epistemology what is
knowledge what do we know
how is knowledge acquired what are the
structures and limits of knowledge and
what makes justified beliefs justified
for an in-depth discussion of
epistemology you can also check out this
resource the third major branch of
philosophy is logic logic comes from the
Greek word logos which as I already
mentioned has different meanings however
I would stick to the definition that
logic is the science of correct thinking
or the study of the principles in
criteria of valid argument
more specifically logic attempts to
distinguish sound or good reasoning from
unsound and bad reasoning the basic
questions in logic includes the
following what distinguishes a good
argument from a bad one how can we
detect a fallacy in an argument what are
the criteria in determining the validity
of an argument and what are the types of
logic
[Music]
now lastly in the fourth major branch of
philosophy that is ethics ethics is
derived from the Greek word ethos which
means custom or habit broadly construed
ethics is the morality of human actions
ethics therefore is concerned with
questions of how human persons ought to
act and the search for a definition of a
right conduct and the good life it is
important to note that ethics is not the
same with morality this is because
ethics denotes the theory of right
action and the greater good
while morality indicates practice that
is the rightness or wrongness of a human
action and here are some of the common
questions and ethics what is the right
conduct as that which causes the
realization of the greatest good how do
we determine a right conduct in other
words what makes a right conduct right
and what is a good life and can we
attain it what is the difference between
human act and actions that are based on
instinct and what do people think is
right
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 I
hope you find this material helpful and
if you do don't forget to subscribe
thanks take care
関連動画をさらに表示
Introduction to Philosophy (PHI 101: Lecture 1)
The History of Philosophy: Origins of Ancient Philosophy Around the Globe
What is Philosophy?: Crash Course Philosophy #1
What is Philosophy - 10 Big Reasons To Study Philosophy
SHS Philosophy Q1 Ep1: Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
Philosophy Lecture Series - Chapter 1
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)