Philosophy Lecture 01

Introduction to PhilosophyIntroduction to Philosophy

IS-VNUIS-VNUMr. Mike Mr. Mike Lecture 1Lecture 1

What is Philosophy?What is Philosophy?

““philo” - lovephilo” - love

““sophia” - wisdomsophia” - wisdom

Philosophy is the Philosophy is the love of wisdomlove of wisdom

Philosophy attempts Philosophy attempts to answer life's Big to answer life's Big QuestionsQuestions

What is Philosophy?What is Philosophy?

Activity:Activity:

Write down 5 questions Write down 5 questions that you feel are the that you feel are the

most important most important questionsquestions in life. in life.

Some Some BIGBIG Questions? Questions?

What is real?What is real?

Does God exist?Does God exist?

What happens after What happens after death?death?

Do we have souls?Do we have souls?

How should I think How should I think about things?about things?

What can I know?What can I know?

How do I know?How do I know?

Philosophy is about QuestionsPhilosophy is about Questions

What?What?

Why?Why?

How?How?

Philosophers ask Questions Philosophers ask Questions about what people Believe about what people Believe

What are theWhat are the REASONSREASONS for a particular belief?for a particular belief?

Do you believe in God? Do you believe in God? WHY?WHY?

Do you believe your Do you believe your ancestors protect you? ancestors protect you?

WHY?WHY?

Do you believe that Do you believe that murder is wrong? murder is wrong? WHY?WHY?

Philosophy is about Examining Philosophy is about Examining Ourselves & Our BeliefsOurselves & Our Beliefs

““The Unexamined The Unexamined Life is not worth Life is not worth living.living.” ” (Socrates)(Socrates)

Have you ever Have you ever looked in the mirror looked in the mirror and asked: and asked:

Who am I?Who am I?

Why am I here? Why am I here?

What should I do with What should I do with my life?my life?

Examining OurselvesExamining Ourselves

ActivityActivity

Answer the question:Answer the question:

Who are you?Who are you?

RulesRules

- Don't give your name.- Don't give your name.

- Don't say what you do. - Don't say what you do.

- Don't describe your - Don't describe your nationality. nationality.

Examining Our BeliefsExamining Our BeliefsBehavior

Actions / Things you do

Beliefs and Values

Why do you what you do?

World-ViewBasic Assumptions about Reality

Examining Our BeliefsExamining Our BeliefsBehavior

I talk to my friend

Beliefs and Values

I believe that my friend is real

World-ViewI Exist. Other People Exist.

Examining Our BeliefsExamining Our BeliefsBehavior

I talk to other people

Beliefs and Values

I believe that my friend is real

World-ViewI Exist. Other People Exist.

Philosophers like to question our basic

assumptions

Philosophers like to question our basic

assumptions

Philosophers like to question our basic

assumptions

Philosophers like to question our basic

assumptions

Do other people exist?

Do I exist?

Do other people exist?

Do I exist?

Do other people exist?

Do I exist?

Do other people exist?

Do I exist?

Descartes

Examining Our BeliefsExamining Our Beliefs

Discussion:Discussion:

Does Mr. Mike exist?

Why do you believe that Mr. Mike exists or doesn't exist?

Branches of PhilosophyBranches of Philosophy

Ethics

PoliticsPolitics

Religion

Metaphysics

Logic

Epistemology

Aesthetics

Science

Ph

iloso

ph

y

Ethics

Moral Philosophy

Explores questions about morality

Good and Evil

Right and Wrong

Virtue and Vice

Justice

Ethics

Questions:

How should we live?

What is good and evil?

What is the best way to live?

What is Justice?

Is right and wrong the same everywhere or different everywhere?

Ethics

Discussion:

An elderly decorated war hero is a guest at your house. He gets a little drunk and starts to talk to your teenage sister inappropriately.

What do you do?

Epistemology

Knowledge Science

Explores the nature and limitations of knowledge

Definition of knowledge

Investigates how knowledge is obtained

Explores the relationship between belief, truth and knowledge

Epistemology

Questions:

What is knowledge?

How is knowledge acquired?

How do we know what we know?

Metaphysics

Knowledge Science

Explores the fundamental nature of reality and being

Ontology

Existence

Objects

Properties

Space and Time

Cause and Effect

Metaphysics

Questions:

What is real?

What is reality?

What is reality like?

PoliticsPolitical Philosophy

Explores the relationship between citizens and governments

Liberty

Legal Justice

Property Ownership

Citizen's Rights

System of Law

PoliticsPoliticsQuestions: Questions:

How should government How should government be organized?be organized?

What makes a What makes a government legitimate? government legitimate?

Who decides who the Who decides who the leaders should be?leaders should be?

What laws are good and What laws are good and necessary? necessary?

How should law be How should law be enforced?enforced?

AestheticsSensori-Emotional Values

Explores the nature of beauty, art, and taste with the creation and appreciation of beauty

AestheticsQuestions

What is beauty?

What is art?

What is the value of beauty and art?

Who should judge what is beautiful or artistic?

How should art and beauty be judged?

AestheticsDiscussion:

On the left is Marcel Duchamp's ready-made “sculpture” called “Fountain”. It's a factory-made urinal on a stand.

Is this “Art”?

Why / Why not?

Is it beautiful? Offensive?

Why?

LogicRules for Thinking

The systematic principles (or rules) for thinking rationally.

Inferences are made by construction of Arguments

Rules of Logic determine which arguments are VALID and which are FALACIES

LogicVocabulary

ArgumentArgument – a set of claims (evidence) used to support a conclusion.

InferencesInferences – Logical conclusions

Argument:Argument:

All humans breathe air. Mr. Mike is a human.

Inference: Inference:

Therefore, Mr. Mike must breathe air.

LogicVocabulary

ValidityValidity – When an argument leads to a sound (logical) inference (conclusion)

Fallacy – When an argument contains an error which leads to a false conclusion (inference) OR a conclusion that is not supported by the argument.

Valid Argument:

All humans breathe air. Mr. Mike is a human. Therefore, Mr. Mike must breathe air.

Fallacious argument:

All humans breathe air. Mr. Mike is a human. Therefore, Mr. Mike drinks water.

LogicVocabulary

Logic cannot prove whether arguments are TRUE or FALSE.

Logic can only show that an argument is VALID or FALLACIOUS.

TRUE ≠ VALID

FALSE ≠ FALLACY

Valid Argument that is not True:

All humans can fly.

Mr. Mike is a human.

Therefore, Mr. Mike can fly.

Why is this argument VALID but not TRUE?

LogicVocabulary

Inductive logic – makes inferences from the particular (specific) to the general.

Inductive conclusions are “probable” but not 100% certain

Inductive logic establishes probability not validity

Inductive logic is essential to the scientific method

Inductive Argument:

Particular Observations:

Every American before 1870 has died.

Americans are still dying.

Generalization:

All Americans are mortals (don't live forever)

“All Americans are mortals” is a “probable” conclusion.

LogicVocabulary

Deductive logic – makes inferences from the general to the particular (specific).

Deduction establishes what must be true if all the premises are also true. But, deduction cannot establish the truth of the premises.

Inductive logic establishes what is validity.

Deductive Argument:

General Premises:

All men are mortal.

Socrates is a man.

Particular Conclusion:

Socrates is mortal.

LogicVocabulary

Deductive logic is formed by using a syllogism.

A syllogism is an argument that contains two premises and a conclusion.

Syllogism:

Premise A:

All men are mortal.

Premise B:

Socrates is a man.

Conclusion:

Socrates is mortal.

LogicFallacies

Non Sequitor

A conclusion which does not follow from the premises.

Syllogism:

Premise A:

All men are mortal.

Premise B:

Socrates is a man.

Conclusion:

Socrates is smart.

LogicFallacies

Straw Man

Misrepresenting an opponent's position.

Person A:

I believe in God.

Person B:

Person A believes in things that don't exist like fairies, Santa Clause and aliens.

LogicFallacies

Sweeping Generalization

A generalization that does not account for possible exceptions.

Syllogism:

Premise A:

Cutting people is a crime.

Premise B:

Surgeons cut people.

Conclusion:

Surgeons are criminals.

LogicFallacies

Sweeping Generalization

A generalization that does not account for possible exceptions.

Syllogism:

Premise A:

Cutting people is a crime.

Premise B:

Surgeons cut people.

Conclusion:

Surgeons are criminals.

LogicFallacies

Hasty Generalization

A generalization that follows from examples that are too limited.

Syllogism:

Premise A:

Everybody I've met in England speaks English.

Premise B:

Everybody I've met in America speaks English.

Conclusion:

Everybody in the world speaks English.

LogicFallacies

Red Herring

A deliberate attempt to divert a process of enquiry by changing the subject.

Syllogism:

Mr. Jones:

President Smith needs show us good reasons for raising taxes.

President Smith:

Taxes are important, but this country really needs to reduce crime rates.

LogicFallacies

Ad Hominem

An attempt to disprove an opponents position by attacking his character instead of his logic.

Example:

Mr. Johnson's argument for lowering taxes can't be taken seriously. He is a billionaire and earned his money from very questionable business deals.

LogicFallacies

Ad Baculum

An attempt to silence an opponents position by threatening to use force or punishment.

Jim:

I don't think our company should spend $100,000 on executive bonuses.

Jim's Employer:

Be quiet Jim or I will fire you.

LogicFallacies

Loaded Questions

Groups more than one question or assertion in a single question.

Example:

Did you stop using drugs?

Problems:

(1) Question assumes a conclusion without proving it (i.e. you are a drug user).

(2) You can't answer the question without affirming that you used drugs.

LogicFallacies

Circular Reasoning

An argument is circular if its conclusion is among its premises, if it assumes what it is trying to prove.

Example:

Honest Joe claims to be honest.

Honest Joe never lies.

Therefore, Honest Joe really is honest.

LogicFallacies

Appeal to Popularity

Attempts to prove that an idea is true simply because it is widely held.

Example:

Most people believe that God exists.

Therefore, God must exist.

LogicFallacies

Appeal to Popularity

Attempts to prove that an idea is true simply because it is widely held.

Example:

Most people believe that God exists.

Therefore, God must exist.

ReligionPhilosophy of Religion

Branch of philosophy concerned with questions regarding religion

Nature & Existence of God

Theology

Examination of Religious Experience

Analysis of Religious language and texts

Relationship between Religion and Science

ReligionQuestions

Does God exist?

What is God?

What is the nature of the relationship between God and humans?

Is God active in the world? How?

Is there life after death?

What is the relationship between Religion and Ethics? ...Religion and Science?

ReligionWhat is God?

Assuming that God exists, there are at least 4 general answers to this question.

Monotheistic answer

Polytheistic answer

Pantheistic answer

Panentheistic answer

Within each general view of God there are many specific versions.

ReligionMonotheism

What is God?

God is...

One – only one God exists

Omniscience (all-knowing), Omnipotence (all-powerful), and Omnipresence (present every where)

The 3 major monotheistic religions are: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

ReligionPolytheism

What is God?

God is Many

Many gods exists

Can be as few as 2 gods or or millions of gods

Ancient Greek and Roman religions are examples of polytheistic religions.

ReligionPantheism

What is God?

God is the Universe and the Universe is God.

There is no distinction between God and the universe (nature).

Some forms of Buddhism are examples of pantheism.

ReligionPanentheism

What is God?

God is in the Universe and the Universe is in God

God is more than the Universe.

God and the Universe are connected but not identical.

Philosophy of ScienceScience

Concerned with the assumptions, foundations, methods and implications of science.

Empirical Verification

Inductive Logic

Objectivity of the Observer

Philosophy of ScienceQuestions

What is the natural world?

How should we study nature?

What methods are useful in the study of nature?

Can science establish Natural Laws which are absolute (true everywhere and for everyone)?

What are the limits of scientific knowledge?