PHILOSOPHY, ITS MAIN

CATEGORIES AND PROBLEMS

PLAN
THE MAIN PROBLEMS OF
PHILOSOPHY
OUTLOOK, ITS ESSENCE,
STRUCTURE AND SIGNIFICANCE TO
HUMAN LIFE
HISTORICAL TYPES OF OUTLOOK
SOCIAL FUNCTIONS OF PHILOSOPHY

PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy is a manner of thinking about the most basic
questions and problems faced by human beings. Most
people believe they have nothing to do with Philosophy
and it has nothing to do with them. However there are
times that such basic and important questions and
problems will occur and be experienced by most human
beings. It is at these times that Philosophy has arisen all
over the world and within every culture. People will
experience the death of others and they will wonder
whether or not there is anything more to our existence
than life in the physical body. Questions will arise as to
whether or not there are actually souls or spirits. Do
they survive the death of the body? Are they real? Is
there a God, many gods? What is God like? What is
religion all about? Are the stories true?

PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy is a human endeavor that has changed the
course of history. We are all what we are, in part,
because of the ideas of philosophers. Yet philosophy has
and does impact the lives of just about every thinking
person on the planet. In fact, the very way in which we
think is partly the result of the ideas which philosophers
have produced over the ages and in all cultures.
Philosophers have contributed to our ideas about our
science, society and forms of government and to our
ideas about deities. The philosophical outlook influenced
on a forming of different traditional systems of
medicine: acupuncture, herbal therapy etc.

PHILOSOPHY
The aim of the study of course
Philosophy is a formation of
personality of future doctors, their
civic qualities; gaining of the
foundations for the philosophical
understanding of human relations
with the world and themselves for
future medical and life practice.

What do you think Philosophy is?

Let me list a few that are not correct. Some are very off the mark and
others are only partially correct.
Student attempts to define philosophy
1. Logical reasoning to answer any questions or problems.
2.Means by which to view and encounter life.
3. A system of beliefs and behaviors based upon experience and
judgment.
4. Different views and beliefs that people have.
5. Just personal opinions
6. Logical thinking or reasoning, taking into account all that is
known to be convincing
7. A frame of mind
8. A way of viewing the world and handling lifes experiences and
explaining it.
9.Great thinkers thought and ideas.
10.The way a person is able to maneuver their intellectual ability.
11.A theory based upon moral codes and reasoning.
12.Study of ones thoughts without the impact of external opinions.
13.Someones ideas and outlook on life or anything.
14. Someones point of view.

What do you think Philosophy is?

15.The art of reasoning, thinking and discussing.

16.Logic, knowledge, a body of principles to follow.

17. A discipline of thinking, which involves moral reasoning, logic
and principles.
18.View or Opinion or Belief or Theory
19.Ability to think and make your own judgments.
20.Things I live by.
21. A belief, way of life or religion.
22. A way of Life
23. A translation of the complexities from all angles and
summarizing it to its simplistic terms.
24. The way the individual interprets ort rationalizes what is
encountered.
25. Analyzing, questioning, discussing and thinking.
26. Information handed down from generation to generation:
beliefs, stories, rituals, and experiences.

PHILOSOPHY
(FROM Greek philos, meaning lover
and sophia, meaning wisdom)
The great virtue of philosophy is that
it teaches not what to think, but how
to think. It is the study of meaning, of
the principles underlying conduct,
thought and knowledge.

REASON
Practical reason has to do with
acting to realize the goal
Theoretical reason has to do
with beliefs.
A theoretical proposition is good if it conforms to
reality, while a practical proposition has more
complicated and debatable standards. While
practical reason decides what to do, it cannot
remake reality any way it likes. The successful
practical agent must take into account truths
about the world.

Introduction to the Five

Branches of Philosophy
Philosophy can be divided into five branches which address
the following questions:
Metaphysics
Epistemology

Ethics
Politics

sthetics

Study of
Existence
Study of
Knowledge
Study of
Action
Study of
Force
Study of Art

What's out
there?
How do I
know about
it?
What should
I do?
What actions
are
permissible?
What can life
be like?

The main branches of

philosophy
There is a hierarchical relationship between these
branches as can be seen in the Concept Chart. At the
root is Metaphysics, the study of existence and the
nature of existence. Closely related is Epistemology, the
study of knowledge and how we know about reality and
existence. Dependent on Epistemology is Ethics, the
study of how man should act. Ethics is dependent on
Epistemology because it is impossible to make choices
without knowledge. A subset of Ethics is Politics: the
study of how men should interact in a proper society
and what constitutes proper. Esthetics, the study of art
and sense of life is slightly separate, but depends on
Metaphysics, Epistemology, and Ethics.

Metaphysics
What is Metaphysics?
Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy responsible for
the study of existence. It is the foundation of a worldview.
It answers the question "What is?" It encompasses
everything that exists, as well as the nature of existence
itself. It says whether the world is real, or merely an
illusion. It is a fundamental view of the world around us.
Why is Metaphysics important?
Metaphysics is the foundation of philosophy. Without an
explanation or an interpretation of the world around us,
we would be helpless to deal with reality. We could not
feed ourselves, or act to preserve our lives. The degree to
which our metaphysical worldview is correct is the degree
to which we are able to comprehend the world, and act
accordingly. Without this firm foundation, all knowledge
becomes suspect. Any flaw in our view of reality will
make it more difficult to live.

Epistemology

What is Epistemology?

Epistemology is the study of our method of acquiring knowledge. It

answers the question, "How do we know?" It encompasses the
nature of concepts, the constructing of concepts, the validity of the
senses, logical reasoning, as well as thoughts, ideas, memories,
emotions, and all things mental. It is concerned with how our
minds are related to reality, and whether these relationships are
valid or invalid.
Why is Epistemology important?
Epistemology is the explanation of how we think. It is required in
order to be able to determine the true from the false, by
determining a proper method of evaluation. It is needed in order to
use and obtain knowledge of the world around us. Without
epistemology, we could not think. More specifically, we would have
no reason to believe our thinking was productive or correct, as
opposed to random images flashing before our mind. With an
incorrect epistemology, we would not be able to distinguish truth
from error. The consequences are obvious. The degree to which our
epistemology is correct is the degree to which we could understand
reality, and the degree to which we could use that knowledge to
promote our lives and goals. Flaws in epistemology will make it
harder to accomplish anything.

Ethics
What is Ethics?
Ethics is the branch of study dealing with what is the proper course
of action for man. It answers the question, "What do I do?" It is the
study of right and wrong in human endeavors. At a more
fundamental level, it is the method by which we categorize our
values and pursue them. Do we pursue our own happiness, or do
we sacrifice ourselves to a greater cause? Is that foundation of
ethics based on the Bible, or on the very nature of man himself, or
neither?
Why is Ethics important?
Ethics is a requirement for human life. It is our means of deciding a
course of action. Without it, our actions would be random and
aimless. There would be no way to work towards a goal because
there would be no way to pick between a limitless number of goals.
Even with an ethical standard, we may be unable to pursue our
goals with the possibility of success. To the degree which a rational
ethical standard is taken, we are able to correctly organize our
goals and actions to accomplish our most important values. Any
flaw in our ethics will reduce our ability to be successful in our
endeavors.

Politics
What is Politics?
Politics is ethics applied to a group of
people.
Why is this Important?
Politics tells you how a society must
be set up and how one should act
within a society. Except for hermits,
this comes up a lot.

sthetics
What is sthetics?
sthetics is the study of art. It includes what art consists of, as
well as the purpose behind it. Does art consist of music, literature,
and painting? Or does it include a good engineering solution, or a
beautiful sunset? These are the questions that aimed at in
esthetics. It also studies methods of evaluating art, and allows
judgments of the art. Is art in the eye of the beholder? Does
anything that appeals to you fit under the umbrella of art? Or does
it have a specific nature? Does it accomplish a goal?
Why is sthetics important?
Art has existed through all of recorded human history. It is unique
to humans because of our unique form of thinking. Its importance
is based on this nature, specifically, man's ability to abstract. Art is
a little understood tool of man to bring meaning to abstract
concept. Esthetics is important because it delves into the reason
why art has always existed, the burning need of mankind through
the ages to see the world in a different, clear way. It further
evaluates art by the standard of human life, and whether it
accomplishes the job of satisfying man's intellectual needs, or
whether it tends to hurt or make worse those needs.

The branches of philosophy

Axiology: the study of value; the
investigation of its nature, criteria,
and metaphysical status.

Two parts of axiology

Ethics: the study of values in
human behaviour or the study of
moral problems.
sthetics: the study of value in
the arts or the inquiry into feelings,
judgments, or standards of beauty
and related concepts. Philosophy
of art is concerned with judgments
of sense, taste, and emotion.

The branches of philosophy

Dialectics the study of sources,
essence and laws of development
Logic the study of the laws and
forms of argument
Philosophical anthropology
the study of a man

Ten rules of Philosophy

Allow the spirit of wonder to flourish in your
breast
2. Doubt everything until the evidence convinces
you of its truth
3. Love the truth
4. Divide and Conquer
5. Collect and construct
6. Conjecture and refute
7. Revise and rebuild
8. Seek simplicity
9. Live the truth
10. Live the good
1.

Outlook
It is a vision of the world from the
only center-position of man

Basic components of
Outlook
Cognitive
Value
Motivating-active

Basic levels of outlook

Vital-practical
Theoretical

Historical types of outlook

1. Mythology
2. Religion
3. Philosophy

FUNCTIONS OF
PHILOSOPHY
Cognitive
Methodological
Critical
Vital-practical

That's all. Thank you for your

attention.