Defining Philosophy

Running head: DEFINING PHILOSOPHY

Week 1

Individual Assignment

Defining Philosophy Paper

Mafuta Christina Ta'ala-Sauni

PHL 215:Philosophy-Methods and Applications

University of Phoenix-Directive Study

Anna Simonds

March 20, 2006

Defining Philosophy

Philosophy derives from the two Greek words philein, which means Ð''to love,' and sophia, which means Ð''knowledge' or Ð''wisdom' (Moore & Bruder, 2002, p. 2). This is not the only definition of philosophy as philosophy is a very vast subject. "A critical examination of reality characterized by rational inquiry that aims at the Truth for the sake of attaining wisdom" (Russo & Fair, 2000, 4). My interpretation of philosophy is a field of study where one thinks "outside of the box" in the search for knowledge or wisdom that does not involve scientific explanations.

There is no consistency in the nature of philosophical questions. The nature of many philosophical questions concern norms. The application of norms, also known as standards occurs when people decide whether something is good or bad, right or wrong, beautiful or ugly. Normative questions ask about the value of something. The field of science explains how things are but does not tell us how things ought to be. Sometimes philosophical questions arise when different people believe different things. For example, some people believe that a cause-and-effect relationship exists in everything. If a person drinks spoiled milk, he or she will get sick. There are others that believe when one voluntarily decides to do something- nothing made them decide to do that. This refutes the cause-and-effect relationship belief. Then there are many other ways to look at the situation. Is every happening caused? Or are some happenings uncaused? Or is it perhaps that decisions are not "happenings"? These questions cause a dilemma that involves philosophizing. The importance of some philosophical questions-Is there a God who is attentive, caring, and responsive to us? and Is abortion morally wrong?-is obvious and vast. A justification would have to be given for not contemplating them. But some philosophical questions are of more or less obscure, and seemingly only academic or theoretical, consequence. Not everything philosophers consider is dynamite. But then, every field has its theoretical and non-practical questions. Some questions are inherently interesting to the people who pose them. Some philosophical questions are asked because the philosopher wants to know the answer simply to know the answer.

Most philosophical questions tend to fall into one of these four areas:

Questions related to being or existence (Metaphysics), Questions related to knowledge (Epistemology), Questions related to values, and Questions of logic or the theory of correct reasoning. Metaphysics and Epistemology are branches of philosophy that are very similar to one another. The questions related to values are standards of conduct and conditions of responsibility.

Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that is concerned with these areas: Cosmology- Theory of reality and Ontology- Theory of being. The two basic questions of metaphysics ask what is being? and what are its fundamental features and properties? Some specific examples of metaphysics questions are: What is the mind? Do people have free will? "Metaphysical bookstores," for example, specialize in all sorts of occult subjects, from channeling, harmonic convergence, and pyramid power to past-life hypnotic regression, psychic surgery, and spirit photography. However, the true history of metaphysics is quite different. Metaphysics has little to do with the occult or Tarot cards and the like. Epistemology is the