Philosophers ponder upon major questions regarding reality, certainty, causality, and ethics. Regarding reality, they examine the nature of existence and classify reality into concrete and abstract categories. On certainty, they seek to achieve perfect knowledge and debate rationalism versus empiricism. For causality, they analyze cause-and-effect relationships and the origin of things. Finally, for ethics they discuss concepts like right and wrong to govern human behavior.
Philosophers ponder upon major questions regarding reality, certainty, causality, and ethics. Regarding reality, they examine the nature of existence and classify reality into concrete and abstract categories. On certainty, they seek to achieve perfect knowledge and debate rationalism versus empiricism. For causality, they analyze cause-and-effect relationships and the origin of things. Finally, for ethics they discuss concepts like right and wrong to govern human behavior.
Philosophers ponder upon major questions regarding reality, certainty, causality, and ethics. Regarding reality, they examine the nature of existence and classify reality into concrete and abstract categories. On certainty, they seek to achieve perfect knowledge and debate rationalism versus empiricism. For causality, they analyze cause-and-effect relationships and the origin of things. Finally, for ethics they discuss concepts like right and wrong to govern human behavior.
Philosophers ponder upon major questions regarding reality, certainty, causality, and ethics. Regarding reality, they examine the nature of existence and classify reality into concrete and abstract categories. On certainty, they seek to achieve perfect knowledge and debate rationalism versus empiricism. For causality, they analyze cause-and-effect relationships and the origin of things. Finally, for ethics they discuss concepts like right and wrong to govern human behavior.
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Complete the following statements.
I believe that this world is _______________because
________________________.
The ___________ kind of life is the best kind of life.
The most important thing man must have is ___________________.
What are some of the major questions that Philosophers ponder upon?
In the course of their studies and inquiries, philosophers touch upon
many subjects and concerns. There are a number of problems or questions, however, that are considered to be exclusively in the domain of Philosophy. The major question in Philosophy concern reality, certainty, causality, and ethics. What are some of the major questions that Philosophers ponder upon?
Reality – refers to the state of existence of things independent of
human consciousness.
Philosophers believe in the existence of an “objective and absolute”,
which means that everything that exist in reality has a specific nature or character. What are some of the major questions that Philosophers ponder upon?
Philosophers have attempted to classify reality into various categories:
Concrete Reality – refer to things that physically exist such as basket of
apples, a pile of books, and a cup of coffee.
Abstract reality – refers to things that do not physically exist such as
pure mathematics, and the idea of beauty. What are some of the major questions that Philosophers ponder upon?
The branch of Philosophy which addresses questions regarding the
nature of reality is Metaphysics. A branch of metaphysics, Ontology, focuses on the classification of existing things. Topic related to the discussion of reality include the concepts of time, space, the nature of the universe, and the nature of the human being or what makes man what he is. What are some of the major questions that Philosophers ponder upon?
Certainty- refers to perfect knowledge that is free from error or doubt.
Philosophy seeks to achieve certainty in its quest for knowledge and the means by which man is able to know.
Rationalism – is a theory on knowledge which believes that knowledge
is a priori knowledge or based on pure reasoning independent of any experience. What are some of the major questions that Philosophers ponder upon?
Empiricism – is another theory which considers knowledge to be
posteriori knowledge or knowledge gained from experience.
Skepticism – questions the certainty of established doctrines or truths
and believes that the mind has limits in perceiving and understanding reality, thus, all knowledge is uncertain. What are some of the major questions that Philosophers ponder upon?
Philosophers also tackle the question of causality or the causes of
events and phenomena. Philosophers analyze causality by examining events in the context of a cause-and-effect relationship. Closely related to the concept of causality are the questions regarding the origin of things. Another important concept related to the concept of causality is purpose or the explanation of a thing’s function, end, or goal. What are some of the major questions that Philosophers ponder upon?
A concept related to causality is agency, which is the capacity of man to govern or
control his actions. Philosophers accept that human are capable of making decisions that define their actions. How humans make decisions, however, is a topic of much discussion and debate. There are those who contend that humans possess free will or the ability to choose among possible actions. The concept of choice is an important aspect of any discussion on agency and free will because every decision comes from picking out something a set of choices. The branch of Philosophy that studies causality is called Etiology, while Teleology is the branch which deals with the question of purpose. What are some of the major questions that Philosophers ponder upon?
Another significant problem that Philosophy tackles is the question of ethics.
Ethics deals with the standards of right and wrong which define human behavior. Ethics, as a field of study, discusses and defines concepts and principles that are meant to govern reasoning and action.
Important concepts related to ethics are right and wrong, the “greater good,” duty, obligation, and virtue. Ethics or Moral Philosophy is the branch that seeks to apply and analyze these concepts in various situations, contexts, and cultures, and recommends guidelines that will govern the decisions and actions of people. What methods and tools do Philosophers use in the conduct of their study?
Systematic doubt. Philosophers employ a skeptical attitude in looking at ideas, events, or
things. Each aspect of the topic in question is analyzed to determine its validity or truthfulness.
Argument. Philosophers engage in discussions, discourse, and debate on their ideas.
Various perspectives on a topic are taken into consideration and examined.
Dialectic. varied and differing ideas and perspectives are analyzed and from the information gathered, new ideas and views are formulated.
Socratic method. It is a method of analyzing a topic by formulating a series of questions
designed to analyze its various aspects, and examine and clarify a person’s views on it. What methods and tools do Philosophers use in the conduct of their study?
Axioms. These refer to statements that convey certain assumptions in
philosophical discussion. Axioms provides a foundation and direction in philosophical studies.
Occam’s razor. This is a principle used in analyzing possible explanations
regarding a phenomenon which states that among possible explanations, the simplest one which has the least unnecessary assumptions is the most acceptable. What methods and tools do Philosophers use in the conduct of their study?
Formal logic. It is a systematic analysis of the validity of arguments and
statements. Formal logic entails the use of syllogism or logical arguments presented as a series of related statements or premises leading to a conclusion.
Thought experiment and allegory. These are imagined scenarios used to
illustrate a certain problem or describe a theory. Famous thought experiments in philosophy include Avicenna’s “floating man” – which discusses the relationship between perception and the human mind. What are the practical uses of Philosophy in our lives?
1. Philosophy requires a person to engage in analysis and interpretation
of concepts, definitions, arguments, and problems.
2. Problem-solving and decision making are important aspects in life
which can benefit from a knowledge of philosophy.
3. A philosopher is also a good communicator who can clearly and
adequately present his or her ideas.
4. Knowledge of Philosophy can contribute to self-development.
