Index cards: turn them in AFTER class What does “philosophy” mean? What branch of philosophy has priority over others? How will philosophy be valuable in my life?

What is philosophy? 6 Main branches of philosophy Value of philosophy Philosophy jobs

What is philosophy “Love of wisdom”

a source of new scientific hypotheses autonomous from science conceptual analysis The origin of science ideology critique living the examined life the establishment or eradication of metaphysics the examination of the limits of reason nonsense

What philosophy is to me. Inquiry into EVERYTHING. Birth of Science. Asks hard questions. Asks “meta” questions. Critiques fundamental principles/methods in all disciplines (including itself)

Study of knowledge Ann Jenson 2011

Ann Jenson 2011

Influence of philosophical doctrines on politics Plato, Machiavelli, Montaigne, Tocqueville, Spinoza, Hobbes. John Locke’s (1632-1704) influence on Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, John Adams. John Locke: British Empiricist wrote on philosophy of mind, moral theory, and the rights of an individual: freedom of consciousness, freedom of religion, separation of church and state, etc.

Questions to think about in this class: Does any one of the branches of philosophy have priority over others?

Does any one of the branches of philosophy have priority over others? Metaphysics? It tells you what the basic constituents of reality It tells you what it is that you can know about.

Does any one of the branches of philosophy have priority over others? Epistemology? If there is a fundamental reality out there, we might not know about it. What’s the point in theorizing about the world if we have no theory of how we can know about it? Epistemology gives us criteria to tell us whether our beliefs (about things) are justified.

Does any one of the branches of philosophy have priority over others? Ethics? Political Philosophy? Logic?

Myth 1: Nobody ever fails a philosophy class. Some myths about philosophy classes: Myth 1: Nobody ever fails a philosophy class. False: If you don’t do the work and do poorly on the tests and assignments, you could fail the class. During discussion, and on the discussion page in WebCT I will ask your intuitions about questions like “what is consciousness?” and there are no right or wrong answers. But the questions I ask on the test (like “what is Nagel’s theory of consciousness?” have correct answers.

Some myths about philosophy classes: Myth 2: Everybody gets A’s in philosophy classes. False: Working hard, reading carefully, and coming to class with comments and questions are prerequisites for getting an A. Myth 3: Philosophy is about opinions and all opinions are equally valid. Therefore, if I share my opinions, I will do well in the class. False: Philosophy courses are content based.

Scientists and philosophers

Scientists and philosophers

Russell: The value of philosophy. The practical man is oblivious to the necessity of food for the mind. (9). The value of philosophy is to be found among the “goods of the mind” which are as equally as important as the “goods of the body.” (9)

Russell: The value of philosophy. Why does Russell say that the value of philosophy is to be sought largely in its very uncertainty? P. 10 What does it mean to “enlarge our thoughts and free them from the tyranny of custom?” p. 10 Philosophy aims at knowledge. (though philosophy has not achieved many positive results like other disciplines) p. 9-10

Russell: The value of philosophy. Philosophy provides escape of the constraints of our simple assumptions and narrow point of view. P. 11 Contemplation makes the mind great: it allows for more possibilities in thought and action, and it strengthens one’s position. P. 11-12

Russell: The value of philosophy. --The value of philosophy is to be found among the goods of the mind. -- it enlarges our thoughts and free them from the tyranny of custom.

Value of philosophy -- provides escape of the constraint of our simple assumptions and narrow point of view. -- Contemplation allows for more possibilities in thought and action. -- examining one’s views strengthens one’s position.

Russell: The value of philosophy. --The value of philosophy is to be found among the goods of the mind. -- it enlarges our thoughts and free them from the tyranny of custom. -- provides escape of the constraint of our simple assumptions and narrow point of view. -- Contemplation allows for more possibilities in thought and action. -- examining one’s views strengthens one’s position.

Russell Philosophy hasn’t made progress in thousands of years. Do you agree? If the origin of science was Natural Philosophy, then if philosophy hasn’t made progress, then neither has science.

Practical benefits to studying Philosophy? Wayne Buck gives a few benefits: It improves your ability to reason and think originally Develop critical and argumentative skills Gain confidence in your ability to analyze problems Ability to examine the most mundane, commonplace aspects of existence Learn about the philosophical tradition and philosopher’s influence on important figures . . .

Explanation/Theories of reference, in Philosophy of language and science. Conceptual analysis: The attempt to identify precisely the meaning of a philosophically important concept (e.g. an idea or thought). I.e. The concepts “red,” “beauty,” “moral act,” “justice,” “good,” “consciousness,” “intelligence,” etc. (often this involves breaking a concept into its essential components, and giving necessary and sufficient conditions.

Philosophy Jobs. Ethical Review Boards: Any publically funded hospital hires professional philosophers. Businesses hire philosophers. I.e. Norway Oil. Activists get involved in committees to oversee proper treatment of animals, children, environment, etc. I.e. Utah Primates Group. Political philosophers/ ethicists hired by government. Philosophical counseling. Life coaches. “Plato, not Prozac.”

Perry Perry says “To read philosophy well one must read slowly and aggressively” (2007 p. 2) William James: Philosophy is the “unusually persistent effort to think things through.”

Philosophers have very subtle distinctions between their ideas. It is important to express your ideas CLEARLY to capture these subtle distinctions. Read slowly, and re-read articles. Identify thesis statements, premises, and conclusions. Outline arguments. Summarize arguments in your own words, using your own examples.