Excerpted from Geisler and Feinberg’s Introduction to Philosophy: A Christian Perspective (Baker, 1980) What is Philosophy? Excerpted from Geisler & Feinberg’s Introduction to Philosophy, Baker, 1980 By Steve Badger

Excerpted from Geisler and Feinberg’s Introduction to Philosophy: A Christian Perspective (Baker, 1980) Characteristics of Philosophy 1.Disputes are generally not caused by a lack of factual information, but by disagreements of interpretation or of value 2.Problems are seldom solved by an appeal to facts 3.Philosophy is often more concerned with method than with theoretical content

Excerpted from Geisler and Feinberg’s Introduction to Philosophy: A Christian Perspective (Baker, 1980) Characteristics of Philosophy 4.A primary goal is clarification (often of meaning, definition) 5.Concerned with critical reflection on evidence and justification (truth claims) 6.Typically centers on a search for truth about crucial issues discussed by thoughtful people

Excerpted from Geisler and Feinberg’s Introduction to Philosophy: A Christian Perspective (Baker, 1980) Characteristics of Philosophy 7.Often involves an appeal to a system of principles (e.g., ) 8.At times, concerned with the nature of “being,” or reality (metaphysics)

Excerpted from Geisler and Feinberg’s Introduction to Philosophy: A Christian Perspective (Baker, 1980) Branches of Philosophy 1.Epistemology 2.Metaphysics 3.Logic 4.Axiology A.Ethics B.Aesthetics 5.Philosophy of… (Religion, Science, History, etc.)

Excerpted from Geisler and Feinberg’s Introduction to Philosophy: A Christian Perspective (Baker, 1980) Methodology in Philosophy 1.Interrogation (Socrates) 2.Reductio Ad Absurdum (Zeno) 3.Deduction (Aristotle) 4.Induction (Bacon, Mills) 5.The Scientific Method(s?) 6.Other Contemporary Methods: (existentialism, phenomenology, and the analytic method)

Excerpted from Geisler and Feinberg’s Introduction to Philosophy: A Christian Perspective (Baker, 1980) Verification Principle A J Ayer ( ) For a statement to be meaningful (true) it must be either 1) purely definitional or else 2) verifiable by onor of more of the five senses. All other statements (ethical, theological, metaphysical) are nonsense or meaningless. Logical Positivism Self-refuting

Excerpted from Geisler and Feinberg’s Introduction to Philosophy: A Christian Perspective (Baker, 1980) Falsification Principle Anthony Flew and Karl Popper Any statement or proposition is meaningless unless it is subject to falsification (at least in principle) Flew used it to challenge a belief in God Self-refuting But Flew recently changed his mind…