1. Invitation to Philosophy Prologue

2. Everybody’s Business Humans naturally philosophize. Humans naturally philosophize. Aristotle Aristotle Philosophy seeks systematic thinking. Philosophy seeks systematic thinking. To avoid dogmatism. To avoid dogmatism. To think more precisely. To think more precisely. Questioning answers is as important as answering questions. Questioning answers is as important as answering questions. Socrates Socrates

3. Why Study Philosophy? Sharpens the mind for all subdisciplines. Sharpens the mind for all subdisciplines. Clarification Clarification Discrimination Discrimination Better decision-making Better decision-making Enhances our personal lives Enhances our personal lives Makes us consistent thinkers Makes us consistent thinkers Gives us roots for our convictions Gives us roots for our convictions The life of reason The life of reason

4. Toward a Philosophical Attitude Develops a community of tolerance Develops a community of tolerance Open to wide spectrum of ideas Open to wide spectrum of ideas Promotes a free forum for dialogue Promotes a free forum for dialogue The art of dialectical conversation The art of dialectical conversation Supplies a common language for discourse Supplies a common language for discourse Criteria for communication for all Criteria for communication for all

5. The Adventure & the Risk It is an “adventure of ideas” It is an “adventure of ideas” It exposes to the risk of failure, self- discovery & revelation It exposes to the risk of failure, self- discovery & revelation Prometheus Prometheus Pandora Pandora Plato’s Cave Allegory Plato’s Cave Allegory Biblical Fall of Man Biblical Fall of Man

6. Discussion Does philosophy bake any bread? Does philosophy bake any bread? Is blissful ignorance a good? Is blissful ignorance a good? Can there be too much knowledge? Can there be too much knowledge? Is thinking bad TV? Is thinking bad TV? What is your philosophy of life? What is your philosophy of life?

7. Ch. 1: What is Philosophy? “the love of wisdom” “the love of wisdom” philos (Gr. ‘love of’) philos (Gr. ‘love of’) sophia (Gr. ‘wisdom’) sophia (Gr. ‘wisdom’) Human activity directed toward meaning. Human activity directed toward meaning. Attempt to develop organized world-views. Attempt to develop organized world-views.

8. Fields of Philosophy Epistemology (theory of knowledge) Epistemology (theory of knowledge) How do we know? How do we know? Metaphysics (theory of being) Metaphysics (theory of being) What is real? What is real? Axiology (theory of value) Axiology (theory of value) What is good? (Ethics) What is good? (Ethics) What is beautiful? (Esthetics) What is beautiful? (Esthetics)

9. Continuum Approach WhiteBlack Gray

10. Kinds of Philosophy I Critical Philosophy Critical Philosophy Analyze statements Analyze statements Clarify precise word meanings Clarify precise word meanings Find mutual conceptual relations Find mutual conceptual relations Critique basic assumptions Critique basic assumptions Entertain possible objections Entertain possible objections

11. Kinds of Philosophy II Speculative Philosophy Speculative Philosophy Attempts to get the ‘big picture’ Attempts to get the ‘big picture’ Seeks a system of ideas to explain everything. Seeks a system of ideas to explain everything. Searches for meaning. Searches for meaning.

12. The Goal To develop a reasoned view of life and the universe. To develop a reasoned view of life and the universe. To develop a reasonable way of thinking. To develop a reasonable way of thinking.

13. Ideal Format? Which genre? Which genre? What questions? What questions? What warrants? What warrants? What support? What support? What arguments? What arguments? What terms? What terms? What truth? What truth?