PAPER NO. 66
WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?
On the Nature and Necessity of Philosophy
Philosophy can be defined in terms of its several features.
It is an area, an attitude, a method, an application, and a system.
- AREA—foundation and goal
Philosophy is concerned with the most basic issues we can logically think about. It deals with questions that are foundational to all our thoughts, in each of its three branches.
Epistemology: How do I know?
Is knowledge of basic things (concerning the existence and nature of God and man and good and evil) possible? Is knowledge of basic things necessary, or is belief based on testimony (human or divine) sufficient?
How is knowledge of basic things possible? Is it by sense experience (in science) or by intuition (in art, morality, or religion) or by reason (in philosophy)?
Metaphysics: What is real (eternal)?
Ontology: What is the nature of being? Is everything made of matter or does spirit also exist, or is all spirit?
Cosmology: How did things come to be as they are? Is everything eternal in some form or other, or is only some (God) eternal, or is nothing eternal? Is there an eternal process or did God create the heavens and the earth?
Ethics: What ought I to do?
Philosophy is also concerned with ultimate questions about the meaning of life. What is the goal or purpose of human existence? What is the highest good, the end in itself, sought for its own sake, and the source of happiness? Is this good the same for all? Is morality possible if basic things are not objectively clear (knowable by all who seek to know)?
Q1. Are these questions of philosophy the most basic of all questions?
Q2. Must these questions be asked and answered or can they be assumed?
Q3. Can other disciplines (physics, psychology, etc.) answer these questions? Do they attempt to?
Q4. Is philosophy foundational for all other areas of thought (the sciences, the arts, and religion based on special revelation)?
- ATTITUDE—love of wisdom
“Philosophy” literally means “love of wisdom.” One has wisdom if one knows the good and how to achieve it.
Beliefs about what is real and what is the good direct our lives and so are crucially important. The alternative is to think one knows when one does not know or to not be concerned to know. Failure to know and seek the good is the source of all the miseries of life. Fear of not having the good is the beginning of wisdom. Love of the good brings one to the fullness of wisdom.
Q1. Is wisdom necessary for all or for only some? Is it possible for all?
Q2. Can one seek wisdom if one is mistaken about being wise?
Q3. How is wisdom or lack of wisdom experienced?
Q4. Is it possible to study philosophy without this attitude?
- METHOD—critical use of reason
By reason is meant the laws of thought:
identity: a is a
non-contradiction: not both a and non-a (at the same time, in the same respect)
excluded middle: either a or non-a
Reason is the test for meaning, which is more basic than truth: one has to know what a statement means before knowing if it is true or not. A statement is meaningless (cannot be thought) if it violates a law of thought. A statement which is meaningless cannot be true. Reason is used critically when basic assumptions are recognized and analyzed for meaning.
Q1. Can reason itself (the laws of thought) be doubted?
Q2. Is man fundamentally rational?
Q3. Do the laws of thought apply to the world?
Q4. Is it necessary to test basic beliefs for meaning?
Q5. Is reason the test for meaning?
Q6. Can there be truth without meaning?
- APPLICATION—self-examination
The first application of philosophy is to examine one’s own basic beliefs for meaning. The Socratic dictum, “the unexamined life is not worth living [is less than human existence],” is basic in philosophy. To live an unconscious and uncritical life is less than the life of reason and is therefore less than human existence. Unthinking life for humans is wasted life. Self-examination is necessary for integrity, and integrity is necessary and sufficient for knowledge.
Q1. Can you identify your most basic belief and test it for meaning? Can we fail to do so?
Q2. Can reason be used critically without self-examination?
Q3. If there is a lack of knowledge of basic things, is there a lack of integrity?
- SYSTEM—world and life view
Philosophy uses reason constructively to develop the implications of one’s assumptions (basic beliefs) for every area of life. A worldview supplies meaning to all of life. A civilization or a culture is a system of shared beliefs, attitudes and values which are developed theoretically and come to expression institutionally in every area of human life.
Worldviews are held more or less consciously and more or less consistently in every culture and civilization. History shows that there are various philosophical views that have come to cultural expression through the process of internal and external challenges of reason. Many cultures and civilizations have ceased to exist when their worldview ceased to be credible.
Q1. Is philosophy fundamentally relevant to all of life?
Q2. Is thinking by nature presuppositional? If there is agreement on what is more basic, will there be agreement on what is less basic?
Q3. What are some of the philosophical views expressed in history?
Q4. How do differences in culture reflect different basic beliefs?
Q5. Are all worldviews equally coherent?
Q6. Can a culture or civilization survive if its worldview fails to achieve coherence when challenged?
This paper was originally developed for an Introduction to Philosophy course.
© 1992/2005 Logos Papers Press
