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Join our Philosophy and Ethics class to explore the meaning of wisdom, knowledge, and good judgment. Discover different branches of philosophy, engage in dialectic discussions, and reflect on the big questions of life. Get ready for an enriching and practical journey!
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Good Morning… Ms. Krall Room 347
First Things First… • Are you in the right class? • Welcome to Philosophy and Ethics!
The Agenda for the next couple of days…. • Student information • Syllabus overview • Introduction to the class and first unit. • Books!
Student Information • On the index card provided… • Name • Parent/Guardian name • Parent/Guardian contact number • Contact email • Internet access at home? • Google doc account? • Why are you taking this course? • What is your predicted grade? • Why is this so?
Welcome Back! • On the agenda today • Syllabus Questions… • Books • Intro notes
First, let’s answer some questions… What is wisdom? What is common sense? What is knowledge? What does it mean to be ‘book smart?” What is Philosophy?
Philo (love) + sophia (wisdom) Philosophy is the love (or pursuit) of wisdom Philosophy
The Simplest Definition is Sometimes the Best! “Philosophy is thinking really hard about something.” (Alvin Plantinga)
One: Wisdom, (having good judgment) So, Philosophy is the love (or pursuit) of good judgment Based on Two Premises
Philosophy begins with wonder. Wonder —> reflection —> critical examination At the world At what we do At what we are Philosophy involves argument: giving reasons Number Two…
Logic Epistemology Aesthetics Metaphysics Ethics Components of Philosophy
Logic • This branch of Philosophy deals with the METHOD of argument. • It offers answers to questions such as: “Is that reasoning sound?” “Is that statement true?” “Is that conclusion valid ?”
The theory of knowledge What is knowledge? How do I know? Can I know anything at all? If so, where do I get it? Can I know anything independently of experience, through philosophical reflection alone? Epistemology
This branch deals with beautyin Music and Art. It offers answers to questions like: “Is that good music?” “Is that painting better than this one?” Aesthetics
Metaphysics • The study of what there is • What is the world made of? • What kinds of things are there? • What is real? What is merely apparent? • What am I? • Is there a God?”
The pursuit of good judgment about action. What should I do? What should I be? What kind of life should I lead? “What makes actions “right” and “wrong”?” Ethics
Define “worldview” Define “beliefs” The perception of the surrounding world, which could include personal beliefs. We need to define the reason for believing what we believe! The Great Eight Questions
But…Is Philosophy Practical? • Philosophy asks questions… • What the world is like, • How we know it, and • What we ought to do about it, • Which, in turn affect our lives every day • Philosophy is the most practical of all disciplines
Four steps to Philosophical Analysis • “Stop the world” • Decide “what and how” • Zero in on an idea • Think about it
Wrote nothing; appears as character in dialogues of Plato (427-347 BCE) First in West to advance philosophical arguments Socrates (470 -399)
To philosophize is to • Seek wisdom and virtue • Lead an examined life • Reflect on what life is and ought to be • Put your life in perspective • To see and reflect on “the big picture”
Socratic method (dialectic) • Socrates asks what ___ is • Someone answers • Socrates analyzes the definition and asks questions to show that • It’s unclear • It’s too narrow • It’s too broad • Someone proposes another definition, etc.
Dialect • Form of argument where one person starts with a question or idea (thesis) and another person states the opposite idea (anti-thesis); The discussion will eventually lead to a universal definition (synthesis).
What is dialectic for? • Socrates was accused • of undermining belief in the Athenian gods and • of corrupting the youth of Athens • His defense, and his explanation of his methods, is in Plato’s dialogue, The Apology
Apology • “I sought to persuade every one of you to look to himself, and seek virtue and wisdom before he looks to his private interests, and look to the state before he looks to the interests of the state; and that this should be the order which he observes in all his actions.”
Apology • Socrates' assumption: To be virtuous, you need to know what virtue is, • Or at least engage in dialectic to find out
Apology • Socrates was convicted • The prosecution proposed the death penalty • Socrates got to propose an alternative punishment • People expected him to propose exile
“If I say again that the greatest thing a man can do is to converse about virtue every day, and that the unexamined life is not worth living-- you are still less likely believe me.” The Unexamined Life
Student of Socrates Founded the Academy Created a system to explain all major philosophical issues. Wrote The Republic Plato (428-348)
Referred to as the Polity (constitutional government of the city.) Plot centers around 6 men meeting in a house of a rich merchant. Socrates is primary character Meeting discusses questions on justice, rule, obedience, art, and education. One major concept discussed is the “Allegory of the Cave” Is divided into ten chapters and is regarded as a philosophical classic. The Republic
The Allegory of the Cave • What does the phrase “appearance versus reality” mean? • Think of an example where something you thought to be true or real ended up being false and an illusion. • And what the heck is an “Allegory?” (symbolic representation)
Socrates explains two existing worlds… To Sum up, according to Plato, the world accessible through reflection is more real than the world we sense around us. One of being (reality attainable only through contemplation) One of becoming (appearance found through our senses) Premise to Allegory of the Cave
