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An Introduction to Philosophy. What is Philosophy ?. What are your thoughts or ideas?. What is Philosophy ?. There are many, many definitions of “philosophy”
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An Introduction to Philosophy
What is Philosophy ? What are your thoughts or ideas?
What is Philosophy ? • There are many, many definitions of “philosophy” • Philosophy concerns itself with the most fundamental human questions about reality, existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language
How should we treat the environment? Basic Human Questions Is there a god? Is war good or evil? Do humans have rights? What is the purpose of life? Whatis happiness? Is science more important than faith? Is social harmony better than freedom? What is justice? Can we communicate with spirits?
HCOM 301 Early Global Philosophies
Ancient Evidence of Ideas Cave Drawings Architecture Pottery & Sculpture Turtle Shell Writing
More Conventional Early Writing Indus Script @ 2000 BCE Phoenician Alphabet 1000 BCE Tao te ching 300 BCE Plato’s Writing 370 BCE
Closer to HomeIn Mesoamerica Mixtec in Oaxaca @ 1000 CE Mayan Codex @ 500 CE Mexica Migration Story @ 1400 CE
By the Middle Ages500-1500 Human inquiry into higher learning had been divided into just four fields: • Theology • Medicine • Law • Philosophy
In fact, For the past thousand years, people who study almost any field at the highest level are awarded a “Ph. D.” Doctor of Philosophy Degree
Over the centuries… Broad human inquiry into these basic questions has evolved into some subsets or sub-disciplines within the general field of Philosophy
Branches within Philosophy • Ontology: what exists, and what is the nature of reality? • Epistemology: what is knowledge, and how do we know things? • Ethics: how should we live and behave? What are right and wrong, moral and immoral? • Logic: what is correct reasoning? • Aesthetics: how are standards for beauty, taste, humor, comfort arrived at?
Fields of Applied Philosophy • Philosophy of Education • Philosophy of Politics or Government • Philosophy of Art • Philosophy of Medicine or Health Care • Philosophy of Science • Philosophy of Business • Philosophy of History • Etc.
Focus of HCOM 301 Basic Philosophy Applied Philosophy Philosophy of Education Philosophy of Politics or Government Philosophy of Art Philosophy of Medicine or Health Care Philosophy of Science Philosophy of Business Philosophy of Life ☚ (Worldviews) • Ontology ☚ • Epistemology ☚ • Ethics ☚ • Logic • Aesthetics