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Philosophy is the study of those subjects which may be understood only by considering the ways in which
they are talked about.1
o Speaking
o Writing
o The investigation of the meaning of terms or a proposal of a new term to advance some area of
philosophical enquiry
Philosophy as speculation
Philosophy as Criticism
o What is knowledge?
o What is reality?
o Is there a God?
o We can only live according to tentative conclusions, re-examining them as our philosophical
thinking develops. “the life of reason”
Branches of Philosophy2
Metaphysics
Concerns
o nature of reality
o What is reality?
o What is being?
Aesthetics
2
C.f. Mourant and Freund
Concerns
o What is beauty?
o What is art?
o The idea of beautiful may be analyzed in terms of utility, truth, pleasure expression and
form
Philosophy of Science
Concerns
o method of induction
C E
“habit of anticipation”
Philosophy of Religion (does not rely on faith or revelation)
Concerns
o the nature of religion
o the relationship of man to God
o the meaning of religious experience and the various forms such an experience may take
o the nature of religious beliefs/religious language and the validity of religious knowledge
o Descartes (personal/Christian God) – God, the most perfect being, cannot be deceived
and cannot deceive. Thus the veracity of God serves as a guarantee for the entire series
of clear and distinct ideas.
Concerns
o general problems and principles that affect the entire political society of men (presents
landscape of problems, methods of analysis and solutions)
o reflections on “justice”
Some basic questions/ Subjects talked about
o What is justice?
o Thomas Hobbes3
o NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI4
“The Prince”
describes the method by which a prince can acquire and maintain political power
prince should be concerned only with power and be bound only by rules that would
lead to success in political actions
3
Philosopher under the Modern Age known Political Theorist
4
Philosopher under the Renaissance Period (transition from Medieval to Modern Age)