Dr. Paul R.

Shockley
“Philosophy begins in wonder. And, at
the end, when philosophic thought has
done its best, the wonder remains.”
~ Alfred North Whitehead.
What is Philosophy?:

 “Philosophy” is derived from Greek term

meaning “love of wisdom.” “Philos” means
“friendship” and “sofia” means “wisdom.”

 If philosophy is the love of wisdom, then is

philosophy impractical and far removed from
living out the details of daily living, unable to
help us deal with practical problems, reach
our goals, fulfill our purposes, and make the
world a better place for us and our posterity?
Popular Usages:

Two men were drinking beer together. One of

them held his glass to the light, scrutinized it
thoughtfully, and then observed, “Life is like a
glass a beer.”

His friend looked up at the glass and turned to

his friend, and asked, “Why is life like a glass a
beer?”

“How should I know,” the other answered, “I’m

not a philosopher.
Popular Usages:
 We associate philosophy
with an attitude toward
certain activities (e.g.,
business)

 Detached view of certain

immediate problems
(perspective)

 An interpretation of what
is important or
meaningful in life
(reflection).
Popular Notions:

 Complex intellectual abstract activity without

any practical value.

 Meaningless
 Impractical
 Evil
 Dangerous

“Philosophy: The most interesting path to poverty.”

Consider this quote by Blaise Pascal:

“People almost
invariably arrive at
their beliefs not on
the basis of proof
but on the basis of
what they find
attractive.”
What is philosophy?

 An evaluation of:

 Arguments
 Beliefs
 Facts
 Opinions
 Positions
 What is philosophy?
 Search for:
 Adequate, reasonable explanations that explains all that we
know and think
 Justification for our beliefs:
 Rationally defensible
 Empirically reasonable
 Answers to the ultimate questions of life
 Understanding, asking why we accept this ____, why we
ought to accept ______, and are there better alternatives
______.
 Coherence.
 Living life in a very enriching, meaningful way.
The Unexamined Life:

In his famous trial in 399 B.C., Socrates explained

that the reason why he philosophized was that
“the unexamined life was not worth living.”

Why? He observed that most people spent their

time, energy, and resources on certain goals
such as pursuing popularity, pleasure, and
wealth without ever seriously asking whether
these pursuits are important? How does one
know if this is worth pursuing? What if these
goals were useless if not dangerous.
 Philosophy brings to light…

 what our implicit beliefs are;

 what assumptions we make

about ourselves and the
world in which we are
imbedded.

 what, why, and how

something is valuable to us.

 what is worth living for.

Philosophy is a way of seeing and
doing that deals with:

 Arguments
 Authorities
 Questions
 Solving problems
 Analyzing the obvious
 Discovering new insights
 Asks how particular kinds of things all fit
together.
Shared commitment to examining life:
Three Central Spheres of Philosophy:
Consider some of these questions:

 Where do we come from? (origin)

 What are we? Who are we? (Identity)
 Why are we here? (meaning)
 How should we live? (morality)
 What’s gone wrong with the world (evil?)
 What can be done to fix the problems of the
world? (hope)
 Benefits of doing philosophy:

 Help us in the pursuit of intellectual and moral excellence

 Enlarges our understanding of the world and our relationship to it
 Generates creativity
 Applicable in its scope (wide-ranging)
 Learn how to listen carefully
 Learn how to analyze carefully
 Learn how to respond thoughtfully
 Makes connections into why we do what we do
 Engages in the offense and defense of powerful ideas and its consequences
 Projects into the future as it reflects upon the past.
 Helps us see what others fail to see
 Gives us the skills to disagree amiably
 Motivates us to know what and why we believe what we believe
 Helps us to connect with what is meaningful and enriching, personally and collectively
 Gives us skills in applying knowledge to changing situations.
 Keeps the mind alive and sharp
 Frees us from mundane living, short-sightedness, and dwarfed goals
 Assists in building interpersonal relationships… go beyond the superficial.