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1
Q

What is the 1st requirement of doing philosophy?

A

Attempt to resolve a fundamental questions.

2
Q

What are the features of fundamental questions?

A
  1. Cannot be resolved by appealing to empirical facts
  2. Involve logical questions of principle
    • What must or must not be the case among certain ideas given their logical relations
  3. Arise when there is a conflict between competing ideas which can be supported by evidence
  4. Resolving fundamental questions follows what is most reasonable to believe
3
Q

What is the 2nd requirement of doing philosophy?

A

Use of Reason by applying critical thinking skills and argumentation.

4
Q

What are some examples of critical thinking?

A
  • What does “x” mean?
  • What conditions must be met for something to be an x?
  • Is x true?
  • By asserting x, aren’t you assuming y?
  • What reasons are there for believing that x is true?
5
Q

What is an argument?

A

A family of premises leading to a conclusion.

6
Q

What is the definition of History of Philosophy?

A

Study of the emergence, examination, and evolution of philosophical ideas as found in the writings of philosophers.

7
Q

What is the definition of Logic?

A

The study of the methods and principles used to distinguish “good” (correct, permissible) reasoning from “bad” reasoning (incorrect, impermissible).

  • What makes an argument cogent?
  • Does this claim follow from that evidence?
8
Q

What is the definition of epistemology?

A

The study of nature, origin, and extent of human knowledge.

  • What is the nature of knowledge?
  • How do we acquire knowledge?
  • How do you know whether something has a mind?
9
Q

What is the definition of Metaphysics?

A

The study of the ultimate nature of reality.

  • Does God exist?
  • Does the soul exist?
  • What is the nature of personal identity?
10
Q

What is the definition of Ethics?

A

The study of concepts and principles that underlie our evaluations of human actions into the categories of the morally permissible, impermissible and obligatory.

  • What makes a person a person?
  • Is a fetus a person?
  • Should animal testing be permitted?
11
Q

What is the definition of Social-Political Philosophy?

A

The study of how society is or ought to be and the fundamental principles of the state, particularly those involving justice, authority, liberty and order

12
Q

What is the definition of Philosophy of Mind?

A

The philosophical study of the mind and how minds work.

  • What is the nature of minds?
  • What is the relation between the mind and the body?
  • What are beliefs?
13
Q

What is the definition of Philosophy of Language?

A

The philosophical study of language (its syntax, semantics, and pragmatics).

  • What is the nature of language?
  • How are thought and language related?
  • What makes a true sentence true?
14
Q

What is the definition of Philosophy of Science?

A

The study of the methods, assumptions, and limits of scientific practice.

  • What makes a theory a scientific theory?
  • What distinguishes genuine science from pseudoscience?
15
Q

What is the definition of Philosophy of Religion?

A

The study of the nature, kinds, and objects of religious belief.

  • What does “God” mean?
  • Can God’s existence be rationally established?
  • Can the conception of God as omnibenevolent be reconciled with the apparent existence of evil?
16
Q

What is the definition of Aesthetics?

A

Study of the principles that underlie our evaluations of different art forms.

  • What is the nature of beauty?
  • What makes something a work of art?
  • What is the purpose of art?