PHILOSOPHY

What exactly is philosophy?

This shouldn't be a real problem for a philosopher to answer, but I must admit I find it a perplexing question. It almost seems easier to say What Philosophy Is Not. But since almost everyone I meet seems to think they know what philosophy is, and since I almost invariably disagree with what they think it is, let me propose the following description.

Philosophy As An Academic Discipline:

First, and perhaps foremost, philosophy is an academic discipline. That is, it is a particular field of study within the university curriculum which follows a particular methodology. In that sense, Philosophy is a kind of science. It is often even listed as one of the social sciences along with Anthropology, Sociology, etc. As an academic department, philosophy is almost always placed within the College of Arts and Sciences. This is probably the result of university administrators who knew little of the history of ideas or Western Culture. It would seem more appropriate to have a College of Philosophy with the natural and social sciences as separate schools or departments within it. After all, people do not get a Doctorate of Anthropology or Sociology, or Physics, or Chemistry. Rather you get a Doctorate of Philosophy in Anthropology or Sociology, or Physics, or Chemistry etc. The reason being, all these other academic disciplines are directly related to and descended from Philosophy. I do not intend to diminish any of these fields in any way, it's just strange the way Modern universities have structured things.

The Field of Study (or, the subdisciplines of Philosophy):

PHILOSOPHY divides into several major fields which are generally agreed to be:

METAPHYSICS - the study of reality (which in turn divides into):

: Ontology - the study of being, what sorts of things are there in the universe; The Philosophy of Mind - what are minds and how are they related to bodies; The Philosophy of Religion - does God exist, the relationship between faith and reason, etc.

EPISTEMOLOGY - the study of knowledge:

: Theories of Justification; The Philosophy of Science - how does science work, what sorts of claims can it make, etc.

ETHICS - the study of morality and moral principles:

: Normative Ethics - how moral systems are justified; MetaEthics - what moral language means, are moral systems objective or subjective, etc.

AESTHETICS - the study of beauty

THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY - what has been taken to be philosophy in the past and how does it shape our thinking now

The Method of Study:

LOGIC - the science of argument and critical thinking (which divides into):

: DEDUCTION - the process of reasoning by which we arrive at necessary conclusions; INDUCTION - the process of reasoning by which we arrive at probable conclusions

Philosophy As A Way of Life:

It would seem incomplete to give a description of academic Philosophy and ignore its personal dimension. I should say at the outset that not every academic philosopher believes there is a personal dimension to Philosophy, and I certainly don't think it's necessary to have philosophical commitments to study Philosophy. On the other hand, I find it difficult to understand how one could DO Philosophy and not be lathed in the process. For, Philosophy is a kind of process or journey which one undergoes, and it is difficult to see how anyone could escape unchanged.

This overview, all too brief as it is, is not meant to be complete. I only wish to lay out the barest bones in hope that they may be a useful guide to the perplexed or curious. If you have a question, feel free to drop me a line.

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