What Philosophy Is

What is Philosophy?

As you read the material for the next class, keep the questions below in mind. To answer these questions you will have to reflect critically on what you have read and possibly re-read important passages. Keep in mind that there are two basic kinds of information that you need to look for in the readings.

  1. What are the main points or conclusions that an author accepts with respect to a particular issue?
  2. What are the reasons or important considerations that lead the author to accept that conclusion?

For our purposes, it is information of the latter sort (2) that will be our primary concern since our most basic task is to evaluate the reasons that are offered to support accepting one possible conclusion about an issue, rather than another.

Although I strongly suggest that you write out brief answers to these questions, you do not have to turn in written responses. You do, however, need to be prepared to speak intelligently to these issues in the next class meeting. Also, it is reasonable to assume that the final exam’s questions will be drawn from these questions—particularly those in bold.

Readings:

  • Plato, Republic (handout).
  • Aristotle, Metaphysics (handout).
  • Voltaire, “The Good Brahmin” (handout).

Questions:

  1. Describe Plato’s Allegory of the Cave? What happens to those who return back to the cave? Are they welcomed back? Why should those outside the cave be forced to return? Will those outside the cave want to return? How is this story related to education? What does this say about the nature of philosophy and the philosopher?
  2. Why does Aristotle claim that humans by nature desire to know? Why are the senses so important, and how are they related to wisdom? According to Aristotle, why do people practice philosophy and why does it make us free? What does this say about the nature of philosophy and the philosopher?
  3. In Voltaire’s story, why is the Brahmin in dispair? Why doesn’t he want to be like his ignorant neighbor? Which would you choose if you could not have both: a life of happiness or a life of reason? Why? What does this say about the nature of philosophy and the philosopher?
  4. Ultimately, is there any value to philosophy or it is just a waste of time that makes its practitioners miserable?

 

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