What is Philosophy?

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This is it chief.
Romy Chu-II
Mind Map by Romy Chu-II, updated more than 1 year ago
Romy Chu-II
Created by Romy Chu-II about 5 years ago
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What is Philosophy?
  1. Its all in the mind
    1. Metaphysics
      1. What is Metaphysics?
        1. Metaphysics asks us to question the origin of reality. what is real, and how do we know it is real? What exists? what does not?
          1. Metaphyscical Theories.
            1. Idealism
              1. To be is to be perceived, Whatever is real, originates from your mind. if you are able to think of it, then it must exist.
                1. For example, If I can think of a beautiful island for me to live in, then for sure it must exist somewhere in the world.
              2. Monism
                1. Reality is ultimately one thing compounded all together. For example, Our thoughts, emotions, and feelings All come from one source
                2. Dualism
                  1. Dualism states that both Mind, and Matter coexist in reality.
                    1. For example, If I can believe it exists, then it has the capacity to exist.
                  2. Materialism
                    1. Materialism states that reality is made of matter. Matter such as atoms, force fields, or anything tangible.
                      1. For example, If I can feel it, then it must be real.
                3. What is a person? And what is our mind?
                  1. Immanuel Kant, another famous philosopher, says that the mind is part of the world, and everything around us. Our mind is affected by how the world impacts us, and Our experiences in the world shape our mind. Whatever we experience in the world will affect our mind, and whatever our mind is thinking about will affect the world.
                    1. Our mind (in my opinion) is the strongest tool we have. We see people around the world making paradise out of misery, or inversely, misery out of paradise. The way we look at the world with our minds can change the real world as simple as a presidential vote. President Trumps campaign was all about how the United States of America was not good, or not as good as it used to be. So by inserting that into the minds of the people, he was able to win votes.
                4. Zasetsky, and the troubled mind.
                  1. Zasetsky was a soldier who fell under unfortunate circumstances. He was shot in the head, while surviving the wound, has lost his ability to remember, and perceive reality. Colors changed, he could not remember shapes, and most importantly he lost the ability to remember, and make new memories.
                    1. Abu Nasr Al-Farabi stated that Zasetsky has transcended, leaving his physical body behind. Al-Farabi believed that the mind is not connected with the body, and after we die, we leave our physical form, and move onto an astral plane of existence, with only our minds. Moreover, all of our minds are connected with God, and as soon as we die, we return to him.
                      1. John Locke, another philosopher to take a look at Zasetsky stated that Zasetsky’s ability to perceive has been significantly disrupted from the trauma His body sustained. His access to reality has been removed, and his sense of self is almost completely destroyed. Locke believed that the Theory of Empiricism was the only way to gain knowledge, and if the mind fails to be able to connect with anything, then knowledge can no longer be obtained.
                  2. Epistemology
                    1. What is Epistemology?
                      1. Rationalism
                        1. Rationalism is the theory that all people are born with innate knowledge. We use this innate knowledge as we grow older to experience new things, which in turn grants us with more knowledge. Rationalism also states that we also gain knowledge through higher sources, or through reason.
                          1. A form of reason you can use to gain knowledge is Plato's Justified true belief. If the thing you are questioning is Justified, it is true, and you believe it to be true, then therefore, it will become new knowledge for you. For it to be justified or true, cannot be left to chance by luck.
                            1. For example, the earth is round. There is proof that the earth is round, through pictures, mathematics, and physics. With this proof, it is true, and justified that the earth is round. Finally, I firmly believe that the earth is round. So because I believe the earth is round, and because it is true, and justified, it passes Plato's theory, granting it status of knowledge.
                        2. Empiricism
                          1. Empiricism is the theory that all knowledge is gained through experiences, and through our senses, what we touch, tastes, smell etc. Plato theorized that through experimentation, and experiences, we will gain knowledge of the world around us.
                            1. An example would be to conditioning. B.F Skinner, a psychologist praised for his research in Operant Conditioning. Using what he called a "Skinner Box'', he placed a mouse inside of it. In the box was a lever, to which every time it was pulled, food will be dispensed to the mouse. He soon found that after a while, the mouse learned that Lever = food, and continued to use the Lever.
                              1. This relates to Empiricism because we can observe that even in animals, they are able to learn through experimentation, and through experiences. The mouse did not have innate knowledge of what levers were, or how they worked, but rather it learned to get food from it by experimenting with the lever.
                                1. The same thing can be found with humans, we go to work so we could earn money, but we had no innate knowledge about it.
                          2. Epistemology is the philosophical discipline of Knowledge. More so on how we obtain it, use it, and how we know, that we really know it.
                            1. Pragmatism
                              1. Essentially an assessment to which theory is true, or false in terms of their success and practical application. It started with a philosopher named Charles Pierce. He wanted to use pragmatism to make people’s ideas more clear.“Consider what effects, which might conceivably have practical bearings, we conceive the object of our conception to have. Then the whole of our conception of those effects is the whole of our conception of the object.” There are 3 grades of Clarity: 1: Knowing, and understanding the subject 2:Knowing how to provide a definition of the subject 3:We must know the concept to be true If something is destroyed, then there is no difference between whether it was hard or soft before it was destroyed because there was no-one to test it.
                            2. Total recall and Skepticism
                              1. Total Recall (2012) branches out to the sub-category of Epistemology called "skepticism". Skepticism means to question, and in this movie, the main character questions what is real and what is not. This then leads us, outside of the realm of film, to ask ourselves, how do we know what is real is real. In the film, the Protagonist finds that the people whom he thought he has known for a long time turns out to be someone else, posing as the person he thought he knew. Do we, the people of the "real" world, really know the people closest people to us?
                            3. Reasoning and Logic
                              1. What is Reasoning and Logic?
                                1. Reasoning and Logic is the base of all philosophical theories. The ability to formulate an argument that makes sense, and to pose questions that will be discussed requires an upper level of thinking. Some questions are trivial, like "what will I do tomorrow?", but some questions take it a step further, like "Is murder ever justified?"
                                  1. Types of Arguments
                                    1. Deductive
                                      1. A form of argument that uses the power of deduction! Basically using previously known, or newly found knowledge to help form an argument. Either by reducing the amount fallacies found, or by using pieces of proof to formulate an argument.
                                        1. For example, Sherlock Holmes utilizes the power of deduction by piecing together related evidence in order to draw a logical conclusion. Ex: The woman's coat was wet, therefore she must have been in the rain.
                                      2. Abductive
                                        1. Abduction(not kidnapping) is the logical argument of "best guess", simply meaning that you are giving the most logical, and plausible explanations given that the premises are true.
                                          1. For example: 1. If it was cold last night, then will be frost on my car. 2. Hey, look, there is frost on my car. Then therefore, it was cold last night.
                                        2. Inductive
                                          1. Almost the same as Abductive arguments. Inductive arguments create the most plausible prediction given a set of data.
                                            1. For example, In the past, Apple Co, has not made anything highly revolutionary, other than their prices. So looking at the given information,t his is not likely to change
                                  2. Ethics
                                    1. What is Ethics?
                                      1. Branches of Ethics
                                        1. Altruism
                                          1. Altruism is acting out for the welfare of other people/ entities without second thought of your own well being, or concerns. People behave altruisticly when they see someone in need, and are flooded with empathy, and the need to help.
                                            1. Kin Selection
                                              1. People will act more altruisticly to people who are closely related to them.
                                              2. Reciprocal Altruism
                                                1. People will act more alreuisticly to people who has helped them before.
                                                2. An example of altruism is someone helping a young child look for their parents after they get lost, or donating money to a good cause. perhaps you could have minded your own business instead of helping the child, or use the money to buy a cup of coffee, but you acted selfless in order to help another.
                                              3. Divine Command Theory
                                                1. The belief that everything that is moral or immoral is chosen by the divine. Morality is revealed to us by the divine. For example, through prophets or sacred texts.
                                                  1. Examples of cultures that believe in this would be: Judaism, Catholicism, and Christianity.
                                                    1. For example, the Bible's 10 commandments guides Christians to how they should live.
                                                2. Utilitarianism
                                                  1. What is good is what is the best for the greatest amount of people. For example, Not hurting others is considered morally good, because it would result in everyone being happy
                                                    1. Our actions should be judged on their usefulness to the greatest number of people. Maximize happiness and minimize suffering.
                                                    2. Rule utilitarianism states that we must live by the rules that are likely to produce the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
                                                      1. For example, following the rule to not kill will produce the most good for people because we dont need to waste tax dollars to throw you in jail, and at the end of the day, everyone is alive.
                                                      2. Act utilitarianism states that you must choose to do actions that produces the greatest good for the most amount of people.
                                                        1. For example, ro kill or to save a certain group of people because it is right to do so. ex: killing people is good for a totalitarian government, and saving people is good for a rebellion against a totalitarian government.
                                                      3. Virtue Ethics
                                                        1. Virtue ethics focuses more on the character of a person, rather than their ability to follow a set of rules.
                                                          1. Aristotle believed that virtue was between extreme excess, and extreme deficit. He called this the golden mean.
                                                            1. For example, Courage is the middle of Cowardice, and recklessness, therefore it is the best choice.
                                                              1. Or Peace is in the middle of passiveness, and violence. It is better to be at peace with everyone, than to be passive, or violent with one another.
                                                        2. Pragmatism, and Deontology
                                                          1. Pragmatism states that Right or wrong is determined by how useful an action is. What works is right, what doesnt is wrong.
                                                            1. For example, a lot of people find it ethical to continue burning fossil fuels, because as of right now, it is the most accessible, and useful resource.
                                                            2. Deontology is the theory that a universal law of morality exists that all people must follow.
                                                              1. Deontology looks at the rightfulness, and wrongness of each action. FOr example, Killing innocent people would be considered wrong.
                                                            3. Categorical Imperative. Immanuel Kant.
                                                              1. Kant believed that morals should not be based on religion, but rather with reasoning, Kant believed that all rational being could figure this out for themselves, and did not need to depend on a higher power.
                                                                1. For example, we should not rely on the teacher telling us to complete an assignment, but rather take the initiative to commence it yourself.
                                                            4. Ethics are a system of moral principles that determine someones actions, and affects the way they live their life. Ethics is concerned with what is better for the greater good.
                                                              1. Like Metaphysics, Meta-Ethics is the study, or questioning of where out morals come from. We may wonder who, what, or where do our moral principles come from.
                                                                1. We question whether they come from our cultures, maybe a divine entity, or perhaps humans make up morals as we live out our lives.
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