PHILO 1

WEEK 2
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

 Philosophy first started when human beings began to wonder why their
world was like it was. They assumed that the earth was created by God
but when they began to wonder about the nature of God himself (e.g.
who is he or she? Where is God? Is God completely powerful? Is God
good? Etc.) they began to philosophize. This sort of thinking is called
‘metaphysics’ and is to do with thinking about what and why things
‘really are’. All philosophy in some way connects to this central
metaphysical theme.
 What is the best approach to philosophy?
 We can approach philosophy by looking at its history (eg The ancient Greeks,
Descartes etc) or we can study by topic (philosophy of science, philosophy of mind
etc). Both have their merits. Whichever we choose, its important to have an
understanding of what philosophers have thought about and we will be examining
key works of the key philosophers. Philosophy is also about using our imagination to
come up with new ideas and argue in their defense, or to challenge existing ideas by
providing rational arguments against them. It is an activity. To argue effectively we
need to be aware of what it is to reason. There is little (or nothing) to be gained by
proclaiming we have a ‘philosophy’ about this or that without supporting our ideas
by reason or if we have no declared reasons for holding a view to simply state ‘’that’s
what I believe and that’s all there is to it’’
 Remember…

 Human beings have a unique facility to reason, it stems from our self-conscious ability to
know that we exist. We are not like computers which simply manipulate information and are
not self-aware. Philosophy involves thinking in abstract ideas (e.g not where I should go this
afternoon but why am I here at all). This sort of thinking helps us to ask questions that
concern our existence in relation to our place as individuals in an often puzzling world. First
it allows us to work out whether the question is meaningful (and that we are justified in
pursuing and answer), second, it helps us to work through the problem, obtain a conclusion
and decide whether that conclusion is valid. Whether or not the conclusion is true will
depend on the truth contained in the argument. The method of philosophy as a way of
thinking can be (and is) used in all fields of human enquiry: scientific, ethical, religious,
political or any other matter of psychological importance to us as individuals or members of
society.