What Is Philosophy? An Introduction

1.

Lecture 1
What is philosophy?
Introduction

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1. Definitions of
Philosophy:

3.

The term philosophy is derived from two Greek words: phileo (love) and sophia (wisdom), letters. love of wisdom. In ancient times, the concept of wisdom was associated with the desire to know the
surrounding world in its unity with man, to understand the fundamental principles of the world and
the essence of the universe. The wisdom of a person was determined by his knowledge, knowledge
about the surrounding world, nature, knowledge about the meaning of human life and the essence of
his being.
According to historians of philosophy, the word "philosophy" was first used by the ancient Greek
thinker Pythagoras in relation to a separate category of people who had a desire for knowledge and a
highly ethical way of life. Pythagoras believed that the gods possess true wisdom (and in the
philosophy of Pythagoras there were many of them), but a person can strive to know this wisdom,
want this and, accordingly, love this wisdom. However, the term "philosophy" as a scientific category
was used much later in the idealistic teachings of Plato.

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What is Philosophy?
An Omnibus of definitions
from Prominent
Philosophers

5.

«Philosophy is thinking
really hard about the
most important questions
and trying to bring
analytic clarity both to
the questions and the
answers.»
~ Marilyn Adams

6.

«Philosophy is the
successful love of
thinking.»
~ John Armstrong

7.

«It’s a little bit like what
Augustine famously said
about the concept of time.
When nobody asks me
about it, I know. But
whenever somebody asks
me about what the concept
of time is, I realize I don’t
know.»
Catalin Avramescu

8.

«Philosophy is 99
per cent about
critical reflection
on anything you care
to be interested in.»
Richard Bradley

9.

«I don’t think it’s any one
thing, but I think
generally it involves
being critical and
reflective about things
that most people take for
granted.»
Allen Buchanan

10.

«Most simply put it’s about
making sense of all this… We
find ourselves in a world that
we haven’t chosen. There are all
sorts of possible ways of
interpreting it and finding
meaning in the world and in the
lives that we live. So philosophy
is about making sense of that
situation that we find ourselves
in.»
Clare Carlisle

11.

«Philosophy is a process of reflection on
the deepest concepts, that is structures of
thought, that make up the way in which
we think about the world. So it’s concepts
like reason, causation, matter, space, time,
mind, consciousness, free will, all those big
abstract words and they make up topics,
and people have been thinking about them
for two and a half thousand years and I
expect they’ll think about them for
another two and a half thousand years if
there are any of us left.»
Simon Blackburn

12.

«Philosophy is the name we give to a
collection of questions which are of
deep interest to us and for which
there isn’t any specialist way of
answering. The categories in terms
of which they are posed are ones
which prevent experiments being
carried out to answer them, so we’re
thrown back to trying to answer
them on the basis of evidence we
can accumulate.»
Paul Snowdon

13.

«Philosophy is what I was told
as an undergraduate women
couldn’t do* — by an eminent
philosopher who had best
remain nameless. But for me it’s
the gadfly image, the Socratic
gadfly: refusing to accept any
platitudes or accepted wisdom
without examining it.»
Donna Dickenson

14.

«Philosophy is reflecting
critically on the way things are.
That includes reflecting critically
on social and political and
economic arrangements. It
always intimates the possibility
that things could be other than
they are. And better..»
Michael Sandel

15.

«Well, I can tell you how
philosophical problems arise in
my view, which is where two
common-sense notions push in
different directions, and then
philosophy gets started..»
Jonathan Wolff

16.

«I regard philosophy as a mode of
enquiry rather than a particular set
of subjects. I regard it as involving
the kind of questions where your’e
not trying to find out how your ideas
latch on to the world, whether your
ideas are true or not, in the way that
science is doing, but more about
how your ideas hang together. This
means that philosophical questions
will arise in a lot of subjects.»
Janet Radcliffe Richards

17.

«Philosophy is thinking hard about
the most difficult problems that
there are. And you might think
scientists do that too, but there’s a
certain kind of question whose
difficulty can’t be resolved by getting
more empirical evidence. It requires
an untangling of presuppositions:
figuring out that our thinking is
being driven by ideas we didn’t even
realize that we had. And that’s what
philosophy is.»
David Papineau

18.

«I can’t answer that directly. I will
tell you why I became a philosopher.
I became a philosopher because I
wanted to be able to talk about
many, many things, ideally with
knowledge, but sometimes not quite
the amount of knowledge that I
would need if I were to be a
specialist in them. It allows you to be
many different things. And plurality
and complexity are very, very
important to me.»
Alexander Nehemas

19.

«Philosophy is thinking as
clearly as possible about
the most fundamental
concepts that reach
through all the
disciplines.»
Anthony Kenny

20.

«A philosopher is a moral
entrepreneur. It’s a nice image.
It’s somebody who creates new
ways of evaluating things —
what’s important, what’s
worthwhile — that changes how
an entire culture or an entire
people understand those
things.»
Brian Leiter

21.

«I’m hard pressed to say,
but one thing that is
certainly true is that
‘What is Philosophy?’ is
itself a strikingly
philosophical question.»
A. W. Moore

22.

2. Philosophy is a
phenomenon of spiritual
culture

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• Philosophy is a product of human spiritual
culture. For its appearance, society had to reach
a certain level of cultural development.
• the processes of development of culture and
philosophy are unidirectional. With the decline of
culture, there is a decline in philosophical
thought, and vice versa. There is historical
evidence for this.
• knowledge of philosophy leads to the personal
growth of the individual, which increases his level
of culture and creativity.

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There are three concepts of the
GENESIS of philosophical knowledge,
or in other words, where did
philosophy come from:

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The most popular is the mythogenic theory. According to this concept, philosophy originated from
myth, i.e. the origins of philosophical knowledge is mythology as a special form of thinking and
awareness of this world. "Myth" in Greek means "tradition", "logos" - "teaching, science", thus,
mythology is the science of legends. Myths were created from the earliest inception of the primitive
communal system and were devoted to a variety of topics, starting with space, world harmony, natural
elements and ending with man himself. It was with the help of myth that the still nascent human
thought tried to answer the question of the creation and destruction of the world, the place of man in
this world, the essence of human life, etc. Thus, mythology is a special form of human consciousness
and the worldview of the first people of antiquity about the world around and man's place in the
world. Mythology is an integral part of culture and included the emerging knowledge about nature,
art, politics and, of course, religious faith.

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Mythological perception has a number of
features:
• First, the animation of nature
• Secondly, many gods - ie. polytheism. At the same time,
the gods in mythology are personified and endowed with
human features. They constantly interact with each other,
and, of course, with the person himself through natural
omens or individual people (shamans, priests)
• The absence of abstract philosophical categories, which
will then be characteristic of the philosophical worldview
• Orientation of mythological thinking to the resolution of
certain human problems
• Repetition and naivete of mythological subjects

27.

The specificity of the mythological
worldview is as follows:
1. The expression of thought occurs
through specific emotional and
sensual personified animate
substances, such as natural elements
or space.
2. The unity of man and the world

28.

Consequently, the main feature of
mythological thinking is the inclusion of
man in the world
(R!)

29.

Man in the system of mythology is an inseparable part of nature and being. He identifies himself with
nature, proceeds from it and dissolves in it. The reverse process also takes place: the features of
natural phenomena and processes are transferred to human existence, and nature itself is animated.
Each element is perceived not as a soulless manifestation of the surrounding world, but as an
impersonal animate force endowed with its own character, will and thinking of a living being. On the
other hand, man himself was endowed with the features of natural elements or animals, which united
him with nature (as his habitat) and the world. He was swift as the wind, keen as a falcon, brave as a
lion, mighty as a hurricane, quiet as the dawn of the sun, beautiful as the starry sky above. The whole
world seemed to be a mystery, a riddle, every stone, spikelet, dewdrop and everything beautiful and
formidable that surrounded a person was spiritualized. And this mystery, and fairy tale, every day
unfolded before the eyes of a person, changing and drawing him into this enchanted world, full of
mysteries and insoluble phenomena. Therefore, the distinguishing feature of mythological thinking is
the inclusion of man in the system of the universe, or synergy between man and the world.

30.

The first philosophical systems were
strongly subject to such a system of ideas
and also proceeded from the
convergence of man and the surrounding
world.
At present, most researchers agree that
mythological thinking had a strong
influence on the development of
philosophical and religious thinking. This
means that the philosophical and
religious outlook comes from primitive
mythological thinking

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Some examples of mythological origin
of philosophy:

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The Transition from Myth
to Logos

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Long before the origin of philosophy, our ancestors used to turn to
myths and magic (pre-rational knowledge) to find the answers to the
disturbing questions of the time. Nevertheless, in the Ancient Greece
the way of thinking and seeing the world changed thanks to a group
of sages, or rather, philosophers, who were dissatisfied with mythica
explanations. For instance, they did not believe that seasons were a
consequence of gods’ will. This first group of philosophers, called
“Presocratic philosophers”, thought that the explanations had to be
found in nature, by watching and developing rational theories. They
were the first ones to show that critical and systematic attitude
defining philosophy.

34.

So, in the sixth century BC, in Miletus or Asia Minor (Greece), the
concept of rational thought was developed. The Greeks were the
first civilization in the Western culture to come into contact with new
cultures, new ways of thinking and understanding the world, which
ultimately causes a crisis of values. This culture is the first to ponder
the question of “what is the meaning of life?”, the concept of “right
thought” and how to explain reality. Influenced by other possibilities
of life, Greece begins to consider new challenges, new ways of
viewing life and explaining it. This period is known as “the transition
from myth to logos” which we are going to explain in more detail.

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WHAT IS A MYTH?

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A myth is any traditional story consisting of events that are ostensibly
historical, though often supernatural, explaining the origins of a cultural
practice or natural phenomenon. Myths are often stories that are currently
understood as being exaggerated or fictitious.[4] It is derived from the Greek
word mythos (μῦθος), which simply means “story”. Mythology can refer either
to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. A myth also can be a
story to explain why something exists.
Human cultures usually include a cosmogonical or creation myth, concerning
the origins of the world, or how the world came to exist. The active beings in
myths are generally gods and goddesses, heroes and heroines, or animals and
plants. Most myths are set in a timeless past before recorded time or
beginning of the critical history. A myth can be a story involving symbols that
are capable of multiple meanings.
A myth is a sacred narrative because it holds religious or spiritual significance
for those who tell it. Myths also contribute to and express a culture’s systems
of thought and values.[1]
A myth is a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or
hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural
explanation, especially one that is concerned with deities or demigods and
explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature.

37.

What is the difference between
“mythos” and “logos”?

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MYTHOS
LOGOS
Mythical thought is an anthropomorphic way of
thinking. The main characters are men or figures
with human shape, like gods or heroes.
Rational thought is not anthropomorphic.
Rational explanations search the natural
causes of phenomena.
Mythical thought is arbitrary. Facts in this world
happen because of deities’ will. [Things happen
using unlimited personal power without
considering other people’s wishes.]“Arbitrary” is
what someone wants to happen: e.g. “It was God’s
will.”
Rational thought is not arbitrary because it
looks for explanatory laws and theories in order
to understand the universe.
Mythical thought is traditional. Mythical beliefs
pass down from parents to children.
Rational thought is innovative and critical. It is
continuously discovering new laws about the
universe and it casts doubt on old beliefs and
convictions.
Mythical thought is collective. Myths are
usually anonymous and shared by a community
who feel identified with them.
Rational thought is individual. Theories are not
anonymous because they are defended by
someone (a philosopher, a thinker…).
Mythical thought is fantastic. Imagination is the
main source of explanation.
Rational thought is logical. Its main source is
observation, experience and critical rationality

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TYPES/KINDS OF MYTHS

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•Cosmogonic myth: describes the creation of the world.
•Etiological myth: explains an origin, particularly how an
object or custom came into existence.
•Eschatological myth: is concerned with the future or the
end of the world or of humankind.
•Moral myth: is concerned with behavioural patterns.
*****************************************
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41.

42.

https://youtu.be/U_u91SjrEOE

43.

Answer these questions:

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•What are myths?
•What are myths for?
•What does this myth explain?
•What kind of myth is it? Why?
•What are the characteristics of
myths in this story?
•Can you find out what is myth and
logos in this story?

45.

Greek Philosophy:
Myth and Meaning

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https://youtu.be/cBLxIJtECyo
https://youtu.be/Z-l03iGfRm0

47.

At present, most researchers agree that
mythological worldview had a strong
influence on the development of
philosophical and religious thinking.
This means that the philosophical and
religious worldview comes from primitive
mythological thinking

48.

3. Philosophy is a Worldview

49.

A world-view, as we understand it, is a system of generalised views
of the surrounding world and man's place in it, of man's relationship
to the world and himself, and also the basic positions that people
derive from this general picture of the world, their beliefs, sociopolitical, moral and aesthetic ideals, the principles by which they
know and appraise material and spiritual events. While it possesses a
relatively independent existence in the sphere of social
consciousness, the world-view also functions as something
individual.

50.

A person becomes an Individual
when he forms a definite worldview!!!!

51.

This process of formation indicates the maturity not only of an individual
but also of any given social group, social class or its party.
The concept of world-view, which was first encountered among the Greek
sceptics, is substantially broader in meaning than the concept of
philosophy; moreover it has several different meanings.

52.

We speak of the philosophical, the socio-political, the naturalscientific, the artistic, the religious, and even the ordinary man's
worldview.
mythologi
cal
Sociopoliti
cal
philosophical
religious
scientific
artistic

53.

But despite this diversity, every world-view reveals a certain unity in
the sense that it embraces a certain range of questions.
For example, what is the world that exists outside us? What is the
relationship between spirit and matter? What is man? What is his
place in the universal interconnection of phenomena? How does
man come to know reality? What are good and evil? What is
beautiful in life and in art? What laws guide the development of
society?

54.

The world-view contains something more than scientific information.It is a crucial regulative
principle of all the vital relationships between man and social groups in their historical
development. With its roots in the whole system of the individual and society's spiritual
needs and interests, determined by human practice, by all man's accumulated experience,
the world-view in its turn exerts a tremendous influence on the life of society and the
individual.
The world-view, on the other hand, is oriented on the world as a whole, on the "manuniverse" system.
The world-view may exist on the ordinary, everyday level generated by the empirical
conditions of life and experience handed down from generation to generation.
It may also be scientific, integrating the achievements of modern science concerning nature,
society and humanity itself.
The world-view influences standards of behaviour, a person's attitude to his work, to other
people, the character of his aspirations in life, his everyday existence, tastes and interests.
It is a kind of spiritual prism through which everything around us is perceived, felt and
transformed.

55.

Worldview is a set of a person's views on the world around him and on his place in this
world. Human experience has always led people to the conclusion that in order to
successfully exist in this world, it is impossible to limit oneself only to knowledge about
particular issues, individual specific things.
Human everyday practice has always pushed people to the need to have a holistic view of
the world, to see the entire system in order not to get lost in the stream of being, but to
independently choose the path and course of their movement. This is how the
philosophical, and then the scientific worldview was apparently created. Whether at the
very origins of the origin this process was conscious or rather instinctive as one of the
psychological mechanisms that helped a person to survive - we can hardly answer this
question. Perhaps, as always, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

56.

However, it is absolutely obvious that in an attempt to answer the eternal worldview
questions about the meaning of human life, where life came from, where we are going and
what we should do, why we are here and who we are, etc., etc., humanity accumulated a lot
of different knowledge, which later formed a whole sphere of philosophical worldview. It
should be noted that no matter how far science and the development of society have gone,
fortunately or unfortunately, these questions stil remain unresolved and each generation of
thinkers solves them differently, sometimes philosophical thought makes a turn (as we wil
see more than once below). ), turning to old ideas and concepts, and then again rapidly
moving forward.

57.

In philosophy, the problems and contradictions included in these questions are included in
the framework of the so-called basic question of philosophy, but more on that later in the
next lecture.
Thus, philosophy is the theoretical basis on which the scientific worldview is based. The
philosophical worldview embraces the knowledge accumulated over many epochs and tries
to answer the fundamental problems of being and man.

58.

Philosophical worldview has its
own specifics.
This can be represented as follows:

59.

• Philosophical worldview is based on the logical method of cognition
• Philosophical worldview is based on the rational level of knowledge
• Philosophy has its own language, consisting of a set of concepts, categories, special
terms.
• Philosophical outlook is a system of knowledge. This brings philosophy and science
closer, since any science is a system of knowledge. This means that philosophical
knowledge is logically sequential y ordered and each process and phenomenon has its
place in this system.

60.

ATTENTION!
The definition of the SUBJECT OF PHILOSOPHY:

61.

The Subject of philosophy is the most General
laws and patterns of development and
functioning of human society, thinking and,
finally, the universe

62.

4. Functions of Philosophy:

63.

• Worldview.
Philosophy is a system of knowledge that gives a person an idea of the world around him
and, of course, a person's place in this world. Therefore, this is the ideological function of
philosophy. The task of philosophy is defined in the formation of a unified idea of the
existence and place of man in the world.
• Methodological.
Philosophy creates the main fundamental rules and methods for the search for scientific
truth for the entire set of special sciences. In particular, the great ancient Greek philosopher
Aristotle formed the basic principles of formal logic in the work "Organon". These principles
did not remain a specific fact invented in philosophy, but formed the basis of evidencebased European scientific thinking, which, it is worth noting, are still used today.

64.

• Predictive.
This means that philosophical concepts are trying to determine the course of development
of socio-historical or any other processes or phenomena.
• Critical.
Philosophy, in the process of its development, inevitably evaluates scientific discoveries,
historical perspectives and events, social phenomena, and individual political figures. It
happens inevitably. And on the basis of this criticism, the process of correction, change or
addition of the philosophical knowledge itself takes place. So modern religious philosophy
recognized that the earth is round and revolves around the sun, but at one time betrayed J
Bruno to the Inquisition for this idea.

65.

• Ideological.
It consists in the creation of certain philosophical concepts, which include a set of ideas
about the world, ethics, socio-historical phenomena. Such ideas can become a worldview
for any communities of people and which will determine their life, socio-political activity,
etc.
• The value function lies in the fact that philosophical science creates axiological views of a
person on the world around him and his place in this world.
• Intellectual.
The enlightening function of philosophy. Philosophy as a science has accumulated a huge
reservoir of knowledge, ideas and individual thoughts about the world and man. Given that
philosophy can be considered the first scientific knowledge or ancestral science, as noted
above, this is a huge system of knowledge that carries the intellectual potential of all
mankind for many centuries.

66.

Summarizing, we can draw the
following conclusions:

67.

• Philosophy is the science of the most general
laws of the development of being, society,
thinking, cognition, and man.
• Based on the fact that philosophy is also a
special form of worldview, the main features of
which are rationality, systematization, the
desire for proof and argumentation.

68.

• The origins of philosophical knowledge is the
mythological worldview inherent in primitive
society and characterized by the convergence
of man and the world.
• However, the origin of philosophy as a
systematic scientific knowledge took place in
ancient Greece, Rome, India and China.

69.

• The subject of philosophical knowledge is the
ultimate principles and connections,
properties and laws of everything that exists.
• The main functions of philosophy as a science
are ideological, methodological, intellectual,
axiological, prognostic

70.

Philosophy as a system of scientific knowledge
is greatly influenced by the development of the
culture of society. The very fact of the
emergence of philosophy was possible only at
the stage of a certain level of cultural
development.
However, philosophy also has an opposite
effect on culture. Philosophy pushes the
boundaries of human thinking, spiritually and
intellectually enriches, which leads to the
development of culture