Prologue
Well snaars fans, this is where I uncomfortably concede to myself that my philosophy education has had little direct relevance to anything I have done since receiving my degree. “Direct relevance,” I say – I do not say “no relevance.”
I believe that the study of philosophy enabled me to think clearly about a broad range of subjects, and it helped me to understand … well, it helped me to understand what I understand, and what I cannot claim to understand; what may be understandable, and what is unintelligible. And, it has helped me write a small handful of blog articles that have received attention, in addition to some lengthy comments I’ve gifted to other blogs.
Philosophy cannot be a full-blown pursuit for me, now that I have other commitments; I consider it to be— well, something of a hobby. Having invested much time in search of truth and wisdom, I still have love for that endeavor. I think a lot of people do, and could benefit from understanding what a philosophy education is about.
Many people have the silly and mutually contradictory ideas that a) philosophy is a waste of time and mental effort because nothing constructive can be gained from it, and b) anyone can do it well. Popular philosophies such as those found in New Age and Self-Help sections of your local bookstore probably bear little resemblance or relation to college-level academic philosophy.
Academic philosophy is a long tradition, going back over three thousand years to ancient Greece. The word “philosophy” comes from Greek and means, literally, “the love of wisdom.” It is in that spirit, the love of wisdom, that I begin this series on philosophical topics.
What Philosophy Is
Other disciplines claim to be paths to wisdom. So what makes philosophy different from other ways of knowing or understanding— like science, or religion? 
A simple answer (by way of introduction) is that philosophy has much in common with science and religion— but it is more closely related to science.
Philosophy and science are both collections of sub-disciplines. Subdisciplines within science include: biology, physics, chemistry, astronomy, anthropology, sociology, etc.
Subdisciplines within philosophy include:
- ethics and morality – seeks to understand right conduct
- epistemology – seeks answers to questions like, “What is knowledge and how do we get some? What is truth and how do we recognize it?”
- logic - seeks an understanding of what sorts of reasoning are most effective, or likely to lead to truth
- metaphysics – seeks answers to questions such as “What exists (if anything?),” “What are properties? Relations? Numbers?” and “Is there free will?”
- aesthetics - seeks to understand beauty
- philosophy of religion – seeks answers to questions such as “Does God exist, and if so, what characteristics does she possess?”
- philosophy of science – seeks answers to questions such as “What makes one scientific theory better than a rival scientific theory?” and “Do the theoretical entities posited by science really exist?”
- philosophy of mind and cognition* - seeks to understand how the minds functions— not biologically, but logically. How does the mind do what it does? What is consciousness?
The methods of science include the use of careful observation and reasoning. Philosophy, in contrast, relies heavily on the use of reason alone, and less on empirical observation. Scientists and philosophers alike presuppose that there are answers to the questions they ask.
Science and contemporary academic philosophy share common roots. At one time, no distinction was made between the two; the pursuit of knowledge through reason and observation was known as “natural philosophy.” In the intervening centuries, the “natural philosophers” have become more specialized in their goals and educations, giving rise to the sciences as we know them today*.
Philosophy and science are dissimilar in that philosophy addresses topics and questions that science cannot – even in principle – answer.
What does philosophy teach?
Philosophy is not a particular teaching. Philosophy is a set of tools and methods for analyzing, evaluating, and comparing the relative merits of ideas, and for utilizing the knowledge thus gained to construct new and better ways of thinking.
It is not the case that all ideas are equal; some are better than others. Philosophy is the testing ground where concepts compete. They are accepted or rejected provisionally based upon the evidence and the best critical thinking methods available. Dealing with ideas in this manner requires a degree of detachment and a capacity to think abstractly.
Philosophy is a rigorous discipline which requires care and Hard Work— the benefits of which have been and continue to be profound.
*The newest discipline coming out of philosophy is cognitive science, which has attracted researchers from such diverse fields as neuroscience, psychology, biology, computer science, physics, and linguistics. A primary focus of cognitive science has been the construction of artificial intelligence.
Watch this blog space for the future posts dealing with philosophy basics, brought directly to you in exclusive snaarsivison!
(After finishing this composition, my daughter, Havilah, pointed to one of the pictures and asked, “What’s that?” Plato, I replied. “Oh, so that’s what it’s made of. The sculpture, I mean,” she said, not seeing the humor and becoming indignant as I chuckled.)
You should let her make her own Play-Doh Plato, have Michelle put it in the oven, and post a picture here!
Hi Mary. Sorry for the looo0o0ong delay in replying. I laughed out loud when I read your idea and would like nothing better than to do as you suggest, but Havilah has asserted her independence and declined.