Immanuel Kant Essay Example for Free

Immanuel Kant EssayIntroduction 1What does ism mean? -Everyone has a philosophy -We suck in ideas concerning things, people, the inwardness of life sentence, death, God, what is exhaustively and bad. -We whitethorn have certain attitudes to life, certain ways of looking at things. -For example -I am an optimist. I hobo always see a positive side to most unhappy situations. -I entert believe in worrying too much. I think about today. Tomorrow can take care of itself. -Although an individual claim this to be his philosophy and rightly so. But this is not philosophy as a discipline. It is too broad, vague, superficial, impersonal and unclear.It does not adequately describe the work of a philosopher. -We wish to define philosophy more specifically. 2The word philosophy. -The Word Philosophy. -Philia ( have a go at it) + Sophia (wisdom) = the love of wisdom. 3Definitions of philosophy a. The field of operations of the disposition and meaning of the universe and of compassi onate life Online Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary. b. Philosophy is a rational attempt to look at the world as a whole. 4What does philosophy seek to do? -Philosophy seeks to examine fundamental suspenses about the universe and about ourselves with the hope of coming up with consistent principles by which we can understand and live.5Human beings have always sought answers to certain fundamental questions What are these fundamental questions? -What makes an act write or wrong? -What is my purpose in the world? -What is truth? -What makes a good life? -Is God important in our lives? -Where does fellowship come from and how do we acknowledge that our knowledge is true. -What is the relationship amid mind and body? 6Why do we need philosophy? Why do we need philosophy when we have science and technology? -We have advanced so much in science and technology -We live in cities, we have conquered the air and have ventured into space?-Communication is so developed that distance no eternal matters -We have immense power over nature -We are able to produce more goods and serve than ever before -So, why do we still need philosophy? 7Yet all these advances cause us to be disturbed and anxious -There is a danger that the very technology we have developed could enter us. -For example nuclear technology. -We seem to be unable to deal with the problems of war, famine, terror, distribution of wealth, pollution, the threatened extinction of wildlife, ontogenesis and oppression of the weak . -Knowledge and values appear to be divorced.-This is where philosophy comes in. It helps us to examine our lives as individuals and groups. -Philosophy may not be able to provide solutions to all the worlds problems. But it helps to examine issues clearly, forecast options and help us to make informed decisions. -With poor, incomplete and shallow reasoning we cannot build an enlightened high society -If we are unable to attain between valid and invalid reasoning, then we beco me victims of persuasive orators, fad leaders and unscrupulous political leaders. -Philosophy helps us to see more deeply and clearly into an issue.It helps us to question traditional and outdate beliefs so that we can make informed choices -Knowledge of honourable systems help us to live ethical lives at the personal and communitarian level. -Knowledge of what constitutes dish aerial helps us to appreciate and respect differences in individual and cultural concepts of beauty and craft. -Being able to think detailedly will help us to be aware of any preposterous and oppressive beliefs in religion. 8The traditional divisions of philosophy. a. Logic b. Metaphysics c. Epistemology d. Value Theory LOGIC aLogic.-The systematic study of rules to distinguish or recognize good arguments from bad. -In an argument, groups will give opposing views. -How do we know which argument is good and which is not good. -Logic helps us to do so by providing rules to recognize right argument from wr ong argument. -It is implicated with tests to find out which arguments are valid. -Logic runs through all the other branches of philosophy. METAPHYSICS -bMetaphysics The study of the nature of being and of the world. -It is interested with the fundamental nature of all reality, both visible and invisible.-It asks what reality is, why it is, and how we can understand it. Ontology That give of metaphysics that studies being or existence. EPISTEMOLOGY cEpistemology The study of the sources, nature and validity of knowledge. -It deals with issues like -What are the sources of knowledge? (Origin of knowledge) -Where does genuine knowledge come from? -How do we know? -What is the nature of knowledge? (Appearance and reality) -Is there a real world outside(a) the mind? -If so, can we know it? -Is our knowledge valid? (Truth/Verification) -How do we distinguish truth from error? cardinal traditional schools of thought have sought to answer the questions above -Rationalism -Human reason a lone can trace the basic principles of the universe -Empiricism -All knowledge ultimately comes from sense experience, and therefore our knowledge is limited to what can be experienced. There is a relationship between metaphysics and epistemology. Our understanding of reality (metaphysics) depends on our understanding of what can be known (epistemology). Our theory of knowledge (epistemology) depends on how we understand ourselves in relation to the whole of reality (metaphysics). nourish THEORY dValue Theory The branch of philosophy that studies values. -It can be subdivided into ethics, aesthetics, and social and political philosophy. iethics is concerned with piety right or wrong behavior. -the three areas of ethics are descriptive, normative and metaethics. -descriptive ethics (what is ) identifies motives, desire and intentions of human conduct and acts. It describes moral actions. -normative ethics (what ought to be) proposes the principles by which people ought to act and live. These are called ethical theories. -Meta-ethics(analysis) on how we understand, know about, and what we mean when we talk about what is right and what is wrong. It deals with the meaning of key concepts, techniques of reasoning and analysis, and linguistic conventions It deals with matters like what do moral terms mean? What sort of mental state is involved in accepting a moral claim a belief, an emotion? Is there any sort of moral reality or facts? Is ethical knowledge attainable? If so, how? In fact, drawing the conceptual distinction between Metaethics, Normative Ethics, and utilise Ethics is itself a metaethical analysis. ii. Aestheticsis concerned with the theory of art and beauty. -Many philosophical problems in aesthetics involve critical judgements.? -It deals with concepts of concepts of beauty. Is beauty subjective or objective? iii. Social and political philosophyisconcerned with value judgments concerning society, the state and the individuals relation to these institutions -It deals with issues like -Why should individuals live in society? -What should be the social ideals of liberty, rights, justice, equality and responsibility -Why should anyone practise any government?-Why should some individuals or groups have political power over others -Who should have political power over others? -What should the scope of political power be? -What are the goals of government? Glossary 1philosophyphilia (love) + Sophia (wisdom) = the love of wisdom 2logicThe systematic study of rules to distinguish or recognize good arguments from bad 3metaphysicsThe study of the nature of being and of the world 4epistemologyThe study of the sources, nature and validity of knowledge 5value theoryThe branch of philosophy that studies values.It can be subdivided into ethics, aesthetics, and social and political philosophy. 6rationalismHuman reason alone can discover the basic principles of the universe 7empiricismAll knowledge ultimately comes from sense experience, and therefore our knowledge is limited to what can be experienced 8aesthetics Is concerned with the theory of art and beauty.