rom J.L.Gibson 09Sept14
To:
Intro to Philosophy.
Essay 1

What am I doing in this class? And how if at all. Do I think studying philosophy might benefit me. An introduction to Western Philosophy by Donald Palmer. I will attempt to answer three basic questions with this essay. What is Philosophy, What are the origins of Philosophy and why am I studying Philosophy today. Therefore my main reason for studying philosophy is to expand my knowledge and live the good life.

What is philosophy? Philosophy, the Greek Word for "love of wisdom," has been defined in a variety of ways, one of which is the notion that philosophy is the rational attempt to formulate, understand, and answer fundamental questions (Voices of Wisdom). What makes people partake in philosophy. It is philosophy that we turn to when we have the need to seek out a guiding principle for our lives. Therefore, philosophy holds a prominent place in society and in the world. Basically, everyone is a philosopher, but it takes the creative genius and reasoning of brilliant thinkers to bring about earth-shattering concepts. Like Thales,Socrates,Plato and Aristotle to name a few.

What are the origins of Philosophy? Philosophy started when human beings started to ask questions, about how and what things are actually, due to curiosity. The things that caused these questions to come about were the people started to realize that everything is not exactly what it appears to be. Philosophy started in the town of Miletus Greece, many early philosophers came from here. The philosophers started their work around 585 B.C. Thales, one of the early Miletus philosophers, left no writings behind, all we know about him is memorable incidents recorded by later writers... Philosophy encompasses a vast range of topics and every person, place, thing, and idea has its roots embedded in it.

For the purpose of this essay, I will be only covering the branches of epistemology, metaphysics, and axiology. These branches serve as the building blocks for studying and teaching philosophy. While examining these building blocks, I will argue why philosophy should be studied.. To gain a broader perspective and understanding I dissected the contemporary braches of philosophy.

Starting with Epistemology is the theory of knowledge. It concerns questions like these: What is knowledge, and how it differs from an opinion. The second is Metaphysics is the theory of being. It concerns question about reality, what is the difference between appearance and reality. The third branch of philosophy is Axiology is the study of value. Axiology encompass ethics,political philosophy, aesthetics and logic. Ethics or moral philosophy, asks questions like, What is the good life? Political and Social philosophy ask questions about the states legitimate authority overs its citizens. And social values such as justice. Aesthetics the main concept of aesthetics objects has been beauty. Logic is the most specialized branch of philosophy. This science, which was founded by Aristotle in the fouth century B.C.E is essentially a formal study. That is to say, it wants to know what forms of argumentation are valid, and it concerns itself not primarily with the truth status of the argument's conclusion, but rather with structure of the inference in the argument.

The life of the Greek philosopher Socrates (469-399 BC) marks such a critical point in Western thought that standard histories divide Greek philosophy into pre-Socratic and post-Socratic periods. Socrates left no writings of his own, and his work has inspired almost as many different interpretations as there have been interpreters. He remains one of the most important and one of the most enigmatic figures in Western philosophy. As a young man Socrates became fascinated with the new scientific ideas that Anaxagoras and the latter's associate had introduced to Athens. He seems for a time to have been the leader of an Athenian research circle--which would explain why the first appearance of Socrates in literature is as a villainous, atheistic scientist in The Clouds of Aristophanes. Young Socrates also knew the Sophists and listened to their debates and ceremonial orations. Socrates and the Sophists Neither science nor Sophistry, however, could answer a new philosophic question that struck him.

The earlier Greek thinkers had been concerned almost wholly with physics and cosmology until the Sophists suggested that what should be done instead was to teach young men skills to satisfy their natural self-interest.

Instead, Socrates wondered: "Know Thyself" Socrates felt, however, that the Sophists, for all their talk of self-interest, had little curiosity about the status of a self; they assumed that it was merely an isolated center constantly greedy for more pleasure, prestige, and power. The Sophists further thought that the values that people advocated were all conventional, varying from one culture to another, and that no one would ever act against his or her own interest, regardless of how many people talked as though they would. This complex of ideas offered little to explain human nature and excellence.

Socrates' Later Life and Thought Socrates, setting about his search for the self, was convinced of the importance of his quest. Until educators and teachers knew what human excellence was, he thought, they were engaging in false pretenses by claiming that they knew how to improve students or societies.

Socrates believed that objective patterns, or "forms," exist that define human excellence, that these are neither culturally relative nor subjective, and that philosophic inquiry could discover them. In the period after Athenian defeat in the Peloponnesian War, however, the political leaders did not want to be awakened; uncritical patriotism seemed to them what they and Athens needed. In an attempt to frighten Socrates away, they threatened to bring him to trial for "impiety and corrupting the youth of Athens." Socrates stayed and stood trial. In his Apology, Plato reconstructs his speech to the jury in defense of his beliefs. He was convicted and executed in 399 BC.

in conclusion I believe the study of philosophy is a journey of Enlightenment and self knowledge. Self awareness is just the beginning of a life time of growth and learning. We must continue to learn and grow in life . So we can truly live the good life.Understanding that I have much to learn. I must continue to ask why and how can I gain more knowledge. I answered three basic questions with this essay. What is Philosophy, What are the origins of Philosophy. Why am I studying Philosophy and how it will benefit me in my life. Therefore my main reason for studying philosophy is to expand my knowledge and live the good life.