Stephen R Palmquist
580 California St., Suite 400
San Francisco, CA, 94104
Philosophy as the Self-Defining Discipline
2013, Mensa Means: The Newsletter of Hong Kong Mensa, pp.14-16.
Sign up for access to the world's latest research
checkGet notified about relevant papers
checkSave papers to use in your research
checkJoin the discussion with peers
checkTrack your impact
Abstract
AI
AI
The article explores the unique self-defining nature of philosophy, distinguishing it from other academic disciplines through its focus on self-examination and self-knowledge. It argues that the act of defining philosophy is intrinsic to its practice, as each philosopher brings their own perspective to the discipline. Ultimately, engaging in philosophical inquiry is portrayed as essential for a fulfilling human life, emphasizing that self-examination and the questioning of one’s beliefs are at the core of what it means to be authentically human.
Related papers
The Study of Philosophy
1981
Philosophy engages fundamental questions concerning human identity, the nature of knowledge and reality, moral virtue and responsibility, the nature of community and political authority, aesthetic judgments and values, and other concepts central to the meaning and value of human existence. Through the study of primary texts and concrete issues drawn from various historical periods and cultures, philosophy facilitates reflection on actions, beliefs, and values while developing critical thinking, reading, and writing skills. Philosophy also strengthens the ability to reason, enlarges the imagination, and refines aesthetic sensitivity.
Introduction to What is Philosophy? Critical Intro. and Guide
I lay out the general contours of the argument here, emphasizing, perhaps surprisingly, what I take to be the ethical significance of the book What is Philosophy? and philosophy more generally. I set the stage for a critique of analytic philosophy in later chapters.
Philosophical understanding and its role in other fields of study
International Journal of Current Advanced Research, 2017
Philosophy is considered the mother of all the other disciplines because of the generality and vastness of its subject matter in contrast to other forms of human inquiry. People talk of philosophy without understanding its role in educational research, particularly its significant contribution to all the other disciplines. It is worth noting that there is nothing in the universe that does not concern or interest philosophy hence philosophical enterprise is essentially the application of reasoning to a wide variety of topics. It is therefore of paramount importance to highlight the important role that philosophy plays in other fields of study in that every discipline raises questions which philosophical investigation can help clarify. Because of the complexity of the world we live in, our efforts to comprehend it are just as diverse. Besides, our different aspirations, interests and activities factor in our endeavor to understand the world and these aspirations and interests find expressions in various fields of study such as history, law, theology, education, economics, political science etc. Although these fields of study play an important role in our lives generally and in our endeavours to comprehend the world specifically, one cannot divorce them from philosophy. How can this be demonstrated? Given the unrestricted nature of the subject matter of philosophy, one can say that philosophy is an attempt to understand the world, its meaning and values. It examines rationally the fundamental problems affecting man and the world in which he lives. Its field is broad and inclusive. While using the facts and descriptive material presented by other specialized fields of study, philosophy goes beyond description to inquire into the nature, the values and the possibilities of things. Its goal is inclusive, comprehension and wisdom. That notwithstanding, philosophy cannot do without the results of other disciplines. It constantly interrogates and assesses the subject matters of the various fields of inquiry with a view of coming up with a conception of the universe that is coherent and systematic. This paper therefore aims at highlighting the contribution of philosophy to other fields of study such that questions and issues raised in every disciplineare addressed in a fundamental and comprehensive manner.Every domain of human existence confronts us with problems on which philosophical reflection can shed light.
ON THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY
This paper claims that what philosophy primarily does is interpret our notions, offer ways of understanding these notions that are not scientific in nature but not contrary to science either. The paper draws a distinction between conceptual analysis, a highly constrained enterprise that is supposed to bring to light what was in the concept all along, and the interpretation of notions, a creative enterprise that offers ways of understanding notions that were not already prefigured by the content of these notions-philosophy consists in the latter, not the former. It explains how these interpretations are justified and what the difference is between better and worse interpretations. The remainder of the paper is organized around three headings: philosophy and science, philosophy and language, and philosophy and progress. It claims that in philosophy there is no real progress, but that philosophy does move forward because the notions at issue are endlessly interpretable.
Definiton of philosophy
A definition of philosoph
What philosophy is and what it could be
Philosophy By Women, 2020
In this essay I identify three characteristics that I think make philosophy the distinctive discipline that it is: its breadth, the fundamentality of the question it raises and its concern with the question of the difference of what appears to be the case from what is the case. I then argue that philosophy is necessary because it is at heart a very practical discipline. I end by arguing that philosophy has to a large extent lost its characteristic breadth and that it should regain it in order to be able to make a difference in the world.
Philosophy’s Relevance and the Pattern of Inquiry
Teaching Philosophy, 1999
In the midst of an age of "work," that is to say, of hurry, of indecent and perspiring haste, which wants to "get everything done" at once, including every old or new book:-this art [philosophy] does not so easily get anything done, it teaches to read well, that is to say, to read slowly, deeply, looking cautiously before and aft, with reservations, with doors left open, with delicate eyes and fingers.-Nietzsche, Dawn, Preface An educational aim must be founded upon the intrinsic activities and needs (including original instincts and acquired habits) of the given individual to be educated.-Dewey, Democracy and Education 1
Philosophy: In defense of the narrow conception
In >Philosophy< I gave an outline of the subject on about sixty pages. It may seem preposterous to give the present version of philosophy in so limited a space in view of the 2500 years of its history and the many volumes Plato and Aristotle, Thomas of Aquino, Descartes, Kant and Wittgenstein have filled. In my proposal I invested a narrow conception by beginning with the clarification of the concept of philosophy. First, I hold that methodically philosophy was >reflective conceptual clarification< from the start, even if in its beginnings and for significant periods of its development it has materially been framed metaphysically. Secondly, I replaced this metaphysical framing by borrowing from Wittgenstein: The material object of philosophy I take to be an overview over the basic concepts of our understanding. Thirdly, I restricted the responsibility of philosophy centrally to the fundamental concepts of every-dayunderstanding, part of which has traditionally been called analysis of categories. Even if the narrow conception is clear, it certainly is in need of a defense by reasons.
Loading Preview
Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. You can download the paper by clicking the button above.