What is Philosophy?
Philosophy is a way of thinking about the world, the universe, and society. It works by asking very basic questions about the nature of human thought, the nature of the universe, and the connections between them. The ideas in philosophy are often general and abstract.
Philosophy is a set of ideals, standards or beliefs used to describe behavior and thought. An example of philosophy is Buddhism.
Philosophy is the study of the nature of existence, knowledge, truth and ethics. It involves consideration of the most fundamental questions about who we are, and examines philosophical thought across the breadth of history right up to the present day.
Thales of Miletus
Thales of Miletus (c. 624 – 546 B.C.) was an early Pre-Socratic philosopher, mathematician and astronomer from the Greek city of Miletus in Ionia (modern-day Turkey). He was one of the so-called Seven Sages of Greece, and many regard him as the first philosopher in the Western tradition.
Methods of Philosophy
Methodology may be subdivided into: (1) Logic, and (2) Epistemology, which deal respectively with the ways of attaining and with the ways of interpreting knowledge. It is clear that these three main divisions of philosophy are partly, though only partly, independent of one another.
Importance of Philosophy
It teaches critical thinking, close reading, clear writing, and logical analysis; it uses these to understand the language we use to describe the world, and our place within it. Different areas of philosophy are distinguished by the questions they ask.
The study of philosophy helps us to enhance our ability to solve problems, our communication skills, our persuasive powers, and our writing skills. Below is a description of how philosophy helps us develop these various important skills.
Role of Philosophy
The study of philosophy helps us to enhance our ability to solve problems, our communication skills, our persuasive powers, and our writing skills. Below is a description of how philosophy helps us develop these various important skills.
Get an advanced degree
To successfully pursue philosophy as a career, you must acquire a doctorate or, at very least, a master’s degree. Earning a living from philosophy means using your knowledge and (hopefully) wisdom to produce original works of philosophical thought and, usually, to teach others about the field.
Terms in this set (7)
- Metaphysics. branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of existence.
- Epistemology. the philosophical theory of knowledge.
- Anthropology. the social science that studies the origins and social relationships of human beings.
- Ethics.
- Logic.
- Political Science.
- Aesthetics.
The Master of Philosophy is an advanced postgraduate degree. An MPhil typically includes a taught portion and a significant research portion, during which a thesis project is conducted under supervision.
Top UNIVERSITIES
University of Cambridge
University in Cambridge, England
The University of Cambridge is a collegiate research university in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by King Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world’s fourth-oldest surviving university.
University of Oxford
University in Oxford, England
The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world’s second-oldest university in continuous operation.
Harvard University
Cambridge.
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, clergyman John Harvard, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world.
