What Is the Value of Philosophy - Essay Example

The value of philosophy lies in how he feeds his thoughts by questioning himself rather than looking for certainty.

Philosophy, Aristotle said, begins with wonder. What did he mean?

Aristotle is of the opinion that human beings are naturally inclined to know things and it is their curiosity that has led them to know and understand the origins of all concrete matters in the universe.  It is only by wondering about the difficulties and complexities involved in assessing things, men started to define principles that reduced the complexities as they progressed toward knowing the details.

Why was Descartes so concerned with certainty?

The major reasons for his concern included the fact that the world is changing every day with new inventions and discoveries and one thing which may be a fact today may be changed tomorrow. Hence, Descartes was very concerned about the certainty aspect of things and principles that are confounded every day. 

What is the philosophical significance, to Descartes, of “I think, therefore I am” (or cogito, ergo sum)?

The statement introduced the world to the ideas of psychology and to the subject of metaphysics. It allowed philosophical thinkers to realize that one’s existence is known only if he is able to understand the consciousness of thinking and this thought allowed them to explore new areas.

What is meant by Cartesian dualism?

Descartes was the first to state that the physical body of a human being is a completely different context when compared with the immaterial mind. Yet, he believed that only through the interaction of these two subjects the human entity exists. (Clarke, 1982)

Descartes concludes that he is a “thing which thinks.” Explain.

According to him, the mere existence of a human being is only known when he doubts when he thinks, or, when he performs any other activities, mentally. So without that activity, he believes there is no ‘he’ or ‘I’ to represent and hence he says those words.  (Clarke, 1982)

Descartes’ proof of God’s existence is based on the idea of perfection. What was this proof?

The proof given by him can be subdivided into three parts. Firstly, he believes that a human feels to exist only when he thinks and, what he believes to be clear and distinct is true to him. Secondly, all these cannot arise from anything. Finally, things that are considered perfectly done in a natural way cannot arise from something that is less perfect, and hence only God could have created them. (Clarke, 1982)

What is the difference between an analytic and synthetic proposition?

A proposition which is considered to be analytic has to be true in nature whereas, in a synthetic proposition, the truth can be identified only with the help of experiments and observation.

What is the position of A.J. Ayer and the logical positivists on metaphysics?

These people totally objected to the concept of metaphysics and counter-argued its supporters with theories involving common sense and human emotions. (Ayer, 1959)

What is A.J. Ayer’s position on the possibility of doing theology or ethics?

A.J. Ayer was of the opinion that any axioms of ethics are not based on facts but mostly on the feelings effectuated by the person who describes those axioms of ethics.  (Ayer, 1959)

What is the chief focus of analytic philosophy?

The chief focus of this philosophy was to analyze the underlying nature of normal language and in the process, solve the philosophical problems. 

What is the goal of pragmatism, as explained by William James?

The goal of pragmatism is to prove any sort of principle or proposition by applying them practically and, observing their results.

Define the correspondence, coherence, and pragmatic theories of truth.

The correspondence theory suggests that a statement can be declared as truth if it holds good when considered in relation to the world.  The coherence theory on the other hand states that the validity of a statement can only be concluded by a comparative analysis done with relative statements.  The pragmatic theory states that truth is only identified as truth by pragmatism and proper verification.

What is the distinction between phenomena and noumena, as developed by Kant?

According to Kant, there is something metaphysical in nature associated with each object that underlies the differences between phenomena and noumena.

Why has the philosophy of mind become so central to contemporary analytic philosophy?

The reason for the critical importance placed on the philosophy of mind is to understand whether it is possible to convert it into a physical study or in the form of computer science. (Baillie, 2003)