What is Philosophy Philosophical Conceptions Of Life - Essay Example

Task What is Philosophy? Philosophy is a wide whose definition varies from one philosopher to the other. It referred toas the ideas man has about human nature and the reality about things, which entails the study to find out why things happen the way they do without depending on religious or mythical explanations. Religions and myths had passed on through out generations, and had guided man in this respect until philosophy brought on a revolution which completely changed the world (Kenny, 5). Before then, it was believed that gods and other forces controlled what happened in the world. It was believed that the gods were volatile and unpredictable and thus man was at their mercy because they controlled everything. Philosophers introduced a very different line of thought, divergent from the first assumption. They are referred to as thinkers, implying that they ushered in an era where man started to come to conclusions about the issues of life through reason and observation. Philosophy has grown over the years and has been subject to religious and ethical; considerations. This is because religion and ethical standards determine how people act and philosophy tries to explain why things happen and how people act in certain ways. Philosophical history started to appear in ancient Greece in the 6th century B.C.in the city of Miletus (Russell 3). This early group of philosophers is known as the Milesian philosophers because of the city they came from. These early philosophers may have had findings that would seem odd today, such as some claims made by one of the Philosophers, Thales, that everything was made of water and everything is full of gods, but all the same, it was the gods that triggered man to shift from his earlier position and to examine other ways to explore why things happened the way they did and why man also behaved the way he did. Man started to observe life from a completely new perspective due to the influence of philosophers. Ancient Greece went on to produce some of the greatest philosophers in the western world, and this revolutionized the whole world in its way of thinking as man started to thirst for and seek wisdom (Kenny, 19). Philosophy has been referred to by some people as the love of wisdom. Philosophy is important to man because it looks at basic issues through reason and observation, and thus enables us to choose the way to do things and also how to live with one another in harmony in any given situation and grouping. It enables man to come to conclusion about issues from a point of knowledge. Today, philosophy has developed over the years and covers mainly for different areas which are logic, epistemology, metaphysics and axiology. Logic involves the obtaining of knowledge by looking at the evidence and listening to the arguments brought forth and analyzing them philosophically (Brown). People may say what they do not mean but a philosopher can bring out the truth through philosophical reasoning. Epistemology, which is a branch of philosophy, is the ability to support what we believe with facts about it. It looks at what conditions must be satisfied so as to assert that what we say is true about something. As man makes statements about issues, epistemology is very important. Metaphysics is the study of what things exist, their nature and the reasons why they function the way they do. It also deals with examining why people behave the way they do. It examines whether it is through their free will or as a result of other factors. This is an important shift from the pre philosophy period where all was attributed to the gods and other personalities. It enables man to know his world better and even integrate better. Axiology is the study of different types of values, and these are beauty and art, social and political aspects and ethics (Brown). Political philosophy has facilitated the setting up of good political systems while ethical behavior is important as people live with one another in the world because it examines right and wrong and good and evil. Philosophy has enabled man as he becomes more civilized to determine what changes he can make and become better than before. Many philosophers have contributed to the growth of philosophy. For example, Socrates who taught that happiness was a result of leading a moral life and that it was possible for people to be taught morals and thus change their behavior. He brought out the thought that evil came out of ignorance and that evil was unintentional. In the past, many could probably have attributed evil to the gods. Good morals are important till today if man is to live together in harmony. When people have set down rules to guide them, it eliminates the situation where people can decide to do things without considering others. Plato, the disciple of Socrates examined the issue of justice and good governance and narrated his idea of a good government (Kenny 1).. This has a major influence even today since it has led to systems being put in place to deter oppression by those in authority to fellow citizens. Aristotle was probably the greatest philosopher before the 19th century. He was able to bring out difference between science and philosophy. He established the sciences of zoology and biology, which are in use worldwide. He also introduced the system of logic from which evolved mathematics, and other forms of valid reasoning. This had the effect of enabling man to take a better control of his life since there was knowledge of the causes of the things that happen in life and the seeking of remedial measures. People had accepted things as they occurred, thinking they had no control over any aspect of life. The evolvement of mathematics revolutionized the world to a very great degree since it affects almost every sphere of mans life. Famous quotes by philosophers portray their line of thought and reasoning. Some of them date from the era of ancient Greece and are applicable to date. Aristotle a great philosopher said, “A true friend is one soul in two bodies” This was as he was elaborating the qualities of true friendship. This implies that people are one in the highs and lows of their true friends. Plato also quoted that “A good decision should be based on knowledge but not on numbers” (ThinkExist). This implies that a decision made by many people is not necessarily the best, and this is because it could be wrong, but a decision based on knowledge will stand the test of time. It is important where vital decisions that facts should be substantiated even when they are held by the minority. Socrates also quoted “The unexamined life is not worth living”. He brought the point forward that people should constantly examine their lives, beliefs and values so as to constantly make the necessary amends. People should not only live for money, power and fame. Philosophical conceptions of life are a product of religious and ethical ways of life. Religion and ethics have played a crucial role in determining philosophical approaches because they have been applied over the years in prescribing how people should act. Philosophy concerns itself with the real life situations that people face and helps in determining the best approaches to life. As the world advances thereby experiencing changes, it is important that the philosophical perspective in the areas concerned becomes very integral aspect in guiding man on the best way to accommodate these changes just as it has done throughout the ages. It also is important for the scope of philosophy to enlarge due to globalization, which has made societies diverse thus requiring some common way of thinking to guide life. Works Cited Brown, Curtis. What is Philosophy? 2012. Trinity University. Web. Kenny, Anthony. Ancient Philosophy, 2007. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Print. Russell, Bertrand. A History of Western Philosophy and Its Connection with Political and Social Circumstances from the Earliest Times to the Present Day, 2004. New York: Stratford Press. Print. ThinkExist. Famous Philosopher Quotes, 2012. ThinkExist. Web. Read More