Understanding Philosophy: Concepts, History, and Significance
Understanding Philosophy
Philosophy is an activity that involves reflecting and reasoning about concepts and ideas, the meaning of which is understood by individuals. It involves asking questions about concepts, and providing reasoned responses and arguments. This is common to humans. Philosophy appeared in Greece in the 6th century BC, and its original meaning is “love of wisdom.” Philosophical activity arises from admiration for the world and implies raising questions and seeking to overcome ignorance. It is critical in that it does not accept dogmatic assertions or authoritative arguments.
Key Areas of Philosophy
- Theoretical Philosophy: Focuses on reality and knowledge of the world.
- Practical Philosophy: Focuses on human actions and moral behavior.
The Role of Myth
A myth is a fantastic story, full of symbols and metaphors of great beauty, transmitted from parents to children. Myths explain the origin of the world and answer questions about the afterlife. Myths can be temporary. Esoteric myths reveal the truth and also serve a function of social cohesion: the society that created the myth is reflected in its narratives and finds common ground. Thus, a society shares a series of mythical stories.
Ignorance, Knowledge, and Opinion
- Ignorance: Simply not knowing or knowing something incorrectly.
- Knowledge: The domain of information that is available at a given time and allows one to act adequately.
- Opinion: Baseless and without a trial of accuracy, with the appearance of knowledge. It has no argumentative basis and is often based on a verifiable system of values in a community, based on impressions, feelings, and beliefs.
- Belief: A personal commitment to an idea, theory, or dogma, the assertion of which is unfounded.
Rational Discourse
In the Greek cities, philosophers, called Pre-Socratics, began to explain the world in a different way than myths, using rational arguments. The earliest forms of philosophy arose as a criticism of myths, addressing superstition, ignorance, and false science, and going beyond rational capacity. Rational discourse was a triumph of the human community, explaining nature free from gods and other external powers.
The Hellenic Inheritance
The Hellenes integrated their culture through the great epics of Homer. They learned a language, as well as ways of thinking and acting. Greek society was based on the work of slaves and barely recognized the importance of women. Ancient Greece originated a way of being and its own government, known as democracy. The Greeks adopted the habits of people living in India, Egypt, or Mesopotamia, and created a civilization based on original beauty, dialogue, and reason.
Surprise, Questions, and Arguments
- Any form of knowledge arises from curiosity and surprise at an unknown cause.
- Next to surprise, the capacity to question is necessary to start the process of acquiring knowledge.
- The most radical difference between reason and myth is the ability to create arguments.
Features of Philosophy
- Philosophy is a coherent and fundamental body of knowledge, but no one can ever know it completely.
- To realize a concept in philosophy, one needs to have data from different sciences, but philosophy goes beyond these.
- Philosophy reviews the fundamentals and hypotheses. Finally, it goes beyond the individuals who claim science and questions its own existence; therefore, its criticism is radical.
- The construction of the whole can be dangerous if it is not properly grounded, but a life without philosophy is not a life.
Philosophy and Other Forms of Knowledge
- Philosophy is not a science, but it must always keep in mind the results of science and consider data from the external world.
- Religion is a subjective belief, based on faith and a variety of revelations in sacred texts.