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Cogito ergo sum

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Different ways of doing philosophy?

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  • Different ways of doing philosophy?

    Are there different approaches to philosophizing? I was just curious because the mindset of a Christian philosopher would be to reject everything that is contrary to the word of God whereas the non-Christian philosopher doesn't care if he contradicts the word of God.

  • #2
    Originally posted by Jaxb View Post
    Are there different approaches to philosophizing? I was just curious because the mindset of a Christian philosopher would be to reject everything that is contrary to the word of God whereas the non-Christian philosopher doesn't care if he contradicts the word of God.
    Philosophy has many branches. Science, mathematics, ethics, epistemology--every branch is distinctive in some way.
    The greater number of laws . . . , the more thieves . . . there will be. ---- Lao-Tzu

    [T]he truth I’m after and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance -— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

    Comment


    • #3
      IMO, ---Yes.
      ...though God (or lack of) is not the main element of difference...
      Philosophy (thinking/theories) comes about from a paradigm (world-view) which are starting presumptions about "Reality". This "Reality" may or may not include a God concept. Groups of Humanity have different paradigms and this effects the theories and conclusions they draw about "Reality" (assumptions about the world we live in)...so some define reality as illusion, some as God, others as Oneness, still others as nature/natural laws....etc However the paradigm is articulated in language,...we all exist in the same "Reality" so there will be some overlap and commonalities between philosophical ideas and conclusions from different groups/paradigms.

      There may also be differences in approach (method) for example, Islamic philosophy (falsafa) began with Kalam (speech) or Language---because the study of language is essential to logic and reason and this follows the Greek way of philosophy. Eventually some found this to be inadequate---because if the purpose of philosophy is to understand and articulate "Reality" and in the Islamic context "Reality" refers to One God, then reason and logic (which relied on language/words) could only get you to a certain point.....after that, as the mystics found....one had to rely on other factors such as insight/instinct/intuition.....and revelation....
      from the Islamic perspective, revelation is not limited to scripture alone, both knowledge and nature are also revelations (from God).

      The varying degrees of balance between reason/logic and intuition/revelation led to more or less 3 general groups in Islamic philosophy, the Mutazilite, Asharite and the Maturidi...the Mutazilite...and some Asharite philosophers may have influenced the "West"---philosophers such as Avicenna (Ibn Sina-1037), Averroes (1198), al- Farabi (950), al-Kindi (866) are Mutazilites.....Alhacen (Ibn Haytham 1041) was an Asharite philosopher who used the Scientific method we practice today....and others....

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by siam View Post
        IMO, ---Yes.
        ...though God (or lack of) is not the main element of difference...
        Philosophy (thinking/theories) comes about from a paradigm (world-view) which are starting presumptions about "Reality". This "Reality" may or may not include a God concept. Groups of Humanity have different paradigms and this effects the theories and conclusions they draw about "Reality" (assumptions about the world we live in)...so some define reality as illusion, some as God, others as Oneness, still others as nature/natural laws....etc However the paradigm is articulated in language,...we all exist in the same "Reality" so there will be some overlap and commonalities between philosophical ideas and conclusions from different groups/paradigms.

        There may also be differences in approach (method) for example, Islamic philosophy (falsafa) began with Kalam (speech) or Language---because the study of language is essential to logic and reason and this follows the Greek way of philosophy. Eventually some found this to be inadequate---because if the purpose of philosophy is to understand and articulate "Reality" and in the Islamic context "Reality" refers to One God, then reason and logic (which relied on language/words) could only get you to a certain point.....after that, as the mystics found....one had to rely on other factors such as insight/instinct/intuition.....and revelation....
        from the Islamic perspective, revelation is not limited to scripture alone, both knowledge and nature are also revelations (from God).

        The varying degrees of balance between reason/logic and intuition/revelation led to more or less 3 general groups in Islamic philosophy, the Mutazilite, Asharite and the Maturidi...the Mutazilite...and some Asharite philosophers may have influenced the "West"---philosophers such as Avicenna (Ibn Sina-1037), Averroes (1198), al- Farabi (950), al-Kindi (866) are Mutazilites.....Alhacen (Ibn Haytham 1041) was an Asharite philosopher who used the Scientific method we practice today....and others....
        That's true. People have different assumptions about reality and their different assumptions will lead them to draw different conclusions.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Truthseeker View Post
          Philosophy has many branches. Science, mathematics, ethics, epistemology--every branch is distinctive in some way.
          Science itself is not a branch of philosophy. The philosophy of science is a branch of philosophy.
          Glendower: I can call spirits from the vasty deep.
          Hotspur: Why, so can I, or so can any man;
          But will they come when you do call for them? Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1, Act III:

          go with the flow the river knows . . .

          Frank

          I do not know, therefore everything is in pencil.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by shunyadragon View Post
            Science itself is not a branch of philosophy. The philosophy of science is a branch of philosophy.
            Philosophical Doctor Ph.D. Not for your post.
            The greater number of laws . . . , the more thieves . . . there will be. ---- Lao-Tzu

            [T]he truth I’m after and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance -— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Truthseeker View Post
              Philosophical Doctor Ph.D. Not for your post.
              I do not go to the Philosophy department to get a PhD in science.

              Source: https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=philosophy%20of%20science



              Philosophy of science is a branch of philosophy concerned with the foundations, methods, and implications of science. The central questions of this study concern what qualifies as science, the reliability of scientific theories, and the ultimate purpose of science.

              © Copyright Original Source

              Last edited by shunyadragon; 04-30-2016, 07:41 AM.
              Glendower: I can call spirits from the vasty deep.
              Hotspur: Why, so can I, or so can any man;
              But will they come when you do call for them? Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1, Act III:

              go with the flow the river knows . . .

              Frank

              I do not know, therefore everything is in pencil.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Truthseeker View Post
                Philosophical Doctor Ph.D. Not for your post.
                There might have been a time when that designation was literal, but it's not anymore.
                I'm not here anymore.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Jaxb View Post
                  Are there different approaches to philosophizing? I was just curious because the mindset of a Christian philosopher would be to reject everything that is contrary to the word of God whereas the non-Christian philosopher doesn't care if he contradicts the word of God.
                  Originally posted by Jaxb View Post
                  That's true. People have different assumptions about reality and their different assumptions will lead them to draw different conclusions.
                  Your initial example is answered by the second quote. However, that's not the same as being different approaches to philosophy.
                  I'm not here anymore.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Carrikature View Post
                    There might have been a time when that designation was literal, but it's not anymore.
                    Would someone explain why science should not be considered to be part of philosophy?
                    The greater number of laws . . . , the more thieves . . . there will be. ---- Lao-Tzu

                    [T]he truth I’m after and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance -— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Truthseeker View Post
                      Would someone explain why science should not be considered to be part of philosophy?
                      Source: https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=science+definition



                      Science - the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.

                      © Copyright Original Source



                      Source: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/philosophy


                      Philosophy - the use of ​reason in ​understanding such things as the ​nature of the ​real ​world and ​existence, the use and ​limits of ​knowledge, and the ​principles of ​moral ​judgment. the ​study of the ​nature of ​reality and ​existence, of what it is ​possible to ​know, and of ​right and ​wrong ​behavior, or a ​particular set of ​beliefs of this ​type. The ​study of the ​nature of ​reality and ​existence, of what it is ​possible to ​know, and of ​right and ​wrong ​behavior, or a ​particular set of ​beliefs of this ​type.

                      The philosophy of a ​subject is a ​group of ​theories and ​ideas ​related to the ​understanding of that ​subject: [U] the philosophy of ​language/​science. A philosophy is also the ​beliefs you have about how you should ​behave in ​particular ​situations in ​life.

                      © Copyright Original Source

                      Glendower: I can call spirits from the vasty deep.
                      Hotspur: Why, so can I, or so can any man;
                      But will they come when you do call for them? Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1, Act III:

                      go with the flow the river knows . . .

                      Frank

                      I do not know, therefore everything is in pencil.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Shunya, I think many of those who think Science is part of Philosophy would remain unmoved by your post.
                        The greater number of laws . . . , the more thieves . . . there will be. ---- Lao-Tzu

                        [T]he truth I’m after and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance -— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Truthseeker View Post
                          Shunya, I think many of those who think Science is part of Philosophy would remain unmoved by your post.
                          Some people stepped in wet concrete.
                          Glendower: I can call spirits from the vasty deep.
                          Hotspur: Why, so can I, or so can any man;
                          But will they come when you do call for them? Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1, Act III:

                          go with the flow the river knows . . .

                          Frank

                          I do not know, therefore everything is in pencil.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Truthseeker View Post
                            Would someone explain why science should not be considered to be part of philosophy?
                            There are differences in both methodology and focus. Shuny's post highlighted specifically the use of observation vs reason. That's a pretty important difference, but it's not the only one.
                            I'm not here anymore.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Truthseeker View Post
                              Would someone explain why science should not be considered to be part of philosophy?
                              IMO, a "science" is about the acquisition of knowledge through a testable, repeatable "method" that is "normative" for that branch of knowledge.....for example, in (Eastern) martial arts---the aspect concerning techniques and skill could be the science---but aspects concerning purpose, meaning and spirituality would be "philosophy"......
                              ...this does not mean "philosophy" cannot have a method"---some philosophies use rules of logic etc....and natural sciences (chemistry, biology, etc) can have philosophy too....Some Muslims have coined the term "Islamic science" because the study of phenomenon in natural science using the scientific method was based on the presumption of the existence of One God, Modern science is based on the presumption of "neutrality" of the existence of One God....even though the "Reality" both study is the same.....So, for one group of scientists the purpose of the study of natural science was "to know God" for the other group it is "to know nature"...... Both are paradigms and both create biases in the perception of "Reality"....?.....

                              Comment

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