Download NAME: ENANG-EZEH FUNYI ADIAH DEPARTMENT: COMPUTER

NAME: ENANG-EZEH FUNYI ADIAH
DEPARTMENT: COMPUTER SCIENCE
COLLEGE: SCIENCES
COURSE: GST 118
DATE: 12, JANUARY, 2017
QUESTION. Read and summarize chapter 2 of philosophy and logic textbook SUMMARY THE
UNDERSTANDING PHILOSOPHY AND ITS BRANCHES.
Every academic discipline truly has its purpose for existence as each of these professions help to
solve man's numerous problems one way or the other. Philosophy is therefore no exception as it has been
used for as long as the beginning of man to rectify issues that we come across daily. As complex as the
modern world has become, it seems unlikely that most of what surrounds us is actually the result of the
ancient practice of philosophy.
Everything from the structure of democratic governments to due process of law, from a
physician’s Hippocratic Oath to computer software, has its roots in philosophy. Sadly, philosophy as a
course of study is disappearing from our nation’s colleges, yet its focus on analytical thinking and problem
solving is more vitally important today than ever. Philosophers attempt to answer such questions through
the philosophical method. The method usually begins when a philosopher examines his own beliefs and
begins to doubt their validity. From his doubt, questions emerge. Before answering a question, the
philosopher thoroughly analyses it to ensure it is clearly and properly defined. This helps narrow the path to
the most precise answer.
Next, the philosopher proposes possible answers to the question and provides reasoned
arguments to support each one. The arguments are then critiqued by other philosophers, who may give
rebuttals. Through this process of criticism and judgment, known as dialectic, philosophers attempt to prove
the rationality of their beliefs and discover fundamental truths through the ages, philosophers have sought
to answer such questions as, what is the meaning and purpose of life. How do we know what we know?
Does God exist? What does it mean to possess consciousness? And, what is the value of morals? It’s no
coincidence that the philosophical method has much in common with the scientific method. Indeed, early
science was known as “natural philosophy.” Philosophers like Aristotle developed the concepts of inductive
and deductive reasoning that form the basis of modern scientific study.
The roots of the physical sciences like physics and geology can be traced back to ancient
philosophy. Philosophy itself is generally considered a type of social science, like sociology or psychology.
That’s because early philosophy was primarily concerned with describing the best way to live and organize
society. From that spawned many other disciplines: economics, political science, law, linguistics, literary
and art criticism, and theology—along with sociology and psychology.
At first glance, it would appear that such study has little application in the real world. Yet,
philosophy shapes modern existence. Unlocking the secrets of knowledge acquisition is the primary
concern of passionate educators of young people around the globe. Logic forms the basis of all computer
technology, as more precise programming commands increase computing speed and efficiency. Ethics
plays a major role in medicine, law and foreign policy.
Indeed, the hottest debates surrounding the issues of our time—abortion, capital punishment,
welfare, environmentalism, torture and end-of-life care—all stem from philosophical questions. However,
the study of philosophy is not necessarily about discovering all of the answers to life’s toughest questions.
Scepticism lies at the heart of philosophy.
Therefore, asking a question is more fundamentally important than answering one. In philosophy,
questioning a deeply held belief or social practice sets one onto the path of true understanding, and it’s this
understanding that leads to meaningful personal and social change. A good philosopher recognizes the
danger of accepting knowledge at face value. Social or scientific theories may be untested or contain
personal bias; trusting them immediately could result in terrible consequences.
Today, philosophers can be found working in nearly every career field. Some are scientists
developing ways to test household products without using animals. Some are politicians and human rights
activists fighting for changes in foreign policy that will alleviate war and poverty for millions of Third World
citizens. Some are economists seeking practical solutions to economic inequality.
Still others are programmers working on the cutting edge of technology to develop faster and more
efficient computer software. Those who study philosophy also tend to lead fulfilling and successful lives.
Some of history’s most well-known figures were philosophers: Socrates, Plato, John Locke, Friedrich
Nietzsche, John Stuart Mill, Adam Smith, Karl Marx and Noam Chomsky, to name a few.
THE BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY.
1. METAPHYSICS. This is basically the nature of reality and the universe. Metaphysics can be
further divided into
I) Cosmology
ii) Ontology.
Cosmology addresses the origin and structure of the universe. Cosmology (from the Greek
κόσμος, cosmos "world" and -λογία, -logia "study of"), is the study of the origin, evolution, and eventual fate
of the universe. Physical cosmology is the scholarly and scientific study of the origin, evolution, large-scale
structures and dynamics, and ultimate fate of the universe, as well as the scientific laws that govern these
realities.
The term cosmology was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount's Glossography, and in
1731 taken up in Latin by German philosopher Christian Wolff, in Cosmologies General Religious or
mythological cosmology is a body of beliefs based on mythological, religious, and esoteric literature and
traditions of creation and eschatology.
Physical cosmology is studied by scientists, such as astronomers and physicist, as well as
philosophers, such as metaphysicians, philosophers of physics, and philosophers of space and time.
Because of this shared scope with philosophy, theories in physical cosmology may include both scientific
and non-scientific propositions, and may depend upon assumptions that cannot be tested.
Cosmology differs from astronomy in that the former is concerned with the Universe as a whole
while the latter deals with individual celestial objects.
Modern physical cosmology is dominated by the Big Bang theory, which attempts to bring
together observational astronomy and particle physics; more specifically, a standard parameterization of
the Big Bang with dark matter and dark energy, known as the lambda-CDM model. Theoretical
astrophysicist David .N. Spergel has described cosmology as a "historical science" because "when we look
out in space, we look back in time" due to the finite nature of the speed of light.
Ontology on the other hand deals with being or the nature of existence. Ontology is the
philosophical study of the nature of being, becoming, existence or reality as well as the basic categories of
being and their relations.
Traditionally listed as a part of the major branch of philosophy known as metaphysics, ontology
often deals with questions concerning what entities exist or may be said to exist and how such entities may
be grouped, related within a hierarchy and subdivided according to similarities and differences. Although
ontology as a philosophical enterprise is highly theoretical, it also has practical application in information
science and technology, such as ontology engineering.
The quest for the study of metaphysics and the problems it addresses is fuelled by the desire to
understand the universe, its structure, its 0constituents, its origin, its final destiny and how best human
beings can relate with things in the world.
2. EPISTEMOLOGY this is basically the study of knowledge and how it is acquired. It holistically
details the distinction between knowledge and belief. It answers questions like ''what is truth?'', ''is
experience the most reliable source of knowledge or is it reason?''.
Epistemology identifies five major problems which are analytic problem, demarcations which is
divided into internal and external problems. The third problem is method while the last is scepticism.
Finally, in epistemology there is the problem of value which considers whether knowledge is worth having,
why and what for?
3. ETHICS this is the study of right and wrong and how people should live. Human are social
beings and most of their actions or inactions have implications on other creatures that they share the
biosphere with.
The subject matter of ethics is morality. Morality is all about what is good or thought to be good
and/or that which is just or thought to be just. What makes an action right or wrong, these are some of the
questions that this branch of philosophy answers. Ethics is fuser divided into I) met ethics, ii) normative
ethics and iii) applied ethics.
4. LOGIC this basically addresses how to develop valid arguments. It includes mathematical logic.
It entails developing arguments that are devoid of errors in reasoning.
It also involves evaluation of people’s arguments in order to subject to scrutiny the premise(s) on
which they rest. It teaches the construction of good arguments and evaluation of other people's arguments.
The major goal of this branch of philosophy is to furnish the philosopher with rules or principles that should
help the reasoning process.
Philosophy as a second order discipline. Philosophy investigates the presuppositions, criteria, and
methods used by other disciplines. The critical nature of philosophy is directed at making clear all ideas so
as to avoid the esoteric and the mystical, and also to justification, where necessary, or refutation, as the
ace may demand in certain cases, for all beliefs and knowledge claims.