Download Philosophy: The Passion to Understand

Philosophy: The Passion to
Understand
Chapter 9
Philosophy
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A passion to understand, a love of
wisdom…conveying information is not as
important as helping others in their search for
wisdom
The Branches of Philosophy
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Metaphysics…an area of philosophy that
deals with questions about
the nature of ultimate reality…
a search for order and
wholeness, is human nature
physical or spiritual… ultimate
questions about persons and
about the universe
Epistemology and Axiology
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Epistemology: An area of philosophy that
examines questions about how
and what we know…what
knowledge is true…is there
a difference between knowledge and belief?
Axiology: An area of philosophy that deals
with the nature of values…the
nature of the good and the
beautiful. Ethics is concerned
with moral values and conduct; Aesthetics is
concerned with the theory of beauty
Thinking as a Philosopher
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Abstraction and Precision…this
tension is at the heart of the
philosopher’s task
Analytic thinking…a thinking strategy that
focuses on questions of the “what seems to
be” type; includes abstractions, imagination,
generalization, and logic
Prophetic thinking…a thinking strategy that
focuses on questions of the “what ought to
be” type; includes discernment, connection,
tracking hypocrisy, and hope
Logic
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Deals with the nature of reasoning…logic
examines the principles that allow us to move
from one argument to the next
Deduction…the type of reasoning that moves
from a general statement to a specific
conclusion
Induction…the type of reasoning that moves
from the particular instance to a general
conclusion
Prophetic Ways of Thinking
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Seeks to uncover multiple, even divergent
realities or principles…four components of
prophetic thinking: discernment, connection,
tracking hypocrisy, and hope
Discernment…develop a vision of what
should be Connection…relate and show
empathy to others Tracking
Hypocrisy…what is the gap between
principles and practice Hope…the world
can change for the better
Schools of Philosophy and their Influence
on Education
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Idealism…ideas are the only true reality, the
material world is characterized by constant
change and uncertainty…the power of reason
is emphasized and the scientific method and
sense perception are deemphasized
Plato, Socrates…dialogue
Kant…a priori and a posteriori
Jane Roland Martin…continuing conversation
and the female voice
Realism
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Reality, knowledge, and value exist
independent of the human mind
Aristotle…one can acquire knowledge of
ideas or forms by investigating matter
John Locke…distinguished between sense
data and the objects they represent
Alfred North Whitehead…attempted to
reconcile aspects of idealism and realism…
“process” is the central aspect of realism
Pragmatism
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An open universe that is dynamic, evolving, and in a
state of becoming…process philosophy…truth is
what works
Charles Sanders Peirce…belief is a habit of action
undertaken to overcome indecisiveness
John Dewey…life is a series of overlapping and
interpenetrating experiences and situations…the
primary unit of life is the individual experience
Richard Rorty…reality is not fixed, thinkers must
describe the nature of the real
Existentialism
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Reality is lived existence and final reality
resides within the individual…the only
certainty is that we are free…we are what we
choose
Sartre…existence precedes essence
Nietzsche…indicts the supremacy of herd
values, capitalistic greed
Maxine Greene…unyielding faith in human
beings’ willingness to build and transcend
their lived worlds…living is philosophy
Eastern Ways of Knowing
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Platonic philosophy influenced by Eastern
emphasis on the illusory quality of the
physical world
Eastern ways of knowing stress the inner
world, intuition rather than sense, mysticism
rather than scientific discoveries
Indian thought and Chinese thought focus on
harmony with ultimate reality
Japanese thought tied to Shintoism,
recognizing the significance of nature
Native North American Ways of Knowing
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400 plus different groups of Native peoples in
North America
Reverence for nature, human responsibility,
the importance of oral history and the role of
elders