{"id":27391,"date":"2022-02-17T03:19:39","date_gmt":"2022-02-17T11:19:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.magneticmemorymethod.com\/?p=27391"},"modified":"2022-05-11T20:45:13","modified_gmt":"2022-05-12T03:45:13","slug":"what-is-philosophy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.magneticmemorymethod.com\/what-is-philosophy\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Philosophy? A Life Changing Answer"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_818\"><!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-27391-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/secure\/magneticmemorymethod\/What_is_Philosophy.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/secure\/magneticmemorymethod\/What_is_Philosophy.mp3\">https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/secure\/magneticmemorymethod\/What_is_Philosophy.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_links_mp3\" style=\"margin-bottom: 1px !important;\">Podcast: <a href=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/secure\/magneticmemorymethod\/What_is_Philosophy.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_d\" title=\"Download\" rel=\"nofollow\" download=\"What_is_Philosophy.mp3\">Download<\/a><\/p><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_subscribe_links\">Subscribe: <a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/anthony-metiviers-magnetic-memory-method-podcast\/id790315802?mt=2&amp;ls=1#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.magneticmemorymethod.com%2F%3Fp%3D27391\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_itunes\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe on Apple Podcasts\" rel=\"nofollow\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.magneticmemorymethod.com\/feed\/podcast\/\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_rss\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe via RSS\" rel=\"nofollow\">RSS<\/a><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-27392\" src=\"https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/what-is-philosophy-feature-image-300x300.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&quality=60&ssl=1\" alt=\"what is philosophy feature image\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/what-is-philosophy-feature-image-300x300.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/what-is-philosophy-feature-image-150x150.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/what-is-philosophy-feature-image-60x60.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 60w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/what-is-philosophy-feature-image.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 346w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/what-is-philosophy-feature-image.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;w=207&amp;ssl=1 207w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>A major problem with philosophy is that just about every philosopher has a different definition of what they do as a philosopher.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is sad because it turns a lot of people off who would otherwise benefit <em>tremendously<\/em> from exploring the art, science and craft of philosophy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So let\u2019s simplify things by looking at the two ways philosophers define the field first.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Descriptive (what philosophy is)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Prescriptive (what philosophy should be)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once we realize that people rotate between these two categories of definition, everything will become much clearer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ready?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s dive deeper into the wonderful realm of philosophy!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>What Is Philosophy? The Simple Answer<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most direct philosophy definition I\u2019ve ever seen is that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.magneticmemorymethod.com\/philosophy-vs-religion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">philosophy<\/a> tries to make sense of existence. And more than merely make sense of it, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">know <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that the sense we make is <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">true<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or at least accurate. Typically, this is done through the use of reason, though there are many other philosophical tools.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, you might be wondering\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why doesn\u2019t science take all of this up?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The problem is that science is a tool that helps us gather evidence to validate or invalidate our ideas about the world. But <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">existence <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">itself? We don\u2019t even know what <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">being <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is or have the tools needed to study <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">whatever <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">existence is. And until we do, we\u2019ll need philosophy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, within existence, we find many ideas, concepts, people and objects. They all seem to exist in different ways. Yet, they are bound by a major similarity. They <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">exist<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Philosophy tries to figure out the what, why and how of existence, or what some philosophers call Being with a capital <em>B<\/em>. Then, they work on figuring out what that knowledge about being tells us about how we should live in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-27393\" src=\"https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/a-woman-is-sitting-on-a-rock-enjoying-the-mountain-view-.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&quality=60&ssl=1\" alt=\"a woman is sitting on a rock enjoying the mountain view\" width=\"1280\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/a-woman-is-sitting-on-a-rock-enjoying-the-mountain-view-.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/a-woman-is-sitting-on-a-rock-enjoying-the-mountain-view--300x188.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/a-woman-is-sitting-on-a-rock-enjoying-the-mountain-view--1024x640.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/a-woman-is-sitting-on-a-rock-enjoying-the-mountain-view--768x480.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/a-woman-is-sitting-on-a-rock-enjoying-the-mountain-view--758x474.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 758w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/a-woman-is-sitting-on-a-rock-enjoying-the-mountain-view-.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;w=512&amp;ssl=1 512w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, because existence is quite complex, philosophy has split up into many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.magneticmemorymethod.com\/psychology-vs-philosophy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">different types and categories<\/a>. We\u2019ll talk about several of these in a moment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But I mentioned above that many philosophers talk about what philosophy <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">should <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">be by way of defining it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>An Alternative Philosophy Definition<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One classic example is found in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/What-Philosophy-European-Perspectives-Ctiticism-dp-0231079885\/dp\/0231079885\/scricast-20\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is Philosophy?<\/span><\/i><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By Gilles Deleuze and F\u00e9lix Guattari. They say that philosophy should be the creation of concepts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a prescriptive definition rather than the descriptive one I gave above.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The book gives examples that show how philosophers define philosophy only by creating concepts. Plato created the concept of the Idea which later influenced Descartes&#8217; notion of cogito.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this way of thinking, philosophy is something that influences the production of conceptual responses to previous ways of doing philosophy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You could then say that philosophy is almost like a living thing, evolving along with the human species. This co-evolution is just one of many reasons <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.magneticmemorymethod.com\/why-is-philosophy-important\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">why philosophy is so important<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And here\u2019s the point:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If philosophy is subject to evolution, then we should do all we can to help it evolve in a positive way.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>What Philosophy Is Not<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What does philosophy mean?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another way to get at the answer is to look at what philosophy isn\u2019t. And that means looking at people who pretend to be philosophical, but aren\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a work of philosophy called <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sophist_(dialogue)\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Sophist<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Plato, we find three key definitions of the kind of person who fails to hit the mark of creating new concepts and properly answering the questions of existence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-27394\" src=\"https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/philosophy-faces.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&quality=60&ssl=1\" alt=\"philosophy faces\" width=\"1280\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/philosophy-faces.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/philosophy-faces-300x188.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/philosophy-faces-1024x640.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/philosophy-faces-768x480.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/philosophy-faces-758x474.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 758w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/philosophy-faces.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;w=512&amp;ssl=1 512w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First, Plato points out that many people sound philosophical when in fact they\u2019re just playing around with words. If you\u2019ve done any amount of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.magneticmemorymethod.com\/reflective-thinking\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reflective thinking<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in your life, you might have wound up doing a bit of wordsmithing yourself, as have I. But that doesn\u2019t mean what we came up with was properly <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.magneticmemorymethod.com\/analytical-thinking\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">analytical<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Second, Plato noticed that Sophists used tools of persuasion to win arguments. These people weren\u2019t really concerned with the truth about existence. They just wanted to come out on top in the discussion. As a result, technique was more important to them than accuracy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, Plato felt that these people who only appeared to be doing philosophy lacked modesty. Rather than admit or even seek the limits of their knowledge, they pretended to know-it-all. Doing so is inherently un-philosophical.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With these counter-examples in mind, we can say that to be properly philosophical, you need to:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use clear language, or at least use language for the goal of creating clarity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t switch your analytical tools and rhetorical style just to win an argument<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be humble and remain conscious of the limits to your present understanding<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a result, as you use philosophical thinking to pursue the truth, you will truly <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.magneticmemorymethod.com\/expand-your-mind\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">expand your mind<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Philosophy Throughout Time And Place<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unfortunately, it\u2019s all too common for people to think only of philosophy in terms of specific times and places.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, some people focus exclusively on Continental Philosophy or only Ancient Greek Philosophy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bryanvannorden.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bryan van Norden<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> points out in his book, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Taking-Back-Philosophy-Multicultural-Manifesto-ebook\/dp\/B071LMBCLT\/scricast-20\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taking Back Philosophy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, many cultures have used philosophy to determine what existence is and use that knowledge to decide how best to live in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The more you know about philosophy throughout the ages and around the globe, the better you\u2019ll be able to formulate your own concepts as Deleuze and Guattari say that we should.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Styles of Philosophy<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the things that makes philosophy exciting is that it comes in many different styles.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Philosophers like Plato, Hume, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.magneticmemorymethod.com\/bruno\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bruno<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and many more wrote dialogs, for example. While reading them, you can imagine various characters working through the ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-27396\" src=\"https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/white-t-shirt-woman-is-thinking-while-reading.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&quality=60&ssl=1\" alt=\"white t shirt woman is thinking while reading\" width=\"1280\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/white-t-shirt-woman-is-thinking-while-reading.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/white-t-shirt-woman-is-thinking-while-reading-300x188.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/white-t-shirt-woman-is-thinking-while-reading-1024x640.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/white-t-shirt-woman-is-thinking-while-reading-768x480.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/white-t-shirt-woman-is-thinking-while-reading-758x474.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 758w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/white-t-shirt-woman-is-thinking-while-reading.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;w=512&amp;ssl=1 512w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other books might use aphorisms or use language in ways that illustrate the point the author is trying to make.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, one of Friedrich Nietzsche\u2019s points was there really aren\u2019t any truly coherent philosophical systems. He used puns, poems and an aphoristic style to drive home the point. He also made his philosophy visually resemble the surviving fragments of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pre-Socratic_philosophy\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pre-Socratic<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> philosophers he so admired.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Likewise, Jacques Derrida explained his theories of deconstruction, the metaphysics of presence and the trace by writing in ways that <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">showed<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> them in action. In other words, he wasn\u2019t merely talking about the concepts. He was <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">doing <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although this frustrated many readers, Derrida was engaged in exactly what Deleuze and Gauttarri claim philosophers must do: invent concepts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>The 11 Subfields of Philosophy (And Why They\u2019re Important)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I mentioned that philosophy is subdivided in many ways.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s look at some of the most important.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>One: Logic<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Logic can be defined in a few ways.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First, it can refer to a particular form of argumentation. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.magneticmemorymethod.com\/how-to-think-logically\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thinking logically<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can help you solve problems through discussion with others, or even on your own.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Logic is also about the best possible forms of inference. As <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.3-16am.co.uk\/articles\/logically-speaking\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graham Priest<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> puts it, the norms around how we use inference change over time. There are rival theories that compete with one another over what is the exact best ways to use logic.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Two: Metaphysics<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ta meta ta physica<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> literally means \u201cthe ones after the ones about physics.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Aristotle used this term to differentiate his work on physics, he was referring to the fact that humans have things to discuss for which there is no scientific process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whereas it is possible to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.magneticmemorymethod.com\/concrete-thinking\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">think concretely<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> about many aspects of the world, topics like <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">being <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">require <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.magneticmemorymethod.com\/abstract-thinking\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">abstract thinking<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Thus, we can think of metaphysics as a kind of mental activity more than a science. It is a means of trying to make sense of things that science cannot yet account for.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another way of thinking about metaphysics is that it is a means of working out what is real. For example, if you\u2019ve ever tried to work out whether or not infinity is possible, you\u2019ve engaged in metaphysical thinking. No one can physically hold infinity in the palm of their hand, so we\u2019re forced to think about it abstractly and without the benefit of physical evidence that we can examine.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Three: Ethics<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ethics is a branch of philosophy that helps us define and improve our moral principles. Whereas some thinkers believe that morality is subjective, others believe that it is objective.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The difference matters because if people are free to believe that the definition of morality is up to them, they might make hideous decisions. But if there is a concrete means of determining what truly does lead to the most good for the most people, we can consider our obligations around implementing laws that help produce such good for the majority.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jeremy Bentham\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Felicific_calculus\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">felicific calculus<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was one interesting attempt at working out a way of measuring pleasure and happiness to help determine the moral status of different human activities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-27398\" src=\"https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/happy-women-sitting-on-a-chair.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&quality=60&ssl=1\" alt=\"happy women sitting on a chair\" width=\"1280\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/happy-women-sitting-on-a-chair.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/happy-women-sitting-on-a-chair-300x188.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/happy-women-sitting-on-a-chair-1024x640.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/happy-women-sitting-on-a-chair-768x480.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/happy-women-sitting-on-a-chair-758x474.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 758w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/happy-women-sitting-on-a-chair.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;w=512&amp;ssl=1 512w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><b>Four: Epistemology<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This type of philosophy focuses on the nature of knowledge. What does it mean to know things? What kinds of things <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">can <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">be known? And how do we know that we know them?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Epistemology looks at the limits of knowledge as well, and can be tremendously humbling.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Five: Philosophy of Mind<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Philosophy of mind brings together many other fields. As <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wiley.com\/en-gb\/Philosophy+of+Mind:+A+Comprehensive+Introduction-p-9781444333688\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">William Jaworski<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> puts it, the field brings together five areas of study together with metaphysics and epistemology:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mind and body<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consciousness<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mental representation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Psychology and neuroscience<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Action theory<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this field, there tend to be two styles: monism and dualism. Whereas monism posits that there\u2019s only one kind of thing that makes up our <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">being<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, dualists argue that there are at least two kinds of properties. Monists suggest that everything is ultimately mental and dualists think there is at least the mind and the physical, material world, perhaps more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s nothing particularly new about this argument. Ancient Indian philosophy, particularly Advaita Vedanta, features many discussions about monism vs. dualism.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-27399\" src=\"https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ancient-philosophy-sculpture.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&quality=60&ssl=1\" alt=\"ancient philosophy sculpture\" width=\"1280\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ancient-philosophy-sculpture.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ancient-philosophy-sculpture-300x188.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ancient-philosophy-sculpture-1024x640.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ancient-philosophy-sculpture-768x480.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ancient-philosophy-sculpture-758x474.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 758w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ancient-philosophy-sculpture.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;w=512&amp;ssl=1 512w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><b>Six: Philosophy of Science<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is it the job of science to arrive at the truth?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some people say yes. Others, like myself, argue that science is merely a tool that helps us validate ideas and what counts as truth is always contingent. We can always run our experiments again and produce new data that may change the conclusions science has helped us produce.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some people have created terms for these two different philosophies of science. As James Ladyman puts it in his book, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.routledge.com\/Understanding-Philosophy-of-Science\/Ladyman\/p\/book\/9780415221573\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understanding Philosophy of Science<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cScientific realism is the view that we should believe in the likes of electrons, whereas scientific antirealism is the view that we should stop believing in the truth of scientific theories and content ourselves with believing what they say about what we can observe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Personally, I don\u2019t think of myself as an anti-realist whatsoever. In fact, I\u2019m very much a Realist, even if a quirky one.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But I don\u2019t think Ladyman means anything negative by using this term. What is a philosophy of science like mine best called? I would perhaps call it Scientific Contingency Realism. Such a term helps reflect the positive choice to acknowledge that science can always produce new data that always has at least the potential to change what we thought was once true.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Seven: Political Philosophy<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When I started university, I was in Political Science. I read Plato\u2019s Republic and had a career as a politician in mind.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, I quickly needed to pivot into English Literature in my second year. After interviewing a politician for the school newspaper, I quickly realized that he was a <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tyrant<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. I worried that if I continued, I would become one too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-27400\" src=\"https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/a-man-put-his-hands-on-a-desk.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&quality=60&ssl=1\" alt=\"a man put his hands on a desk\" width=\"1280\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/a-man-put-his-hands-on-a-desk.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/a-man-put-his-hands-on-a-desk-300x188.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/a-man-put-his-hands-on-a-desk-1024x640.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/a-man-put-his-hands-on-a-desk-768x480.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/a-man-put-his-hands-on-a-desk-758x474.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 758w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/a-man-put-his-hands-on-a-desk.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;w=512&amp;ssl=1 512w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why is this a problem?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because political philosophy is a risky business. It\u2019s all about the difference between political ideals and the way the world really works. As Joseph Chan puts it in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/press.princeton.edu\/books\/hardcover\/9780691158617\/confucian-perfectionism\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Confucian Perfectionism<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, political philosophy almost always has an ideal in mind because:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAny form of political theorizing that lacks an ideal is like a ship embarking on a voyage without a destination, and political theorizing that is insensitive to the constraints of reality is like a ship on rough seas without competent navigation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can you see the problem here?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We don\u2019t actually know what reality is. That\u2019s why we still have philosophy in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yet, politicians are that unique breed of person who thinks reality has been understood and that\u2019s another reason I needed to get out of the Political Science program immediately. In some ways, political philosophy makes too many assumptions to really be considered a philosophy at all.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Note: No shade to Chan, by the way. It\u2019s a good book and he readily admits that his definition is bound to be controversial.)<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Eight: Legal Philosophy<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Legal philosophy has more redeeming value in my mind. This is because the law is used to help restrain and correct the overreach of the politicians.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As Matthew Kramer shows in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/philpapers.org\/rec\/KRAWIL\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is Legal Philosophy?<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, determining what counts as evidence in a trial requires a theory of knowledge or epistemology. There are also many moral dimensions to be considered that science cannot yet answer.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Nine: Business Philosophy<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Businesses face many issues, from ethics to what you might call a philosophy of performance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How do you keep morale high? How do you respond to mistakes? What\u2019s right and wrong with respect to the bottom line and how do you know?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-27401\" src=\"https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/right-and-wrong-on-a-green-background.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&quality=60&ssl=1\" alt=\"right and wrong on a green background\" width=\"1280\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/right-and-wrong-on-a-green-background.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/right-and-wrong-on-a-green-background-300x188.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/right-and-wrong-on-a-green-background-1024x640.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/right-and-wrong-on-a-green-background-768x480.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/right-and-wrong-on-a-green-background-758x474.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 758w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/right-and-wrong-on-a-green-background.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;w=512&amp;ssl=1 512w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In many cases, the science of business can tell you a lot about what\u2019s going to be the most profitable way to answer those questions. But focusing on profit doesn\u2019t always lead to longevity in the market.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Ten: Personal Philosophy<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In many ways, each of us are like mini-businesses. Or at least, we\u2019re all like entrepreneurs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if you don\u2019t have a business, you invest in your health, your education, your psychological well-being. And whenever you invest, you\u2019re expecting a return.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.magneticmemorymethod.com\/philosophical-questions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">philosophical questions<\/a> arise as a result. And as Nietzsche reminds us, there\u2019s a lot of truth out there. But we don\u2019t always know when it\u2019s a good idea to act just because we know that something is true. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/On_Truth_and_Lies_in_a_Nonmoral_Sense\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> goes through such issues.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To craft your own personal philosophy can be quite a challenge. That\u2019s why I\u2019ve been working on something to help you.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Eleven: Philosophy of Memory<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve often argued that the quality of our lives is directly linked to the quality of our memory abilities. After all, the ways that we act in the world rely on what we can recall on demand when we need to act or make decisions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even our ability to ride a bicycle well relies on the strength of our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.magneticmemorymethod.com\/procedural-memory\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">procedural memory<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-27402\" src=\"https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/a-woman-is-riding-a-bicycle-along-the-ocean.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&quality=60&ssl=1\" alt=\"a woman is riding a bicycle along the ocean\" width=\"1280\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/a-woman-is-riding-a-bicycle-along-the-ocean.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/a-woman-is-riding-a-bicycle-along-the-ocean-300x188.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/a-woman-is-riding-a-bicycle-along-the-ocean-1024x640.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/a-woman-is-riding-a-bicycle-along-the-ocean-768x480.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/a-woman-is-riding-a-bicycle-along-the-ocean-758x474.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;ssl=1 758w, https:\/\/e5hougg55fx.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/a-woman-is-riding-a-bicycle-along-the-ocean.jpg?strip=all&amp;lossy=1&amp;quality=60&amp;w=512&amp;ssl=1 512w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To this end, I\u2019ve started a new book, my most challenging book yet. You can get a sample chapter called <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.magneticmemorymethod.com\/pom\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Primacy Effect<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> if you\u2019d like.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Part of the concept of a philosophy of memory I\u2019m creating suggests that we need a personal philosophy of performance that exercises our memory holistically.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ll be doing that through many exercises, so feel free to get involved while I write the book.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>How Philosophy Can Change Your Life<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we\u2019ve seen, there are many branches of philosophy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The question is\u2026 so what? What does it all amount to?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First, philosophy helps us question the wisdom of others and ask what\u2019s at stake? If we have developed a personal philosophy with the notion of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">being <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in mind, we\u2019re much less likely to take what people tell us for granted.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Likewise, when we have thought through the nature of science, we wind up being able to live more scientifically ourselves. We can be less guided by passion and experience the benefits of r<a href=\"https:\/\/www.magneticmemorymethod.com\/logical-vs-rational\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">eason and logic<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_Dewey\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">John Dewey<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> once said, philosophy is best when it is a method that helps us deal with our problems.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To make it a method, we need to study and apply philosophy, ideally by creating our own concepts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, as Nigel Warburton points out in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.routledge.com\/Philosophy-The-Basics\/Warburton-Warburton\/p\/book\/9780415693165\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Philosophy: The Basics<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, there is never any guarantee that the clear thinking philosophy brings will \u201cprovide convincing answers to the difficult questions, but it does increase the chances of this happening.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Personally, I\u2019m grateful for how the odds have worked out in my favor thanks to philosophy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, how about you?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are you excited to dig deeper into philosophy, craft one for yourself and experience more clarity about the nature of reality?<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>End your confusion around philosophy now. This complete philosophy definition give you examples of the use of philosophy in-depth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":27392,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5924],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-thinking"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.2 (Yoast SEO v26.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What Is Philosophy? A Life Changing Answer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"End your confusion around philosophy now. 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