Philosophy

Introduction

The term “philosophy” refers to systems of beliefs or ideas about the universe and humankind's place in it. Philosophy as a discipline of thought addresses innumerable questions about the nature of knowledge, understanding, logic, language, reality, and causality. Philosophical thought attempts to formulate beliefs and claims of knowledge about the world and human experience. Through critical, rational thinking, philosophers attempt to develop systematically a theory of existence (metaphysics), a theory of knowledge (epistemology), and a theory of value (ethics) (Brown, 32-36).

Discussion

In Philosophic Inquiry (1968), authors Lewis White Beck and Robert L. Holmes offered five common traits that characterize philosophy. First, philosophy requires an inquiring attitude. Unlike learning about facts, dates, and events, philosophical study involves an examination of the perplexing issues of human experience and knowledge and addresses the complexities not necessarily apparent to the casual observer. Second, philosophy is an outgrowth of ordinary reflection. People struggle to understand the meaning of life and one's place in the world. The philosopher approaches these questions systematically, clarifying meanings and analyzing language that defines meaning.

The critical role of questions is the third trait of philosophy. All ideas from scientific theories to religious convictions are based on certain assumptions that are accepted as starting points. Philosophy addresses these underlying beliefs to decipher their meaning, impact, and plausibility. For example, if given the question “Is it just to act in this manner?”, the philosopher begins by examining what is being assumed in the questioner's definition of justice. Fourth, philosophical questions are speculative. Although in recent times, under the influence of science, philosophers have spent increasing time on the critique of logic and the analysis of language, one of the long-standing traditions of philosophical study is speculation. According to Beck and Holmes, the questions asked “by philosophers have pushed past the established limits of knowledge, speculating about what might lie beyond. By the very nature of such questions they were not capable, at the time they were asked or perhaps in principle, of conclusive verification in experience.” The last trait of philosophical inquiry concerns the relationship of philosophical questions to decisions about values. The goal of philosophy is not facts, but wisdom. Whereas science attempts to provide value-free explanations, philosophy by its very nature ascribes meaning and values to its propositions on the nature of language, truth, and knowledge (Gersh & Roest, 44-59).

The scope of philosophy is broad, and its study includes many other disciplines such as science, religion, and politics. Over time, these focus areas have often evolved into specialized fields such as the philosophy of religion, the philosophy of law, the philosophy of art, and so on. Still, philosophical study can be divided into three areas: metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics (Boitani & Mann, 78-95).

Though critical references to Hegel's philosophy are scattered throughout Kierkegaard's writings, the most serious, sustained critique is advanced in Concluding Unscientific Postscript. This work is a polemic against the scientific approach characteristic of speculative Metaphysics. The term “philosophy” is understood to be synonymous with the Hegelian philosophy; hence, the ...