Chris Mahusay

Aspects Of Doing Philosophy Chris Mahusay

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. The term was probably coined by Pythagoras. Philosophical methods include questioning, critical discussion, rational argument, and systematic presentation. The chapters in this book deal with these and other topics that are generally touched upon, but rarely expanded on, in a typical introductory course of philosophy. They would perhaps be given a lecture or two at the beginning of the course. But these topics are almost never considered important enough to be the subject for further lecture or discussion. Yet, I believe that students' understanding of philosophy will be enhanced, and they would encounter less confusion and uncertainties, not to mention have a greater appreciation of the subject, if they are given information on the topics discussed in this book. In the first chapter, I have outlined the great philosophers' conceptions of philosophy. In doing so, my aim was to show that philosophy is an ever-evolving subject that admits of no final and unanimous definition.