So, what is philosophy anyway? In this introductory episode we take a look at the nature of philosophy, its characteristics, and its various fields. We then consider a working definition of philosophy. Philosophy is generally divided into three broad fields. First there is Metaphysics, or the study of being; then epistemology, or the study of knowledge; finally there is value theory, or the study of value in general and ethics in particular. Logic is also sometimes classed as a philosophical field, but it's better to think of logic as a tool or instrument that philosophers us rather than as a field of study. The nature of philosophy is somewhat brought to light when we see the general fields of inquiry that philosophers concern themselves with. It can also be helpful to see philosophy at work insofar as it functions as second-order discipline. A second order question is a question about another question, a so-called first-order question. So, for example, a first-order question will have the structure “What is X?” whereas a second-order question will be structured as a question about the first-order question: “What is the meaning of the question, ‘What is X?’” Likewise, a second-order discipline is an inquiry that studies another discipline, a first-order discipline. First-order disciplines are subjects of study that concern themselves with some particular aspect or order of reality; these are familiar to us: mathematics, biology, psychology, history, etc. Second-order disciples, on the other hand, inquire into the nature of these first-order disciplines by examining their underlying assumptions, criticizing their methods, clarifying concepts that they deploy, and evaluating the truth claims made. Philosophy can be defined as the attempt to think rationally and critically about the most important questions.There are three elements to this definition and each one captures something essential to the nature of philosophy. First, philosophy is a rational enterprise. To be rational is to be guided by reason, to hold views that are based on reasons; that are supported by evidence and argument. Philosophers strive for clarity and precision in language and carefulness in reasoning. Philosophers don’t just make claims and hold opinions, they try to provide cogent and sound arguments to support their claims and opinions. Philosophy is also a critical enterprise. To be critical in this sense is to subject all claims to truth to rigorous analysis. Philosophers examine assumptions, clarify concepts, require justification, and test all claims against the light of reason, evidence, and arguments. Finally, philosophy deals with the most important questions in life. It’s hard to imagine more important questions than those that deal with the fundamental nature of reality, knowledge, and morality. Philosophy is also for everybody and it's something that everybody does. At various points in our lives, we all consider the most important questions of life, questions related to the nature of reality, to knowledge, to ethics and morality. Moreover, we all want to hold views that are rational and we all criticize views that we disagree with and scrutinize them in the light of reason. Philosophy is not a domain exclusive to scholars in ivory towers, it’s not something that only professionals can engage in. Now, the fact that we all do philosophy from time to time doesn’t mean that we all do it well. To be honest, most people in our intellectually shallow society are pretty crappy at thinking rationally and critically about the big questions in life. So, since philosophy is actually unavoidable for you in life, you may as well try to get better at it.
