What is Philosophy?

Question 1

What is Philosophy?

Answer 1

The attempt to think in a less biased more accurate way

Question 2

What is the goal of Philosophy?

Answer 2

Subject your beliefs to criticism

Question 3

Allegory of the Cave

Answer 3

Plato’s famous metaphor

Prisoners: humans in our initial biased condition
Chains: things that make you biased
–> cognitive biases: confirmation
bias (noticing all the evidence
proving you’re right &
ignoring evidence proving
you’re wrong) & tribalism
(favoring your group over
others)
Statues: reality, the way things actually are
Shadows: appearances, the way things look to biased ppl

Question 4

Republic

Answer 4

Part of Plato’s dialogues, most famous

Question 5

Define Philosophy

Answer 5

phil: love
sophos: wisdom
philosophy: love of wisdom

Question 6

3 branches of philosophy

Answer 6

1. Epistemology: Study of knowledge
2. Metaphysics: study of the way things are
3. Ethics: study of how to live well as a human being

Question 7

3 periods of philosophy

Answer 7

Ancient (600BC - 400AD): “SPA” Socrates, Plato, Aristotle

Medieval (400AD - 1400AD): “The 2 St.s” St.Augustine, St.Aquinas
–> Renaissance (1400AD -
1600AD): Machiavelli
Modern (1600AD - Present): Descartes, Kant “cunt”

Question 8

Opposite of Free Speech

Answer 8

Censorship