2022, 102 What Is Philosophy Lecture 1

PHCL 102: PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTIONS
PRESENTATION 1: WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?
Dr. Mrs. Nancy Myles B. Gyamfi

(Lecturer/Examiner)
U.G; Humanities; Philosophy and Classics,
June – August 2022
[email protected]
Understanding Philosophy
as an academic discipline
What it is…
What it is not…
What you need to do it…
Etymology…
Main branches…
Sub-fields…
Approaches to doing it…
Values/general uses of Philosophy…
6/28/2022 Dr. (Mrs.) Nancy Myles Baffour Gyamfi 2
WHAT IT IS NOT?
1. not an atheist discipline
2. not a reserve of elderly sages
3. not abstruse (difficult to understand)
4. not abstract (impractical)
5. not a descriptive study
(not narration, memorization, field work,
laboratory experiments etc.; not the
mere gathering of factual information)
WHAT IT IS
1. A discipline that nurtures and improves the natural
reasoning skill or ability that each person already has and
exercises (curiosity, wonder, question asking aimed at
acquiring wisdom for bettering human co-existence).
2. Discipline of people of great wisdom (applicable/useful
knowledge)
3. Practical to every-day life
4. A normative study (a rational activity, centering in
argument and the critical evaluation of
evidence/premises)
What do you need to be a
philosopher
• one indispensable tool needed to be a
good philosopher is an inquiring or
questioning mind!!!
- Necessary for
(Reflecting upon the fundamental
presuppositions of thought and action, or the
ends to which the conduct of human life
should be directed).
ETHYMOLOGY
(Ancient Greece)
• Philo and Sophia- Loving wisdom
(what you love you pursue!)
• Wisdom is not mere knowledge (it is using what you
know to solve problems … e.g. Solomon)
• Kwame Gyekye’s view of Philosophy: a
conceptual response to practical existential
problems
• “The unexamined life is not worth-living” – Socrates
Main branches
• Metaphysics: What is real? What exists? Etc
• Epistemology: What is knowledge? What is the
justification of…
• Logic: principles for correct and incorrect
reasoning
• Value-Theory:
– Ethics: What is ‘good’? What is right?
– Aesthetics: what is ‘art’, beauty etc?
SUB-FIELDS
• SUB-FIELDS OF ETHICS
- Social and political
- Philosophy of Law
- Medical Ethics
- Business Ethics
• As a second-order activity: Philosophy of
history, of religion, of science, of culture, of
language, of feminism
APPROACHES TO DOING PHILOSOPHY
There are two main overlapping, related and

complementary approaches to doing philosophy:
1. Analytic approach (conceptual analysis or

metaphilosophical): analysis of concepts;
clarification of language. E.g. “good”, “freedom”.
Critique: overemphasizes questions of meaning
and underemphasizes questions of truth(reality).
Approaches cont’d
2. Speculative approach: systematic inquiry into

a comprehensive and integrated view of reality.
E.g. The question of the highest good, life after
death, the possibility of altruistic acts, whether a
lie is ever ‘right’, the correct standard of morality
etc.
Critique: impossible and non-sensed (pseudo-
scientific) questions.
A WORKING DEFINITION!
• Philosophy is
A critical analysis of fundamental
concepts and a normative discussion
of how human thought and action
ought to function, as well as the
description of the nature of reality.
GYEKYE’S VIEW
• Philosophy is a conceptual response

to practical problems of existence.

THE VALUE OF PHILOSOPHY
1. Nurtures critical and evaluative abilities:
2. An understanding and appreciation of the ideas, values and
institutions of human society.
3. Liberation from prejudice by challenging (traditions,
beliefs, norms)to a well-reasoned and matured faith for
instance.
4. Less susceptible to gullibility (advertisements; cultural
borrowing, politics, propaganda, …)
5. Develops the capacity to see the world from the
perspective of other persons and cultures.
GENERAL USES OF PHILOSOPHY
• General Problem Solving (managerial skills)

• Communication Skills
• Persuasive Powers
• Writing Skills (organize ideas and issues to fish
out pros and cons)
• Development of sound methods of research
and analysis

Identifying a Philosophical issue
Person 1: widespread use of pesticides and

additives in the production of food has
serious and damaging effects on the
human body.
Person 2: the increased instances of cancer
in modern society are directly related to
the expanded use of chemicals.

Philosophical issue cont’d
Person 3: the government has a responsibility to ban such
agents from foods, since all persons are obligated to
preserve life.
Person 4: I think the highest good is not the preservation
of life. The government has no obligation to its people
except non-interference in their private affairs.
* do you see that persons 3 and 4 are not just stating
observations? They are prescribing not just describing. They are
arguing (giving reasons why something ought to be the case, not
just describing what is the case…
END OF PRESENTATION 1
PHCL 102
BLESSED WEEK!!
Dr. Nancy Myles Gyamfi

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PHCL 102: PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTIONS

PRESENTATION 1: WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?

Dr. Mrs. Nancy Myles B. Gyamfi

There are two main overlapping, related and

1. Analytic approach (conceptual analysis or

2. Speculative approach: systematic inquiry into

• Philosophy is a conceptual response

6/28/2022 Dr. (Mrs.) Nancy Myles Baffour Gyamfi 12

• General Problem Solving (managerial skills)

6/28/2022 Dr. (Mrs.) Nancy Myles Baffour Gyamfi 14

Person 1: widespread use of pesticides and

6/28/2022 Dr. (Mrs.) Nancy Myles Baffour Gyamfi 15

Dr. Nancy Myles Gyamfi

6/28/2022 Dr. (Mrs.) Nancy Myles Baffour Gyamfi 17

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