This document discusses defining philosophy and its purpose. It explores two notions of definition from Aristotle and Wittgenstein and considers philosophy as the love of knowledge, the mother of all disciplines, a space for questions, and a master of critical thinking. The document also lists branches of philosophy like metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. It examines philosophical methodology and considers why philosophy is important both institutionally and informally. Finally, it outlines how philosophy can be used to tie up loose ends, test reasonableness, and ensure proper logical structure across various fields like science, social science, engineering, and literature.

1. RESEARCH AND
PUBLICATION
ETHICS, FACULTY OF
ARTS, JU
INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY
MAUSHUMI GUHA, DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY, JU.

2. THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
• Why philosophy?
• What is philosophy?
• What does philosophy do or what do we do with philosophy?

3. DEFINITION OF PHILOSOPHY
• Can philosophy be defined?
• What are the different notions of definition?

4. TWO NOTIONS OF DEFINITION
• ARISTOTLE
• Essences
• Categorisation, individuation, identification, differentiation or demarcation
• Sets
• WITTGENSTEIN
• Family resemblance and Disjunctive properties
• Epitome or exemplar or prototype

5. BACK TO DEFINITIONS
• What if anything is the essence of philosophy?
• Philosophy as the love of knowledge – etymological definition.
• Philosophy as the mother of all disciplines – then what is left of philosophy once its children leave it
and go?
• The importance of questions – philosophy as an intellectual space for questions.
• The importance of critical thinking – philosophy as the master blueprint of critical thinking
(Note that questioning and reasoning are two sides of the same thing)
• Philosophy as a meta-discipline.
Chauvinism
Reticence
Diffidence

6. BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY AND A
WITTGENSTEINIAN DEFINITION
• Philosophy and its branches.
• METAPHYSICS, EPISTEMOLOGY, ETHICS, PHILOSOPHY OF MIND,
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
• PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE, PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION, PHILOSOPHY
OF LOGIC
• LOGIC, PSYCHOLOGY
• METAPHILOSOPHY

7. PHILOSOPHICAL METHODOLOGY
• Commonsensical
• Analytical
• Naturalised
• Historical
• Literary
• Formal
• Logical
• Empirical?

8. WHY PHILOSOPHY?
• Institutional versus informal

9. WHAT CAN WE DO WITH PHILOSOPHY?
• Science
• Social Science
• Engineering
• Literature and Arts
• Philosophy – Tie up lose ends, test for reasonableness, check for
justification, ensure proper logical structure of thinking and presentation,
expect an overarching and comprehensive view of a problem. In their
higher reaches, all subjects tend to fall back upon philosophy.