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Tree of Philosophy
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Tree of Philosophy
Metaphysics
Examines our most primal instinct, which is to perceive our worldview as "true" and "real". This concept questions the realism of our consciousness, identity, time, and space. To doubt the fundamental components of our lives leads to suspicion on whether any of our knowledge is reliable at all.
Key Questions:
- What is our place in the universe?
- What is the true nature of reality?
- What does it mean to be "conscious"?
- Does our world really exist?
Definition
Parmenides (515-460 BC)
Parmenides
School of Thought - Eleatic
Description - Parmenides led the movement to completely invigorate the philosophic perspective at the time by insisting that the universe was one "being", and therefore any change would be inconceivable, which directly contradicted Heraclitus and his popular theory of how the universe consisted of perpetual change. Other additions to this theory included ontology, or the study of categorization, which aims to divide everything into separate divisions or "entities".
Definition
Ethics & Morality
Defines what is "right" or "wrong" by the expectations and communal opinion of one society. Anything that ventures outside of these intangible boundaries can be viewed as going against basic principles, or a "code of conduct" that the society has agreed upon.
Key Questions
- Is there a instinctive human code that applies to every community?
- Could going against agreed morals ever be right in certain situations?
- What if abiding by one principle directly contradicts another?
- What are the reputable consequences of going against these set standards?
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)
Immanuel
Kant
School of Thought - Kantianism
Description – Kantianism is rooted in how a person’s motive to act upon something will determine its morality rather than the final product itself. Kant also explains deontology, or the study of “duty”, and how we can judge the ethicality of a decision based upon how it revolves around our duty to society. Combined with pure goodwill, these three precepts form the true morality of anything we do or decide on.
Definition
Epistemology
The philosophy of knowledge, and how we gain, create, value, and justify knowledge. It centralizes around how we view the importance of learning, particularly around how people generate thoughts and create evidence to prove its validity.
Key Questions:
- What could be defined as real knowledge?
- How do we ensure that whatever we learn is true?
- What methods do we use to maximize our learning capability?
- Could we justify invalid knowledge and could others believe it, given the right conditions?
René Descartes (1596-1650)
René Descartes
School of Thought - Rationalism
Description – Using basic logic and reasoning, Descartes insisted that the world could be simplified into understandable concepts for people to gain knowledge. No learning could exist without reason, and to completely absorb something, one must use reason to determine the truthfulness of knowledge. If one were to forgo reason, they would easily fall victim to lies and hearsay.
Definition
Political Philosophy
By watering down politics to its original state, political philosophy is to find the logic behind establishing a government and its function, or the key factors that run a successful state. It also reasons with the best way to carry out justice and the true meaning of liberty and freedom of life, which could include a civil and criminal code.
Key Questions –
- What would be the most idealistic government in today’s society?
- Should some people have greater say in communal decisions than others?
- How can one establish power and authority without suppressing the voices of others?
- What does it mean to live in a free, non-judgemental, equal society?
Hesiod (Approx. 750-650 BC)
Hesiod
School of Thought – Agrarianism
Description – A societal system that revolves around agricultural practices, Agrarianism was popular in Classical Greece and Rome, due to the perception that by promoting farming, prosperity will follow and a community will flourish. Hesiod, a Greek poet, supported these ideas due to the virtues he saw on farmsteads: independent ownership, familial piety and self-made wealth. These attributes at the time were valid due to the heavy reliance on farming as an everyday profession, although such belief has shortened considerably in manufacturing-based modern society.
Existentialism
This concept studies the motivation and reason behind our existence, and how people formulate their purpose to accomplish goals and live successful lives.
Key Questions:
- Why do we exist?
- What is our purpose in this universe?
- Are any of our actions consequential or does it only minimally affect others?
Definition
Albert Camus
Albert Camus (1913-1960)
School of Thought: Absurdism
Description: While many may lose hope in their overall lack of significance in the universe, Absurdism embraces this instinct to feel needed in a world that does not have a direct purpose for us. As a result, Camus offers three options to deal with such contradiction: suicide as a form of escape, suppression as a way of trying to reconcile our uncertainty, and acceptance, to recognize the inevitable meaningless purpose of our lives and move on to find happiness in other things in our lives.
Definition
Theology
Study of religion, God(s), and what guiding higher authority people believe in to motivate basic life principles, such as livelihoods, love, and morality.
Key Questions:
- What can define God?
- What basis does any religion have to establish such surety in its practices?
- How does worship impact people and their behavior?
School of Thought - Lutheranism
Description – A huge component of Protestantism, Lutheranism is based upon Biblical teachings and the certainty that faith is worth more than deeds. Luther also had a famous phrase, “Solo Gratia, Solo Fide, Sola Scriptura”, which translates to “God’s grace alone, through faith alone, and on the basis of Scripture alone”. He believed that people were forgiven only through God’s goodwill, their faith, and their dedication to the Bible, and that God had created an utopic world in which people brought forth their sins to be cleansed by sole diligence.
Martin Luther
Martin Luther (1483-1546)
To predict or infer conclusions simply by utilizing logic and reason from current evidence. Logic/Reasoning philosophy implies that any issue, even an intangible philosophical one, could be solved by using legitimate, simple deduction.
Key Questions:
- How could people use arguments to infer their opinion/concluding perspective?
- What would be the ideal way to target an issue using deductive, coherent logic?
Logic & Reasoning
Definition
James Garson (1943-Present)
James Garson
School of Thought – Analytic Philosophy
Description – Analytic Philosophy is based upon the idea that one can use their personal experiences and common language analysis to break down philosophical problems. For example, one can identify the difference between “it is necessary that” or “it is possible that”, and can define the issue’s truthfulness and certainty from that point onwards.
Definition
Aesthetics
This branch combines perceptive taste in beauty and art to provide an idea of what can be seen as pleasing or valued, and how it can influence people’s lives. Aesthetics also involves cultural differences and how peoples’ individualism might change what they view as true beauty.
Key Questions:
- Is there a universal “standard” for beauty?
- Can our perceptions of beauty change drastically over time?
- What can be defined as artistic creativity, and what else can be left for interpretation?
- Is influenced opinion what shaped our worldview, or a solidified expectation placed upon us by the societal majority?
Dugal Stewart (1753-1828)
Dugal Stewart
School of Thought - Emotionalism
Description – Emotionalism is how people view art and beauty from the emotion it can convey, particularly from inanimate objects. Judging only by appearance, people can experience a range of feelings and use such objects as examples of that given emotion. Further on, this can define their sentiments as they become principles of what they want to feel in the future. Additionally, “emotional intelligence” came from the capability to understand, experience, and project emotions, rooted in emotionalism and how it is built upon felt perception rather than logical tactics.