Getting started in Philosophy

Most of us who are versed in Philosophy took a college class called Intro Philosophy 101.

This is typically a survey course covering all the philosophers and philosophy types from west to east starting with Thales in Greece and Confucius in China.

It then spends a section on each of the subsequent philosophers in Europe and in Asia.

If you are in high school or college, it would be wise to plan to take a 101 course like this before you finish college.

If you are too old to go back to college, here are 3 books that will accomplish the same thing for you:

- "Essentials Of Philosophy", by James Mannion, Fall River Press (2002).

- "History Of Western Philosophy", by Bertrand Russell, Simon & Schuster (1945/1972).

- "Modern Philosophy", by Roger Scruton, Penguin Press (1994).

You should read all 3 in that order, Mannion first, Russell second, and Scruton third.

That will give you the basics to understand what philosophy, science, and religion really are, and why they must be kept separate in your thinking.






Do you have any experience actually studying Philosophy or doing work in the field?
 
Once you get a handle on the procedures of Philosophy, then it is time to get a handle on history too.

The best place to start with a study of history is "History Of The World" by J.M. Roberts, Penguin Books (2002).




Do you have any actual experience studying History or doing any work in the field?
 
Most of us who are versed in Philosophy took a college class called Intro Philosophy 101.

This is typically a survey course covering all the philosophers and philosophy types from west to east starting with Thales in Greece and Confucius in China.

It then spends a section on each of the subsequent philosophers in Europe and in Asia.

If you are in high school or college, it would be wise to plan to take a 101 course like this before you finish college.

If you are too old to go back to college, here are 3 books that will accomplish the same thing for you:

- "Essentials Of Philosophy", by James Mannion, Fall River Press (2002).

- "History Of Western Philosophy", by Bertrand Russell, Simon & Schuster (1945/1972).

- "Modern Philosophy", by Roger Scruton, Penguin Press (1994).

You should read all 3 in that order, Mannion first, Russell second, and Scruton third.

That will give you the basics to understand what philosophy, science, and religion really are, and why they must be kept separate in your thinking.
Thanks! I learned a lot of the English classics from a co-worker who had a degree in English Lit back before I went to college. It always is good to keep learning.
 
Everyone needs to understand the basics of philosophical thinking.
But you can get the basics in just a couple or 3 semesters.

First semester -- survey course.
Second semester -- modern course.
Third semester -- logic versus rhetoric.
It doesn't hurt taking more than 3 philosophy classes, but 4 may be sufficient for a theoretical scientist:
1- intro/survey
2- philosophy of mind
3- philosophy of science
4- philosophy of specific science, e.g., physics.
.
 
The above comments indicate a superficial and juvenile understanding of the subject at best.
...as I suspected from the outset.
Ad hom. Go fokk off.
You can't take Unkotare seriously; his/her username reflects his/her online persona accurately, including his/her intellect.
.
Thanks for admitting that you also have no real understanding of the topic.
An opinion from a philosophy pretender.
.
 
The above comments indicate a superficial and juvenile understanding of the subject at best.
...as I suspected from the outset.
Ad hom. Go fokk off.
You can't take Unkotare seriously; his/her username reflects his/her online persona accurately, including his/her intellect.
.
Thanks for admitting that you also have no real understanding of the topic.
An opinion from a philosophy pretender.
.

Yes, he is. I hope you aren't as well.
 
Everyone needs to understand the basics of philosophical thinking.
But you can get the basics in just a couple or 3 semesters.

First semester -- survey course.
Second semester -- modern course.
Third semester -- logic versus rhetoric.
It doesn't hurt taking more than 3 philosophy classes, but 4 may be sufficient for a theoretical scientist:
1- intro/survey
2- philosophy of mind
3- philosophy of science
4- philosophy of specific science, e.g., physics.
.
For a science major that does make perfect sense.
 
For most people, college has become a trade school where they learn a major to become a professional.

But philosophy should not be ignored in that process.

When I was younger, philosophy was simply entertainment.

As I grew older, philosophy became critical to understanding everything.

Now I only wish I had paid even more attention to it sooner.

It's too bad that colleges don't make at least 2 philosophy classes requirements --

1 - the survey of history of philosophy

2 - ethics.
 
It doesn't hurt taking more than 3 philosophy classes, but 4 may be sufficient for a theoretical scientist:
1- intro/survey
2- philosophy of mind
3- philosophy of science
4- philosophy of specific science, e.g., physics.
.
I would definitely add ethics to this list.

The most important aspect of philosophy if nothing else is ethics.

Ethics affects everybody.

Even someone who cannot understand philosophy should be able to grasp ethics at the very least.
 
Everyone needs to understand the basics of philosophical thinking.
But you can get the basics in just a couple or 3 semesters.

First semester -- survey course.
Second semester -- modern course.
Third semester -- logic versus rhetoric.
It doesn't hurt taking more than 3 philosophy classes, but 4 may be sufficient for a theoretical scientist:
1- intro/survey
2- philosophy of mind
3- philosophy of science
4- philosophy of specific science, e.g., physics.
.
For a science major that does make perfect sense.
Before "modern sciences" established their methods of hypothesis testing, science was considered part of philosophy.
All scientists should understand basic philosophical ideas (esp ontology & logic) as well as philosophical concepts in their specialties.
.
 
It doesn't hurt taking more than 3 philosophy classes, but 4 may be sufficient for a theoretical scientist:
1- intro/survey
2- philosophy of mind
3- philosophy of science
4- philosophy of specific science, e.g., physics.
.
I would definitely add ethics to this list.

The most important aspect of philosophy if nothing else is ethics.

Ethics affects everybody.

Even someone who cannot understand philosophy should be able to grasp ethics at the very least.
---
Ethics?
In psychology, it would reflect the study of empathy & prosocial behavior.
All behavioral scientists should understand cultural anthropology, and "moral relativism".
Medical ethics is another perspective.
.
 
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It doesn't hurt taking more than 3 philosophy classes, but 4 may be sufficient for a theoretical scientist:
1- intro/survey
2- philosophy of mind
3- philosophy of science
4- philosophy of specific science, e.g., physics.
.
I would definitely add ethics to this list.

The most important aspect of philosophy if nothing else is ethics.

Ethics affects everybody.

Even someone who cannot understand philosophy should be able to grasp ethics at the very least.
---
Ethics?
In psychology, it would reflect the study of empathy & prosocial behavior.
All behavioral scientists should understand cultural anthropology, and "moral relativism".
Medical ethics is another perspective.
.
From a personal perspective, ethics is all about empathy for others. I agree.

From a philosophical perspective, doing the right thing because it is best would be the basis.

Of course the psychology justifies it as well.
 
Everyone needs to understand the basics of philosophical thinking.
But you can get the basics in just a couple or 3 semesters.

First semester -- survey course.
Second semester -- modern course.
Third semester -- logic versus rhetoric.
It doesn't hurt taking more than 3 philosophy classes, but 4 may be sufficient for a theoretical scientist:
1- intro/survey
2- philosophy of mind
3- philosophy of science
4- philosophy of specific science, e.g., physics.
.
For a science major that does make perfect sense.
Before "modern sciences" established their methods of hypothesis testing, science was considered part of philosophy.
All scientists should understand basic philosophical ideas (esp ontology & logic) as well as philosophical concepts in their specialties.
.
My personal observation is that Galileo invented science when he pointed his homemade telescope at the planet Jupiter and observed it's 4 satellites rotating around it rather than as the Church claimed that all things rotate around the Earth.

All the previous philosophers were simply speculating about the physical world without actually performing any observations or experiments.

Galileo is therefore the father of science.
 
Most of us who are versed in Philosophy took a college class called Intro Philosophy 101.

This is typically a survey course covering all the philosophers and philosophy types from west to east starting with Thales in Greece and Confucius in China.

It then spends a section on each of the subsequent philosophers in Europe and in Asia.

If you are in high school or college, it would be wise to plan to take a 101 course like this before you finish college.

If you are too old to go back to college, here are 3 books that will accomplish the same thing for you:

- "Essentials Of Philosophy", by James Mannion, Fall River Press (2002).

- "History Of Western Philosophy", by Bertrand Russell, Simon & Schuster (1945/1972).

- "Modern Philosophy", by Roger Scruton, Penguin Press (1994).

You should read all 3 in that order, Mannion first, Russell second, and Scruton third.

That will give you the basics to understand what philosophy, science, and religion really are, and why they must be kept separate in your thinking.

Had to take philosophy as a freshman for my engineering degree. You want to see a group of very uncomfortable people, go to a philosophy class full of engineering students...:ack-1:
 
Everyone needs to understand the basics of philosophical thinking.
But you can get the basics in just a couple or 3 semesters.

First semester -- survey course.
Second semester -- modern course.
Third semester -- logic versus rhetoric.
It doesn't hurt taking more than 3 philosophy classes, but 4 may be sufficient for a theoretical scientist:
1- intro/survey
2- philosophy of mind
3- philosophy of science
4- philosophy of specific science, e.g., physics.
.
For a science major that does make perfect sense.
Before "modern sciences" established their methods of hypothesis testing, science was considered part of philosophy.
All scientists should understand basic philosophical ideas (esp ontology & logic) as well as philosophical concepts in their specialties.
.
My personal observation is that Galileo invented science when he pointed his homemade telescope at the planet Jupiter and observed it's 4 satellites rotating around it rather than as the Church claimed that all things rotate around the Earth.

All the previous philosophers were simply speculating about the physical world without actually performing any observations or experiments.

Galileo is therefore the father of science.
I agree that Galileo should be considered a father of modern science, but he was one, a major one, of many key contributors to "science" (scientific fields) as we know it/them today.
BTW, Copernicus gets credit for formalizing the heliocentric model ... before Galileo.

List of people considered father or mother of a scientific field - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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