1. What is Philosophy? Allen Wood a. Main Question: What is Philosophy? b.

Not answerable by justifying its purpose in the different classes, fields and universities c. Is philosophy good for anything? Useless discipline? d. Value of philosophy is not in its utility e. An unexamined life, is a life not worth living f. Reflection without social practice? g. Philosophy aims to human life for the better h. Thales, (the first philosopher according to legend) i. While walking and staring at the stars he feel into a well, he was so interested with the far off heavens that he does not see what is right in front of him; (studies things that are far off from the practical concerns of everyday life) ii. Thales studied the heavenly bodies and learned that later that year there would be a bumper crop of olives which he profited from; (the only people who can benefit practically from philosophy are those who value it independently from its practicality) i. Practical thinking is short sighted thus making it impractical in the long run j. Apologetic Questions-normative, what should be, k. Analytical Questions-descriptive, explanatory, what is, l. Philosophy is a self reflective activity m. What is philosophy is a philosophical question since it is self reflective n. Relative neglect of meta-philosophy i. Telling us what is philosophy is not a fundamental question o. Philosophical reflection gains its importance from what it reflects about and not just from the mere fact philosophy does reflect p. To ask an analytical question about a human issue would be to invite a deflationary answer. This is so because what exist contingently is never fully rational, hence never fully actual q. Thales of Miletus used human intelligence unmixed with poetic invention and religious myth to investigate the nature of things r. Philosophy-form of human thinking which aims to define the ultimate ends of life s. 2. The Future of Philosophy John Searle a. Science and Philosophy i. Similarities 1. Both are universal in subject matter 2. Both aim at the truth ii. Differences 1. Philo concerned with questions that we have not yet found a satisfactory and systematic way to answer 2. Framework Questions: deal with a large framework of phenomena rather than individual questions

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3. About conceptual issues (relation between concepts and the world) Once Philosophical question becomes answerable then it no longer becomes philosophical Ancient Philosophers dreamed to answer all philosophical questions thus making philosophical questions irrelevant Linguistic Philosophers (Austin Wittgenstein) discovered systematic methods using systematic research for solving philosophical questions Some questions from ancient times have already been answered such as what is the nature of life? yet other philosophical issues still remain doubtful 20th century Philosophy i. The biggest difference with 20th century philosophy is the central role of logic and language in both the methods and the subject matter ii. Gottlob Frege: invented the philosophy of language iii. Theory of syllogism by Aristotle strengthened and works with Freges predicate calculus (quantifiable logic/logic of quantifiable expressions) iv. 20th century philosophy has 3 new features from Frege, Rusell and Wittgenstein (also G.E. Moore) 1. Freges logic was a more powerful tool for analyzing logical relations (general philosophizing) 2. Philosophical analysis of language became central a. Language and Reality b. Reference and Truth 3. The analysis of language became an essential tool in investigating other areas of philosophy v. Philosophy of Language v.s. Linguistic Philosophy 1. Philosophy of language deals with certain general features of language 2. Linguistic Philosophy uses the methods of linguistic analysis to try solving traditional problems vi. Philosophers deal with semantics and pragmatics not syntax 1. Should try to achieve a universal syntax but might go against the rule that there exist no single rule of syntax at all