Define philosophy, and give examples of philosophical and non-philosophical thinking.
Generally Philosophy comes from the Greek work “The Love of Wisdom”. Philosophy deals about thinking of things. Philosophy arise question of “WHY” or in other words Philosophy arises question like because of “why” we try to know the things. Philosophy is not just an abstract concern, but it is a necessary tool to gain a true insight. Philosophy explain overall outlook of a person. For example: my philosophy is we should behave morally, where as for others it might not be. Philosophy doesn’t find out any empirical fact. Philosophy tries to find out most fundamental and underlying principle. From metaphysical point of view Philosophy deals with “how we know the things”. Philosophy also deals with normative questions, whereas morality is its subject matter. Morality is concern with right and wrong, good or bad, virtue and vice.
Explain the difference between subjective and objective claims, and give examples of each.
There are two ways of claims, one is subjective claim and other is objective claim.
For example: when I say “this tea is very delicious”, I said something true, but this statement reflects my own personal test. Here my statement about the taste of ‘tea’ is subjective claim. It is true for me the subject, not for the ‘tea’ which is an object. On the other hand when I am saying the sum 2+2= 4, here as a subject I am communicating a principle that I hold about an external objective claim. Hence subjective claim is based on internal preference, whereas objective claim depends on external world.
Define mind-body dualism. Explain a criticism of it
Being regarded as the nucleus of Descartes’ metaphysics, the doctrine of “cogito-ergo-sum” facilitates us to move towards the principle of mind- body- dualism. The whole drift of Descartes’ thought is in the direction of dualism- the notion that there are two different kinds of substance in nature that is the spiritual and the corporal, mind and body. Descartes’ defines a substance as an existent thing which requires nothing but itself to exist, hence he considers each subject as thoroughly independent of the other. Mind is diametrically opposed to body and vice-versa. The attributes of body is extension: bodies are passive. The attributes of mind is thinking or thought: mind is active and free. To know something about mind, therefore, we need no reference to the body. Similarly, the body can be understood without any reference to mind.
Some philosophers oppose Descartes Dualism. According to them if these two (mind- body) exclude one another and if thought and extension are so distinct and separate, then there can be no interaction is possible between them. Mind can’t bring about any change in the body and body also can’t bring any change in the mind. Descartes’ strict dualism made it difficult for him to desire how the mind and body could interact upon each other. However, Descartes doesn’t consistently draw the consequences of his Premises.
In order to brush aside Descartes at times accepts the theory of casual interaction without hesitation. According to him, mind is a un extended, so this interaction takes place only on un extended point somewhere in the body that is near the center of the brain, called the “pineal gland.” That pineal gland is visualized as a via-media for interaction
