methods of philosophical thinking the subject matter the methods of philosophical thinking the...

METHODS OF PHILOSOPHICAL THINKING

The Subject Matter

The Methods of Philosophical Thinking

The Question

How can you think philosophically about anything?

Anything of daily concern Anything of ultimate concern

METHODS OF PHILOSOPHICAL THINKING

The Method You are to practice the methods of

philosophical thinking by thinking about this question:

What is an apple?

The Learning Objective An exercise in thinking

Philosophical thinking skills Non-philosophical thinking skills

How can I think philosophically?

The Question

What is an apple?

Student Answers

VIEWING THE APPLE

The How Questions

How should you view an apple?

How should you think about an apple?

Is viewing different from thinking? Is thinking different from viewing?

VIEWING THE APPLE

The Answers

Viewing is essentially empirical. Sensibility

Thinking is essentially intellectual. Thinking is non-empirical. Thinking can be rational & irrational.

Rationality

A Review Question

The Questions What is thinking according to Aristotle? What is thinking according Allen Watt? What is thinking according to Nishida?

The Student Answers Student 1 Student 2 Student 3

Watt’s View of Thinking Thinking

What thinking is not. A manipulation of

symbols

Why is “thinking” not feeling and sensing?

Explain.

Feeling Emoting Sensing

Why is “feeling” or “sensing” not “thinking” and different from “thinking”?

Explain.

Aristotle’s View of Thinking The Quote The Analysis

Nishida’s View of Thinking The Quote The Analysis

VIEWING THE APPLE

The Methodological Question How should one address these two how

questions? How should an apple be viewed? How should an apple be thought about?

The Answer Status of the apple Typology of viewing/thinking

VIEWING THE APPLE

The Question What is the status of an apple?

The Answer Non-Philosophical Status

A concrete thing Philosophical Status

A particular A universal A general universal The ultimate universal

VIEWING THE APPLE

The Question What is a particular?

The Answer A philosophical concept used to

represent each and everything concrete thing like an apple.

VIEWING THE APPLE

The Question What is a universal?

The Answer A philosophical concept

used to represent all particulars of one type/class/kind.

VIEWING THE APPLE

The Question What is a general universal?

The Answer A philosophical concept

used to represent all universals of all particulars.

VIEWING THE APPLE

The Question What is the ultimate universal?

The Answer A philosophical concept used to

represent all particulars and all universals (all things that are).

The One

VIEWING THE APPLE

A typology of viewing/thinking

Philosophical Way Philosophical Viewing Philosophical Thinking

Non-Philosophical Way Non-Philosophical Viewing Non-Philosophical Thinking

VIEWING THE APPLE

METHODS OF NON-PHILOSOPHICAL

THINKING

What is an apple?

NON-PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWING AND THINKING

The Question How do people view and

think about an apple non-philosophically?

The Answer A practical view A business view An economic view

NON-PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWING AND THINKING

The Question How do people view and

think about an apple?

The Answer A medical view A literary/poetic view A mathematical view

NON-PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWING AND THINKING

The Question How do people view and

think about the apple?

The Answer A military view A religious view A scientific view

NON-PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWING AND THINKING

The Question How can you view and think

about an apple philosophically?

The Answer Critical and creative uses of

relevant fields, doctrines, and theories of Western philosophy.

Moving from descriptive thinking to theoretical thinking

Methods of Non-Philosophical Thinking Method of Practical Thinking

The Question How is “an apple” viewed and

understood practically?

The Answer A delicious thing to consume!

Taste Nutrition

Methods of Non-Philosophical Thinking Method of Medical Thinking

The Question How is “an apple” viewed and

understood medically? The Student Answers

Student 1 Student 2 Student 3

Methods of Non-Philosophical Thinking Method of Business Thinking

Method of Economic Thinking

Method of Literary Thinking

Method of Musical Thinking

Methods of Non-Philosophical Thinking Method of Math Thinking

Method of Military Thinking

Method of Religious Thinking

Method of Scientific Thinking

What is philosophical thinking?

METHODS OF PHILOSOPHICAL THINKING

What is an apple?

A METHOD OF DOING EASTERN PHILOSOPHY

The Question What are we going to do in this class?

The Answer CREATING A PHILOSOPHY?

No! HOLDING A PHILOSOPHY?

No! PHILOSOPHIZING?

Sometimes. DOING A PHILOSOPHY?

YES!

DOING PHILOSOPHY The Question

What tools do we need for doing Eastern philosophy?

The Answer WESTERN TEXTUAL HERMENEUTICS WESTERN DOCTRINES OF REALITY FIELDS OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY METHODS OF PHILOSOPHICAL THINKING FIVE STEP FORMULA FOR DOING PHILOSOPHY

TOOLS OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY for doing

EASTERN “PHILOSOPHIES” TOOLS OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY

TEXTUAL HERMENEUTICS DOCTRINES OF REALITY FIELDS OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY THREE WESTERN LAWS OF THINKING

APPLICATIONS OF WESTERN TOOLS Can these tools of Western philosophy be

applied for scholarly studies of Eastern Dao, Dhamma, and Darshana?

YES. If they can be applied selectively and creatively.

Philosophical Views of an Apple

CosmologyCosmology

MetaphysicsMetaphysics

OntologyOntology

EpistemologyEpistemologyCosmologic

al View

Ontological View

Epistemological View

MetaphysicalView

Methods of Philosophical Thinking Epistemological Thinking

Epistemology A field of Western philosophy A study of knowledge Western theories of knowledge

Epistemological theories

Methods of Philosophical Thinking The Epistemological Question

How do we know that an apple exists?

The Epistemological Answer Identify Western theories of

knowledge Empiricism Idealism Rationalism

Methods of Philosophical Thinking Empiricism

Empiricist Theory of Knowledge

An Empiricist View An apple exists because it can be

experienced empirically.

Methods of Philosophical Thinking Rationalism

Rationalist Theory of Knowledge

An Rationalist View The idea of an apple is innate in

one’s mind.

Methods of Philosophical Thinking Idealism

Idealist Theory of Knowledge

An Idealist View An apple is inherently mental

because it is a (mental) projection of one’s mind.

“To be is to be perceived.”

Methods of Philosophical Thinking

A Buddhist Idealist Theory of Knowledge

Textual Hermeneutics (an exercise) A Mahayana (Buddhist) Text

The Lankavatara Sutra Phan 2002: 277.1.1

Methods of Philosophical Thinking

A Textual Analysis

The Mahayana Thesis Textual citation

Phan 2002: 277.1.1 Textual interpretation

Methods of Philosophical Thinking

A Textual Analysis

The Mahayana Arguments Textual citation

Phan 2002: 277.1.2 Textual interpretation

The Critique Students

PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWING AND THINKING

Which of the following is a Western doctrine of reality? Dualism Materialism Creationism Evolutionism Ontology Cosmology Metaphysics

PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWING AND THINKING

Which of the following is a field of Western philosophy? Dualism Materialism Creationism Evolutionism Ontology Cosmology Metaphysics

PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWING AND THINKING

The Question How to distinguish a

doctrine/theory from a field of philosophy?

The Answer A “logy” clue An “ism” clue

VIEWING/THINKING ABOUT THE APPLE

Materialism A Western theory of reality

A materialist View An apple is material because it is

made up of matter. All things are material. All things are derived from primal

matter.

VIEWING/THINKING ABOUT THE APPLE

Dualism A Western theory of reality

Everything is composed of two distinct aspects, mind and matter, forming a duality.

A Jain Doctrine of Reality All things are derived from Jiva

(Soul) and Ajiva (Not-Soul).

VIEWING/THINKING ABOUT THE APPLE

The Question What is an apple?

A Jain Answer An apple is constituted by its

Jiva and its Ajiva. An apple deserves one’s respect

for what it truly is.

VIEWING/THINKING ABOUT THE APPLE

Test Questions Can the Jain view of an apple

be characterized theoretically as dualistic or a dualistic view?

Can the Jain view of an apple be characterized theoretically as metaphysical or a metaphysical view?

Student Answers

VIEWING/THINKING ABOUT THE APPLE

Cosmology

A field of Western philosophy Study of the cosmos

Origin of the cosmos Cosmic laws, structures, processes Fate/future of the cosmos

VIEWING/THINKING ABOUT THE APPLE

Student Exercises Pose a cosmological question

Offer a cosmological answer using the following doctrines:

Creationism Evolutionism

The Big Bang Theory

VIEWING/THINKING ABOUT THE APPLE

A Cosmological Question How did an apple come into

being/existence?

A Creationist Answer An apple is one of the proofs of

divine creation. Oh God! Thank you for all the

delicious apples I have enjoyed.

VIEWING/THINKING ABOUT THE APPLE

A Cosmological Question How did an apple come into

being/existence?

A Evolutionist Answer An apple is one of the cosmic

manifestations of world evolution and the on-going evolutionary processes.

VIEWING/THINKING ABOUT THE APPLE

Ontology

A field of Western philosophy A study of reality (that which is)

The being of reality What is real? What is unreal?

VIEWING/THINKING ABOUT THE APPLE

Student Exercises Pose an ontological question

Offer an ontological answer using the Laoian theory of the natural dao (Phan 2002: 73.[1]) as a theoretical resource.

VIEWING/THINKING ABOUT THE APPLE

A Textual Citation “Therefore let there always non-

being [wu-ccp] so we may see their subtlety,

And let there always be being [you-ccp] so we may see their outcome,

The two are the same, But after they are produced, they have different names.” (The Daodejing, cited in Phan 2002: 73)

PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWING AND THINKING

A Textual Citation “Therefore let there

always non-being [wu-ccp] so we may see their subtlety,

And let there always be being [you-ccp] so we may see their outcome,

The two are the same, But after they are produced, they have different names.” (The Daodejing, cited in Phan 2002: 73)

A Textual Analysis Key concepts Key ideas Interpretation

The thesis Theoretical

nature Is the Laoian

view of an apple ontological or metaphysical?

VIEWING/THINKING ABOUT THE APPLE

The Question What is an apple?

A Laoian Answer An apple is constituted of its own

being (you) and non-being (wu), forming into one organically unified thing.

An apple is that which is constantly self-becoming.

VIEWING/THINKING ABOUT THE APPLE

The Question What are the two key points that

the Laoian answer emphasizes as essentially for a correct view of an apple?

The Answer A theoretical distinction (you-wu) Self-change/transformation

VIEWING/THINKING ABOUT THE APPLE

Test Question Is the you-wu distinction

metaphysical or ontological?

The Answer Ontological

Why? Each student should know how to answer

this “why” question correctly by now.

How to think metaphysically about an apple?

Metaphysics

A field of Western philosophy A study of reality

The nature of reality What is real? What is unreal?

A Metaphysical View of an apple

A Philosophical Question What is an apple?

A Methodological Question How to answer the “What is an

apple?” question metaphysically?

What is a metaphysical answer for this philosophical question?

Is this a methodological question?

A Metaphysical View of an apple

The Methodological Question How to make a metaphysical

answer?

A Metaphysical Answer Step 1

One must make a metaphysical distinction by using two pairs of philosophical concepts:

“form” and “essence” (pair 1) “appearance” and “reality” (pair 2)

A Metaphysical View of an apple

A Metaphysical Answer

Step 2

One distinguishes the external “form” of an apple from its internal “essence” and vice versa.

Externality vs. Internality

One perceives and contemplates about the “nature” of the “form” and the “nature” of the “essence” of an apple.

A Metaphysical View of an apple

A Metaphysical Answer

Step 3

One determines that the external “form” of an apple is “unreal” because it is only the “appearance” of an apple.

Appearance = Unreality

One now has to justify this metaphysical determination by explaining why the “form” of an apple is simply its “mere appearance” and therefore ultimately unreal (not real).

A Metaphysical View of an apple

A Metaphysical Answer

Step 4

One then determines that the internal “essence” of an apple is “real” because it is the “reality” of an apple.

Essence = Reality

One now proceeds to justify this metaphysical judgment by explaining why the “essence” of an apple is its “true reality” and therefore ultimately real.

VIEWING/THINKING ABOUT THE APPLE

The Question How would Plato (an ancient

Greek philosopher) answer the “What is an apple?” question?

A Platonic Answer To be addressed by semester end

VIEWING/THINKING ABOUT THE APPLE

The Question What is an apple?

Student Answers First student Second student Third student

A METHOD OF DOING EASTERN PHILOSOPHY

The Question What are we going to do in this class?

The Answer CREATING A PHILOSOPHY?

No! HOLDING A PHILOSOPHY?

No! PHILOSOPHIZING?

Sometimes. DOING A PHILOSOPHY?

YES!

THE METHOD OF DOING EASTERN PHILOSOPHY

The Question How do we do Eastern

philosophy?

The Answer The Five Step Formula

There are two versions

THE METHOD OF DOING EASTERN PHILOSOPHY

FORMULA 1 OF A METHOD OF TEXTUAL HERMENEUTICS

1_ Research2_ Interpretation3_ Evaluation4_ Application5_ Self-Reflection

THE METHOD OF DOING EASTERN PHILOSOPHY

FORMULA 2 OF A METHOD OF TEXTUAL HERMENEUTICS

1_ Research2_ Interpretation3_ Critique4_ Resolution5_ Self-Reflection

DOING PHILOSOPHY The Question

What tools do we need for doing Eastern philosophy?

The Answer WESTERN TEXTUAL HERMENEUTICS WESTERN DOCTRINES OF REALITY FIELDS OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY METHODS OF PHILOSOPHICAL THINKING FIVE STEP FORMULA FOR DOING PHILOSOPHY

TOOLS OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY for doing

EASTERN “PHILOSOPHIES” TOOLS OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY

TEXTUAL HERMENEUTICS DOCTRINES OF REALITY FIELDS OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY THREE WESTERN LAWS OF THINKING

APPLICATIONS OF WESTERN TOOLS Can these tools of Western philosophy be

applied for scholarly studies of Eastern Dao, Dhamma, and Darshana?

YES. If they can be applied selectively and creatively.

TOOLS OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY for doing

EASTERN “PHILOSOPHIES”

The Question What is textual hermeneutics

The Answer Different types of hermeneutics Textual hermeneutics is herein understood as the

science of textual interpretation. Textual interpretation shall be carried out by the

procedures of the Five Step Formula.

PHILOSOPHICAL THINKING

THE QUESTION IS THERE WHAT CAN BE CALLED THE WAY

OF PHILOSOPHICAL THINKING? THE THREE LAWS OF THINKING IN

WESTERN PHILOSOPHY The Law of Identity The Law of Noncontradiction The Law of the Excluded Middle

PHILOSOPHICAL THINKING

THE THREE LAWS OF THINKING The Law of Identity

“A true statement is a true statement.”

The Law of Non-contradiction “A statement cannot be both true and false at the

same time and in the same respect.”

The Law of the Excluded Middle Student’s responsibility: Please search for an

explanation of this third law of thinking.