About Philosophy
The word ‘Philosophy’ has its origins in ancient Greece. It is a combination of two Greek words – ‘Philo’ meaning lover or friend and ‘Sophia” meaning wisdom. The philosopher, as a lover of wisdom, is in search of answers to a number of fundamental questions about life and the world – questions that people in many cultures, and certainly in Western Culture have long wondered about and puzzled over. These questions include: What is the ultimate nature of reality? What is the relationship between the mind and reality? What is the nature of knowledge and truth? What constitutes sound reasoning? What is the nature of the self? What is the relationship between the self, the mind and the body? What is the nature of human freedom? What is a work of art? What is the nature of moral goodness? What is the best form of political organisation? What is the relationship between reason and religious faith? These questions, and others like them, have challenged and perplexed us for centuries. They are important to us, and will remain so because they touch on our sense of who we are and on our sense of the meaning that our lives might hold.
Why study philosophy?
Most people study philosophy because they are deeply concerned about the kinds of questions it asks as opposed to the specific employment opportunities it brings. Even so, in doing philosophy you will develop an ability to think intelligently about both abstract questions and practical problems – skills that are valued highly by employers of all fields of work. For this reason, philosophy graduates have been known to undertake diverse career paths such as politics, teaching, journalism, law, the public service, and business. You will gain these skills by reading and engaging with complex philosophical works. One could say that in your studies you will become a participant in a conversation about life and the world that began with the ancient Greeks. In order to participate in this conversation you will have to do a great deal of reading, writing and critical thinking. You will learn to untangle the arguments of others, and to articulate your own thoughts about what they have to say in a clear, concise, and well-argued way. In doing so, you will sharpen your reasoning skills and develop excellent analytic and writing skills, all of which are essential for tackling complex problems of any kind.
Find out more about philosophy
Here is a list of introductory philosophy books that you might like to read to find out more about philosophy.
-
Gaita, Raimond. A Common Humanity. Melbourne: Text Publishing. 1999.
-
Hollis, Martin. Invitation to Philosophy. Oxford: Blackwell. 1985.
-
Kenny, Anthony. A Brief History of Western Philosophy. Malden: Blackwell. 1998.
-
Morton, Adam. Philosophy in Practice: an introduction to the main questions. Cambridge: Blackwell. 1996.
-
Nagel, Thomas. What Does It All Mean?: a very short introduction to philosophy. New York: Oxford University Press. 1989
-
Plato. The Last Days of Socrates. Penguin (any edition).
-
Russell, Bertrand. The Problems of Philosophy. London: Oxford University Press. 1948.
-
Teichman, J & Evans, K.C. Philosophy: a beginners guide. Oxford: Blackwell. 1995.
-
Trigg, Roger. Ideas of Human Nature: An historical introduction. Oxford: Blackwell. 1988.
-
Williams, Bernard. Morality: An Introduction to Ethics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1976.
