Philosophy seeks to reveal the essence of things in their original form without a shadow of mysticism. It helps a person find answers to those questions that are of particular importance to him. The nature of philosophical problems begins with the search for the meaning of the origin of life. Historically, the first forms of worldview are mythology and religion. Philosophy is the highest form of perception of the world. Spiritual activity involves the formulation and analysis of questions of eternity, helps a person find his place in the world, talks about death and God, about the motives of actions and thoughts.
Object of Philosophy
Terminology defines philosophy as "the love of wisdom". But this does not mean that anyone can be a philosopher. An important condition is knowledge, which requires a high level of intellectual development. Ordinary people can be philosophers only at the lowest everyday level of their existence. Plato believed that a real thinkerone cannot become, one can only be born. The subject of philosophy is knowledge about the existence of the world and understanding it for the sake of finding new knowledge. The main goal is to understand the world. The specificity and structure of philosophical knowledge determines the essential points inherent in the doctrine:
- Eternal philosophical problems. Considered in a general spatial concept. Separation of the material and ideal world.
- Analysis of problems. Questions about the theoretical possibility of knowing the world are considered. The search for static true knowledge in a changing world.
- Studying the existence of the public. Social philosophy is singled out as a separate section of philosophical doctrine. Attempts to find out the place of man at the level of world consciousness.
- Activity of spirit or man? Who rules the world? The subject of philosophy is the study of essential knowledge useful for the development of human intelligence and increasing awareness of earthly existence.
Functions of Philosophy
The specificity and structure of philosophical knowledge cannot be fully disclosed without clarifying the functions of the doctrine. All theses are interconnected and cannot exist separately:
- Worldview. It involves attempts to explain the abstract world with the help of theoretical knowledge. Makes it possible to come to the concept of "objective truth".
- Methodological. Philosophy uses a combination of different methods to fully study the question of being.
- Prognostic. The main emphasis is onexisting scientific knowledge. The wording focuses on hypotheses about the origin of the world and assumes their further development within the environment.
- Historical. Schools of theoretical thinking and wise teaching keep the dynamics of the progressive formation of new ideologies from leading thinkers.
- Critical. The fundamental principle of exposing everything that exists to doubt is used. It has a positive significance in historical development, as it helps to detect inaccuracies and errors in time.
- Axiological. This function determines the entire world existence from the point of view of established value orientations of various kinds (ideological, social, moral, and others). The axiological function finds its most striking manifestation in times of historical stagnation, crisis or war. Transitional moments allow you to clearly define the most important values that exist. The nature of philosophical problems considers the preservation of the main as the basis for further development.
- Social. This function is designed to unite members of society on certain grounds into groups and subgroups. The development of collective goals helps to translate global worldview ideals into reality. The right thoughts can change the course of history in any direction.
Problems of Philosophy
Any kind of worldview primarily considers the world as an object. It is based on the study of the structural state, limitation, origin. Philosophy one of the first beginningsbe interested in questions of human origin. Other sciences and theories did not yet exist even in a theoretical concept. Any model of the world requires some axioms, which the first thinkers formed on the basis of personal experience and natural observations. The philosophical perspective of the coexistence of man and nature helps to understand the general meaning of the universe in the direction of development. Even natural science cannot provide answers to such a philosophical outlook. The nature of eternal problems is as relevant today as it was three thousand years ago.
The structure of philosophical knowledge
The progressive development of philosophy over time complicated the structure of knowledge. Gradually, new sections appeared, which became independent currents with their own program. More than 2500 years have passed since the founding of the philosophical doctrine, so there are a lot of additional points in the structure. New ideologies are emerging to this day. The nature of philosophical problems and the basic question of philosophy distinguishes the following sections:
- Ontology. Has been studying the principles of the world order since its inception.
- Estemology. Examines the theory of knowledge and features of philosophical problems.
- Anthropology. Studying man as an inhabitant of the planet and a member of the world.
- Ethics. Affects the in-depth study of morality and ethics.
- Aesthetics. Uses artistic thinking as a form of transformation and development of the world.
- Axiology. Examines value orientations in detail.
- Logic. The doctrine of the thought process as an engineprogress.
- Social Philosophy. The historical development of society as a structural unit with its own laws and forms of observation.
Where can I find answers to common questions?
The nature of philosophical problems seeks answers to common questions. The section "Ontology", which tries to find a definition of the most important category of study - the concept of "being", considers the problems most fully. In everyday life, this word is used extremely rarely, most often replaced by the familiar term "existence". The nature of philosophical problems lies in stating the fact that the world exists, it is the habitat of the human race and all living things. Also, the world has a stable state and an unchanging structure, an orderly way of life, established principles.
Eternal questions of being
Based on philosophical knowledge, the following question points develop:
- Has the world always existed?
- Is it endless?
- The planet will always exist and nothing will happen to it?
- Thanks to what force new inhabitants of the world appear and exist?
- Are there many such worlds or is it the only one?
Theory of knowledge
What branch of philosophy deals with questions of knowledge? There is a special discipline responsible for man's knowledge of the world - epistemology. Thanks to this theory, a person can independently study the world andto carry out attempts to find oneself in the structure of world existence. Existing knowledge is investigated in accordance with other theoretical concepts. Having studied which section of philosophy deals with questions of cognition, we can draw the appropriate conclusions: epistemology studies the measures of movement from complete ignorance to partial knowledge. It is the problems of this section of the doctrine that occupy a leading role in philosophy as a whole.
Methods of Philosophy
Like other sciences, philosophy originates from the practical activities of mankind. The philosophical method is a system of techniques for mastering and understanding reality:
- Materialism and idealism. Two conflicting theories. Materialism believes that everything arose from a certain substance, idealism - everything is spirit.
- Dialectics and metaphysics. Dialectics defines the principles, patterns and characteristics of cognition. Metaphysics only sees the situation from one side.
- Sensualism. Feelings and sensations are the basis of knowledge. And given an absolute role in the process.
- Rationalism. Views the mind as a tool for learning new things.
- Irrationalism. Methodological action that denies the status of the mind in the process of cognition.
Philosophy unites all methods and wise men who propagate their thoughts. It acts as one general method that helps in understanding the world.
Specificity of philosophical knowledge
Naturephilosophical problems has a dual meaning. Features of knowledge have a number of distinctive features:
- Philosophy has much in common with scientific knowledge, but is not a science in its purest form. Uses the fruits of scientists to achieve his goals - understanding the world.
- You can't call philosophy a practical teaching. Knowledge is built on general theoretical knowledge that does not have clear boundaries.
- Integrates all sciences, looking for important aspects to get the desired result.
- Based on primitive basic concepts gained through the accumulation of human experience throughout life.
- Philosophy cannot be fully assessed objectively, since each new theory bears the imprint of the thoughts of a particular philosopher and his personal qualities, who created the ideological movement. Also in the writings of the sages is reflected the historical stage in which the formation of the theory took place. One can trace the progress of an era through the teachings of the philosophers.
- Knowledge can be artistic, intuitive or religious.
- Each subsequent ideology is a confirmation of the doctrines of previous thinkers.
- Philosophy is inexhaustible and eternal in its essence.
Awareness of being as a problem
Being means everything in the world. The existence of being is determined by the question: "Is it there?" Non-existence also exists, otherwise the whole world would stand still and never move. Everything comes from non-existence and goes there, based on a philosophical worldview. The nature of philosophical problems determines the essencebeing. Everything in the world changes and flows, so it is impossible to deny the existence of a certain concept, where everything comes from and where everything disappears.
