Philosophy
Belief, refers to an acceptance that something is true or real, often without proof or evidence. It can be a personal conviction, a religious doctrine, or a cultural tradition.
Philosophy, as a discipline, is the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence.
When discussing philosophy, one typically refers to a specific system of thought, theory, belief, or attitude that serves as a guiding principle for their behaviors or actions.
Let us explore an example of a behavior or action and consider whether it is based on a thought, theory, belief, attitude, or philosophical framework.
Donkey Fable & Philosophy
An old man takes a small boy on a trip.
The man hoists the boy onto a donkey
while he leads the animal on foot.
Soon they come upon a man,
who chides the boy for showing no respect to his elders,
so the boy dismounts the donkey and the old man climbs aboard.
Later they come upon a young women,
who chides the old man for riding while the child walks,
so the old man hoists the boy up along side him.
Next they come upon a women
who derides them both for placing such a burden upon a poor animal,
so they both get off and walk alongside the donkey.
Still later they come upon a philosopher,
who shakes his head in dismay
that anyone could be so stupid to walk
when they had a donkey to ride.
Summary:
- Everyone possesses a philosophical framework that profoundly influences their life, often without conscious awareness.
- Philosophy is not limited to a select few; it is an inherent aspect of human nature. Each individual constructs their own worldview, encompassing thoughts, theories, beliefs, attitudes, or philosophical perspectives.
- The absence of a philosophy does not mean it is nonexistence; rather, it often displays as a flawed or unconscious philosophy, leading to poor decisions and impulsive reactions.
- Therefore, it is crucial to introspect and articulate one’s own philosophy. By doing so, individuals can harness its power to make informed and well-considered decissions.
Word bank
- A philosophical framework is a systematic set of principles, concepts, or beliefs that guide our understanding of human existence and experience. It enables us to interpret and respond more effectively to complex challenges by defining real criteria for evidence and developing methods for gathering it. These frameworks facilitate the analysis of human-environmental relationships by unpacking underlying principles, concepts, or beliefs that can be examined as variables explaining the influence of societal perceptions on variables such as nature, governance, ethics, logic, epistemology, metaphysics, and sustainability. By providing lenses for understanding and interpreting historical and contemporary interactions with the environment, philosophical frameworks contribute to a deeper comprehension of our place in the world.
- Epistemology studies the source, nature and validity of knowledge.
- Metaphysics studies the nature of reality, including the relationship between mind and matter, between substance and attribute, and between possibility and actuality.
- Conceptual framework for educators is a visual or written representation of how variables are expected to relate to each other for their knowledge base.