Introduction to Philosophy

Achieve Test Prep: Philosophy

Chapter Five: How Can We Know the Nature of Reality? Learning Objectives After completing Chapter Five, you should be able to:

1. Discuss the different Pre-Socratic philosophers and their impact of the science of philosophy 2. Discuss Plato’s theory regarding reality and the importance of the different writings from Plato regarding reality 3. Discuss reality as the natural world according to Aristotle 4. Discuss reality as the natural world according to Descartes 5. Define how to make connections regarding your beliefs about the world in studying philosophy What is the Nature of Philosophy? In philosophy, questions regarding the nature of reality fall under the category of metaphysics. Metaphysics involves the study of the most general or ultimate characteristics of the existence of life, the existence of free will, and the nature of the mind. It deals with the fundamental principles of the universe and the possibility of life beyond death. Reality refers to things the way they really are and Truth refers to those statements that are one hundred percent accurate. Plato was a Greek philosopher who wrote about a vast range of topics. His work Physics deals with subjects pertaining to the natural world. Another of his writings referred to as “ First Philosophy ” or “ Wisdom ” deals with subjects that are more abstract and theoretical. In time, his writings became known as metaphysics. His writings dealt with a variety of important philosophical questions which included: what is the nature of reality, what is the place of humans in the universe, does life have meaning, do we have free will that enable us to make independent choices, how are the mind and body related to each other, is there life after death, does God exist, and what is the nature of self? When philosophers ask the question, “What is the nature of reality?”, they are typically trying to discover the way the world really is. Although the world has a certain appearance to us, many philosophers and scientists believe that the reality of the world is something very different. In philosophy, questions regarding the nature of truth fall under the category of epistemology. It seeks to establish a framework that we can use to construct a genuine and accurate understanding; this entails identifying and developing criteria and methodologies for determining what we know and why we know it. Metaphysics and epistemology are interdependent and answering the questions in one area frequently involves answering the questions in the other area.

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