Philosophy

"The Humanities is about knowing there is not one set answer", commented B.U.'s Philosophy professor, Dr. May Yoh. "Social Science has too many definitive answers, especially when using quantitative research methods.[] She enjoys getting her Philosophy of Science students to develop their own views.

Dr. Phil Gosselin of the same department added that philosophy is less about how they behave as how they think, and that training people to think clearly is a very important skill-development activity, transferable to any of the other disciplines. "Sitting and thinking about issues" is very important in this day and age, especially with so many controversial subjects under discussion in the community. He noted that clarification of terms and positions is half the task in resolving many contentious issues.[] Anybody who doubts the impact of philosophy on the life of the community need only consider the impact of the "Postmodernisms" as Dr. Rosenau terms them[]. I had difficulty understanding what they were trying to say until Dr. Rosenau pointed out that the more extreme versions of this thought arose from the lineage of Heidegger and Neitzsche[], whom I had encountered earlier in my academic career. (I didn't like those two all that much on the first round, and even less in their re-cycled versions).

Moral philosophy, with its focus on what constitutes right and wrong behavior, who should be held responsible for what and to whom, and how should society be structured, and group life shared, form the sub-structure of our life in community together, and our lives as individual participants. The insights of thinkers over the years color the very fabric of our thought and action, as do the new thoughts from current thinkers. Not only are thought sand arguments clarified, but whole systems of thought are constructed as we seek to make sense of life in all its changing dynamic.

I find it interesting that the most common top degree in the University system is "Ph.D." which stands for "Doctor of Philosophy". I guess it is assumed that whatever ones discipline, by the time one gets accepted as a trained learner, one will have learned how to think straight.

Historically, Philosophy broke away from Theology when thinkers in that discipline wanted to do their thinking without necessarily wanting to assume the centrality of God. Other disciplines then split off from Philosophy as they focused down on sub areas of life...like economics, the philosophy of money. But at the root of all the disciplines, there is philosophy, clear thinking. And for some of us, underlying philosophy is Theology, a view of life which assumes the presence of a creative Deity who made us and cares for us.

Further Resources

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