Introduction to Philosophy.
What is Philosophy? The value of philosophy?
Philosophy is an activity undertaken to seek fundamental truths about knowledge, the reality about ourselves, the world which we reside in and in relationships that exist between people and the world. Philosophy provides value to the mind, guides our thoughts into viewing the world in its practicality to free us from all prejudicial practical thinking that binds one to a simple thought, beliefs. The value of philosophy aims at knowledge and finding truths in subject areas that have no definite answers. Logic is induced in philosophical thinking as it can be utilized to show unsuspected possibilities and achieving the greatness of the things it contemplates.
What can we know?
Knowledge poses the question of what one can know. However, knowledge among people is limited to the things that they already know and is bound to their beliefs and knowledges (Pojman 192). Foundationalism concerns the philosophical theory of knowledge in which its basis is upon the justified belief that rests upon a secure foundation of being certain. An empiristic approach to the philosophy of knowledge holds that human behavior is governed by passion, not by reason. The approach asserts that humans have knowledge of what they experience and their relation to ideas and that human reasoning is inherently contradictory.
How do we know the truth?
Pragmatism on truth should be favoured as denial of the notion that a yes/no answer in the correspondence theory of truth. A holistic view is best suited for a society. Rationality influences our opinions and is a reflection of one's temperaments. Sentiments form the basis of rationality and concepts are as a result of what affects us. Logic is evident in rationale thinking and ordinary life and should be used to verify the truth. Cognitive relativism impedes the possibility of knowing the truths and justifiable truths as contentious claims as no theses can fail to attain the required standards of adequacy or be judged as false (Siegel 14).
Does God exist?
Philosophers like Pojman, an atheist, argue that God does not exist, and their arguments are centered on the existence of God rather than proving that God is non-existent arguing that one cannot prove that something does not exist. Cosmological arguments support and assert the existence of God backed by facts from motion, change, and cause with respect to the universe (Aquinas 17). Acceptance of theories of the universe existence and scientific explanation for occurrences strongly indicates the presence of God as the Doer of such events. Ontological arguments support Gods presence supporting that the acknowledgement of God proves that God exists, and it is self-contradictory to argue against His existence.
References
Pojman, Louis. "The theory of knowledge: classical and contemporary readings." (1999).
Siegel, Harvey. Relativism refuted: A critique of contemporary epistemological relativism. Vol. 189. Springer Science & Business Media, 2013.
Rowe, William L. The cosmological argument. Fordham Univ Press, 1998.
