| Reading for Philosophical Inquiry: A Brief Introduction to Philosophical Thinking ver. 0.21; An Open Source Reader | ||
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How adequate is the definition of philosophy proosed in this chapter? What kinds of philosophical inquiry are omitted by this definition?
Sometimes the distinction between science and philosophy is made by noting that philosophy attempts to answer the question "Why?," and science attempts to answer the question "How?" What do you think is the essential difference between a "why-question" and a "how-question"? Is there a difference in the kinds of answers which would satisfy each kind of question? Is the difference between why-questions and how-questions the same as the difference between arguments and explanations?
If everything in the universe were to grow proportionally one-thousand times larger, would we be able to detect it?
Does one have the obligation to be a hero? Does one have the obligation to be a saint? Discuss whether of not the needs of others should always be put before one's own.
Which is more fundamental: beauty in nature or beauty in art? E.g., is a sunset beautiful because it is "just like" a painting or is a painting beautiful because it is "just like" a sunset?