Name the 5 most important ideas in philosophy.

[jay gw]

What in your opinion are the 5 most significant, valuable and impacting concepts in philosophy 1. to philosophers and 2. to the general lay public -- in order of importance?

For example, people use Plato's allegory of the cave to describe perception of the world or the illusion of knowing. Kant's categorical imperative for questions on whether an action is moral or not. Those are two that I hear so often they must be known to a wide audience even those that never study philosophy. This doesn't include a body of work -- it's specific single ideas only.



Concept

[SIZE=-1]A specific thought. [/SIZE]
An opinion, conviction, or principle.
[SIZE=-1]An abstract, universal idea, notion or entity that serves to designate a category or class of entities, events or relations.

[/SIZE]

 

[Bodhi Dharma Zen]

Is this your school homework?

 

[American]

1. To perpetuate the field of philosophy

2.

3.

4.

5.

 

[kmortis]

What in your opinion are the 5 most significant, valuable and impacting concepts in philosophy 1. to philosophers and 2. to the general lay public -- in order of importance?

For example, people use Plato's allegory of the cave to describe perception of the world or the illusion of knowing. Kant's categorical imperative for questions on whether an action is moral or not. Those are two that I hear so often they must be known to a wide audience even those that never study philosophy. This doesn't include a body of work -- it's specific single ideas only.



Concept

[SIZE=-1]A specific thought. [/SIZE]
An opinion, conviction, or principle.
[SIZE=-1]An abstract, universal idea, notion or entity that serves to designate a category or class of entities, events or relations.

[/SIZE]

The Law of Fives. Quite simply put the single most important concept to understanding the Mysteries of the Universe(tm)

 

[EdipisReks]

1. No

2. No

3. No

4. No

5. No

 

[Anti_Hypeman]

1. Dont fake the funk on a nasty dunk

 

[TragicMonkey]

1. The idea that our perceptions are only a reflection and interpretation of reality, and can be wrong.
2. That the root of suffering is desire.
3. This, too, shall pass.
4. Carpe diem
5. Store brand cereal and shampoo are just as good as the name brands they imitate. Check the ingredients and see if there's a difference.

 

[Melendwyr]

Hmmm...

1) Aristotle produces the first formalizations of reasoning.
2) Godel proves that not only can no consistent mathematical system be complete, but that no consistent system can prove its own consistency.
3) Turing connects "physical" and theoretical computation.

 

[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

1. Free will.
2. The knowledge argument.
3. Epiphenomenalism.
4. The dichotomy between materialism and idealism.
5. Interesting Ian.

~~ Paul

 

[kmortis]

1. Free will.
2. The knowledge argument.
3. Epiphenomenalism.
4. The dichotomy between materialism and idealism.
5. Interesting Ian.

~~ Paul

Paul,
Is #5 the antiesis of #'s 1-4?

Just trying to determine if you follow Kant or not

 

[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

Oh no, Kmortis, I was just listing five metaphysical things that all seem silly to me.

~~ Paul

 

[Luke T.]

For example, people use Plato's allegory of the cave to describe perception of the world or the illusion of knowing.

This is a good one to remember when reading about QED.

 

[RandFan]

1.) That at the end of the day it is all academic and you still have to act as if you do in fact exist and deal with the demands of life no matter what your philosophy is even if there is no you and there is no life. The only other options are to be put in a persistent vegetative state, to be unconscious for some period of time (after which you are back at square one) or you must die.

ETA: I didn't mean for this to sound so bleak. By all means enjoy life as much as you can.

 

[jay gw]

The knowledge argument.

Why is this one important?

Dictionary of philosophy

The knowledge argument goes as follows:

1. If physicalism is true, then one can know all the facts there are just in virtue of knowing all the physical facts.
2. What it is like to have subjective experiences --such as of the color red-- is a fact one cannot know just in virtue of knowing all the physical facts.
3. Therefore, physicalism is false.

?

 

[Z]

1. No matter what you think you know, you still need food, water, shelter, sleep, a place to relieve yourself that won't contaminate any of the prior four, and safety. If your philosophy doesn't help you acquire these things, that philosophy is meaningless.

There is no 2-5.

 

[RandFan]

1. No matter what you think you know, you still need food, water, shelter, sleep, a place to relieve yourself that won't contaminate any of the prior four, and safety. If your philosophy doesn't help you acquire these things, that philosophy is meaningless.

There is no 2-5.

I couldn't have said it better myself. In fact I didn't. You know, I've got to stop trying to win the language award and simply say what I mean.

 

[Batman Jr.]

1. No matter what you think you know, you still need food, water, shelter, sleep, a place to relieve yourself that won't contaminate any of the prior four, and safety. If your philosophy doesn't help you acquire these things, that philosophy is meaningless.

There is no 2-5.

If there is no two through five, then I shall call mine six:

6) The "meaningless" philosophy will retort that a philosophy of survival possesses no more meaning because survival is also "meaningless."

 

[Z]

If there is no two through five, then I shall call mine six:

6) The "meaningless" philosophy will retort that a philosophy of survival possesses no more meaning because survival is also "meaningless."

...that is, if the "meaningless" philosopher isn't eaten by a sabertooth tiger, first.

 

[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

Why is this one important?

Dictionary of philosophy

The knowledge argument goes as follows:

1. If physicalism is true, then one can know all the facts there are just in virtue of knowing all the physical facts.
2. What it is like to have subjective experiences --such as of the color red-- is a fact one cannot know just in virtue of knowing all the physical facts.
3. Therefore, physicalism is false.

It rides on the definitions of fact and knowing. Read up on Mary and the black & white room:

http://host.uniroma3.it/progetti/kant/field/ka.html

The Mary thought experiment seems critically broken to me.

~~ Paul

 

[Batman Jr.]

...that is, if the "meaningless" philosopher isn't eaten by a sabertooth tiger, first.

But there is no meaning to survival, so it follows that a philosophy wouldn't provide advantage in meaning only for the reason that it provides advantage in survival.