What is philosophy?

Philosophy is the study of a variety of fundamental questions about the nature of ourselves and the world we live in. These questions are very wide-ranging. What is common to all areas of philosophy is an emphasis on clarity and on precise, careful, rigorous arguments. Some parts of philosophy overlap with other academic disciplines, but rather than being in competition with these disciplines, philosophers seek to answer different kinds of questions. Philosophers also study the history of philosophy, and it is important to do so, but it is also important to realise that philosophy is a living academic discipline seeking to discover the answers to the questions that fall within its remit, just as other academic disciplines do.

Perhaps the best way to get a sense of what philosophy is about is to look at some of the questions that philosophers commonly seek to answer. Some questions that have received a lot of attention are indicated below, but there are many others, and the scope of philosophical work continues to change and expand as new puzzles emerge. 

Some philosophical questions concern the nature of reality. These fall under the broad heading of metaphysics. For example:

  • Can there be life after death?
  • Is the notion of time travel contradictory?
  • If we built a machine that acted just like a human being, would it think and feel just like a human being?
  • Are we free to choose our actions?
  • Is there a God?
  • Can science tell us everything?
  • What is a person? What does it mean to say that a person who exists at one time still exists at another time?

Some other questions concern knowledge, and fall under the heading of epistemology:

  • What is knowledge?
  • How can I have knowledge if my senses are fallible?
  • What is rationality?
  • How does science make progress (if indeed it does make progress)?

But not all philosophical questions concern such esoteric issues. Many concern people, and their lives. For example, in the field of ethics, philosophers consider questions relating to morality, such as:

  • Can we know the difference between right and wrong? If so, how is it possible to know this?
  • Is there a real difference between right and wrong? If so, what makes something right or wrong?
  • Do the consequences of an act always determine whether it is right or wrong?
  • Under what conditions is a person responsible for their actions?

Moral questions can also be much more specific, and sometimes also relate to issues that arise in political philosophy:

  • How should healthcare resources be distributed?
  • Under what conditions (if any) are abortion or euthanasia morally permissible?
  • To what extent should the state interfere in the lives of its citizens? And what gives it the authority to do so?
  • What is punishment, and how, when, and why should it be used?
  • Do non-human animals have rights?

There are philosophical questions about many other aspects of life. Here are just a few:

  • Are there really such categories as race and gender? If so, what exactly are they?
  • What are rights? Is the existence of extreme poverty a violation of human rights?
  • What are our obligations to future generations?
  • What is art?
  • Are there objective facts about beauty?
  • How do words come to have meanings? And how is it possible to communicate something true by saying something false?
  • What are concepts, and what role do they play in the development of our knowledge?

In addition to thinking carefully about fundamental questions such as these, philosophers also study logic. Logic is the study of correct reasoning, and the difference between good and bad arguments. A good argument is one in which, if we start with truths, the argument leads us only to other truths – never to falsehoods. Modern logic is very sophisticated and is taught from introductory to advanced levels at St Andrews.

As mentioned above, philosophers also study the history of philosophy, and its bearing on current debates. In St Andrews, the emphasis is on the history of western philosophy, with its roots in ancient Greece, its subsequent development through the medieval period, the rapid development of modern philosophy in the 17th and 18th centuries, and onward through the 19th and 20th centuries; but other philosophical traditions do also occasionally feature. The history of philosophy is taught through dedicated modules at all levels, though historical figures and views also sometimes feature in modules on contemporary philosophy, especially at introductory stages. 

If you are thinking about studying philosophy in St Andrews, it would also be a good idea to look through the details of the Philosophy MA course description.