PHILOSOPHY AND
ETHICS
,Inhoud
1. Introduction to Philosophy and Brief History.....................................................................................2
2. Introduction to Philosophy of Science................................................................................................5
3. Introduction to Philosophy of Biology................................................................................................8
4. Introduction to Neurophilosophy.....................................................................................................13
5. Science, values and ethics................................................................................................................14
6. What is ethics? Two ethical theories................................................................................................17
7. Virtue ethics and ‘responsible’ science.............................................................................................19
1
, 1. Introduction to Philosophy and Brief History
What is philosophy?
Thinking human being that thinks about deep questions. There are many reason why to do
philosophy and many ways to do philosophy. Start in wonder (origin) about the world or nature etc.
Also doubt, like doubting about everything (how do I that I can trust my senses etc). Also what is
meaning of science or life etc. Mortality where philosophy starts also (awareness of being a human).
The will to know, intelligence. Very personal. Philosophy is love of humans/ wisdom. “Begeerte naar
wijsheid”.
A Greek invention, which has significantly determined our Western technoscientific culture.
The world we live, is just one model of reality, one particular set of adaptive choices, there are other
ways of thinking, of being, of orienting yourself on the Earth.
Socrates
- Philosophy is not wisdom but a desire or longing [eros] for wisdom. They desire
truth/wisdom. Philosophy is for Socrates more like erotic.
- Socratic (= self-aware) ignorance (self-aware ignorance). The one who seeks to knows.
Wondering, doubting..
- Quest for true knowledge, instead of illusory knowledge [pseudos] and opinions [doxa].
- Philosophy started off as a struggle with the sophists: bluffers those not interested in truth
but in something else (money, power, fame, influence, etc.).
- Philosophy is essential opposed to sophistical.
Socrates: The unexamined life (or the life that does not look critically at itself) is not work living. We
need to question ourselves. Know and take care of thyself. Goal: a good, a true and a beautiful life.
Philosophical questions
Philosophy always asks the ‘what’ questions. What or essence of phenomena:
- What is truth?
o A thought between thinking and reality. About the essence of truth
- What is time?
o Still not sure what time is
- What is space?
- What is matter?
- What is life?
o Important for biologist, what is the essence of life
- What is humanity?
Questioning the implicit presuppositions of our thinking and reasoning, such as
- Our sense are a reliable source of knowledge
- The world (cosmos) is intelligible (can be known, because no-one ever has proved it what
cosmos is)
- The human is a free creature (possesses free will)
The human
Human: rational animal (animal rationale, zoon logon (speak) echon). Every human is a philosopher
by nature?? The human is a being that can be put him- or herself and the world at large in question.
And the human is a creature that wants more than it can do, and that can do more than it may (W.
Wickler).
4 fundamental questions (I. Kant)
- What can I know (science)
2
ETHICS
,Inhoud
1. Introduction to Philosophy and Brief History.....................................................................................2
2. Introduction to Philosophy of Science................................................................................................5
3. Introduction to Philosophy of Biology................................................................................................8
4. Introduction to Neurophilosophy.....................................................................................................13
5. Science, values and ethics................................................................................................................14
6. What is ethics? Two ethical theories................................................................................................17
7. Virtue ethics and ‘responsible’ science.............................................................................................19
1
, 1. Introduction to Philosophy and Brief History
What is philosophy?
Thinking human being that thinks about deep questions. There are many reason why to do
philosophy and many ways to do philosophy. Start in wonder (origin) about the world or nature etc.
Also doubt, like doubting about everything (how do I that I can trust my senses etc). Also what is
meaning of science or life etc. Mortality where philosophy starts also (awareness of being a human).
The will to know, intelligence. Very personal. Philosophy is love of humans/ wisdom. “Begeerte naar
wijsheid”.
A Greek invention, which has significantly determined our Western technoscientific culture.
The world we live, is just one model of reality, one particular set of adaptive choices, there are other
ways of thinking, of being, of orienting yourself on the Earth.
Socrates
- Philosophy is not wisdom but a desire or longing [eros] for wisdom. They desire
truth/wisdom. Philosophy is for Socrates more like erotic.
- Socratic (= self-aware) ignorance (self-aware ignorance). The one who seeks to knows.
Wondering, doubting..
- Quest for true knowledge, instead of illusory knowledge [pseudos] and opinions [doxa].
- Philosophy started off as a struggle with the sophists: bluffers those not interested in truth
but in something else (money, power, fame, influence, etc.).
- Philosophy is essential opposed to sophistical.
Socrates: The unexamined life (or the life that does not look critically at itself) is not work living. We
need to question ourselves. Know and take care of thyself. Goal: a good, a true and a beautiful life.
Philosophical questions
Philosophy always asks the ‘what’ questions. What or essence of phenomena:
- What is truth?
o A thought between thinking and reality. About the essence of truth
- What is time?
o Still not sure what time is
- What is space?
- What is matter?
- What is life?
o Important for biologist, what is the essence of life
- What is humanity?
Questioning the implicit presuppositions of our thinking and reasoning, such as
- Our sense are a reliable source of knowledge
- The world (cosmos) is intelligible (can be known, because no-one ever has proved it what
cosmos is)
- The human is a free creature (possesses free will)
The human
Human: rational animal (animal rationale, zoon logon (speak) echon). Every human is a philosopher
by nature?? The human is a being that can be put him- or herself and the world at large in question.
And the human is a creature that wants more than it can do, and that can do more than it may (W.
Wickler).
4 fundamental questions (I. Kant)
- What can I know (science)
2
