Philosophy for Life

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

In the contemporary teachings of philosophy, philosophy has become very much related to the philosophical concepts as well as the philosophical systems of the great thinkers argued in a sophisticated philosophical language. In other words, one might say that philosophy has become so much "technical." Naturally, it has become quite difficult to relate the philosophical concepts and the systems of the great thinkers to life itself. This course introduces the basic philosophical themes in relation to life, without heavily relying on philosophical concepts as well the history of philosophical thought. We will present, for instance, philosophical themes such as values, human, society, the idea of absolute, knowledge, being, truth, the nature of philosophical thinking, philosophy and science in regard to the personal existence of an individual. We will examine these philosophical issues under the guidance of two thinkers: A Polish Dominican logician Josef Maria Bochenski and a German existentialist philosopher Karl Theodor Jaspers. Each offers a different perspective on the same issue. Emphasis will be placed on attentive reading and discussion of the important points underlined in the class discussion and an in-depth understanding and evaluation of philosophical problems. We will also try to relate these philosophical problems to some current modern issues and daily life.