What is philosophy? Aristotle said that philosophy comes from doubt. In essence, "philosophy is a kind of thinking", through which we can "explain the essence of things" and "seek the ultimate reasons and conditions hidden in them". Philosophy is not far from us. The problem of philosophical research comes from our daily, routine and normal life experience. "If a theoretical book emphasizes content beyond your daily, routine and normal life experience, it is a scientific book. Otherwise it is a philosophy book. " Each of us will think about many philosophical problems, but not as deeply as philosophers. Even so, we should continue to think, because Socrates said more than 2,000 years ago that "an unexamined life is not worth living". By reading those great philosophical works, we can stand on the shoulders of giants and think about the questions that countless wise men have thought and answered. Maybe we will have a completely different attitude towards life!
The author believes that philosophers are those who can keep children's eyes fixed on the world and understand the significance of keeping these problems. It is precisely because they have this very rare ability that they can make great contributions to human thought. Philosophers are different from us because of their meticulous thinking: they can sort out all the sharpest questions that may be asked and then find out the answers carefully and clearly. Great philosophers can always sort out the complexity of life and see the simple differences-as long as they explain clearly, the originally difficult things become very simple. "What method do they use to find out the answer? Not to observe and explore, nor to find more experience than the average person, but to think more deeply about this problem than the average person. " The philosopher is great because he can explain it more vividly than other authors. It should be noted that "great philosophers have their own specific central ideas and principles behind his works". These central ideas and principles may or may not be clearly put forward in his works and need to be understood by readers in reading.
The questions that philosophers ask and want to answer are divided into two categories, which divide them into two main philosophical fields. One is philosophical theory or speculation, which studies theoretical issues, including: existence and change, inevitability and contingency, matter and immateriality, nature and unnatural, freedom and uncertainty, the strength of human mind and the nature and scope of human knowledge, and free will. Among them, discussing the existing problems belongs to metaphysics; It belongs to natural philosophy to discuss the evolution of characteristics and types, the conditions and reasons for changes; If we mainly discuss knowledge, about our cognition, the causes, scope and limitations of human knowledge, certainty and uncertainty, it belongs to epistemology (or epistemology).
The other is a philosophical norm, which studies practical problems, including: good and evil, right and wrong, the level of good deeds, obligations and responsibilities, virtue and crime, happiness and the goal of life, justice and justice in interpersonal relationship and social interaction, etiquette and interpersonal relationship, a good society and a fair government and a reasonable economy, war and peace. If it is about how to live a good life, the standards of good and evil in personal behavior are related to ethics; If it is about a good society, then the behavior between individuals and groups belongs to the category of politics or political philosophy.
Regarding the basic philosophical content of existence, the author summarizes the typical questions of the following philosophers in this research field: What is the difference between existence and non-existence? What are the similarities of all existing things? What are the characteristics of every existing thing? Do things exist in different ways-in different forms? Do some things exist only in the heart or only in the soul? And other things that exist outside the mind, do we all know, or can we know? Are all the things that exist concrete, or are there some things outside the concrete matter? Will everything change, or is there something that will never change? Is everything necessary to exist? Or should I say: what exists now does not necessarily exist forever? Is it possible to have more fields than the actual ones?
With regard to change or formation, the author summarizes the following philosophers' typical questions about this research field: What does change involve? In the process of every change, is there anything that persists? And is there any aspect of this unchangeable thing that needs to be changed? When you learn something you didn't know before, you change in some ways because you gain knowledge, but you are still the same person. Otherwise, you can't say that you have changed because of your study. Are all the changes like this? For example, is the same true for such great changes as life and death-that is, the arrival and disappearance of existence? Or just for some unimportant changes, such as the activity, growth or change of a certain texture in a certain area? How many different changes are there? Do all changes have the same basic elements or conditions? Do all these factors or conditions work? What is the reason for the change we are talking about? Are there different reasons for the change? Is the reason for change-or change-the same as the reason for existence?
These questions and classifications help us to clear our minds when reading philosophy books, so as not to be completely lost in the jungle of philosophy.
Great philosophers have adopted at least five ways of explanation, and the author summarizes the following five ways of expression:
? The first is dialogue. Asking questions and expressing arguments through conflicts of positions and viewpoints, such as Plato's dialogues, like our Analects, should be this style.
? The second is philosophical papers or essays. Philosophers directly describe their views, such as Aristotle's paper "Physics Metaphysics Ethics Politics Poetics" and Kant's works.
? The third is Thomas style. It is to ask questions first, then put forward the opposite answer, then deduce some arguments to support this wrong answer, then refute it with authoritative scriptures, and finally put forward your own answer.
? The fourth is mathematical organization. The most representative ones are Euclid, Descartes and Spinoza, who tried to put a mathematical coat on philosophy. Spinoza's ethics is expressed in a strict mathematical way, with propositions, proofs, systems, lemmas and marginal notes.
? The fifth is the form of aphorisms. As Nietzsche's Zarathustra said, Pascal's thought record.
"All great philosophical works can't find these five forms of writing. Of course, sometimes philosophers try more than one writing. Regardless of the past or present, philosophical papers or essays may be the most common forms, including the highest and most difficult works, such as Kant's books, and the most common philosophical papers. Dialogue forms are notoriously difficult to write, while geometric forms are both difficult to read and write. The form of aphorisms is by no means satisfactory to philosophers. Thomas form is a way that is rarely used in modern times. Perhaps this is also a way that modern readers don't like, but unfortunately this way has many benefits. "
With the above basic contents, we will be more conscious when reading philosophy books.
(2022. 1.6)