Notes to the Introductory Philosophy Student
Philosophy is frequently categorized into various fields depending on the main topic under consideration. The fields really do overlap and there is always some debate among philosophers over how the discipline should be organized. For the purpose of learning about philosophy for the first time, it is useful to consider the traditional fields and to sample the types of problems found in them. As you read this please do not assume that you must memorize all that is said here or understand all of the issues covered. This piece is an overview and may main objective is to acquaint you with the kinds of problems that philosophers have typically deal with over the last three thousand years or so. Mostly I want to emphasize in each case the importance of reasoned thought as the philosophic mode of addressing topics. Philosophers are usually not satisfied with describing the world or relating a history, they seek to discover important truths. Among the truths that philosophers have long considered have to do with aspects of reality that are beyond common experience. Such aspects frequently fall under the philosophic field of metaphysics.