The nature of philosophical problems. Specificity and structure of philosophical knowledge

Philosophy seeks to reveal the essence of things in their primordial form without the shadow of mysticism. It helps a person find answers to those questions that are of special importance to him. The nature of philosophical problems begins with the search for the meaning of life. Historically, the first forms of the world view are mythology and religion. The highest form of perception of the world is philosophy. Spiritual activity presupposes the formulation and analysis of questions of eternity, helps a person find his place in the world, talks about death and God, about the motives of actions and thoughts.

The subject of philosophy

Terminology defines philosophy as "love of wisdom." But this does not mean that any person can be a philosopher. An important condition is knowledge, which requires a high level of intellectual development. Simple people can be philosophers only at the lowest everyday level of their existence. Plato believed that a real thinker can not become, they can only be born. The subject of philosophy is the knowledge of the existence of the world and its understanding for the sake of finding new knowledge. The main goal is the comprehension of the world. Specificity and structure of philosophical knowledge determines the essential moments inherent in the teaching:

• Eternal philosophical problems. Considered in the general spatial concept. Allocation of the material and ideal world.
• Analysis of the problems. Questions about the theoretical possibility of cognition of the world are considered. Search for static true knowledge in a changeable world.
• Study of the issues of the existence of the public. Social philosophy is highlighted in a separate section of philosophical teaching. Attempts to find out the place of a person at the level of world consciousness.
• Activity of spirit or person? Who rules the world? The subject of philosophy is the study of essential knowledge useful for the development of human intelligence and raising awareness of earthly existence.

Functions of philosophy

The specifics and structure of philosophical knowledge can not be fully disclosed without clarifying the functions of the teaching. All theses are interrelated and can not exist separately:

• World outlook . It presupposes attempts to explain the abstract world with the help of theoretical knowledge. It gives an opportunity to come to the notion of "objective truth".
• Methodological . Philosophy uses a combination of different methods for a full study of the question of being.
• Prognostic . The main emphasis is on existing scientific knowledge. The formulation is guided by hypotheses about the origin of the world and assumes their further development within the environment.
• Historical . Schools of theoretical thinking and wise teaching preserve the dynamics of the progressive formation of new ideologies from leading thinkers.
• Critical . The fundamental principle is used about the exposure of all that is in doubt. Has a positive value in historical development, since it helps to detect inaccuracies and errors in time.
• Axiological . This function determines the entire world existence from the point of view of established value orientations of various kinds (ideological, social, moral and others). The most vivid manifestation of axiological function is found in times of historical stagnation, crisis or war. Transitional moments make it possible to clearly identify the most important values from existing ones. The nature of philosophical problems considers the preservation of the main as the basis for further development.
• Social . This function is designed to unite members of the society according to certain characteristics into groups and subgroups. The development of collective goals helps to translate into reality global ideological ideals. Right thoughts can change the course of history in any direction.

The problems of philosophy

Any kind of worldview first of all regards the world as an object. The basis is the study of the structural state, limitation, origin. Philosophy of one of the first began to be interested in issues of human origin. Other sciences and theories did not even exist in the theoretical concept. Any model of the world requires any axioms, which the first thinkers made on the basis of personal experience and natural observations. The philosophical foreshortening of the coexistence of man and nature helps to realize the general meaning of the universe in the direction of development. Even natural science can not give answers to this philosophical worldview. The nature of eternal problems is as relevant today as it was three thousand years ago.

Structure of philosophical knowledge

The progressive development of philosophy over time has complicated the structure of knowledge. Gradually, new sections appeared that became independent currents with their own program. Since the foundation of the philosophical doctrine more than 2500 years have passed, therefore there are a lot of additional points in the structure. New ideologies are emerging to this day. The nature of philosophical problems and the main question of philosophy are as follows:

• Ontology . He studies the principles of the world order from the very beginning.
• Epistemology . He considers the theory of knowledge and features of philosophical problems.
• Anthropology . He studies man as a resident of the planet and a member of the world.
• Ethics . Affects an in-depth study of morality and morality.
• Aesthetics . He uses artistic thinking as a form of transformation and development of the world.
• Axiology . In detail, he considers value guidelines.
• Logic . The doctrine of the thinking process as the engine of progress.
• Social philosophy. Historical development of society as a structural unit with its own laws and forms of observation.

Where can I find answers to common questions?

The nature of philosophical problems seeks answers to general questions. The section on "Ontology" deals most fully with the problem, which tries to find the definition of the most important category of study - the concept of "being". In everyday life this word is used extremely rarely, most often it is replaced by the usual term "existence". The nature of philosophical problems consists in ascertaining the fact that the world exists, it is the habitat of the human race and all living things. Also, the world has a stable state and an unchanging structure, an orderly way of life, established principles.

Eternal questions of life

Based on philosophical knowledge, the following interrogative moments develop:

1. The world has always existed?
2. Is it infinite?
3. The planet will always exist and nothing will happen to it?
4. Due to what force do new people of the world appear and exist?
5. Are there many worlds or is it unique?

Theory of knowledge

What section of philosophy deals with knowledge issues? There is a special discipline, responsible for the knowledge of man by the world, - gnoseology. Thanks to this theory, a person can independently study the world and make attempts to find himself in the structure of world being. The available knowledge is studied in accordance with other theoretical concepts. Having studied what section of philosophy deals with the issues of cognition, it is possible to draw the corresponding conclusions: gnoseology studies the measures of motion from complete ignorance to partial knowledge. It is the problems of this section of the teaching that are of paramount importance in philosophy as a whole.

Methods of Philosophy

Like other sciences, philosophy takes its roots from the practical activities of mankind. The philosophical method is a system of techniques for mastering and understanding reality:

1. Materialism and idealism. Two contradictory theories. Materialism believes that everything arose from a certain substance, idealism - everything is spirit.
2. Dialectics and metaphysics. Dialectics determines the principles, patterns and characteristics of cognition. Metaphysics considers the situation only from one side.
3. Sensationalism. For the basis of knowledge, feelings and sensations are taken. And an absolute role is given in the process.
4. Rationalism . Considers the mind as a tool for learning new things.
5. Irrationalism . Methodological action, which denies the status of the mind in the process of cognition.

Philosophy unites all methods and wise men who propagandize their thoughts. It acts as one general method that helps in the cognition of the world.

Specificity of philosophical knowledge

The nature of philosophical problems has a dual meaning. Features of knowledge have a number of distinctive features:

• Philosophy has much in common with scientific knowledge, but it is not a pure science. Uses the fruits of scientists to achieve their goals - comprehension of the world.
• You can not call philosophy a practical teaching. Knowledge is built on general theoretical knowledge that does not have clear boundaries.
• Integrates all sciences, looking for important aspects to obtain the desired result.
• It is based on primitive basic concepts derived from the accumulation of human experience throughout life.
• Philosophy can not be fully assessed objectively, since each new theory bears the imprint of the thoughts of a particular philosopher and his personal qualities that created an ideological current. Also in the writings of the sages is reflected the historical stage in which the formation of the theory took place. It is possible to trace the progress of the age through the teachings of philosophers.
• Knowledge can act as an artistic, intuitive or religious.
• Each following ideology is a confirmation of the doctrines of previous thinkers.
• Philosophy is inexhaustible and eternal in its essence.

Awareness of being as a problem

Being means everything in the world. The existence of being is determined by the question: "Is it?" Non-existence also exists, otherwise the whole world would stand still and never move. Everything comes from non-existence and goes there, based on a philosophical worldview. The nature of philosophical problems determines the essence of being. In the world, everything changes and flows, so you can not deny the existence of a certain concept, where everything comes from and where everything disappears.