The Three Pillars of Philosophy

Written By Colēgia

Philosophy gives us the opportunity to question different aspects of our lives in a helpful context. This can allow us to see new perspectives and gain an overall healthier worldview. Within philosophy, there are three major questions that it tries to answer. Today we want to cover what these are and how they fit into our lives.

What is Knowledge?

Knowledge in the typical sense can be defined as “facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject.” Philosophy seeks to change the way we view knowledge in a manner that promotes critical thinking. One good thing to consider is whether we feel that knowledge is absolute or is it completely subjective? This is important to think about as there are many things that we accept as facts such as formulas for a scientific equation or measurement. There are equally as many things that could be considered more subjective such as the “rules” of art or writing that we are taught. For some, we may view this as a baseline for these ideas to know how to properly use them. Being mindful of how we use knowledge is good as there is often a blend of ideas that are considered fixed while others are malleable.

“Philosophy seeks to change the way we view knowledge in a manner that promotes critical thinking.”

How Should we Conduct Ourselves?

This pillar of philosophy dives into the ethical and moral nature of ourselves as human beings and how we should behave. Morality is a complicated subject and in many ways, there are things that are very commonly accepted as good and bad. There are however gray areas that don't always have a proper answer to them and rely on many different variables. In some cases, what is morally correct or fine for one person could be considered wrong to another. Philosophy dares to ask whether many of these ideas exist only because of the historical and cultural influences of our past, or are they considered absolute? This isn't something that necessarily has an answer although we can use a historical perspective to help explain why things are the way that they are, along with deconstructing behaviors and patterns of beliefs.

“This pillar of philosophy dives into the ethical and moral nature of ourselves as human beings and how we should behave.”

How Should we Govern Ourselves?

The last major pillar of philosophy delves into the structure and organization of how we govern ourselves as people. Given how many countries there are, there are equally as many forms of structures within them. This can also extend down to the individual as well, smaller communities may have a focus on different elements within them that may be harder to address once it has gotten larger. For instance, when running something such as a school club, the organization, and structure within it needs to be mindful of both the existing members while also trying to appeal to newer ones if growth or expansion is a goal. A larger club may be more focused on sustaining it via new activities or by trying to tighten the bond between the members in it. Being able to critically look at the structure of something is good as it can help us identify inequalities or issues that need to be addressed.

Colēgia

Colēgia

Previous

Succeeding Socially
Next

Using Metacognition Effectively