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It is more necessary to consider the value and usefulness of philosophy because most people have quite misleading conceptions of philosophy. Under the influence of science or practical affairs, they think that philosophy is an innocent but useless activity and nothing more. It consists of hair-splitting distinctions and controversies on matters concerning which knowledge is impossible. There are two reasons for this misconception of philosophy. A wrong conception of the ends of life A wrong conception of life according to which the needs of the body must be supplied but the mind does not need any food. According to it, science has value because it benefits not only students but human beings in general; Philosophy has not such a utility. It is not realized that besides the needs of the body, there are needs of the mind. It is not realized that even in the existing world the goods of the mind are at least as important as the goods of the body. If all men were well off, and ills s...

Human is social by nature; therefore, society is a normal background of the moral life of human beings. Virtue is knowledge. It means that insight into the nature of moral virtues is essential for becoming virtuous. Of course, mere knowledge of virtue is not enough. Humans cultivate virtues through the habit of performing obligatory and morally good actions. The good life is the life of virtues. Virtues - wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice Wisdom is the virtue of reason. It consists in knowing and mastering the non-rational elements viz. spirited element and passions. It includes knowledge, insight, and foresight based on that knowledge. It is unbookish knowledge/data/information only. It implies the active choice of values as against disvalues, or virtues as against vices. A man is wise in whom reason rules over the other impulses. Courage is the virtue of the spirited element. It must perform its heroic function within the limits set by reason. It is of two type...

We pass moral judgments on man's voluntary actions, his intentions or motives, and finally on his character. Thus, one of the objects of our moral judgment is the character of a human being. The character of a man is the organization of man's sentiments, qualities, attitudes, and habits. It is during the formation process and transformation. Though it is not fixed, it is permanent integration of psychological traits and moral virtues. Normative ethics , therefore, analyses the moral qualities or attributes, which constitute the moral character of a human being. Such qualities are called virtues. Etymologically, the word ‘vir’ means hero. The Sanskrit word ‘vira’ also means hero. Prof. P.B. Chatterjee in this connection writes The English word, ‘virtue’ corresponds to the Latin ‘virtus’ and Sanskrit ‘virya’ meaning valour or manliness, power, energy, or excellence. For the Greeks also, virtue indicates excellence. Virtues, thus, are good traits of the character and v...

Facts and Values Positive sciences are related to facts. Fact is related to 'what is'. The fact stands for things or events as they exist in a particular space and time. Facts and phenomena have no concealed significance beyond what they present to us in external experience. They are descriptive. Fact is something known to be true. It is a piece of information or reality. Facts satisfy our intellect. Normative science deals with values. It is concerned with 'what ought to be'. Values are something to be pursued in life. Values belong to the background of facts and they are recognized by consciousness. Values are prescriptive. They are evaluative. Values are over and above the framework of facts that is constituted by matter, space, time, and causality. Values are neither true nor false. Values satisfy our desires & aspirations. We become aware of the world of nature by sense and reason. Values do not exist in space and time like the objects of natur...

Ethics: A Theoretical science or practical science? Many Western thinkers believe that Ethics is not a practical science. Practical science teaches us to know how to do. It is concerned with means for the realization of a definite end. In this sense, medical science is a practical science as it points out how the ideal of good health can be achieved. Ethics is not a practical science as it gives us knowledge of guiding principles but does not tell us how to apply them. As per western thinkers, ethics teaches us to know "Only what to do, not how to do." However, in the Indian context, Ethics is a practical science. Different schools of Indian Philosophy prescribe the supreme end of life (mostly liberation) and prescribe the path to attain it. The ethics of Bhagawad Gita prescribes the duties of an individual. Bhagawad Gita teaches us to know "Not only what to do, but also how to do." Ethics is not an Art Ethics is concerned with conduct or behavi...

Ethics is a science Science is a systematic and more or less complete body of knowledge about a particular set of related events or objects. A scientific method has the steps of accurate observations, classification, and explanation. Ethics aims at a systematic explanation of its subject matter. It systematically aims at an explanation of rightness and wrongness in human conduct about ideals. It systematically classifies our actions into voluntary, involuntary, moral, non-moral, and evaluates them. Ethics is a normative science Every individual has three faculties viz. Cognitive, Affective, and Conative (knowing, feeling, and willing or acting). Human beings seek knowledge and they try to apprehend Truth. They have emotions and they try to create Beauty or harmony. Human beings have the will to transcend facts and they try to realize Good. Thus, there are 3 ideals in human life corresponding to the three aspects of human nature. Truth, Beauty and Good are the Supreme Ide...

Philosophy arises from the individual wonder about this universe. Philosophy is the speculation about the empirical as well as the transcendental world. Ethics is a branch of philosophy that arises from the curiosity about the values involved in human behavior. Human conduct is a chain of voluntary actions. It implies the inherent and intense desire for higher ideals. All activities, determined by ends, are related to Ethics . Ethics investigates the nature of human conduct accordingly. The ultimate goal of the quest of human life is usually mentioned by words like The Good, the Highest Good, the Supreme Good or End, Summum Bonum, etc. Ethics is the practical application of human reasoning. It is related to the existence of the individual in this world and his quest for supreme ideals. Ethics as a normative science evaluates human conduct with Summum Bonum of life and declares the actions as good or bad, as of right or wrong. The question arises whether Ethics is a ...

Meaning of Philosophy The word ‘ Philosophy ’ involves two Greek words – Philo meaning love and Sophia meaning knowledge. Thus literally speaking, philosophy means love of wisdom. Human is a rational animal. The desire for knowledge arises from this rational nature of humans. Philosophy is an attempt to satisfy this very reasonable desire. Philosophy signifies a natural and necessary urge in human beings to know themselves and the world in which they live, move, and have their being. Man can't live without a philosophy. The choice is not ‘between metaphysic and no metaphysic; it is between a good metaphysic and a bad metaphysic.’ The origin of Philosophy Philosophy arises from wonder. Man experiences rains and drought, storms, clouds, lightning. At times, he is greatly terrified. Then the events of life and death mystify him. He begins to reflect on the events. The sun, moon, and the stars appear to him wonderful and beautiful. As a result of his reflection, he thinks that...

The study of Reality underlying the phenomenal world.  Philosophy is the study of ultimate Reality. We know this world with the help of our sense organs. We also know that many times our sense organs cannot provide the correct information. Philosophy aims at understanding the fundamental nature of reality behind our experiences. It inquires like such concepts as Matter, Self, God, Space, Time which are not known directly. Philosophy tries to know the essence of the worldly objects. All worldly objects seem to be appearances. They are glimpses of reality. Philosophy seeks the transcendental, Absolute reality behind these worldly objects. As the light changes the color of the objects too changes. The question arises ‘What is the true color of the objects?’ There must be something that exists, irrespective of all these variations. Philosophy aims at knowing the Reality which is expressed through different experiences. A synoptic view Philosophy is the most generalized...

Human is a rational animal. He/She cannot live in the chaos of unexplained, isolated events. The whole world then becomes alien to him. Human has instinctively intense desire to reflect upon ultimate truth. The search into the nature of reality has two aspects – understanding and practicing. He/She wants to bring coordination among the various experiences that he/she comes across throughout his/her life. Philosophy helps in understanding the significance of all experiences. A person does not want to live in chaos man wants to know oneself. Similarly, he/she also wants to know the world in which one is living: what is the true world in which one is living? what is the true nature of the world? What is the relation between a man and society? How is the world originated? What are the aims and objectives of one's life? What is knowledge? Or what is the world? These are some of the fundamental problems with which philosophy deals? Philosophy tries to understand the universe in whi...