A common view among philosophers is that philosophy is distinguished by the ways that philosophers follow in addressing philosophical questions. 3. Here, we do not intend to criticize positivist ideas, which are the basis of such fantasies, and in comparative discussions these will become more or less familiar. We propose a 3-level taxonomy of philosophical inquiry to guide nursing curricula and research development. Even if induction is considered valid by way of the probability calculus, it will still need deduction. Another element of a philosophical method is to formulate questions to be answered or problems to be solved. Philosophical method (or philosophical methodology) is the study of how to do philosophy. Doing philosophy is about the journey, the process, as much as it is about the destination, the conclusion. There is a famous problem which has been raised regarding deduction. Philosophical method is the study of how to do philosophy. A point which must be mentioned here is that in analogy and induction there is a hidden form of deduction, but nevertheless, in the cases of analogy and incomplete induction this deduction does not constitute a proof and is of no use for obtaining certainty. This so-called testing may or may not use mathematical tools. In many ways, any attempts to formulate a philosophical method that provides the ultimate constituents of reality, a metaphysics, can be considered systematic philosophy. Inference from particulars to another particular, that is, when two subjects are similar to one another and a judgment about one of them is known, we may infer the same judgment about the other, on the basis of the similarity which exists between the two of them. This, therefore, indicates that philosophy is a quest for arguments. And this is the first impulse of the work of the philosopher: doubt; Suspect things or beliefs that are taken for granted. In logical terms this is called tamthil (analogy) and in the terminology of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) it is called qiyas. The hidden deduction of analogy is this: this judgment is true for one of the similar objects, and every judgment which is true of one of a pair of similar objects is also true of the other. Evolutionary progress was especially hastened since the time of Francis Bacon, who emphasized the empirical method. They even imagine that the problems of theology, fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and morals must be investigated by this method. There is not just one method that philosophers use to answer philosophical questions. The philosophical method of inquiry is based on the logical analysis of our thoughts. The working assumption is that the more clearly the question or problem is stated, the easier it is to identify critical issues. It should be noted that this topic requires further explanation and investigation; and some of principles of classical logic are debatable, while we have merely indicated the materials necessary to the extent required to dispel some fantasies in this regard. • Argument (logic) … To learn about our use of cookies and how you can manage your cookie settings, please see our Cookie Policy. Sometimes it yields certainty, as in deductive proofs and complete induction, and sometimes it does not bring certainty, as in rhetorical and polemical deductions, analogy and incomplete induction. 1.2 Characterization of Philosophy One reasonably good beginning characterization of philosophy is that philos-ophy is the sustained inquiry into the principles and presuppositions of any eld of inquiry. Despite the advantages which the rational method has over the empirical method, it is not applicable to all sciences, and likewise, the empirical method has its own specific scope and cannot be applied to philosophy and mathematics. From this, it becomes clear how weak the position is of those who confuse the ranges of the empirical and rational methods and who try to establish the superiority of the empirical method over the rational method, and who imagine that the ancient philosophers only used the rational method, and that it is for this reason that they were unable to make successful scientific discoveries. One might think of arguments as bundles of reasons — often not just a list, but logically interconnected statements — followed by the claim they are reasons for. It is obvious that the mere similarity of two things does not imply that the common judgment about them is certain, and thus, analogy is of no use for obtaining certainty and has no scientific worth. This sort of problem must be solved by the rational method and by reliance on rational self-evident propositions. © Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project 1995-2020. On the other hand, the problems which are related to immaterial things can never be solved by means of sensory experience, nor can they be denied by the empirical sciences. Philosophical inquiry is a quest for answers in philosophical problems. You will need to follow the instructions in that message in order to gain full access to the site. an attempt to draw an outline of Upanishadic methods of inquiry in Indian philosophical tradition. Secondly, it is incorrect to consider the empirical method as the opposite of the deductive method. Philosophers are, or at least are expected to be, very good at giving arguments. Phenomenology: A Philosophy and Method of Inquiry Sadruddin Bahadur Qutoshi Karakorum International University, Pakistan sadruddin.qutoshi@kiu.edu.pk Abstract Phenomenology as a philosophy and a method of inquiry is not limited to an approach to knowing, it is rather an intellectual engagement in interpretations and meaning It encourages a look into the subconscious to find the answers to life's questions. A validation e-mail has been sent to your e-mail address. The first philosophers claimed that only doubt and wonder could start the path to wisdom. The philosophical method of inquiry is sometimes called the Socratic Method. Inference from universals to a particular, that is, first a predicate is proved for a universal subject and on the basis of this the judgment about the particulars of that subject becomes clear. At the very least, the possibility would remain that in the past or in the future there could be instances of that essence. Read reviews from world’s largest community for readers. The scholars of logic have answered that a judgment for a major premise may be known in summary form, but in the conclusion it becomes known in detail. Lesson 8: The Method of Philosophical Inquiry. If you regularly visit this site and wish to show your appreciation, or if you wish to see further development of Al-Islam.org, please donate online. However, taking the empirical method to be the opposite of the rational method is based on considering the rational method to be limited to the deductive method where the only premises are those of pure reason. Meditation on the problems of mathematics and the ways of solving them shows how useful deduction is, for the method of mathematics is that of deduction, and if this method were not useful, none of the problems of mathematics could be solved on the basis of mathematical principles. Unrecognized Email or Password, please try again. 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