Philosophy Fundamentals (What is the P-Zombie? -Series)

Part 1 in “What is the P-Zombie? – Series

(TAKE QUIZ AT END TO SCORE LUMENS.)

To understand the Philosophical Zombie, you must learn some philosophy fundamentals!

The Philosophy of Mind studies the mind and its relationship to the body.

The term philosophy is from the Greek philosophia. It means ‘love of wisdom.’

Encyclopedia Britannica defines philosophy as the rational, abstract, and methodical consideration of reality as a whole or of fundamental dimensions of human existence and experience.

Philosophical Thinking teaches one to think methodically.

Think of the scientific method – the systematic approach that researchers take to analyzing data.

Philosophies can vary widely and discuss literally everything and anything! How do we know we are not living in a dream? Why is a chair a chair? If I leave the room, does the chair still exist?

Philosophy can be divided into 4 areas:

Logic – is the study of the rules of reasoning and thought. Good arguments are grounded in LOGIC.

Epistemology – is the study of justified belief and knowledge. The consideration of perceptions and minds can fall into this category.

Metaphysics – is the study of the ultimate nature of reality. This includes big questions like, “Do we have free will? And, is there a God?”

Axiology – is the study of value, such as ethics and aesthetics. This is the domain of philosophy that considers how we should live…

The unexamined life is not worth living.
Socrates

As you will learn, the P-Zombie, or Philosophical Zombie for which Zombie Buzz Coffee was named, is a topic that analyzes within the Philosophy of Mind domain. It is a study in epistemology.