Questions on Philosophy

[alec3000]

Hi, I have a few questions for anyone trained in philosophy or who knows about this subject.
I have been teaching myself about basic philosophy for several years. I’ve read about a lot of the teachings of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas and I want to learn more while keeping my ideas within the framework of the Catholic faith. Unfortunately, however, I don’t have the time to officially major in philosophical studies since I will be pursuing a degree in computer science up to the doctorate level within the next 10 years.

So, I have a few concerns:
–If I have no degree in philosophy, would it be inappropriate for me to write books about the subject in the future as an amateur, even if I learn most of it by myself?
–How can I advance in the area of philosophy on an in-depth level on my own?
–Would it be prudent to specialize in a certain area since philosophy is such a broad category? (such as philosophy of mind?)
–Are there different guidelines for philosophy and theology?

I would really appreciate it if anyone can help me. Thanks!!

 

[GEddie]

–If I have no degree in philosophy, would it be inappropriate for me to write books about the subject in the future as an amateur, even if I learn most of it by myself?

Anybody can write about anything. Just don’t be surprised if you haave trouble finding a readership, as these days even “credentialed” philosophers may have trouble doing that.

ICXC NIKA

 

[JohnDamian]

It is absolutely fine to teach yourself about philosophy; especially if there are no decent philosophy colleges nearby (analytic “philosophy” is everywhere these days). I am entirely self-educated in philosophy – there is no reason one should need a “proffessional” qualification to write on the subject, although you must be peer-reviewed; that is frankly the only thing required; and it is very simple.

If you are interested in philosophy; you should probably choose one area to specialise in. You mentioned you had read Aquinas; here is a short list of accompanying works that are essential for a basic appreciation of Scholastic Philosophy; from here you might want to choose to specialise into philosophies of mind; ontologies or anything else.

Plato (Republic)
Aristotle (Organon; Prior Analytics; Posterior Analytics)
Epictetus (Discourses)
Proclus (Elements of Theology)
St Augustine (Confessions; City of God)
Abelard (Sentances)
St Peter Damian (Divine Omnipotence)
Avicenna (Kitab al-Najat)
Averroes (Commentaries)
Alexander of Hales (Summa Frateris)
St Bonaventure (Commentaries on Sentances)
St Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologica)
Henry of Ghent (Quodlibetal Discourses)
Bl. Duns Scotus (Opus Oxoniense, Tractatus de Primo Principio)
William of Ockham (Summa logicae)
William of Alnwick (Additiones magnae)
Francis Mayron (Scripta super libros Sententiarum)

–If I have no degree in philosophy, would it be inappropriate for me to write books about the subject in the future as an amateur, even if I learn most of it by myself?

All you need is peer review. No scrips necessary.

–How can I advance in the area of philosophy on an in-depth level on my own?

Specify what area you are interested in and I am sure someone here will be able to give you some advice on specific books on that subject. Remember to read source material not textbooks or rehashes.

–Would it be prudent to specialize in a certain area since philosophy is such a broad category? (such as philosophy of mind?)

Yes; for example; for myself that would be cosmology and ontology

–Are there different guidelines for philosophy and theology?

There are slight variences; in general however theology presupposes philosophy; so there should be no problem if you are only specifically interested in philosophy.

 

[GratefulFred]

Take a look at a new Catholic University growing in Sacramento, CA:

www.universityofsacramento.org

USAC is offering a series of ON-LINE mini courses in Philosophy again this Fall. Registration is now open.

Any education is like an 18 wheel truck. You need to know how to drive the truck and then how to pack the contents in the truck and then how to drive in various driving conditions.

For Philosophy, there is a way to study it and then there are the various themes from different philosophers to study

I encourage you to pursue your goal. Reading leads to better understanding. But it is the writing that brings you so much further into understanding. Yet the study philosophy, like other demanding subjects, is better done under the guidance of trained educator.

Hence my suggestion to take a look at offerings from USAC.

 

[Tuno]

I’ve read about a lot of the teachings of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas and I want to learn more while keeping my ideas within the framework of the Catholic faith.

Keeping your interest within the Catholic faith is like looking at a Michaelangelo in a museum and not looking at the other artists and styles abundant as expressions, all stemming from the Divine. Certainly one can learn much of great value by specializing in one artist, but some depth is necessarily lost by such narrowness if it is taken out of context.

Moreover, there are critically important ideas not adequately treated within the framework of strictly Catholic philosophy because of the premises of that faith. You see, while faithful Catholics use the lens of their religion to assume that the entirety of the world is within the scope of their belief system, from a secular standpoint Catholicism is but a minor phenomenon in a much larger picture, as influential as it might be, positively and negatively, on the Western world.

For your own sake, it might be good to get a broader picture, since you are as well devoting yourself to a rather narrow yet influential area of expertise. Remember, there are only 10 kinds of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who don’t.

 

[JohnDamian]

Moreover, there are critically important ideas not adequately treated within the framework of strictly Catholic philosophy because of the premises of that faith.

Such as?

By the way; it would be impossible to study Catholic Philosophy without Aristotle, Avicenna, Plato and Averroes - for starters.

 

[Katholish]

–If I have no degree in philosophy, would it be inappropriate for me to write books about the subject in the future as an amateur, even if I learn most of it by myself?

No offense, but I certainly wouldn’t read it. Philosophy is such a complicated topic, and more so than any other field, it is easier to think you know it when in fact you don’t. That being said, most philosophy PhDs don’t have a sound understanding of philosophy. Luckly you have the best guide of all which is the Catholic Church. The Church may not be a teacher of philosophy, but she will guide you away from a great many philosophical errors.

When reading one your own, I would highly suggest only reading sources you trust. That doesn’t just mean St. Thomas (though he is the most trust-worthy of any philosopher), but it could mean reading Plato, Kant, and Hegel provided you have trusted commentary to explain what they are doing.

The best work that I know is if Fr. Copleston’s comprehensive history of philosophy. if you want to teach yourself, this seems like the way to go–at least for a solid foundation.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_History_of_Philosophy_(Copleston

 

[JohnDamian]

No offense, but I certainly wouldn’t read it.

So Socrates, Avicenna and to a lesser extent… Descartes - arn’t worth reading because of a lack of schooling?

In academia; post nominal squiggles mean nothing; it is a sound and solid peer review that is what really says who makes the grade and not.

However I must say that is a very impressive History of western philosophy! Even though I prefer source material it is quite the acheivement; and looks pretty comprehensive.

 

[Areopagite]

]
–If I have no degree in philosophy, would it be inappropriate for me to write books about the subject in the future as an amateur, even if I learn most of it by myself?

Only if you have something to say. Certainly there have been great works written by self-educated people … but do you have something to say?

]
–How can I advance in the area of philosophy on an in-depth level on my own?

Many ways to answer this. I’d like to know what you’re particularly interested in.

]
–Would it be prudent to specialize in a certain area since philosophy is such a broad category? (such as philosophy of mind?)

I would say yes … but that’s not a hard and fast rule. Personally, I like metaphysics above all else. It’s also the most important branch of philosophy (or at least the highest branch according to Aristotle and Aquinas). But that’s just me.

]
–Are there different guidelines for philosophy and theology?

Well, yes. Philosophy deals with natural reason. Theology is natural reason plus divine revelation. To be a good theologian, however, you must, to some degree, be a decent philosopher.

 

[Pieman333272]

I can answer some questions, I’m a lot like you, but instead of philosophy its theology and parapsychology, and I might actually go for a degree in one of those after high school .

–If I have no degree in philosophy, would it be inappropriate for me to write books about the subject in the future as an amateur, even if I learn most of it by myself?

You should write books. I must admit you might have a little more trouble getting it published and read, but keep trying. If you can’t get a book written, start smaller - write essays for journals or start a philosophy blog.

–How can I advance in the area of philosophy on an in-depth level on my own?

Read books and ask people who might know about philosophy some questions. There is one Brother at my church who I ALWAYS go to for theology questions.

–Would it be prudent to specialize in a certain area since philosophy is such a broad category? (such as philosophy of mind?)

I can say that is a great idea. Metaphysics and philosophy of religion are some very interesting fields of philosophy for me, but look and find your own.

–Are there different guidelines for philosophy and theology?

There are, but they frequently interact. Philosophy of religion is a great example of that. There are also ones that collide with each other, like Philosophy of science.

I hope I helped!

 

[Just_Lurking]

Are you seeking to combine your interests in computer science and philosophy into an interdisciplinary field of study, or are you seeking to be able to perform scholarly research in two disparate areas?

You should select your schools based on how they can meet your goal or goals, e.g., the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab seems to have a lot of overlap between computer science and philosophy.