The Philosophy Book

New ideas emerge through discussion and the examination, analysis, and criticism of other people’s ideas.

paradoxical

conjecture.

Thales of Miletus—Miletus was a Greek settlement in modern-day Turkey.

They encouraged their students to disagree and criticize ideas as a means of refining them and coming up with new and different ones.

Confucianism and Daoism, both of which continued to dominate Chinese philosophy until the 20th century.

aphorisms

The Pythagorean explanation of the creation of the universe followed a mathematical pattern: on the Unlimited (the infinite that existed before the universe), God imposed a Limit, so that all that exists came to have an actual size. In this way God created a measurable unity from which everything else was formed.

Constructing a reasoned argument involves using language carefully and accurately, examining our statements and arguments to make sure they mean what we think they mean; and when we study other people’s arguments, we have to analyze not only the logical steps they take, but also the language they use, to see if their conclusions hold water.