Why is Philosophy Important

Its massive impact on our daily lives
Various philosophical theories have
changed the way we act and live in our
world. Here are just a few examples:
 The concept of democracy is based
on John Locke’s theories of political
philosophy
 Plato proposed that justice and
virtue are solely about the inner
state of your soul – and that later
became the idea of a conscience.
 Peter Singer’s ideas of ‘speceism’
helped contribute to animal rights
movements everywhere
 Simone de Beauvoir’s book, The
Second Sex, effectively started a
new movement of feminism.
 Alan Turing’s test for whether
machines can think has made
people question technological
developments (and inspire a
generation of sci-fi writers)
It helps us avoid being tricked
Logical fallacies are errors in arguments
that are hard to spot and are used quite a
lot, despite being wrong. Spotting these
logical fallacies can undermine your
opponent’s argument and pervent you from
being tricked into believing someone is
right. Here are some of the most common
logical fallacies:
 Ad hominem – Attacking the person
rather than the argument itself
 Slippery slope – Assuming that one
thing will inevitably lead to a
(disastrous) conclusion with no
evidence to prove it.
 Appeal to Authority – Relying on the
opinion of someone in a higher
position to strengthen the argument.
 Strawman – Misrepresenting the
opponent’s argument to make it
easier to attack.
 False cause – Assuming that
correlation equals causation
 False dilemma – Giving the
opponent a false set of options
See if you can match up these logical
fallacies to the statements in the white
boxes.
It makes us more tolerant
In philosophy, you get to learn
more about other opinions and
cultures. There’s no right or wrong
in philosophy as long as you can
convincingly support your answer.
This creates a safe environment in
which you can express and argue
for your opinions.
‘You’re really pretty.’
‘Thanks!’
‘So you agree. You think you’re pretty.’
‘I’m an english teacher. I think I
would know how to spell separate.’
‘You don’t believe in abortion?
Of course you wouldn’t. You’re
a bishop. You’re just the pope’s
lackey.’
‘You don’t believe in God? Well,
no Christmas celebrations for you,
then.’
‘They’re legalizing the death
penalty? What next, legalizing
genocide?’
‘Everyday, I’ve eaten cornflakes
for breakfast. One morning, I ate a
banan instead, and there was a
tsunami in Thailand. I’ve stuck to
cornflakes ever since.’
Just some of the multitude of controversial
issues that are discussed in philosophy…
It helps you decide how to live life
It’s the ultimate question we all ask
ourselves at some point: what should I do
with my life? There are many ideas within
philosophy on how to do that, and you can
decide which one is best for you. Should
you follow your moral duty? Do whatever
benefits the most people? Live a virtuous
life? A short life of pleasure? Would you
rather be Socrates or a happy pig? The
answer is probably a mix of these, and the
more you know about them, the more
informed you will be about yourself, other
people and the future that awaits you.
‘The unexamined life is not worth living.’
- Socrates