Traditional Philosophies

This is a study of traditional philosophies with links to various web sites including these:

• The Ism Book
• Dictionary of Philosophical Terms and Names
• Dictionary of Philosophy of Mind

Click on the philosophy names below to see a definition.

Some people have slightly different definitions of many of these philosophy terms. The only ones that count here are the ones that are linked to the words.

As more information becomes available, the list below may change.

Ethics - What should we do?

• Eudaemonism* - Do what brings the most happinesss to all. It's different from Hedonism in that Eudaemonism considers happiness over a lifetime rather than for just today.
• Naturalism* - Our needs are based on the naturre of our humanness.
• Existentialism - An unplanned life, just live eacch day as it comes. The problem with this is that some things in life require some kind of investment to get the results we want. Therefore planning is required.
• Deontologicalism - Follow the rules, no matter whatt the outcome. This philosophy does not allow much flexibility, it tends to forbid exceptions.
• Individualism & Collectivism - Two philosophies that have to be in balance. Individualism says the need of the individual are most important, while collectivism says the needs of the community are most important. Both of these are too extreme and almost never totally adhered to. The best philosophy is one that balances the needs of the individual, society, and all life on Earth. There's no name for that philosophy is there?

Epistemology - What do we know?

• Pragmatism* - It's the end-result that counts.. It's the end-result of any particular philosophy that determines the usefulness of the philosophy.
• Empiricism* - Knowledge comes from experience..
• Instrumentalism* - A good idea is one that works.
• Nominalism* - Words are just labels for ideas..
• Objectivism* (a balance between Intrinsicism and Subjectivism) - Reality exists independently of our minds, but it is our minds that determine the value of real objects.
• Rationalism - We can know anything just by thiinking about it, without checking with reality. Not grounded in the real world.
• Solipsism - We can't be sure anything existss.
• Mysticism - We have more than five senses.
• Intrinsicism - Truth and value exist in reality and is independent of belief.
• Subjectivism - Denies that knowledge and values are in any way based on reality.

Metaphysics - What is existence?

• Realism* - The real world exists independenntly of belief.
• Spiritualism - Belief that there are unseen spirits among us.

Politics - What form should government take?

• Anarchism - No government.
• Egalitarianism - Government that strives to make all people equal.
• Communism - Government based on Collectivism (see above).
• Socialism - Similar to Communism but less totalitarian or authoritarian.
• Libertarianism - The right of individuals to act in whatever way they please, so long as they do not initiate force or fraud against other people. This is okay except it does not take into account the tragedy of the commons.

* Philosophies marked are in agreement with ideas expressed in Philosophy Ideas.