Philosophy is Not Arbitrary

Beginners & non-philosophers sometimes assume philosophy has no standards. Here's why they're wrong.

0:00 Common Error: All philosophies are equally good
0:49 This view is intellectually lazy & empirically false
1:16 Philosophy has at least 3 objective standards
1:27 First, philosophy must be internally consistent
2:23 Second, philosophy must make proper inferences
2:54 Third, philosophy should begin & end in the common experience of mankind
3:32 Often missing: concept of judgment (vs mere opinion)
3:58 Philosophy = debating quality of justifications
4:13 Final Thought: we've been doing philosophy just now

Summary:
Philosophy has at least 3 objective standards
1. internal consistency
2. proper inferences
3. appeal to common experience
Judgments = opinions that are informed & justified
Philosophy = debating the justification of judgments

Music: Among the Clouds, by Darren Curtis

[wrxin]

Great video. I think many people take philosophy to be a purely subjective endeavour with no objective basis. However, that is contrary to what the task of philosophy actually is.

[MrMarktrumble]

Man is not the measure. Rhetoric is bullshit. While it may not be the case that all truths have been identified, analyzed, memorized, integrated and then acted upon until one has a habit of living in accordance to reality, I assert that there are objective truths that we are not the measure of, but that measure us. I concur that these 3 objective standards apply in philosophy, or more generally, thinking, or most generally, a way that makes sense out of the world so that one may have a good internal sense of guidance.