Summary
In this chapter, we explored the history of philosophy and how it developed across time in various cultures. A major part of the development of philosophy has been the application of critical thinking to subjects that had previously been the purview of religion and mythology. We saw that there were specific sociocultural and economic reasons for why philosophy as a tradition emerged in three cultures who then merged and exchanged ideas that led to modern philosophy and science. This shows us that it may be a mistake to divide philosophy and science into Eastern and Western ways of thinking or to relegate them to particular cultures. What we have today is the result of a long process of exchanges and dialogues between thinkers from all cultures. We are also part of this Great Conversation as we continue to wrestle with the hard questions of life, meaning, and the universe.
Key Takeaways
- Philosophy is a mode of thought that emerged in three different civilizations. It was different from what came before it in the form of mythopoeic thought.
- Ancient Greek, Indian, and Chinese civilizations have given birth to numerous schools of thought that challenged existing traditions. These, in turn, influenced other traditions in the Middle East and North Africa as well as Western Europe.
- Multicultural interactions and trade were fundamental to the emergence of new ways of thinking.
- The intellectual changes that occurred in Western Europe during the 15th century led to the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment. These, in turn, eventually developed into the Scientific Revolution and the emergence of modern science.
Acknowledgements
Parts of this chapter were adapted from the following Open Education Resources:
- Russ Payne, W. (2015). An Introduction to Philosophy. BC Campus. https://collection.bccampus.ca/textbooks/an-introduction-to-philosophy-24/
- Barseghyan, H., Overgaard, N., & Rupik, G. (2018) Introduction to History and Philosophy of Science. Open Library, eCampus Ontario. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/introhps/
