PHILOSOPHY AS A TOOLBOX

To say the philosophy is like a toolbox,as Ludwig Wittgenstein（1889-1951）of Cambridge University once said,is to emphasize the many uses and functions of philosophy.We use words and ideas for different purposes,just as we use different tools to do different jobs.Pounding nails calls for a hammer,screws require a screwdriver,and to cut wood we need a saw.All these jobs are different,but in each case they are done with a tool taken from the toolbox.

Philosophy is in a similar way called upon to do many jobs.These jobs reflect the richness and the variety of our daily experiences.First of all there is the job of helping us decide how to behave.In our private moments we wonder how we can achieve the happiest or best life for ourselves.This is the job of ethics.Secondly,as we become aware of other persons and groups around us,we realize the need for developing communities and for designing governments and making laws.This is the job of politics of political philosophy.Third,as we extend our thinking beyond ourselves and even beyond our communities,we wonder how we fit into the larger setting of the world and beyond.To deal with these questions about our destiny is the job of religion.Fourth,we all have the experience of changing the way we think at different times.Sometimes we are sure of what we know while at other times we are not so sure.To help us understand how our minds work in our quest for true knowledge is a special job for philosophy.The tool for this job is the theory of knowledge.And fifth,we have the common experience of seeing things appear and disappear,trees grow and die,indeed everything constantly changing.All this fluctuation in things raises the question whether there is anything that is permanent.To deal with this question is the job of metaphysics.There are other jobs for philosophy,but we have selected these five subjects to serve as our introduction to philosophy.We can get a good idea of what philosophy is and does by looking at the elements of ethics,politics,religion,the theory of knowledge,and metaphysics.