Philosophy by Donald Norman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Philosophy by Donald Norman - Essay Example o be on par with more outward-directed, scientific positivist approaches, Moreover, on rigor, one can see that developments in phenomenological approaches have come to see how the physical and biological sciences, among other hard sciences, can be married successfully with phenomenological approaches. Such is the case with approaches that tie human neurology and psychology with the consciousness and general phenomenological studies. To put it simply, with the progress in the philosophy of experience and the wealth of on-going philosophizing on phenomenological approaches, experienceology can be said to stand on solid ground, on equal if not superior footing to positivist approaches (Smith, 2008). There is a case to be made therefore for considering Norman's move away from what he sees as a strictly scientific and positivist approach to reality and to living life as really not a degradation but rather an improvement. In a way, looking at the depth of the phenomenological philosophical approaches and the literature tied to that, one can say that the latter is more encompassing and more exhaustive in its regard for reality, not limiting that reality lens to a narrow focus on external laws and realities, but takes in subjective experience too, as a valid input, and in fact the central input in philosophical discourse. As such too, the shift by Norman can be construed as a shift towards a more natural way of living life, taking off as it does from natural subjective experience, and finding sufficient ground to establish a rigorous philosophical foundation on which to support that way of viewing and living life. It is essential and in many ways personal and more easily verified in some ways, closer to our experience of who we are (Smith, 20008; Bourdeau, 2011): Furthermore,...Philosophy is about discerning the nature of things and how best to live life, in a way, and the insights into such inquiries inform the way our governments our formed, the way our societies pla ce value on the academic disciplines that matter to our daily lives, and shape even the way we relate to each other and enjoy our rights. They inform our justice system, how we keep social order, and how we punish and reward people. Philosophy organizes our legal system and benefits it with the wisdom of the collective philosophical musings reflected in legal decisions and laws handed to us from many generations of being exposed to human affairs. Philosophy and the insights from our philosophical giants inform the way we trade with each other, the way we organize commerce, and the way we relate with our neighboring states. Philosophy also reflects in a very profound way how we view the world and our place in the grand scheme of things, and in this sense is not very far removed from our deepest religious convictions and experience of the divine. Philosophy informs our understanding of consciousness and how and why we experience what we experience in the world too. The hard sciences, from biology to physics, as well as the soft sciences, such as psychology, also all benefit from and are informed by our philosophical views.