Editing Philosophical methodology (section)

{{short description|Study of the methods of philosophy}}
{{Redirect|Systematic philosophy|philosophy using systems concepts|Systems philosophy}}
'''Philosophical methodology''' encompasses the methods used to [[Philosophy|philosophize]] and the [[Methodology|study of these methods]]. Methods of philosophy are procedures for conducting research, creating new theories, and selecting between competing theories. In addition to the description of methods, philosophical methodology also compares and evaluates them.

Philosophers have employed a great variety of methods. [[Methodological skepticism]] tries to find principles that cannot be [[doubt]]ed. The geometrical method deduces theorems from [[self-evident]] [[axiom]]s. The [[Phenomenology (philosophy)|phenomenological]] method describes first-person experience. [[Verificationism|Verificationists]] study the conditions of [[empirical]] verification of sentences to determine their [[Meaning (philosophy)|meaning]]. [[Conceptual analysis]] decomposes concepts into fundamental constituents. [[Common-sense]] philosophers use widely held beliefs as their starting point of inquiry, whereas [[ordinary language philosophers]] extract philosophical insights from ordinary language. [[Intuition]]-based methods, like [[thought experiments]], rely on non-inferential impressions. The method of [[reflective equilibrium]] seeks coherence among beliefs, while the [[Pragmatism|pragmatist]] method assesses theories by their practical consequences. The [[Transcendental argument|transcendental]] method studies the [[Condition of possibility|conditions without which an entity could not exist]]. [[Experimental philosophy|Experimental philosophers]] use empirical methods.

The choice of method can significantly impact how theories are constructed and the arguments used to support them. As a result, methodological disagreements can lead to philosophical disagreements.