The Realm of Philosophy
Welcome to the world of abstract thought. To begin discussing filozofia (philosophy), it helps to know a few key prepositional phrases. Referitor la means "regarding" or "referring to," while spre deosebire de means "unlike" or "as opposed to."
You will also encounter the adjective subiectiv (subjective). Remember that adjectives change their endings to agree in gender and number with the noun they describe.
| What is your opinion regarding modern philosophy? | Ce părere ai referitor la filozofia modernă? |
| Unlike science, philosophy is quite subjective. | Spre deosebire de știință, filozofia este destul de subiectivă. |
Ethics and Dilemmas
When discussing moral principles, you will often grapple with etica (ethics) and the occasional dilema (dilemma).
In these discussions, you may need to express that an action will be completed before a certain point in the future. For this, Romanian uses the Future Perfect tense. It is formed using the future tense of the verb a fi (to be) alongside the past participle of the main verb—such as vor fi (they will be) + înțeles (understood) to mean "they will have understood." This tense is frequently paired with deadlines using până (by / until).
| This is the hardest dilemma in ethics. | Asta este cea mai grea dilemă din etică. |
| By tonight, the students will have understood the ethics of this case. | Până diseară, studenții vor fi înțeles etica acestui caz. |
Arguments and Objectivity
A solid debate relies on argumentul (the argument). Ideally, a point should be logically valid (valid) and obiectiv (objective).
| Your argument is valid, but I have another opinion. | Argumentul tău este valid, dar eu am altă părere. |
| He brought an objective argument so that he could convince me. | El a adus un argument obiectiv ca să mă convingă. |
Paradoxes and Rationality
Some philosophical problems seem to contradict themselves. These are known as paradoxul (the paradox). When analyzing or trying to explain these puzzles, you might evaluate whether they are rațional (rational), or you might use the verb afirma (to state) to lay out your premises.
| You cannot explain a paradox in a rational way. | Nu poți explica un paradox în mod rațional. |
| Regarding this subject, she states that man is rational. | Referitor la acest subiect, ea afirmă că omul este rațional. |
