Emmarlone Salva Ravago June 6, 2011 Introduction to Philosophy and Saint Thomas Aquinas Notes

Mr. Emmanuel Batoon

Language and Logic Logic comes from the Greek word: Logos, meaning word or study. Language is constitutive of thinking (thinking understood as speaking inside ones mind). In order to think well, we first must speak and write well. Review: English (language) Usual sentence form is: Subject-verb-predicate (S-V-P) Two kinds of verbs: 1) Action verb (transitive or intransitive) denotes action 2) Verb of being predicate identifies/modifies the subject Paragraph has a topic/thesis sentence Kinds of paragraphs: 1) Descriptive defines; has a topic/thesis 2) Narrative narrates 3) Expository exposes 4) Argumentative composed of arguments Logical equivalents of English terms: Language Words Sentences Paragraphs

Logic Terms (subject or predicate term) Propositions (has a verb of being/Copula) Syllogisms (argumentative paragraph)

Logical issues are questions asked 1) Predictability a question that asks about what one can say to ones subject term (one only has a subject term and no predicate term yet); can the subject be predicated? If yes, by what? Mental process involved: Apprehension (thinking of a word/term to serve as predicate). Predicables (kinds of predicates) Example Genus (family) Ravago Specific difference Emmarlone Ravago Species Man Property Rational Accident Sitting down Product: Idea/term Conditions Words (in language) are called terms (in logic) when used either as subject or predicate terms (in logic).

Sentences, on the other hand, become propositions whenever their verbs are verbs of being, not action verbs. In addition, sentences must be declarative and in the indicative mood (that is, they state a fact). 2) Predication since we already have a predicate term, the next question to ask is: What then is the relation between the subject and predicate term? To answer such question, one now has to decide whether the subject IS predicate or subject IS NOT predicate. Mental process: Judgment a final judgment (as to whether the subject IS or IS NOT predicate); formulation of the relation between the subject and predicate. Ex. Man IS a rational animal. Subject: Man Copula (sets the relation between the subject and predicate): IS Predicate: Rational animal Product: Proposition Condition Paragraphs (in language) become syllogisms (in logic) only when they are argumentative. 3) Inference a mental process used to reduce a whole to a part, a universal to particular; deducing a conclusion from previous propositions (deductive inference); can a conclusion be deduced from the propositions? What is it therefore? Mental process: Reasoning (deductive reasoning) Product: Argument Ex. Man is a rational animal. Socrates is a man. Therefore, Socrates is a rational animal. Language Words Logic Term Logical Issue Predicability [can the subject be predicated? By what then?] Predication [what is the relation between the subject and predicate term?] Inference [can a conclusion be deduced from the Mental Act Apprehension Product Idea/term

Sentence

Proposition

Judgment

Proposition

Paragraph

Syllogism

(Deductive) Reasoning

Argument

propositions? What is it therefore?] Philosophy is a search for meaning; such search may be understood in two ways: 1) Informal the search for the meaning of life; done outside school by ordinary people through personal/communal reflections. Once found, they, in turn, communicate to others through proverbs, culture (art, music). 2) Formal as a tool used by ones intellect, in support of ones ideas; as Aristotle called logic, philosophy too, on the other hand, is an: Organon. Communicated to others through literature (treatises, theses). Philosophy in relation to other disciplines: 1) Art like literature, focuses on significant human experience/s, on the meaning of life; it tells the truth about human nature and experience/s (prospect: Heideggers aletheia1 [truth unveiling through works of art]); is expressed through passion and imagination. 2) Science it is a different view in life than that of a common man; it would only focus on the empirically observable and measurable things in life, experiments done under controlled conditions, formulas, theories and laws; it would uproot nature and transfer it to a controlled environment and experiment on it; different from art because as art it based on imagination science is based on facts. Social science studies artificial phenomena Natural science studies natural phenomena 3) Social science Sociology studies society as a whole Political science studies artificial phenomena, i.e. power and authority 4) Economics artificial; allocation of material resources in to goods and services (law of supply and demand) 5) Theology believes that God gave us life; has divine data (revelation) God reveals Himself through them; life and human experience is part of Gods divine plan; Theologians add reason to faith; it is an intellectualization of our faith provided that they are termed acceptable by the Magisterium (college of bishops) through the ecclesiastical canon. Object Significant human experience Empirically observable and measurable Product Literature, paintings, music, etc. Scientific theories

Art

Science

The Greek aletheia is a compound of the Greek words: a, meaning away from; and lithos, the river of forgetfulness. As such, aletheia (a-lithos) literally means away from the river of forgetfulness.

Theology

things in life Gods Truth/revelation

Mans understanding of Gods divine plan

Philosophy it would provide the mental/theoretical framework for people in other sciences in order to arrive at a result; glasses for looking at human life; scientists, artist s, theologians cannot function without philosophy because it provides them with basic ideas; in scholastic philosophy, philosophy is considered as a handmaid to theology. Branches of Philosophy 1) Ontology from the Greek words onto, meaning being, and logos, study; it is the study of being 2) Epistemology from episteme, meaning knowledge, and logos, study; it is the study of knowledge 3) Theodicy from theos, meaning god, and doxa, opinion; the study of god through reason alone 4) Cosmology from cosmos, meaning world, and logos, study; the study of the natural world 5) Anthropology from anthropos, meaning man, and logos, study; the study of man 6) Ethics from ethos, meaning way of life; the study of morals 7) Sociology from socios (Latin), meaning companion, and logos, study; the study of society 8) Aesthetics study of art and the Beautiful Ancient and Medieval definition of philosophy Philosophy is the science of things by their ultimate principles and causes as known by reason alone Modern definition of philosophy Philosophy is an inquiry concerning human understanding Contemporary definition of philosophy Philosophy is the analysis of the Logic of Language Note: In order to define a thing one must know its genus and specific difference. As, for example, in the classical definition of philosophy philosophy us the science (genus) of things by their ultimate principles and causes as known by natural reason alone (specific difference) In the above definition, science, in turn, may be defined as certain (specific difference) knowledge (genus) through causes. Further, knowledge is the intentional (specific difference) possession (genus) of the essence of a thing.

Thus, based from the above definition, the body of knowledge in a science must be certain. Certainty or truth, on the other hand, (according to Empiricists) can only be attained when there empirical evidence. Certainty is the state of the mind concerning the knowledge that we have, and that knowledge of a thing that is true and without fear of error Doubt a state wherein one is not sure whether a thing is true or not Opinion one knows that ones knowledge is true but one entertains opinions that lead to ones uncertainty Material object the thing studied by a science Formal object (quod) the aspect of a thing studied by a science Formal object (quo) method used in studying the aspect of the thing studied by a science Abstraction the removal of accidents in order to arrive at the essence of a thing Philosophy is based on natural reasons, whereas Theology is on supernatural reasons The question asked in ontology is: why is there being and not nothing? Re-conceptualization of Science (From Copernicus to Newton) Knowledge was based from empirical observation and mathematical measurements. It was because of this movement that Philosophy and Theology were no longer considered as sciences Consciousness is constituted by (and thus evolves around) language, it gives meaning to things Its man who names/gives meaning to things; it is not the thing that reveals itself to us, but rather we are the ones that give it meaning According to Freud (psychoanalysis), our consciousness is consciousness and unconsciousness Being conscious is speaking to oneself Being revolves around consciousness Philosophy in the East Indian philosophy (Vedanta school) Darshana vision of truth Chinese philosophy Chi or Qi wisdom Theology authoritative, is certain because God said so Filipino philosophy 1) Man (Tao) loob, mans self must not be ignored by others, he has puso and damdamin

2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7)

Knowledge knowledge given by the heart Reality are not only the things that we see but also what we feel Nature nature owns us, we give it our utmost respect Ethics respect for elders Society extended families God Filipinos show bigayan at nararapat to God (Diyos) and to the spirits (espiritu)

Specific difference of the classical definition of philosophy that it is a science concerned with ultimate causes and principles Principle that from which something proceeds in any manner whatsoever Cause that which leads to the production of something The four causes 1) Material cause that which a thing is made of 2) Formal cause that which makes a thing what it is and not something else 3) Efficient cause the agent that made the thing 4) Final cause the purpose of a thing Science Divine Human Theology Philosophy Material Object God Being Formal Object Quod Revealed Being Formal Object Quo

Mathematics Natural Sciences

3rd degree of abstraction (metaphysical) Quantity/extension 2nd degree (mathematical) Motion/behavior 1st degree (physical)

Philosophy is the ancilla Theologiae (servant of Theology) Metaphysics asks the question: why is there being and not nothing? Its question was answered by the word esse (to be), a smaller unit of essence that exists in a being Metaphysics meta means beyond, hence metaphysics is beyond what is physical, beyond what we see Essence potency Esse act Esse transcendental property Ens (being) Essence predicamental property Transcendental properties:

1) 2) 3) 4)

Unity components of a thing form a whole Truth manifestation of a thing as a thing Good all true things are desirable Beauty pleasing to see (all true and good things are beautiful)

Categories of Being: 1) Substance that which exists in itself and by itself 2) Accidents that which exists by virtue of a substance a) Quantity size, shape, number b) Quality kinds of substances c) Relation connection of a substance to another d) Action action done by a substance e) Passion what a substance receives from another substance f) Time when g) Place where h) Posture arrangement of the parts of a substance i) Habit external apparel, state of an object Principles of Being (guiding rules in identifying a being) 1) Identity a thing is what it is 2) Contradiction a thing cannot be and not be at the same time and in the same manner 3) Excluded middle between something and nothing, there is no (nothing) in between 4) Sufficient reason everything has a reason to exist Epistemology concerns knowledge Things by nature are oriented to reveal themselves to man Man by nature is oriented to know things God made the world intelligibly and with meaning Transcendental knowledge and predicamental knowledge: 1) Being as Ens composed of Esse (act of being) and Essence (manner of being) 2) Esse transcendental Essence predicamental 3) Transcendental knowledge knowledge of esse; the manifestation of a thing on something and not nothing Predicamental knowledge knowledge of essence; the intentional possession of the whatness (essence) of a thing Predicaments subject of predicamental knowledge; classification of universal natures; substance and accidents Predicables predicate of predicamental knowledge; classification of universal predicates (ex. genus, specific difference, species, property, accident)

Truth Ontological truth the criterion is God; Gods manifestation of a thing Transcendental truth conformity of a thing with the mind of God Predicamental truth the criterion is the object; conformity of the mind of man with things agere sequitur esse action follows being Certainty Predicamental certainty state of the mind wherein one pronounces a judgment without fear of error Transcendental certainty certainty of true knowledge of faith; certainty of knowledge that is true, based on the authority of God Theodicy asks: does God exist? Philosophy of religion is it reasonable for me to believe in a God? Theodicy from Theo (God) and doxa (opinion) Quinquae Viae (the 5 ways of St. Thomas Aquinas in proving Gods existence by human reason alone): 1) Argument on motion 2) Causation 3) Independent and contingent beings 4) Degrees of perfection 5) Order of the universe

Bibliography Pinon. Fundamental Logic