Lecture 1 I.

Introduction
A. The Act of Philosophizing this course, Philosophy of Man or Philosophy of Human Person, is not simply a study of the different philosophies of man, i.e. the different ideas or theories of the philosophers on man, or human person. it aims primarily to initiate the students, to lead them to philosophize about themselves, about who they are - human persons. As Fr. Ro ue Ferriols in the first te!t that we will use in our course remar"s# this course $does not teach what philosophy is but to try to %ive you a chance to philosophize.$ &he first thin% that we will clarify in our course is what it means to philosophize. 'r more properly, what one does when one philosophizes since the act of philosophizin% is easier to do than to define li"e all other activities, e.%. bas"etball, dancin%, etc. (n order to %et familiar with the act philosophizin%, - first, we will put it in the conte!t of our day to day activities and e!perience. )e will try to realize that philosophizin% is at the heart of our common e!periences and activities. And we will use the article of Fr. Ro ue Ferriols, (nsi%ht, to help us realize this. (n this article, (nsi%ht, Fr. Ferriols illustrates and e!plains to us that philosophizin% has to do primarily with havin% an insi%ht and doin% somethin% about it. And havin% an insi%ht is one of most common e!periences and activities that we have. - then, we will use the article, &he Philosophical *nterprise by +ohn ,avanau%h to point out that the act of philosophizin% is deeply personal act. &hrou%h this article, we will try to %rasp that# (, myself, must %et involved in this activity. ( must not remain as a spectator, distant observer and in uirer, an audience or -ust lettin% others do it for me. My personhood is at sta"e in the act of philosophizin%# my liberation and my %rowth as a human person. - .astly, we will discuss the place and importance of studyin% the different philosophers in the deeply personal act of philosophizin%. )ith the article of )illiam of .ui-pen, &he Authenticity of Philosophy, we hope to correct any attitude or view that considers the study of philosophers/ ideas as substitute for one/s own philosophical activity. 1. "Insight" by Fr. Roque Ferriols, SJ (ntroduction# - the act of philosophizin%, doin% philosophy has to do with thin"in%, and the crucial element of thin"in% is (01(2H&. - thus, in order to understand the act of philosophizin%, we have first to clarify what is insi%ht. - And in order to help us understand what insi%ht is, we need to consider three thin%s# &he e!perience of havin% an insi%ht )hat can we do with the insi%ht 1ome cautions or notes when doin% with insi%ht 1. The Experience of Having an Insight havin% an insi%ht is the most common e!perience of our day to day life. And Fr. Ferriols %ives us three e!amples of havin% an insi%ht to illustrate how common this is and how it is to have an insi%ht# - &he first two e!amples or illustrations are two e!treme situations in our day to day where one e!periences havin% an insi%ht# First# hearin% and %ettin% a -o"e 1econd# the e!perience of death - &he last has to do with how we come to %rasp number, li"e 34 i. Hearin% and 2ettin% a +o"e )hen we hear someone tellin% a -o"e, not everybody %ets the -o"e, i.e. not everybody lau%hs. - 1ome will immediately lau%h - 'thers will ta"e some time to %et the -o"e# few seconds after, minutes, after, hours after, days after, months after, years after5 - &here mi%ht also be those who will not %et the -o"e at all.

6et, all hear e!actly the same words, from the same person, delivered in the same manner with same %estures. &hus, %ettin% the -o"e involves more than -ust hearin% the words, it involves perceivin% more deeply than ordinary hearin% with our ears. Perceivin% deeply# - perceivin% which does not -ust involve our senses 7thou%h they play an important role for without them, there can be no insi%ht8 - but a "ind of perceivin% which involves our mind, our mental faculty# mental seein%, perceivin% seein% with our mind (nsi%ht - As an act# An act of perceivin% deeply, perceivin% more than our senses, perceivin% by means of our mind, by our mental faculty, a hi%her faculty than the senses - As an ob-ect )hat is perceived deeply, what is perceived by the mind &he deeper aspect or reality of thin%s e!perienced, which is beyond and distinct from what is presented by the senses. - *.%.# point of the -o"e, the connection between the words. 'ftentimes, we are not aware of the ob-ect 7what we perceive deeply with our mind8, but we "now that we perceive somethin% thou%h we could not say what it is - (MP.(9(& 'R PR*9'09*P&:A. ,0').*;2* - &here is somethin% that ma"es us lau%h but we could e!plicitly say what it is e!actly - &here is somethin% that ma"es us cry, ecstatic, consoled but we could not -ust name it. ii. +uan/s *!perience of ;eath +uan/s e!perience of his %randfather/s death# <. received the news of the death and came to see his %randfather/s corpse =. durin% the wa"e, he remembered>recalled his personal memories of his %randfather the earliest memory he had of his %randfather was that he was already old, wea" and shriveled for when he was born his %randpa was already ?? years old. &hus, all his personal memories of his %randpa were that he was old, shriveled, and wea". @. after burial, his mother handed him his %randfather/s memoir# thin%s, pictures that his %randpa left. &hrou%h these memoirs, he learned about his %randpa in his youn%er days, that durin% the revolution, he was youn%, full of vi%or, full of spirits from the tales of her aunts, he learned that his %randpa in his youth was so dashin% and uite popular amon% the ladies 4. comparin% his life, with the life of his %randpa which he learned from his own personal remembrance, from the mementos left by his %randpa and from the tales of aunts, +uan %ot an insi%ht 7he perceived into somethin%8. he %ot an insi%ht into# - the rhythm>cycle of life and death of his father - the rhythm>cycle of life and death of his own life - the rhythm>cycle of life and death of the human race man starts his life full of vi%or then withers away and dies, but only after he has left behind sons and dau%hters who start life a new with vi%or and enthusiasm. 1eein% this rhythm of life and death, spiral cycle of life and death involves more than ordinary perceivin%, but already involves deeper way of perceivin%, i.e. perceivin% with one mind. :nli"e our e!perience of %ettin% a -o"e, +uan/s insi%ht <. 9omes throu%h %atherin% of his e!periences his own personal e!periences of his %randpa, of himself 7both in the present and the past8 what he "nows of his %randpa throu%h the thin%s he left behind the e!periences of others 7his aunts8 re%ardin% his %randpa =. &a"es some time for it to comeA it is a result of a prolon%-process of thin"in%. @. .eads to another deeper insi%ht. 0umber to count thin%s, to "now the number of thin%s is another illustration of havin% an insi%ht. How do ( come to count thin%s, how do we come to "now numberB =

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- First, ( must consider the thin%s ( count in a particular way, under particular aspect. *.%.# - ( $see$ a &oyota, Mercedez Cenz, Dol"swa%en, Mitsubishi. 'r ( $see$ a do%, cat, a mos uito. - ( must loo" at them as car, in order to count them as four, ( must consider them as animal to count them as three - (f ( consider them as &oyota or as do%, ( can only count one. perceivin% thin%s under certain aspect without denyin% or affirmin% is what we call as abstraction abstraction is a form of insi%ht - &hen, ( prescind from the fact that they are cars or animals, but simply as four. Here, ( do not only abstract certain aspects of the thin%s ( count, but ( have abstracted from the thin%s in themselves as do%s, animals, cars, etc. Here we have a hi%her level of abstraction, a second de%ree of abstraction - &hus, the simple insi%ht into the meanin% of four is seen to involve a rather complicated preparation involvin% at least two abstractions. Accordin% to Aristotle, there are three levels of abstraction# - First ;e%ree of Abstraction# we consider thin%s as do%s, cats, car, wood, etc. 70atural 1ciences8 - 1econd ;e%ree of Abstraction# we consider thin%s in terms of number 7Mathematics8 - &hird ;e%ree of Abstraction# we consider thin%s as Cein% 7Metaphysics8 - &hese two e!treme situations or illustrations and the case of countin% thin%s show that havin% an insi%ht is part of our day to day e!perience, somethin% that happens in our ordinary life, from the most trivial to the most serious or even tra%ic event of our life. - And insi%ht has to do with seein% deeply with our mind into the deeper aspects of reality, of thin%s that are presented in our senses, in our e!perience. - &he point is that we could see somethin% more if we -ust learn to thin", try to thin" over our e!perience, and not simply e!perience. - As the fo! would say to the .ittle Prince, $what is essential is invisible to the eye.$ 2. What can we do with the insight After havin% an insi%ht, we can do somethin% about it, i.e. we can articulate, clarify and deepen our understandin% of our insi%ht. Fr. Ferriols mentions @ techni ues in doin% somethin% with the insi%ht# metaphor, analysis, and other techni ue i. Metaphor use of somethin% familiar, ordinary to articulate, clarify, and deepen what is not familiar and ordinary. *.%. - +uan and Homer use the ordinary, familiar phenomenon>e!perience of the fall and return of leaves to articulate, clarify and deepen his insi%ht on the rhythm of life and death of the %enerations of men and women Metaphor is very important because# <. it fi!es the insi%ht in the mind =. it sharpens the insi%ht in the sense that# it clarifies the insi%ht it ma"es us understand the insi%ht more deeply @. it enables us to understand the ordinary and familiar more deeply. Analysis )e use analysis also to articulate, clarify and deepen our understandin% of the insi%ht analysis# - brea"in% down into parts - brea"in% down the insi%ht into the different elements or dimensions which constitute it. *.%.# - (f ( want to clarify the point of a -o"e, to understand it, to be able articulate and deliver it more effectively, ( could brea" down the -o"e into different parts and see how each part is related to one another# <. ,noc", ,noc" =. )ho/s &hereB @. Mary Rose 4. Mary Rose whoB E. Me Relos "a baB Anon% oras naB @

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And ( would discover, it would be made clear to me# that the point of the -o"e is this# Mary Rose and Me Relos which sound different are made to sound ali"e by mispronouncin% $me relos$ into $me reros$ as a +apanese would. one of the tools in analyzin% an insi%ht is conceptual analysis - an insi%ht as an idea is made up of constitutive ideas. *.%.# idea of a man contains the idea of rational, animal, idea of trian%le contains the idea of @ sides, @ an%les, <FG de%rees - when ( brea" down the idea into its constitutive ideas and see their relationship, then ( do conceptual analysis# e.%. idea of the rhythm of life and death - could be understood in terms of biolo%ical aspect 7i.e. in terms of physical %rowth and decay8 - could also be understood with re%ard to the cycle of life and death of the human spirit -

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'ther &echni ues accordin% to Paul Ricoeur# - 1ymbol - Myth - 1peculation

Some cautions or notes when doing with insight Analysis could desiccate an insi%ht analysis could dry up, fossilize the insi%ht in other words, insi%ht could cease to be alive, to be meanin%ful and relevant as one sub-ects it to analysis. ii. (t is important to return to the concrete fullness of the ori%inal insi%ht and insi%ht should permeate the whole process of doin% with an insi%ht. )hyB to vitalize the insi%ht - to "eep it alive, meanin%ful and relevant - to prevent it from bein% fossilized, from bein% dried up. &o chec" whether the analysis, metaphor or other techni ue of doin% with insi%ht really leads to a clarification, articulation and deeper understandin% of the insi%ht iii. (nsi%ht is ine!haustible one can e!plore and do somethin% with the insi%ht in variety of ways in order to clarify, articulate and understand it but the insi%ht itself is rich, superabundant such that it could never be e!hausted by any techni uesA none of the them could fully and completely clarify, articulate, and understand the insi%ht. (n every doin% with an insi%ht, there is a tension between# sense of "nowled%e>li%ht and sense of i%norance>dar"ness iv. &he richness of insi%ht is the richness of reality itself insi%ht brin%s us to the very heart of reality, to the deeper aspect of reality reality itself is superabundantly rich, ine!haustible thus, the richness of insi%ht points to, indicated the richness of reality itself - reality as mystery there is a tension between li%ht and dar"ness in our "nowled%e, understandin%, appropriation of reality. In the Throe of Wonder: Intimations of the Sacred in a Post-Modern World by +erome A. Miller Insight by Cernard .oner%an 2. "The Philosophical Enterprise" by John a!anaugh a. Introduction: Fa se !otions of a "hi osopher and #oing "hi osoph$ i. False (ma%es>9aricature of a Philosopher <. (solated &hin"er - one who is confined, isolated within the walls of his rooms or sittin% on a ivory tower - one who tries to ma"e sense of the world which he is isolated from and which he alone understands. =. 2reat 1ystem Cuilder - one who has built a %reat system of thou%ht but now is rele%ated to obscure footnotes and erudite commentaries - one has to cite him in one/s footnote in order to be considered learned, scholarly but in fact he is difficult to understand. @. Academician 4 i.

- one who teaches courses in philosophy which seem to be not in touch with present pressin% realities and to be irrelevant to the demands of the day to day life. ii. False notions in how a person conducts the discipline of philosophy memorizin% answers to uestions which he himself never has as"ed or has ceased to as" or which should have never been as"ed or never cares to as" - tryin% to remember what the philosopher said rather than tryin% to understand what drove the philosopher to say those thin%s in the first place - conse uently, philosophy courses will turn out bein% a bi% mista"e on all levels# e!perientially, peda%o%ically, and humanistically =. isolated from other disciplines and sometimes reduced to the same level as other disciplines - study of philosophy in %eneral, and of philosophy of man in particular is conducted in isolation from social>behavioral and natural sciences, and other disciplines - thus, there is little connection between philosophy and history, myth, literature or arts - )hyB some want philosophy to be $science$, a respectable discipline with sub-ect and credential of its own. Cut as a conse uence, it reduces philosophy on the same level as other disciplines. @. Cein% concerned with the problems of $the one and many$, the development of lo%ical atomism, and lin%uistic or metaphysical analyses than with the fundamental uestions of meanin% and the horizon of his possibilities as a man. - to correct these false notions of a philosopher and of how philosophizin% is to be conducted, let us try to see philosophy as a ;iscipline of Huestionin%, ;iscipline of .iberation, and ;iscipline of Personhood. <.

2. "hi osophi%ing as the #iscip ine of &uestioning to understand the act of philosophizin%, we must find out and understand first what drives, moves, leads one to philosophize as sheer human e!i%ency, i.e. very necessary to human e!istence. )hat drives a person to philosophize is the inescapable dynamism and capacity of the human person himself to uestion and to see" answers to uestions he himself raises. (n short, at the root of all philosophizin% is the pre-eminent personal affair of question-asking. i. Hueston-As"in% <. Huestion-as"in% is very common, at the heart of our day to day e!perience - we could not escape, pass the day without as"in% uestion, without bein% confronted by a uestion - we could not start nor finish the day without some uestions - )hyB Cecause of our desire, our dynamism to# &o be confronted by thin%s outside of us 7*!perience8 ,now, understand the thin%s we e!perience 7:nderstandin%8# )hat is itB Find out the truth of what we come to understand 7+ud%ment8# (s itB Ma"e decisions for what we do>act 7;ecision>Action8# )hat should ( doB =. ;ifferent .evels of Huestion =.< Horizontal>1uperficial Huestions uestions of survival - )here will ( find money to pay my rentB - )hat will ( do to save myself from troubleB practical uestions - )hat will ( do tomorrowB - How do ( use the computerB - )hat shirt, shoes, pant will ( wearB - )hat are the advanta%es and disadvanta%es of DFAB scientific uestions# Huestions of facts and ma"in% sense of certain, particular empirical reality - How does the sun produce its heat and li%htB - How does a computer wor"B - Are there intelli%ent life-forms outside of our planetB - )hy is there a rainbowB =.= Dertical>;epth Huestions uestions of ultimate purpose and meanin% uestions of si%nificance and meanin% that enables us to perceive order and harmony in the world as a whole, our place in the universe. - *.%.# E

)here does the world as a whole come fromB )hy is there e!istence rather than non-e!istenceB )hy am ( hereB )hat is my place in the universeB )here am ( %oin%B uestion of truth>reality - (s what ( perceive, understand trueB )hat ma"es it trueB uestion of value - (s it %oodB )hat ma"es it %oodB )hat ma"es us truly happyB &hese are ultimate, fundamental uestions in life# - deeper uestions, uestions we as" even if our superficial uestions are answeredA uestions to which the superficial uestions brin% us ultimately if we pursue the inner dynamics of uestionin% uestions whose answers have bearin% on our superficial uestions, uestions which are the bases>foundations of our horizontal uestions. -

ii. <.

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Personal Affair of As"in% ;epth-Huestion ( myself have come to these depth- uestions - ( myself see them as uestions, as problems - &hey are really uestions>issues for me. &he depth- uestions are really of personal value to me - the answer to these uestions are of %reat value to me# si%nificant, important, would ma"e a difference in my life - such that these uestions# consume my entire person# my intellect, my will, my effort, my time, my body no let up till ( find the answers 1tartin% point of all the depth- uestions is my own person. - behind, at the center and the be%innin% of all depth uestions# uestions about M61*.F, A1 A H:MA0 P*R1'0 - Huestion of Meanin% and Purpose# )hy am ( hereB )hat can ( hope forB - Huestion of &ruth# )ho am ( reallyB )hat are my potentialitiesB My uni uenessB - Huestion of Dalue# )hat is my %ood, my happinessB )hat should ( doB )hat is the criterion in decidin% what is %ood or not, my happiness or notB 9onclusion# 2reatness of philosophy lies in perpetual uestionin% philosophy does not be%in with an answer>insi%ht but a uestion it continues because we still continue to as" uestions, particularly depthuestions and the answers to our uestions do not stop the uestion-as"in% but spur one to further search for a better answer, to as" for further, deeper or different uestions. &hus, philosophy is music of the fu%ue# incessant counterpoint of uestionin% and answerin%.

'. "hi osophi%ing as the #iscip ine of (i)eration philosophizin% as a discipline of uestionin% is a discipline of liberation, i.e. in as"in% uestions, philosophy leads to liberation# - liberation from encapsulation, conditionin%, determination - liberation to the horizon of possibilities - liberation to affirm one/s possibilities and one/s determination i. Huestionin% liberates one from historical, sociolo%ical, psycholo%ical encapsulation, determination or conditionin% <. Historical, 1ociolo%ical and Psycholo%ical encapsulation, determination, conditionin% - Historical what am ( "now, what can ( do, what ( am doin%, how ( value thin%s, how ( see thin%s could be determined or conditioned in lar%e e!tent by the past events, by what happened in the past past events# personal, family, society. - 1ociolo%ical encapsulation, determination, conditionin% the "ind of society that ( live in, the culture, the social structures ( find myself in affect in si%nificant de%ree to the point even of conditionin%, determinin% and encapsulizin% my seein%, doin% and valuin%. - Psycholo%ical encapsulation, determination, conditionin% refers to how my %enes, e!periences of pain and pleasure, neurons, amon% others affect my seein%, doin% and valuin%. =. Cy uestionin%, ( am liberated from these conditionin%, encapsulation and determination - )hyB Cy uestionin%, ( am able to place myself at a distance from these types of conditionin%, determination or encapsulation, such that they no lon%er determine at least in the same de%ree as before ( have be%un to uestion I

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- Cy uestionin%, ( could say, $wait a minute$, to the present situation# the present conditionin%, determination - (n this way, ( could resist the conditionin%, the currents, the pullA in effect, ( revolt a%ainst the historical, sociolo%ical and psycholo%ical conditionin%. Huestionin% opens me to the horizon of possibilities )hat was seen before as a pure necessity 7that which could not be otherwise, in which ( have no choice8 is now seen upon uestionin% as a possibility which ( could choose to re-ect or accept. 'ther possibilities, possible patterns, options which ( never have thou%ht before open before me. Huestionin% leads one to Affirmation Affirmation of the Future as 9reative 1elf-Pro-ect - the possibilities that are opened before him>her in uestionin%, he must affirm, he must choose, must ta"e responsibility of as his>her pro-ect, throu%h which he shapes, determines himself>herself. - 'nly in this way, he ta"es responsibility to determine>shape himself>herself, what "ind of self>person he will be in the future 7future self-pro-ect8, rather than bein% determined by one/s history, society and psycholo%ical ma"e-up. Affirmation of the Past, of my determinations - Huestionin% leads one to confront the past and embrace>accept>own>possess the past as his/her past - )hy is this very importantB &he past is part of one/s identity thou%h ( do not have to be determined by it &he possibilities of the present that are opened to me and amon% which ( must choose to determine my self-pro-ect are the results of the past. &hus, to embrace the past is also to embrace my present identity and my future self-pro-ect.

*. "hi osophi%ing as the #iscip ine of "ersonhood philosophizin% becomes an authentic discipline of uestionin% and of liberation when it is discipline of personhood, i.e.# - personal tas" - at the root of one/s bein% a person - important in my %rowth as a person i. Philosophizin% as a Personal &as" <. Personal Affair of As"in%-Huestion - ( must myself personally as" the depth- uestion - &he personal uestions and their answers are of %reat value to me - &he uestions have to do with my person, my identity =. Personal 1earch for the answer, for the truth to these depth- uestions - ( myself will loo">find for the answers to these depth- uestions - ( could not dele%ate this to other, nor -ust be a spectator to the searchin%-activity - (n my personal search, ( must not be content# with sheer con-ecture, with sentimentalism# feelin% %ood and nice with philosophical warm blan"et -ust with pursuin% relevance - utmost aim# pursuin% truth# be it palatable or not be it a comfort or threat>discomfort - my personal search for the answer involves# a. e!actin%, careful, disciplined reflection of my own e!perience and thou%hts b. philosophical dialo%ue# - ( will be open to other philosophers/ e!periences and insi%hts - 1tudy wor"s of others c. study also of other disciplines - open to other thin%s which mi%ht be vehicle for findin% answers to my depth- uestions about myself# myth, history, literature, natural sciences, behavioral sciences. @. 1eein% the answers to these uestions or the truth myself - in findin% some answers to my depth- uestions, ( myself see, realize the truth of these answers that they are really true to me they really answer my personal depth- uestions Philosophizin% is at the root of one/s bein% a person the human person is driven by his personhood to philosophize# ?

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to as" depth- uestions to see">find answers for them to see himself the truth of the answers he has found )hyB because of the nature of his person as homo viator 7man on the way8 - His present situation - the situation he finds himself at the moment# not yet complete, not yet finished-product not yet sufficient with himself contin%ent finite truth, happiness, -ustice 7Pascal8 - yet not content, satisfied with what he is# restless, insatiable he is not happy, at rest, content with he is and has at the moment he desires, lon%s from somethin% more than what he is and has at the moment - Hui!otic man# dreamin% the impossible - Ale!andrian man# cryin% because there is no more to con uer - Au%ustinian man# ever restless until my heart rests in &hee. - Pascalian man# %reat abyss within that cannot be filled by anythin% finite. - ;ostoyevs"i/s moral hero - &hus, he as"s more uestions, he searches, demands for more answers about himself, about his world. -

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(n philosophizin%, one/s personhood, one/s %rowth as a person is at sta"e when ( stop philosophizin% 7to as" depth- uestions, to see">find answers for them and to see himself the truth of the answers he has found8, - ( become determined, conditioned, encapsulized by my history, society, and psycholo%ical ma"e-up - ( refuse to be open to my own possibilities, and ta"e responsibility of them and myself as creative self-pro-ect - Remain satisfied with the present and sta%nate, arrestin% my %rowth as a person.

+onc usion,Summar$: uestionin%, then, is the startin% point and the continuin% force of all philosophy uestionin% leads one to find answers, and findin% the answers he himself must see the truth of those answers - but in findin% answers to the depth- uestions primarily about himself# his identity and action, he will not reach a point of no returnA rather leads him bac" to new uestions, leadin% to a new search, new answers, so on and so forth. - (n so doin%, he is liberated from those which enslave, he becomes open to his own possibilities, and ta"es responsibility of himself as a creative self-pro-ect ". The #uthenticity o$ Philosophy %&illia' (ui)pen* a. Introduction i. &he (nnumerable 9ontradictions of Philosophy for =,EGG years, man has been philosophizin% and the result is innumerable and contradictory claims and systems of philosophy. much older than Modern 1cience, yet unable to formulate even a few theses 7statements8 which are unanimously accepted by all philosophers as observed by the philosophers themselves li"e the 1ceptics, Rene ;escartes, Hume, ,ant not a sin%le thesis is not denied by another philosopher in the past, present, or>and future. ii. <. Reactions .eadin% to (nauthentic Philosophy 1cientism# Re-ectin% Philosophy and Absolutizin% Physical>*mpirical 1ciences - :nli"e philosophy, Physical>*mpirical 1ciences# Dery successful discipline - Cetter "nowled%e of the physical world - Fruitful "nowled%e# leads to mastery>control of the physical world - 2reatly contributed in ma"in% life better Hi%hly Derifiable>(ntersub-ective ,nowled%e - Cecause of these characteristics of Physical 1ciences, some are led to re-ect philosophy and to absolutize 1cience 71cientism8. HowB Cy claimin%>believin% that# <. 1cience alone is the only %enuine and reliable source of "nowled%e, not philosophy or any other means. - what can be "nown and is "nown by 1cience constitutes alone as the true "nowled%e - "nowled%e, pure and simple, is the "nowled%e offered by 1cience

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- here, 1cience, already claims and decrees, not about the physical world but claims and decrees on &heory of ,nowled%e# the possibility, e!tent and validity of "nowled%e 1cience alone discloses reality such that whatever cannot be disclosed or are not disclosed by 1cience is not real. - here, reality is e uated or reduced with the reality accessible to 1cience - from its epistemolo%ical claim, 1cience is led to an ontolo%ical claim# A &heory of Reality# &he 1tructure and 9onstitution of Reality. 1cientism 7absolutizin% 1cience8 is not a science, not scientific (t already claims about thin%s beyond the competence>realm of physical sciences (t deals with or addresses some thin%s beyond its tas"s, namely# &heory of ,nowled%e, &heory of Reality &his is already the wor" of philosophy. &hus, in re-ectin% philosophy, it philosophizes althou%h in a contradictory way, an inauthentic philosophy - 1cientific yet unscientific - Derifiable yet unverifiable - Re-ects philosophy but already ta"es a philosophical position on the issues of ,nowled%e and Reality

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1cepticism - re-ection of all claims of "nowled%e of reality, all claims as doubtful, not only philosophical claims, but all claims - this is itself is a philosophy, a philosophical position>view about "nowled%e and reality - yet a self-contradictory philosophyA thus, an inauthentic philosophy claim# all "nowled%e is doubtful yet this claim is also a form of "nowled%e therefore, this claim 7that all "nowled%e is doubtful8 is also doubtful this shows that the conclusion falsifies the first premiseA thus the ar%ument contradicts itself. - Any re-ection of philosophy 71cientism, 1cepticism and others8 is itself a philosophy thou%h a bad one - &o ridicule philosophy, to lau%h at philosophy is itself a philosophy ;o%matism - claims that of the different philosophical systems, one can be the philosophy, is the philosophy - thus, one loo"s for &H* philosophy# in the past# turns to different philosophies or philosophers in the past in the present# turns to every new philosophy or system to whether at last it present &H* philosophy in the future# e!pects that &H* philosophy will be formulated in the future. - &his e!pectation, of course, meets with disappointments, frustrations, and disillusions. )hyB Cecause there was, is and will be never such thin% as &H* philosophy

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2. -uthentic "hi osoph$ as a "ersona Tas. i. Philosophizin%# not an attempt to learn a philosophical system few %eniuses in history laid down their thou%hts in %randiose masterpieces and systems li"e Plato, Aristotle, Au%ustine, &homas A uinas, ;escartes, ,ant, )hitehead to philosophize authentically is not simply to learn one of these philosophical systems - not -ust to tal" about, study>learn with or without proof# the uestions they as"ed the answers the found and proposed - and these uestions and answers are in the first place not my own personal uestions nor could their answers mean anythin% to me nor ma"e a difference in my life, nor ma"e me more human, more of a person ( am meant to be. - (n short, learnin% their truth, but not my truth. ii. <. Philosophizin% is authentic only when it is a personal affair Personal Affair of Huestion-As"in% - ( myself personally raise the depth uestions - ( myself see the importance of these uestions and their answers to me - (t is myself that ( uestion Personal Affair of 1earchin% the Answer to these uestions J

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- ( myself loo" dili%ently for the answers, overcomin% any obstacles, sub-ectin% myself to certain disciplines Personal Affair of 1eein% the &ruth of the answers - ( myself see the truth of the answers ( found. 'nly in this way can philosophizin% be authentic philosophizin%, i.e.# - Philosophize in an ori%inal and personal way - My own philosophy, not -ust any other philosophy Philosophizin% is authentic when it one/s own life that raises the philosophical uestions man has to live his own life, determine his own action - he is responsible for his own life and his actions - he is only human, a person only when he himself lives his own life and determines his own actions - others could not live my life for me nor ( could simply live the life of others - ( could not let others determine my life and actions, nor determine others/ lives and actions &o live my own life, to determine my own action is to live accordin% to my own basic convictions about# - .ife>Realtiy - Myself - Dalues &o come to my own basic convictions, ( myself have to discover them# - ( myself as" the uestions about them - ( myself see" the answers - ( myself have to see the truth of the answers &hus, ( myself can discover my own basic convictions from within.

iii.

'. -uthentic "hi osoph$ as a Spea.ing Word thou%h authentic philosophy is a deeply personal affair, there are already concluded philosophies, i.e. thou%hts laid down in a system by %reat %enius of the past, li"e Plato, Aristotle, &homas A uinas amon% others. )hat is the role of constituted philosophies in the philosophizin% as a personal tas">affairB &his we will answer# - First, by clarifyin% the nature of these constituted philosophies. &his we will do in this section. - &hen, by clarifyin% the proper relationship between my philosophizin% as a personal affair with these constituted philosophies. &his we will do in the ne!t section. i. <. Philosophy as Personal *!pression of Particular *!perience of Reality Philosophy as 1pea"in% )ord, not &al"in% )ords - tal"in%# ideas are -ust set of ideas which we must relate with one another which we understand in themselves as ideas> statements>words - spea"in%# ideas are e!pressions of the philosopher/s personal e!perience of reality e!perience# - sub-ect presence to reality# personal presence of who ( am to reality, my openin% up to reality - reality presence to the sub-ect# presence of reality to the personA unfoldin%, manifestation, unveilin% of reality to the person. (deas try to e!press, articulate what the person sees himself deeply in reality, what he himself e!periences, his particular insi%ht of the wealth of reality 0ot All 1pea"in% )ord is Philosophy - there are different ways of e!periencin% reality, i.e. of bein% present to reality of reality bein% present to me - not all of these are philosophy, or philosophical e!perience. *.%.# Rose, a beautiful beach# - *conomist - .over - &heolo%ian - 1cientist - Philosopher 1chool <G

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- 1tudent - &eacher - Administrator - +anitor - A philosopher is someone# who sees particular aspects of reality, in a particular depth who e!periences reality in a particular way - who is present to reality in a particular way - to whom reality is present in a distinct way - philosophy 7philosophers ideas, theories, etc.8 is an articulation, e!pression of this particular way of e!periencin% the world>reality. *.%.# Plato/s Philosophy# &heory of Forms - As solidified thou%ht it may sound abstract - Cut it is really an e!pression of Plato/s particular e!perience, insi%ht of reality. *nd of Philosophical Formation and &rainin% not -ust# - drillin% the aspirant into different philosophical theses or ideas - memorizin% the different philosophical theses and understandin% them in themselves but the ideas>theses>solidified thou%hts are -ust means# - to ma"e us personally see>e!perience what the philosopher has seen, has e!perienced of reality - to ma"e us enter into a whole new world we have never seen or even suspected before - analo%y of inde! fin%er as a si%n

*. -uthentic "hi osoph$ as a +ommon Tas. i. Authentic Philosophy as both a personal tas" and a common tas" Philosophizin% to be authentic should both# - A personal tas">affair A personal affair of as"in% uestions, see"in% answers, and seein% the truth of the answers ( have found. Philosophizin% about my person, philosophizin% arisin% from my own personal situation - A common tas" ;emands the study of the wor"s, thou%hts of the philosophers )hyB - ( am inserted in a history of thou%ht, which is not purely personal, which ( have not made myself. - ( do not start from zero, from scratch in my own philosophizin% for other have thou%ht before me. - ( am carried by their thou%htA ( am in the stream of thou%ht established by tradition at least because of the lan%ua%e ( spea" and because of the ideas in this lan%ua%e which permeate me - &hus, impossible for me to thin" without tradition Problem# - How do ( philosophize in such a way that we do not compromise either# &he act of philosophizin% as a personal tas" &he act of philosophizin% as a common tas" ii. 9onstituted Philosophy ma"es us sensitive and %ives us access to the wealth of reality which they %reat philosophers have perceived and which otherwise we could not have perceived. philosophers have lon% been dead and their own particular e!periences of reality have lon% passed. 6et these e!periences found e!pression, are embodied, contained in their philosophy which is a spea"in% word. &hrou%h their wor"s, we have access to their uni ue e!perience of reality and throu%h them, their own e!periences of reality could also be ours. )ithout their e!periences, it would be difficult for us to come to those e!periences. *.%.# - without Plato, our e!perience and conception of reality would be trivial and materialistic the totality of bein% could not be e!perienced and understood in its %reat variety and levels, at least when we reflect philosophically upon reality <<

- without Au%ustine, we would not have been sensitive and understood the meanin% of our restlessness of bein%-in-the-world. - )ithout Mar!, ;arwin, Freud, we could not have been corrected of our e!a%%erated spiritualism. &herefore, they ma"e it possible for us to have personal e!perience of reality, to ma"e us sensitive to the superabundance>wealth contained in the totality of all that is. iii. )hat the %reat philosophers saw>e!perienced remains fruitful and source of inspiration wor"s of %reat philosophers are considered classical not only because they ma"e us see>e!perience what they saw>e!perience which otherwise we could have been blind of. Cut at the same time they inspire us to see>e!perience over and beyond what they saw - &hey further inspire us to as" uestions, further beyond, deeper than they have as"ed - &o find>see" answers beyond what they found - &o see ourselves the truth of the answers beyond what they themselves saw. 6et as every philosopher was struc">awed by a particular aspect of reality, and every system constructed by a %reat philosopher is an e!pression>articulation of some aspect of reality, there is a dan%er# - that a particular aspect of reality mi%ht be elevated by him to the ran" of reality, pure and simple, or &H* R*A.(&6 - that a particular e!perience of reality may be proclaimed as the only R*A.(&6 and its articulation and systematization as the 161&*M, &H* PH(.'1'PH6. )hen this happens, it becomes anti uated.

9onclusion# (f constituted philosophy is a spea"in% word 7i.e., an articulation>e!pression of a particular e!perience of reality8, then the study of the wor"s of the different philosophers leads us to# - *!perience the philosophers/ particular e!periences of reality 7APPR'PR(A&('08 - *!perience new and deeper aspect of reality other than what they have e!perienced 7*KPA01('08 And one does not simply accumulate "nowled%e but listens to reality no matter where it spea"s to him. /. The Intersu)0ectivit$ of "hi osophica Truth i. ;enial of (ntersub-ectivity of Philosophical &ruth 1ub-ective Diew of Philosophical &ruth# Philosophical &ruth has to be sub-ective in order to be authentic. )hyB - Philosophy is a personal tas">affair# As"in% one/s own depth- uestions 1ee"in% find by himself answers for them 1eein% himself the truth of the answers - As a personal tas", it involves study of other philosophers in order to see the truth they discovered as true to me, to be inspired to see myself more than what they have seen. 1ub-ectivistic Diew of Philosophical &ruth - Philosophical truth 7that which ( see, discover, "now in my philosophical enterprise, that which is unfolded before me in philosophical pursuit8 is true>valid to me alone but not true>valid for all. - Philosophical &ruth is per se not truth for all 7not intersub-ective8 (ntersub-ective Diew of 1cientific &ruth - 1cientific truth is the only intersub-ective truth, i.e. the only truth which could be accepted>validated by all as true. - (ntersub-ectivity as the e!clusive characteristic of 1cience ii. 1ub-ectivistic Diew of Philosophy is 1elf-9ontradictory Diew those who claim that philosophical truth is true to me alone but not true to all contradict themselvesA in other words, their claim contradicts>falsifies their claim HowB - For them to claim this sub-ectivistic view of philosophical truth, they presuppose that this view as true is valid to all and not -ust to a particular person. - &o claim otherwise, they would not ma"e sense at all as they would not ma"e any statement or any claim on this view. )hyB For to ma"e a claim of anythin% before anyone, ( presuppose that no one can ri%htly deny this truth. &hus, this implies that he can also see the truth of what ( claim. <=

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Cut they claim that no philosophical truth is true to all &hus, they contradict themselves.

;ifference between Philosophical &ruth and 1cientific &ruth difference is not that scientific truth is intersub-ective while philosophical truth is not but that the intersub-ectivity of scientific truth is easier to achieve than the intersub-ective e!amination of philosophical uestion and discovery. (n principle, both are intersub-ective. Philosophical &ruth is intersub-ective simply because any truth is intersub-ective. (n principle, - &ruth is not true to me alone but to true to allA otherwise is not true at all. &hou%h in fact 7de facto8 - A particular philosophical truth is not yet reco%nized by all - 6et, it can be reco%nized by all as true, as valid.

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1. The 2sefu ness of "hi osoph$ <. Philosophy is not useful in the $)orld of )or"$ $)orld of )or"$# - technocratic world, functional world - control>manipulation of nature to serve>meet one/s particular needs - dealin% with practical livin% - life on the horizontal dimension 1cience is very useful in this "ind world - *.%. Physics, Ciolo%y, 9hemistry, *conomic, Psycholo%y Cut philosophy is not useful, and even wholly useless in this "ind world, the world of wor" &hus, when a person concerns himself with the practical livin% and as society tends to become a technocratic or%anization of wor", philosophy is seen as useless (ronically, it is to this person, and to this society that philosophy becomes not only useful but even necessary. =. Philosophy is useful in the $)orld of Philosophy$ unless one enters into a particular presence to reality 7world8 achieved by philosophers, unless one enters into the level, dimension, realm, aspect of reality which the philosophers have entered, one cannot be convinced of the usefulness of philosophy. &hus, the usefulness of philosophy can only be appreciated by those who have left behind or %o beyond or deeper than the world of wor", and have e!perienced, perceived or entered into this realm, dimension of reality - world of philosophy For those who have already entered, they do not need to be convinced of the usefulness of philosophy for the value of philosophy clearly reveals itself. For those who have not yet entered into the world of philosophy, they can at least accept the usefulness of philosophy in %ood faith, and start philosophizin%.

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