What is Philosophy?

Introduction

philia/philo=love
Philosophy Love of Wisdom
Sophia=wisdom
Love
=strong desire for a particular object
Wisdom
=correct application of knowledge
 Philosophy= is defined as science that studies
beings in their ultimate causes, reason and
Introduction

principles through the aid of human reason alone.

Being/Beings=all things that exist: material or immaterial

the notions of
God
Soul
 belief
Explainsthatthe
Philosophy humanas beings
meaning
critical of are
self-
life
andwe can
fundamentally
examination, learn
the world we as thefrom
good, and
livewill
in. It's
to
Introduction

teachable,
and see improvable,
how our and
life
anot
way just
to live
cultivate
life, but
one’s
to
perfectible through personal
mind
constantly
changes - Buddhists
question
when believe
we and
put
and communal endeavor,
thatevaluate
happiness it at stems
the samefrom
them
especially into
the
practice.
self-cultivation
time.
mind.
and self-creation.
 -Karl Jaspers-
Questions are more
important than answers
Introduction

because answers
themselves will in turn
become questions!
 Conceptions of Philosophy:
Philosophy

1. Philosophy as the quest for truth

Introduction

HumanPhilosophy
beings asuses:
having a
Most Important Questions:
natural inclination
Reason to ask
Existence
fundamental
Sense Perception
questions
Natural World
that probe
Empathy into the
Doing

Human Relations
significance
Imagination
and meaning
Divine Being
of their
intuition
earthly life.
Louis P. Pojman
(2006)
 2. Philosophy as the search for beliefs that
Philosophy

are rationally justified.

Introduction

It urges us to re-examine all

our beliefs and ideas and
evaluate them to check
Doing

whether they are rationally

justified.
William F. Lawhead
(2012)
 3. Philosophy as an Activity
Philosophy
Introduction

Skills that a person develop

in studying philosophy are
incorporated in the daily
routine of the person which
eventually becomes a
Doing

habit.

Ludwig Wittgenstein
(2004)
 Major Branches of Philosophy
Metaphysics Epistemology
Introduction

PHILOSOPHY

Logic Ethics
 METAPHYSICS = foundation of philosophy
Introduction

meta physika
(beyond/after) (physical/nature) -Aristotle-
Study of things beyond the physical; concepts It is the 1st
or things that cannot be experienced PHILOSOPHY
General Metaphysics/Ontology
Special Metaphysics
• Cosmology
• Psychology or Anthropology
• Natural Theology or theodicy
 ONTOLOGY or General Metaphysics
Introduction

onto logos LOGOS IS

REASON or the
(being or that which is) (knowledge or study) underlying
principle of all that
is.
Basic questions in ontology
• What is being?
• Why do things exist rather than not exist at all?
• What is the meaning and nature of reality?
• What is the underlying principle of all that exist?
• Is there nothing?
Heraclitus
 Special Metaphysics
kosmos=world Study the world(or
Introduction

universe including its

COSMOLOGY origin, dynamics, as
logos=study well as the laws that
govern its order.
Basic questions in Cosmology
• What is the origin of the world?
• What is the basic material of which the world is formed?
• How do things arise?
• In what consists its fundamental form or principle of order?
• Is the world or universe infinite?
 THEODICY OR NATURAL THEOLOGY
theos = God Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
Introduction

 study of God
 justification of the goodness of God in the
face of the existence of evil
Basic questions in Theodicy
• Is there God?
• What and who is God if He exist at all? 1710 work: Theodicee
• If God exist, how do we justify the existence of evil and suffering
in the world?
• Does a belief in God really necessary?
 LOGIC
logos=science of correct thinking
Introduction

 study of the principles and criteria of a valid argument

 distinguish sound or good reasoning from unsound or bad reasoning
Basic questions in Logic
• What is correct reasoning?
• What distinguishes a good argument from a bad one?
• How can we detect a fallacy in argument?
• What are the criteria in determining the validity of an
argument?
• What are the types of logic?
 ETHICS ETHICS ≠MORALITY
ethos=custom or habit
 morality of human actions theory practice
Introduction

 how human persons ought to act and the search

for a definition of a right conduct and good life
Basic questions in Ethics
• What is a right conduct as that which causes the realization
of the greatest good?
• How do we determine a right conduct?
in other words, what makes a right conduct right?
• What is a good life and can we attain it?
• What do people think is right?
 • holistic
Doing Philosophy

• Meaning
• Partial
Doing
Philosophy
• See the whole

• Process
• See the part
 What is everything?
Doing Philosophy

“Ano nga ba ang lahat-lahat sabay-sabay?”

Thales – water
Anaximander – unlimited, boundless
Anaximenes – air
Heraclitus – fire
Xenophanes – single God
Democritus – atomos (indivisible)
Anaxagoras - earth
 DOING PHILOSOPHY
Doing Philosophy

 to ask questions
 to reflect
 to formulate argument

Philosophy begins in
wonder!
 Philosophical Reflection
Doing Philosophy

The act of giving time to think about the

meaning and purpose of life
TYPES: -Gabriel Marcel

Primary Reflection Secondary Reflection

= fragmented and = integrates the fragmented
and compartmentalized
compartmentalized
experience into a
thinking coherent whole
= instrumental thinking Philosophical Reflection =
“means-end” kind of thinking Secondary Reflection
 Philosophical reflection as a tool in doing
Doing Philosophy

philosophy…
 To see the inter-connectedness and inter-
dependence of people actions and events as
well as our direct relation to them.
 Allows us to deepen our understanding about
ourselves as well as our role and place in the
world.
 Primary Reflection = ability to think logically
Doing Philosophy

The ability of the mind to construct and evaluate

arguments.

 Important tool in doing philosophy

The ability of the mind to construct and evaluate arguments.
 Important tool in doing philosophy
 Constructing and Evaluating Arguments
Doing Philosophy

Argument – set of statements that aim to prove

that something is true or false.
Statement – asserts or claims that something is
true or not.
Conclusion – claim that is being made, which may
either assert that something is true or false.
Premises – statements that serve as evidence or
support for the conclusion.
 Premise 1 : All human beings are mortal.
Doing Philosophy

Premise 2 : The president is a human being.

Conclusion : Therefore, the president is mortal.

Sound Argument – premises are all true and it has

a valid logical structure or form.
 NECESSARY SKILLS NEEDED IN DOING PHILOSOPHY
Doing Philosophy

Philosophical reflection & Construction & evaluation

of argument

Enables us to look deeper into Allows us to express our ideas

our experiences and see the in a systematic way: allows us
bigger picture of reality. to examine the ideas of other
people.
 Thinking Process (LOGIC) Behind the Dispute
Doing Philosophy

“My view is my view.” “Your view is your view.”

Mathematics: Principles of Equality

A=A
Logic: Principle of Identity
“What is, is.”

Parmenedis of Elea
 Thinking Process (LOGIC) Behind the Dispute
Doing Philosophy

“My view is not your view.” “Your view is not my view.”

Mathematics: Principles of Inequality

A≠not -A
Logic: Principle of Identity
“What is, is not not -is.”

Parmenedis of Elea
 Thinking Process (LOGIC) Behind the Dispute
Doing Philosophy

Mathematics: Principles of Transitivity

If A=B, and B=C, then A= C

Parmenedis of Elea

If your view is not my view, Y= -M

and my view is right, M= R
then your view is not right. / Y≠ -R
 Thinking Process (LOGIC) Behind the Dispute
Doing Philosophy

If your view is not my view, Minor premise

and my view is right, Major Premise
then your view is not right. Conclusion
 Thinking Process (LOGIC) Behind the Dispute
Doing Philosophy

Why must one choose only one, and

never have it both ways?
Should the dispute be the end or should
the dispute ended?

Parmenedis of Elea
 Thinking Process (LOGIC) Behind the Dispute
Doing Philosophy

“Either my view or your view is right, never both.”

Logic: Principle of the excluded Middle

“Either it is or it is not, never both”

Why must choose only one and never have it

both ways?
Should the dispute be the end or should the
dispute be ended?
Aristotle of Stagira
 What is Philosophy of the Human Person?
Doing Philosophy

 The Human Person as a Subject

- as humans we do not see one another as
animals because we have a distinctive ability as
humans to relate to one another in a meaningful
way, that is, we have the ability to treat others not
as objects but as subjects.
“I” as a “You”
-Scruton
  Knowing Thyself: Towards a Life Worth Living
Doing Philosophy

“Human person as a rational being.”

-Aristotle
“Humans must live according to his nature”
-Ayn Rand
“An unexamined life is not worth living.”
-Socrates
 “Ang buhay na hindi kinilatis ay hindi buhay tao.”
Doing Philosophy

-Roque Ferriols

Dehumanization and the Need for Philosophy of

the Human Person
 On Slavery
 The Holocaust and Genocide
 On Death Penalty