Introduction to philosophy

- Rev. Fr Peter Susaimanickam

Philosophy
Western
Other
Ancient Medieval Modern Contemporary Post Modern
Chinese
Pre Socratic Anselm Descartes
, Spinoza African
Augustine Laibnitz
Socrates
Indian
Thomas Locke,
Plato Perkeley
Aquinas
, Hume
Aristotle

Chapter One
A. Philosophy is a dangerous stuff

"There are two powers in the world, a sword and the mind. In
the long run the sword is always beaten by the mind."
- Napoleon Bonaparte
"I do not know how to teach philosophy without being a He is a modern
disturber of peace." philosopher.
- Baruch Spinoza
He is a German
"I am a Dynamite." - Nietzsche Philosopher.

B. Warning Col 2:8

 Don't be taken up by philosophies and uprooted your faith. See to it, that no one
 Philosophy tells you that you are holding inconsistent takes you captives
beliefs in you. through philosophy
 Philosophy also makes you to have some consistent beliefs. and empty deceit.
 Altogether philosophy helps us to go closer to the truth.
Nghyp nka;apyhYk;
 tPzhd Vkhw;Wg;
Ngr;rhYk; cq;fis
ahUk; ftu;e;J nfhs;s
tplhjpu;fs;.

Paul says about the

Greek and Pagan
philosphies.
C. Questioning Being...
Humans are questioning beings...
Unique feature Who am I?
- the question that we raise Why is something
- rationality or reasoning and not nothing?
Types of questions Who is God?
-Factual Who is man?
-Big or Profound or Meaningful What the world is
-Question indicated made up of...?
- Questions of Experiences
Purpose of Questioning
-to understand the truth of reality and to find meaning to
one's existence.
Truth What is truth?
- Truth is a lifelong process and a permanent enquiry. The answer must be
- Every further search reveals deeper insights into reality corresponding and
- So we should avoid absolute dogmatism or coherent.
fundamentalism.
- Authentic search needs/requires an openness to new
ideas and truth and also requires a true desire and
interest to learn from others.
- It also reveals that human being can attain truths that are
within their human intellectual capacity.
- one becomes a philosopher when he/she begins to ask
profound questions.
- if you want to become philosopher you should ask
profound questions. That is the reason
- if you find answers for the big questions. they will make why we agree to
you to go in search of further more. some points.
- questioning offers an enlightening experience which
yields joy.
- it explains to you "who you are"
- Questioning can also give you an agonising experience, a
painful journey
- Enlightening experience will always be accompanied
with agonising experiences.

An unexamined life
is not worth living. -
Socrates.