INTRODUCTION OF THE COURSE

There’s a story about three men travelling by bus from the busy city to a quiet, tranquil
province. One of them was a biologist, the other a mathematician, while the third was a
Philosophy professor. The three were just silently admiring the beautiful provincial landscape up
until they arrived at the bus station.
Breaking the silence, the biologist said, “Now we know there are albino horses in this
province.”
“Not quite accurate,” the mathematician said. “What we know is that there are at least 5 albino
horses in this province.”
“You may be both right or both wrong in your observations,” said the Philosopher.
“Why so?” The two asked.
“Because the question is, were those really horses that we saw?”
This story describes that Philosophy is about never accepting anything at face value
because in Philosophy things are not just what it appears to be.
It could be said that Philosophy is one of the most challenging subjects a student will take
up in college. Thus, to appreciate the subject (rather than be overwhelmed by its topics) it is
noteworthy to realize that questions are more important than the answers. Philosophizing is one
of the most powerful mental activities that the human mind has ever developed. It is the basic
foundation of knowledge. Its general influence in life is fundamental because in every course of
events that happened in our planet Philosophy surely had a hand in it either in an obvious or in
an obscure way.

What is Philosophy?
Philosophy can best be defined as the science of the first causes. However, there are several ways
to define a word. The most basic manner in understanding its meaning is to know its origin and
how this particular word is being understood as time passed by. The study about the origin of
words is called etymology.
Etymologically, Philosophy comes from the Greek words Philos and Sophia. In English,
Philos means “loving” while Sophia means “knowledge or wisdom”. Literally, Philosophy
means “loving wisdom”. Philosophers then are people who are “lovers of wisdom”. Pythagoras
is given the honor of being the very first Philosopher to have coined the word Philosophy and
Philosopher.
When Ancient Greek Philosophers talk about “love” it is as complicated and polyseme
(n. a word or phrase with multiple, related meanings) then as it is now. There’s Eros, agape, and
philia each with its own, distinct characteristic. However, the most common factor that these
terms have about “love” is that when a person is “in love” his mind, body, and soul is centrally
directed to the object of such feeling. That’s what Philosophy is to Philosophers. Philosophers
dedicate their whole life to the search of the Highest Cause.
A deeper study on these famous Philosophers that this book will present would show that
for these people Philosophy is not just about studying or learning something. Philosophy is their
way of life. Their love of wisdom gets their all-encompassing attention; their energy is solely
directed to finding the highest truth in all things; and they lived their lives based on philosophical
truth.
Here’s a fascinating article from the Web about Pythagoras and how he describes what
Philosophers are. According to him:
“Human Life seemed to resemble that public convention which is celebrated with the
pomp and games of all Greece, for as some by bodily exercises aim at the glory and nobility of a
crown; others are led away by gain in buying and selling. But there are certain persons, and
those of better quality, who seek neither applause nor gain, but come to behold and curiously
observe what is done and how. So we, coming out of another life and nature into this life, as out
of some city into the full throng of a public meeting, some serve glory, others riches; only a few
there are, who, despising all things else, studiously enquire into the nature of things. These he
called enquirers after wisdom; these are philosophers. Thus, whereas learning before was called
Sophia, wisdom, and the professors thereof sophoi, Pythagoras more modestly called it
philosophy, love of wisdom — conceiving the attribute of "wise" not to belong to men, but to
God only.” i
In the course of the study, students will observe that Philosophers actually have different
views about everything. In fact, there are several Philosophers who criticized and challenged
their own philosophy.
This is because in Philosophy the question is more important than the answer. Why?
Because questions activate the mind to think and will thus lead the person to finding solutions to,
say, a problem or an issue. Questions will reveal that established knowledge is inadequate.
Questions will show that we can still add to what we already know and we can then improve on
it. That’s why Philosophy will endure for as long as life endures because the act of questioning is
eternal.

i
van Uchelen, Irene Croiset . "ON PYTHAGORAS — Irene Croiset van Uchelen." ON PYTHAGORAS — Irene Croiset van Uchelen. N.p., n.d. Web. 4
Mar. 2014. <http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/forum/f27n07p396_on-pythagoras.htm>.