INTRODUCTION: DOING PHILOSOPHY

Key elements in educational reforms (educational challenge) : diversity, difference and choice
Diversity makes a person UNIQUE

MEANING OF PHILOSOPHY
(1) Etymological (2) technical
Etymologically – 2 Greek words: PHILO – to love ; SOPHIA – wisdom = LOVE OF WISDOM

• Attitude of the mind that by NATURAL LIGHT OF REASON studies the first causes or the highest
principles of all things.
• 4 THINGS TO BE CONSIDERED are SA, NLR, SAT, HP
1. SCIENTIFIC APPROACH
▪ investigation is systematic; organized body of knowledge
2. NATURAL LIGHT OF REASON
▪ philosophers use their natural capacity to think or observe the world and
people; it is ONLY THEOLOGY if its’s based upon supernatural revelation
3. STUDY OF ALL THINGS
▪ philosophers tend to study human beings, society, religion, language, God, and
plants. It doesn’t focus on just one particular thing. Philosophy is
multidimensional or holistic. It doesn’t limit.
✓ HOLISTIC/ HOLISM
o All of the properties of a given system cannot be determined or
explain by its components ALONE rather it should be seen as a
whole.
✓ HOLOS
o Total was concisely summarized by ARISTOTLE in his
metaphysics. The whole is MORE THAN the sum of its parts.
4. FIRST CAUSE OR THE HIGHEST PRINCIPLE
▪ something is the MAIN and the FIRST CAUSE why a situation took place.
Everything has a STARTING POINT or a BEGINNING.
▪ FIRST PRINCIPLES ARE PI, PNC, PSR, PEM
✓ PRINCIPLE OF IDENTITY
o Whatever is, is and whatever is not, is not; everything has a
name, an idea, a concept for this particular thing to exist
✓ PRINCIPLE OF NONCONTRADICTION
o It is impossible for a thing to be and not to be at the same time,
and the same respect
✓ PRINCIPLE OF EXCLUDED MIDDLE
o A thing is either is or is not; be or not to be; there is NO MIDDLE
GROUND
✓ PRINCIPLE OF SUFFICIENT REASON
o Nothing exists without a SUFFICIENT REASON for its EXISTENCE
5 BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, logic and aesthetics.
In attaining wisdom, there is a need for EMPTYING: can be INTELLECTUAL, PHYSICAL, SPIRITUAL
- It is suspending one’s judgement and conclusion about a matter and mentally exploring the
pros and cons, the characteristics and the purpose and conclusion about a matter
- In simple terms, it pushes us to be not affected by our personal biases and stereotypes in
order to make the judgement objective and fair.
- Intellectual. TAOIST considers an empty cup more useful than a full one as it portrays
simplicity and humility.
- Spiritual. CHRISTIANS say that poor in spirit means compassion.
- Physical. BUDDHIST refrains from the misuse of senses, emphasizes a unified whole or
holistic.
BRANCHES OF PHILO
A. METAPHYSICS (essence of and reality)
o Metaphysics is an extension of knowledge in philosophy as it answers the questions:
what is reality, why does reality exist and how does it exist. Every idea and concept of
reality can be explained through analyzing and using what is PHYSICALLY seen in the
world.
o True reality: fundamental source and basis for all reality; reality is way beyond what our
senses can perceive
o simplifying and reducing the mass of things we call appearance to a fewer number of
things called reality.
o Thales believes that all existence and reality can be explained through the analogy of
water. Water is the highest principle or the fundamental shape of all things in the
universe. Everything is an appearance while water is reality for it is the principle of all
things.
o Observation of mind and matter: things that cannot be perceived by our 5 senses. It is
the tendency to explain the seen by unseen and unobservable materials.
o PLATO said that nothing we experience with out 5 senses is real. Reality is invisible
unless you apply a deeper understanding. This is the IDEAS OF FORMS (moral, scientific
and mathematical).
B. ETHICS (what makes actions right or wrong)
o Ethos – character; moral character
o Moral virtue; adapts critical perspective
o Ethicist – one who study morality
o 5 MAIN FRAMEWORKS
i. DIVINE COMMAND
1. What does God ordain us to do? Not individualism rather collective is
emphasized. St Teresa of Calcutta and St. Lorenzo Ruiz
ii. CONSEQUENTIALISM or UTILITARIANISM
1. Most desirable consequence? What is good for the greatest number of
people is the best choice and the moral choice. Train example.
iii. DEONTOLOGICAL ETHICS
1. Whatever is my moral duty to do. Everyone has a moral duty to do what
is right regardless of what a person thinks or feel at that situation; moral
imperative; IMMANUEL KANT
 iv. VIRTUAL ETHICS
1. What kind of person I ought to be. Disregards consequences, duties and
social contracts instead it focuses on character development of the
individuals.
v. RELATIVISM
1. What does my society and culture think I ought to do?
2. Ethical rationalism and ethical pluralism
3. Human right is a moral entitlement
4. International rights are the right to physical movement

C. EPISTOMOLOGY (truth and logic)

o Nature, sources, limitations and validity of knowledge
o Epistemological questions; reliability, extent and kinds of knowledge
o Explains:
i. How we know what we claim to know
ii. How we can find out what we wish to know
iii. How we can differentiate truth from falsehood
o INDUCTION (method)
i. Examination of particular facts – particular things detected using senses are
important
o EMPIRICISM (view of knowledge)
i. Sense experience ; real knowledge is based on what our senses can perceive
ii. Facts and evidence
o DEDUCTION
i. Find a general law and rationalist; real knowledge can only be identified through
laws and logic; mathematician
D. LOGIC (good arguments)
o Reasoning is the concern of the logician; it is a tool; laws of thought
o Art of correct thinking
o Greek word: LOGIKE – thought (Zeno Stoic) – (etymologically) treatise on matters
pertaining to the human thought
o It concerns itself to truth or the validity of our arguments regarding such subjects
o ARISTOTLE devised the FIRST logical method
o Emphasis on UNIVERSAL in Socrates, NEGATION in Plato and reduction to the ABSURD
of Zeno
o Agreement of knowledge with reality
E. AESTHETICS (essential to beauty)
o Aisthetikos – of sense; perception
o Beauty – attribute that whatever pleases the beholder
o Art – man’s creativeness and skill in making or doing things
o Science of the beautiful – sublime, comic, tragic, pathetic and ugly
o Importance:
i. Vitalizes our knowledge: world is alive and useful
ii. It helps us live more deeply and richly
iii. It brings us in touch with our culture
o HANS GADAMER – our tastes and judgements regarding beauty is dependent on our
personal experience and culture
o Conversation
 The science of beings in their ultimate reasons, causes and principles acquired by the aid of
human reasons alone.

DOMAINS OF PHILO
1. Nature of the universe
2. Standard of justice
3. Validity of knowledge
4. Correct application of reason
5. Criteria of beauty and truth
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
a. PYTHAGORAS
- Ionian Greek
- 1st person who named himself as philosopher
b. THALES OF MILETUS
- World is made up of water
c. HERACLITUS
- Hisocrates
- Fire element
d. SOCRATES
- Moral Philosopher
- Socratic Method (elenchus)
- Teacher of plato
- Soul
- All human beings desire the good
e. PLATO
- Student of Socrates
- Academy of Athens
- Soul is immortal even if physical ceased to exist; soul is the principle which explains
life
- Abstract objects and virtue is knowledge
f. ARISTOTLE
- Student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great
- PERI PSYCHE
- Soul is divided into 3 types
g. SAINT AUGUSTINE HIPPO
- Everything is corrected with God
- Christian doctrine of Platonic ideology
h. THOMAS AQUINAS
- Truth is to be accepted no matter where it is found
- Aristotelian philosophy of soul divided into 3
i. IBN AL-NAFIS
- Arab from Damascus
- Communication force between arteries and veins; pulmonary circulation
j. RENE DESCARTES
 - Modern Western Philosophy
- Analytic Geometry
- Logito Ergosum
- Mind and Body is distinct but closely joined
k. BARUCH SPINOZA
- Dutch Golden Age
- No one is intrinsically good or evil
- Substance vs Accidence
- Opposed Descartes