PHILO O31 - ETHICS
“An unexamined life is not worth living”
– Socrates (recorded by Plato)
 We have to know ourselves, it will
help us achieve our goals (acquire
the right knowledge)
Specific Questions:
 What is Philosophy? (two
definitions)
 What are the different branches
and sub-branches of Philosphy?
 How does Philosophy exist?
 Where does Philosophy
originated?
 Who is the first Philosopher?
Philosophy
 Came from the words philia means
love and Sophia means wisdom.
Philosophy is the love of wisdom.
 It is also a science that studies beings
in their ultimate causes, reasons and
principles through the aid of human
reason alone. It attempts to
understand things logically
Beings – everything that exists: material
or immaterial
Branches and sub-branches of
Philosophy:
1. Metaphysics – meta means
after/beyond; physika means
physical/nature; this is the first
philosophy according to Aristotle;
the study of things beyond the
physical
 General
Metaphysics/Ontology –
onto means being; logos means
knowledge; studies the essence of
all things
 Special Metaphysics
 Cosmology – cosmos means
world; logos means
knowledge; studies the world
or universe
 Psychology/Anthropology
– psyche means soul/mind;
study of nature and dynamics
of human
 Natural
Theology/Theodicy –
theos means God; study of
God; justification of goodness
God
2. Epistemology – episteme means
knowledge; logos means study; this
is a study of nature and scope of
knowledge and justified belief
3. Logic – logos means study; this is a
science of correct thinking; a study of
the principles and criteria of a valid
argument; it distinguish good and
bad reasoning
4. Ethics – ethos means habit/custom;
this is a morality of human actions;
how human ought to act; search of a
right conduct and good life
“Logos is reason or the underlying
principle of all that is” – Heraclitus
“Wonder is the only beginning of
Philosophy” – Plato
Philosophy originated from: Miletus,
Ionia

Thales – the first philosopher; the first

to put his philosophy into writing;
provided the origin of the world, that
world is made up of water

Why Philosophy exist? Wonder

Pythagoras – the one who named it

Philosophy; a scientist and
mathematician