SOME MAJOR

ACHIEVEMENTS OF
PHILOSOPHY
1. Philosophy supplements
scientific explanations to come
up with holistic explanations
2. Contributes to the development
of some disciplines
3. Provides ethical guidelines for use
of modern technology
4. Contributes social transformation
5. Expands the boundaries of knowledge
BRIEF HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY: WEST EDITION
 history
THE MILESIAN SCHOOL
 THALES OF MILETUS
 First sage of the Western
world
 Reason uncover
natural forces
 s.k.a. father of Western
Philosophy
Everything is  Predicted an eclipse
ultimately made  Wants to know what
out of water. nature really is
 ANAXIMENES
 source of nature: air
(respiration)
 2. Things are formed from
air in a specific way-
condensation and
rarefaction
1. All things are  Rarefied air-fire
created from air condense clouds, water,
and return to it land, rocks
when they decay.
 ANAXIMANDER
 Succeeded Thales as
the leader of Milesian
school
 Work: On Nature
 Mathematical and
Nature is a
astronomical
substance, character
indeterminate  First cartographer
and neutral.
 THE PYTHAGOREANS
-strange rules and taboos
-tended to oppose aristocracy 
formed one
-the body is a prison-house of the
soul
 PYTHAGORAS
 Deductive method in math
 Geometric theorem
 First recognized the
potential of math for
unlocking the secret of the
workings of the universe
 Leader of a secretive
religious cult committed to
A
the mystical significance of
numbers
THE ELEATIC SCHOOL
 XENOPHANES
 Gods of Homer and
Hesiod immoral and
absurd

 Rejected
Wisdom is anthropomorphic
superior to brute concept of the gods
force or physical
skill.
 PARMENIDES
 First logician
 What is is, what is not is
not
 Reason can distinguish
what truth from what
Reality is the basis of appears to be true.
truth (knowledge),  Zeno with his paradoxes
whereas change
produces only opinion agrees that there is no
(lack of knowledge). change.
 HERACLITUS
 Royalty philosophy
 Man is a being of the
world sophon
 Logos
 No man ever steps
Everything is in a on the same river
state of flux twice
driven between
opposites.
 EMPEDOCLES
 Kinggod
 Theory of Four
Rootsfour
elements
 Love and Strife

Matter is a immutable in its

essence but bodies are in a
state of constant change
 ANAXAGORAS
 Noble ruler theoretic
life
 1st philosopher of Athens*
little freedom of thought
 Seeds miniscule particles
that carry the blueprint of
everything
 panspermia
There is
everything in
everything.
 THE ATOMISTS
Everything in nature is the
product of the collision of
atoms moving about in space.
 DEMOCRITUS
 Things emit a kind
of specter or subtle
image composed of
finer atoms sense
organsmind
knowledge
Everything, even
the soul, is
composed of
atoms.
 THE SOPHISTS
• people known for their knowledge
and those who earned money by
teaching advanced pupils
• Focused on practical problems
• critical of traditional mythology
• Skepticism  ultimate truth  how to
know it?
 PROTAGORAS
 His teaching included
general areas such as
public speaking, criticisms
of poetry, citizenship,
grammar

 Wind one person could

Man is the measure of not be more or less correct
all things, of course than any other person
that are, that they are;
and of those that are
not, are not.
 SOCRATES
 Claims he is accompanied
by Daimonion-genius
 Socratic irony death
sentence
 Inductive reasoning,
universal definition (to
define is to limit essence
and knowledge)
Know thyself  Virtue  awakening 
Knowledge is  Socratic method- questions
virtue, ignorance problem and crticism
is vice.
 PLATO
 Like Socrates, believed
that moral virtue is
needed for the soul’s
health
 Republic, Allegory of
the Cave
 Moral virtue intelllect
Went to voluntary
exile when  Academy
Socrates was killed
by Athens
PLATO’S ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE
 ARISTOTLE
 A Macedonian
 Tutor of Alexander the
Great
 Moral virtue practice
and habit
 Define many of the
Theory of Golden Mean: disciplines studied to
Virtue lies between the this day
two extremes and is in  The Soul, The 4 causes
consonance with
 Poetics
reason…
 The CYNICS The CYRENAICS
 The way to gain  Founded by
Arristippus: the
happiness is to highest good is
suppress all pleasure but
necessities pleasure must not
dominate us.
 Work, exercise,
ascetic
practices.
 STOICISM
• Emphasis on morality, virtue,
calm, and emotional fortitude
 EPICUREANISM
• wisdom and simple living will
result to a life free from fear
and pain
• happiness –> goal of life
 SCHOLASTICISM
 Application of philosophy to
define and explain religious
doctrines
 HUMANISM
 Emphasis on the human person, use
of philosophy to understand society,
nature and humanity
 RATIONALISM
 Reason and logic considered the
basis of knowledge and belief;
 Man has innate knowledge that can
be accessed through intuition or
deduction
 I think, therefore I am- Rene
Descartes
 EMPIRICISM
 Knowledge is
gained through
the senses and
experience
 Reliance on
inductive
reasoning to arrive
at generalization
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
 Discussions on the ideal human situation
and society
 Emphasis on individual rights and
liberties
 Jean Rousseau – “Humanity is born
good,yet corrupted by society”.
 EXISTENTIALISM
 Human
experience is
defined by the
views, emotions
and actions of
the individual
 PRAGMATISM
 Emphasis on the practical use of
knowledge and ideas
 PHENOMENOLOGY
 Experience is studied based on the
subjective viewpoint of the individual
 studies the structure of various types of
experience ranging from perception,
thought, memory, imagination, emotion,
desire, and volition to bodily awareness,
embodied action, and social activity,
including linguistic activity
 EASTERN PHILOSOPHY
• wisdom and simple living will result
to a life free from fear and pain
 JUDAISM (Israel)
 Belief in one God who has
the role in the ultimate
destiny of mankind
 Observance of God’s
commandments will result in
rewards. A deeper study
and understanding of God’s
laws as revealed in the
sacred scriptures lead to
Abraham, wisdom.
Moses, various  Tanakh, Torah, various
prophets scriptures
 SHINTO(Japan)
 The material and
spiritual worlds are
closely connected;
rituals and traditions
are a way to
connect with the
spiritual world.
Harmony and
balance are  Mankind and world
essential in essentially good and
maintaining purity. pure
 HINDUISM (India)
 Belief in a pantheon of
gods—3: Brahma, Shiva,
Vishnu
 Belief in a cycle of birth and
rebirth (samsara)broken
moksha or ultimate union
with the divine
 Emphasis on dharma and
The Vedas karma
 JAINISM (India)
 Rejects the idea of a
Creator
 Considers the universe as
eternal and unceasing;

time
 Wisdom is developed
through the practice of 5
Mahavira vows: non-violence, truth,
Jain Agamas honesty, chastity, piety
 BUDDHISM (S, E, SE Asia)
 Shares a number of beliefs
with Hinduism
 The four noble truths
describe worldly existence
as imperfect and influenced
by earthly desires and
suffering
Siddharta  To rid oneself of desire and
Gautama liberation from suffering
(Buddha) follow the Eight-fold path
Tripitaka
 FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
1. Life is full of suffering
2. Suffering is caused by passionate
desires, lusts, cravings
3. Only as these are obliterated, will
suffering cease
4. Such eradication of desire may be
accomplished only by following the
Eightfold path of earnest endeavor.
 EIGHTFOLD PATH
1.right belief in and acceptance of
the Fourfold truth
2. right aspiration for one’s self and
others
3. right speech that harms no one
4. right conduct, motivated by
goodwill toward all human beings
 EIGHTFOLD PATH
5.Right means of livelihood
6. right endeavor- direct energies
toward wise ends
7.Right mindfulness in choosing
topics for thought
8. Right meditation or concentration
to the point of complete absorption
in mystic ecstasy
 TAOISM (East Asia)
 Emphasis on the unity
and harmony among
opposing elements (yin
and yang); individuals
must seek to
understand and act in
accordance with the
Lao Tzu natural order
I Ching, Tao Te Ching,
and Zhuangzi
 CONFUCIANISM (East Asia)
 The contemplation of the
order of things can lead to
self-transformation. Self-
transformation can lead to
the betterment of the family
and society.

 Human relationships are

based on mutual obligations;
individuals should perform
Confucius
their intended roles and
The Five Classics
contribute to social order.
Golden rule
 ISLAM (West Asia)
 Belief in one God
 Commitment to faith is
shown through the
practice of the Five
Pillars: testament of faith,
daily prayers, alms-
giving, fasting,
pilgrimage
Muhammad  Religion and society are
Quran closely intertwined
 SIKHISM (India)
 God is believed to have
created the universe and is
present everywhere and in
everything
 Man communicates with God
through meditation, and his
ultimate destiny is union with
the Divine
 Believers must devote
Guru Nanak themselves to selfless service
Guru Granth Sahib and action
 Performance check 2:
East meets West
 begin-end
 Religion and philosophy
 Logic-intuition and mysticism
 PC 2: East meets West
 Choose one idea from the philosophers of the west
and another from the philosophers of the east.
 Show how these two ideas contradict or
complement one another through a drawing or
painting.
 Criteria:
Content – 10 (reflected 2 ideas)
Creativity – 10 (used symbols, images that reinforced idea)
TOTAL: 20 points