INTRODUCTION TO THE

PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN

PERSON
MR. RAYMOND IRVIN T. SICAT
PHILOSOPHY
- Etymologically, the word “philosophy” comes
from two Greek words, phila meaning “to love”
and sophia meaning “wisdom”.
- “love of wisdom”
- In a broad sense, wisdom is still the goal of
philosophy.
- It is also defined as the science that by natural
light of reason studies the first cause or highest
principles of all things.
SCIENCE
- It is called science because the investigation is
systematic. It follows certain steps or it employs
certain procedures. In other words, it is an organized
body of knowledge just like any other sciences.

 NATURAL LIGHT OF REASON

- Philosophy investigates things, not by using any other
laboratory instrument or investigative tools, neither on the
basis of supernatural revelation, otherwise it becomes
theology; instead, the philosophers uses his natural
capacity to think or simply, human reason alone or the so-
called unaided reason.
STUDY ALL THINGS
- This sets the distinction between
philosophy from other sciences.
- All other sciences concern themselves
with a particular object of investigation-
ex: Anthropologists study human beings in
relation with reality.
Sociologists study society, its form,
structures and function.
Botanists focus their attention to plants.
- Linguistics limit themselves with language,
- Theologians investigates God.
- Whereas, a philosopher studies human beings,
society, religion, language, God, plants, among
other concerns.
 The reason is that philosophy is not one
dimensional or partial.
- Philosophers does not limit himself to a particular
object of inquiry.
- He/She questions almost anything, if not
everything. It is multidimensional or holistic.
FIRST CAUSE OR HIGHEST PRINCIPLE
- A principle is that from which something
proceeds in any manner whatsoever.

Principle of Identity
- Whatever it is is; and whatever is not not;
everything is what it is. Everything is its own
being, and not being is not being.
 Principle of Non-Contradiction
- It is impossible for a thing to be and not to be at
the same time, and at the same respect.
PRINCIPLE OF EXCLUDED MIDDLE
- A thing is either is or is not; everything must be
either be or not be; between being and not
being, there is no middle ground possible.

PRINCIPLE OF SUFFICIENT REASONS

-Nothing exists without a sufficient reason for its
being and existence.
Since its beginnings, however, the scope of
philosophy has changed.
Early Greek philosophers studied aspects of the
natural and human world that later become
separate sciences(astronomy, physics,
psychology and sociology)
On the other hand, certain basic problems (the
nature of the universe, the standard of justice, the
validity of knowledge, the correct application of
reason and the criteria of beauty) have been the
domain of philosophy from its beginnings to
present.
These problems are the subject matter of the
five branches of philosophy (metaphysics,
ethics, epistemology, logic, and aesthetics).
Finally. In attaining wisdom, there is a need for
emptying.
Emptying can be intellectual. For instance, the
Taoist considers an empty cup more useful than
a full one.
This means simplicity and humility.
Emptying can be spiritual. For Christian
philosophy, poverty in spirit means compassion.
Without the virtue of emptying,
students will only learn partial
philosophy that is knowledge-based,
without becoming holistic (acquiring
wisdom through various dimensions of
being human including the
psychological, social, emotional, and
more aspects).
METAPHYSICS
the study of what can not be known, what is out
of our reach, what is beyond physics, and what is
ethereal.
 It is really only an extension of a fundamental
and necessary drive in every human being to
know what is real.
The question is how to account for this unreal
thing in terms of what you can accept is real.
Thus, a very big part of the metaphysician’s tasks
is to explain that part of our experience, which
we call reality.
ETHICS
It is the branch of philosophy that explores the
nature of moral virtue and evaluates human
actions.
It is generally a study of the nature and moral
judgments.
the study of what is good, what is bad, how we
should live our lives, and how our lives should be
governed.
EPISTEMOLOGY
Specifically, epistemology deals with nature,
sources, limitations, and validity of knowledge.
Epistemological questions are basic to all other
philosophical inquiries.
Epistemology explains:
- How we know what we came to know
- How we can find out what we wish to know
- How we can differentiate truth from falsehood.
- the study of what is true, what is accurate, and what
is knowledge, and how can we be true, accurate,
or can we obtain knowledge altogether?
LOGIC
- Reasoning is the concern of the logician.
- The term “logic” comes from the Greek word
logike and was coined by Zeno the Stoic (340-
265BC)
- Etymologically, it means a treaties on matters
pertaining to the human thought.
- Logic does not provide us knowledge of the
world directly, for it is considered as a tool,
and does not contribute directly to the
content of our thoughts.
AESTHETICS
the study of art, beauty, and excellence.
It is the science of the beautiful in its various
manifestations including the sublime, comic,
tragic, pathetic and ugly.
To experience aesthetics, therefore, means
whatsoever experience has relevance to art,
whether the experience be that of creative
artist or of appreciation.
IMPORTANCE OF AESTHETICS
It visualizes our knowledge- It makes our knowledge
of the world alive and useful.
It helps us to live more deeply and richly- A work of
art, (whether a book, a piece of music, painting, or a
television show) helps us to rise from purely physical
existence into the realm of intellect and spirit.
It brings us in touch with our culture- Things about
change so rapidly today that we forget how much
we owe of the past. We cannot shut ourselves off
from the past any more than we can shut ourselves
off geographically from the rest of world.