INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY • How should I treat others?

PHILOSOPHY – originates from its Greek LOGIC – study of philosophy is the arguments
components, “PHILIA”, which signifies love, or reasons given for people answers to these
and “SOPHIA”, which denotes wisdom. questions.
- Regarded as the comprehensive study - Logicians ask such questions as:
of all things.
• What constitutes “good” or
- Relies on certain knowledge derived “bad” reasoning?
through rationality.
• How do we determine whether
- Engaged in asking, answering, and a given piece of reasoning is
arguing for their answers to life most good or bad?
basic questions. WESTERN PHILOSOPHY VS EASTERN
METAPHYSICS – the study of the nature of PHILOSOPHY
reality, of what exists in the world, what it is WESTERN PHILOSOPHY – covers more on
like, and how it is ordered. about religion, science, and rational thinking.
- Philosophers wrestle with such - There is dichotomy of religion and
questions as: philosophy.
• Is there a God? 1. Ancient Pre-Socratic
• Do people have minds? If so, Philosophers – Cosmo-centric
how is the mind related to the (Cosmologists)
body? 2. Socratic Philosophers – No
• What is it for one event to Common Theme
cause another? 3. Medieval Philosophers – Theo-
EPISTEMOLOGY – the study of knowledge centric (Theologians)
4. Modern Philosophers – Nou-
- Primarily concerned with what we can centric/Ratio-centric (Rationalists)
know about the world and how we can 5. Contemporary Philosophers –
know it. Anthropo-centric
- Typical questions of concern in (Humanists/Existentialists)
epistemology are: EASTERN PHILOSOPHY – derived mainly
• How do we know what we from teaching of Buddhism, Confucianism and
know? Taoism
• Can we be justified in claiming - Its essence is the awareness of the
to know certain things? unity and mutual interrelation of all
ETHICS – concerns what we ought to do and things and events.
what it would be best to do. - There is no dichotomy of religion and
- Ethicist attempts to answer such philosophy.
questions as: WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR A MAN TO
• What is good? What makes PHILOSOPHIZE?
actions or people good? - PLATO, a Greek philosopher traced
• What is right? What makes man’s need to philosophize to his
actions right? sense of wonder.
- RENE DESCARTES, a 15th century
• Is morality objective or
subjective? French philosopher highlights that
 man need to philosophize because of - All aspects are tied in together to
doubt. form a general overview of the
- KARL JASPERS, a 20th Century Swiss- problem or situation.
German philosopher saw the need to
philosophize because of experience. M1 LESSON 2: METHODS AND TOOLS FOR
Finally, the need to philosophize is PHILOSPHIZING
driven by the love of wisdom. VILLAROYA A. F. et al. (2020)
- To love wisdom is to have insatiable - Says that, the diverse methods of
desire for truth. philosophical inquiry encompass a
PHILOSOPHY – an intellectual activity is an range of approaches to uncover truth
analytic procedure of addressing individual and wisdom.
thought processes such as resolving conflict - The quest for truth is not confined to
and confusion, testing positions, and analyzing a single path, thus delve into
beliefs. In all instances, doing philosophy is numerous methodologies.
prescribed by logic, reason, and ethics leading - Methods have evolved and
to wisdom. In any setting, wisdom is always transformed, spanning from ancient to
gained when philosophy is applied to formulate contemporary philosophy.
a conclusion about a certain concern. SOCRATIC METHOD
M1 LESSON 1: DOING PHILOSOPHY - Involves asking open-ended questions.
PHILOSOPHY – is a vital tool for critical - Named after Socrates, the Greek
thinking and personal development. philosopher who used this method to
- Some people mistakenly believe that teach his students.
philosophy is simply about asking - Based on the belief that people learn
questions. best by questioning their own
- There is a more structured process assumptions.
involved in philosophical inquiry. DIALECTIC METHOD
HOLISTIC AND PARTIAL POINT OF VIEW - From the French word DIALECTE
POINT OF VIEW – an attitude on how one which means the art of investigating
sees or thinks of something. the truth of opinions.
- Philosophy requires to look at into all - Based on discourse between two or
available perspectives to come up with more people holding different points
sound, logical, and valid conclusions. of view but wishing to establish the
PARTIAL POINT OF VIEW truth through reasoned arguments.
- Perspective that is based on one of HEGEL DIALECT STAGES OF
the component parts of a whole it is DEVELOPMENT
when one interprets a reality. 1. THESIS
- Conclusions are made based on - Representing an initial concept, belief,
considering some, but not all, sides of or condition.
the problem or situation. - E.g., the belief that the world is a
HOLISTIC POINT OF VIEW static and unchanging place. This
- From the Greek word HOLOS meaning belief is based on the observation that
“entire or totality”. the world seems to be very stable and
that things do not change very often.
 2. ANTITHESIS - EPOCHE - which means to abstain.
- Negation or opposition to the thesis. It - Refers to the unpacking of a certain
challenges the existing ideas, values, or reality.
structures embedded within the thesis. - Let go of his/her biases and
- E.g., the belief that the world is prejudices, enclose them, and put
constantly changing and evolving. This them aside.
belief is based on the observation that - EIDETIC REDUCTION – movement
the world is full of change, from from fact to essence such as
weather to the seasons to the rise and thoughts, feelings, memories, etc.
fall of civilizations.
3. SYNTHESIS - Leave only what is essential to a
certain thing.
- Emerges through the resolution of the
tension between the thesis and - Seeks what is necessary to thing, such
antithesis. as, ‘what makes a chair a chair’ or
‘what makes a book a book?’.
- E.g., understanding that the world is HERMENUETIC METHOD
both static and changing, and that
these two aspects are in a constant - Derived from hermêneuei or
state of tension. This understanding is hermêneusa and hermêneia, which
based on the realization that change is means interpreting or interpretation.
always happening, but that it does not - Objective of hermeneutics is to
happen in a linear way. There are apprehend the truth embedded within
always elements of stability and a text.
change in the world, and these two - Considers the historical and cultural
aspects are constantly interacting with context in order to grasp the author’s
each other. intended meaning.
PHENOMENOLOGICAL METHOD (EDMUND
HUSSERL) M1 LESSON 3: PHILOSOPHY AND THE
- Also called PURE PHENOMENOLOGY SEARCH FOR TRUTH
- Removing bias. OPINION VS TRUTH
- Husserl distinguishes: - According to CORVINO, a factual
statement possesses objective content
• NATURAL ATTITUDE and is substantiated by substantial
• PHENOMENOLOGICAL evidence.
ATTITUDE - An opinion reflects an individual’s
NATURAL ATTITUDE thoughts on a matter but lacks
- The belief that the reality outside the evidentiary backing.
person is relative to and separate from FACT
the person who experiences it. - Can be proven with concrete evidence
PHENOMENOLOGICAL ATTITUDE such as documentations, scientific
- process whereby a person suspends his/her findings or research, legal records, etc.
beliefs or the things he/she has learned from
the natural attitude. - Considered as true if it is proven and
verified.
- BRACKETING – this process is also
called EPOCHE,
OPINION M2 LESSON 4: HUMAN PERSON AS AN
- Personal view or judgment about EMBODIED SPIRIT
something. (S)PAGATH
- Statements based on personal belief, PLATO AND AGUSTINE (PAg) – dichotomy.
feelings, perspective, attitude, and ARISTOTLE and THOMAS (ATh) – united.
understanding. EMBODIMENT – as a human have a body and
THEORIES OF TRUTH soul, it is the union of it.
1. CORRESPONDENCE THEORY EMBODIED SPIRIT – the human person as
2. COHERENCE THEORY an ‘embodied spirit’ does not refer to the
3. PRAGMATIC THEORY materialization or the personification of a
CORRESPONDENCE THEORY human being (Villaroya, A. F. et al., 2020).
- “To see is to believe” - Human person as an embodied spirit
means that his/her body is inseparable
- Connects to reality and is observable. from his/her soul, just as the soul is
- True if it corresponds to known facts. inseparable from the body.
- THOMAS AQUINAS is the best - This concept makes it possible to
known: “Veritas est adaequatio rei et accept man’s limitations and realize
intellectus” (truth is the equation of his potentials.
thing and intellect) DIFFERENT NOTIONS ABOUT MAN
- “A judgment is said to be true when it PLATO – human person is seen in the
conforms to the external reality” –he metaphysical dichotomy between body and
tends to use “conformitas” and soul (Dualism).
“adaequatio”, but also uses. - The body is material, it cannot live and
COHERENCE THEORY move apart from the soul; it is
- Consistent with the beliefs. mutable and destructible.
- True if it is logically consistent with - The soul is immaterial; it can exist
other beliefs that are held to be true. apart from the body; it is immutable
- False if it is inconsistent with other and indestructible.
beliefs that are held to be false. - Plato divided the soul into THREE
- A belief is true if and only it is. parts:
PRAGMATIC THEORY PLATO’S THREE PARTS OF SOUL
- Usability, practicality, reality. 1. REASON – also known as the mind or
intellect.
- Traces its origins to CHARLES S.
PEIRCE, WILLIAM JAMES - Refers to the conscious part of the
soul.
- Posits that truth is determined by its 2. DESIRE – also known as the emotion
practicality, usefulness, or or appetite.
effectiveness.
- It is the desire for bodily pleasure.
- Belief is true if it has a useful 3. SPIRIT – also known as the will or
application to daily life. volition.
- It is an inner experience that
motivates humans to perform an
action.
ARISTOTLE – there is no dichotomy between - We are limited by our bodies to be
human’s body and soul. present in two or more places at the
- The soul acts as the full realization of same time.
the body while the body is a material BODY AS INTERMEDIARY
entity. - Due to our body that we experience
- Body is matter to the soul and the the world from a particular standpoint.
soul is form to the body. - We cannot, by the use of sheer will,
- EUDAIMONIA – Supreme end or final tell
good for man the attainment of others what we have in mind.
happiness. THE POSSIBILITY FOR TRANSCENDENCE –
- Famous dictum: “MAN IS RATIONAL It refers to the ability to surpass limits.
ANIMAL”. - Once unique characteristic of human
ST. AGUSTINE OF HIPPO – God created persons is their natural capacity for
human with a mortal body and an immortal transcendence the capacity to go
soul and gave him/her free will. beyond their current situation in life.
- Evil is the wrong use of free will. - TRANSCENDENCE – is a concept of
- Human is also capable of reaching forming personal progress by going
perfection only if he/she keeps beyond limitations.
himself/herself good. - The concept of transcendence involves
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS – he understands recognizing our limitations, discovering
man as a whole. opportunities for growth, and striving
- The soul requires the body as the to enhance ourselves.
material medium for its operation, - We have the chance to change into
particularly perception. improved versions of ourselves.
- At death, the intellect and will remain TRANSCENDING LIMITATIONS
in the soul as it is immortal, simple, FOR FACTICITY – we cannot simply truly
and incorruptible. change our facticity, but what we can do is
LIMITATIONS OF A HUMAN PERSON AS change our attitude towards them.
EMBODIED SPIRIT FOR SPATIAL TEMPORAL – we should give
1. FACTICITY the present its due worth and simply
2. SPATIAL TEMPORAL appreciate it space and time are two things
3. BODY AS INTERMEDIARY one cannot control.
FACTICITY FOR BBODY AS INTERMEDIARY – since
- French philosopher, JEAN PAUL having a body hides our thoughts and feelings,
SARTRE, refers to the things in our this challenges us to work on a good
lives that are already given. relationship with people whom we want to
open up for us.
- The moment we are born, we are WHAT MAKES HUMANS DIFFERENT –
already related to our parents. rationality and intellect.
SPATIAL TEMPORAL
- We are subjected to the physical laws
of the universe.
M2 LESSON 5: HUMAN PERSON IN THEIR PRUDENCE AND FRUGALITY TOWARDS THE
ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL PHILOSOPHY – the - ALDO LEOPOLD presents his concept
branch of Philosophy that is concerned with of a land ethic, which emphasizes the
the natural environment and humanity’s place moral responsibility of humans towards
within it. the natural world.
- In our modern era, characterized by - LEOPOLD’S PURDENCE (1949) –
rapid economic and technological suggests that prudence involves
progress, the natural environment has making thoughtful and long-term
often borne the negative decisions regarding the use and
consequences of these advancements. conservation
- By taking care of nature, human - PRUGALITY, according to Leopold
beings establish a reciprocal (1949), means using resources sparingly
relationship where nature, in turn and avoiding waste.
provides for and nurtures them. - Practicing frugality, we can reduce our
ANTHROPOCENTRISM ecological footprint and ensure the
- Puts man at the center and utilizes long-term viability of ecosystems.
others.
- HUMANS – are the primary caretakers
of God’s Creation
- NON-HUMAN – hold no inherent
worth.
ANTHROPOCENTRISM MODEL –
philosophical viewpoint agrees that human
beings are the central or most significant
entities (including animals, plants, and so on)
are resources that may justifiably be exploited
for the benefit of humankind.
ECOCENTRIC MODEL – model focuses on
the interests of all species and natural
features of Earth’s ecosystems.
- ECOCENTRISTS focus on the intrinsic
value of all these entities in their own
right.
DEEP ECOLOGY – is a philosophical
movement that considers humanity as an
integral part of nature.
- The idea that your life revolves around
nature.
- Term was coined by Norwegian
philosopher, ARNE NAESS in 1973, it
has since become a major force in
environmentalism.
- Response to Anthropocentrism.