Introduction to the

Philosophy of the
Human Person
Philosophy of the
Human Person

Week 1

Mrs. Maricel M. Zamudio

Teacher
Heavenly Father, We come to you today in
prayer, asking for your guidance and wisdom
as we begin this class.
Help us to stay focused and attentive as we
learn and grow together.
Give us the strength to stay motivated and the
courage to ask questions when needed.

We thank you for the opportunity to learn and

grow in knowledge.
May our minds be open to new ideas and our
hearts be filled with understanding. In Jesus’
name, Amen.
 Most
Essential
Distinguish a holistic
Learning perspective from a
Competencies partial point of view
(Nakikilala ang pagkakaiba ng pangkabuuang pananaw
mula sa pananaw ng mga bahagi lamang)
 Most Realize the value of
Essential doing philosophy in
Learning obtaining a broad
Competencies
perspective on life.
Nahihinuha na: Mahalaga ang pamimilosopiya
upang magkaroon ng malawakang pananaw sa buhay
 Most
Do a philosophical
Essential reflection on a concrete
Learning situation from a holistic
Competencies perspective
Nakapagmumuni-muni sa isang suliranin sa isang
pilosopikong paraan at nakagagawa ng
pamimiloosopiya sa buhay.
 Learning Objectives
1. Define philosophy through how it is done
2. Understand the nature of philosophical
inquiry.
3. Explain the branches of Philosophy.
4. Show an understanding of the history of
Philosophy
5. Recognize some significant philosophers in
history
6. Distinguish holistic perspective from a
partial point of view.
7. 7.Realize the value of philosophy in
obtaining a broad perspective in life.
 If you’ve ever wondered whether God exists,
whether life has purpose, whether beauty is in
the eye of the beholder, what makes actions
right or wrong, or whether a law is fair or just,
then you’ve thought about philosophy. And
these are just a few philosophical topics. But
what is philosophy?

The question is itself a philosophical question

 What is
Philosophy?
The word philosophy
comes from the Greek philo (love)
and sophia (wisdom) and so is
literally defined as “the love of
wisdom”.
More broadly understood, it is the
study of the most basic and
profound matters of human
existence.
 Philosophy
Systematized study of general and
fundamental questions, such as
those about existence, reason,
knowledge, values, mind, and
language.
History of Philosophy
 The topic of exactly when and where
philosophy first began to develop is still
debated, but the simplest answer is that
it would have begun – at any place in
the distant past – the first time someone
asked why they were born, what their
purpose was, and how they were
supposed to understand their lives.
Philosophy traces it roots in Ancient Greece in
the 6th century BCE. Some sources claim the
term was coined by Pythagoras (c. 570 –
c. 495 BCE), a Greek mathematician.
He use this term to classify three classes of
people who attended the ancient Greece as
lovers of gain, lovers of honors, and lovers of
knowledge or wisdom.
He favored the last class for not being driven
by profit nor honor. He then called these
people as Philosophers.
Among the Ancient Greeks, philosophers
became pioneer in history, biology, medicine,
mathematics, astronomy, and even physics.
In a broad sense, philosophy is an activity
people undertake when they seek to
understand fundamental truths about
themselves, the world in which they live,
and their relationships to the world and to
each other.

Those who study philosophy are

perpetually engaged in asking, answering,
and arguing for their answers to life’s most
basic questions.
 A philosophical system may
develop independently but
usually is a response to religion.

Philosophical schools frequently

develop in response to some
perceived failure of religion to
provide answers to fundamental
questions.
“WHEN RELIGION FAILS TO FULLY
ANSWER A PEOPLE'S QUESTIONS
OR ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS,
THE PEOPLE TURN TO
PHILOSOPHY.”
 A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates
philosophy. The term philosopher comes from the Ancient Greek:
φιλόσοφος, romanized: philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom’.

A philosopher someone who studies and develops ideas about the

nature and meaning of existence, truth, good and evil etc
 In a modern sense, a philosopher is an

intellectual who contributes to one or more branches of

philosophy, such as aesthetics, ethics, epistemology, philosophy
of science, logic, metaphysics, social theory, philosophy of
religion, and political philosophy.
A philosopher may also be someone who has worked in the
humanities or other sciences which over the centuries have split
from philosophy, such as the arts, history, economics, sociology,
psychology, linguistics, anthropology, theology, and politics.
Real philosophers try to understand all forms of existence without any
reference to religion, mythology, and tribal beliefs. That is a central
characteristic of philosophy. That it relies on argumentation.
And argumentation is fueled by reasoning.
And reasoning is the trademark of philosophy. And this is what
differentiates philosophy from religion, mythology, magic, and traditional
beliefs.
Branches
of
Philosophy
 Branches of Philosophy
The areas of interest of modern-day philosophy apply equally to the
East and West but the names by which they are known were
developed by the Greeks. Although various schools may break some
into sub-sections, the branches of study are:

1. Metaphysics
2. Epistemology
3. Ethics
4. Aesthetics
5. Logic
 Group Activity
Look for the ff:
1. Etymology
2. Definition
3. Founder
4. Branches
5. Questions Asked
 Metaphysics
At its core the study of metaphysics is the study of the nature of reality, of
what exists in the world, what it is like, and how it is ordered. In
metaphysics philosophers wrestle with such questions as:

Is there a God?
What is truth?
What is a person? What makes a person the same through time?
Is the world strictly composed of matter?
Do people have minds? If so, how is the mind related to the body?
Do people have free wills?
What is it for one event to cause another?
 Metaphysics
Derived from the Greek meta ta physika ("after the things
of nature"); referring to an idea, doctrine, or posited
reality outside of human sense perception.

Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy concerned with

the nature of existence, being and the world. Arguably,
metaphysics is the foundation of philosophy: Aristotle
calls it "first philosophy" (or sometimes just "wisdom"),
and says it is the subject that deals with "first causes and
the principles of things".
 Epistemology
Epistemology is the study of knowledge. It is primarily concerned
with what we can know about the world and how we can know it.
Typical questions of concern in epistemology are:

What is knowledge?
Do we know anything at all?
How do we know what we know?
Can we be justified in claiming to know certain things?
 The Study of Knowledge
(from the Greek episteme, knowledge, and logos, word).
Epistemology asks how one knows what one knows, what exactly is
'knowledge', how can it be defined, and how can one know that the
meaning one defines a word by will be the meaning another person
will understand. Epistemological questions do not seem to have
concerned the ancients until the subject is addressed by the Pre-
Socratic philosophers of Greece and Plato after them.
 Ethics
The study of ethics often concerns what we ought to do and what it would be best to
do. In struggling with this issue, larger questions about what is good and right arise.
So, the ethicist attempts to answer such questions as:

What is good? What makes actions or people good?

What is right? What makes actions right?
Is morality objective or subjective?
How should I treat others?
 Ethics
The Study of Behavior/Action (from the Greek ta ethika, on
character), a term popularized by Aristotle in his Nichomachean
Ethics, which he wrote for his son, Nichomachus, as a guide to
living well. Ethics is concerned with morality, how one should
live and upon what basis to make decisions. Ethics was a central
concern of all ancient philosophies from Mesopotamia onwards
in trying to determine the best way for people to live, not only for
their own self-interest but the interests of the wider community
and, finally, in accordance with the will of the gods.
 Aesthetics
Aesthetics is the "critical reflection on art, culture and nature".It
addresses the nature of art, beauty and taste, enjoyment, emotional
values, perception and the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is
more precisely defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional
values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste. Its major
divisions are art theory, literary theory, film theory and music theory.
An example from art theory is to discern the set of principles
underlying the work of a particular artist or artistic movement such
as the Cubist aesthetic.
 The Study of Art (from the Greek aisthetikos, sense/sentience, or aisthanomai, to perceive or
feel). Aesthetics concerns itself with the study of beauty, perception of beauty, culture, and even
nature, asking the fundamental question, “What makes something that is beautiful or
meaningful 'beautiful' or 'meaningful'?” Both Plato and Aristotle give answers to this question
attempting to standardize objectively what is 'beautiful' while the famous Greek Sophist
Protagoras (l. c. 485-415 BCE) argued that if one believes something to be 'beautiful' then it is
beautiful and that all judgments are and must be subjective because any experience is relative to
the one experiencing it.
 Logic
Another important aspect of the study of philosophy is the
arguments or reasons given for people answers to these questions.
To this end philosophers employ logic to study the nature and
structure of arguments. Logicians ask such questions as:

What constitutes "good" or "bad" reasoning?

How do we determine whether a given piece of reasoning is good
or bad?
 Famous
Philosophers
Holistic Thinking
and
Partial Thinking
The etymology of Philosophy (love of
wisdom) gives you a clue on how to
Philosophize.
When you love, you try to know
everything about that which love is
directed to. At first, you might be
interested in knowing the materials or
physical manifestations of that thing,
but as you love for it grows deeper
you would want to know more about
it.
 Like a lover, philosopher takes into
account every detail-the partial point
of views- in order to make a
synthesis and develop a holistic
perspective. Hence to philosophize is
to take part in activities which do not
only give you a partial point of view
but a holistic perspective emanating
from reflections and analysis.
 Partial thinking focuses on
specific aspects of situation.

Though partial thinking is useful, philosophy utilizes holistic thinking

in making sense of problems and issues related to the human
experience.
Holistic thinking is a cognitive style
that focuses on the context of a situation, and the
relationships between the disparate elements of
that situation.
The ability to see the big picture and the
interconnections between different aspects of a
problem or a situation.
This means that all parts are all related to
each other and it cannot be understood
independently without considering the
other factors (Gallinero and Estaris 2017).
The Value of
Philosophy
 Philosophy is to be studied, not for the sake of any definite answers to its
questions, since no definite answers can, as a rule, be known to be true, but
rather for the sake of the questions themselves; because these questions
enlarge our conception of what is possible, enrich our intellectual
imagination, and diminish the dogmatic assurance which closes the mind
against speculation; but above all because, through the greatness of the
universe which philosophy contemplates, the mind also is rendered great,
and becomes capable of that union with the universe which constitutes its
highest good. –Bertrand Russel, The Problems of Philosophy
 Big Ideas
• The value of philosophy is not measured by
its ability of arriving at definitive answer,
but in uncertainty and in enabling a person
to widen his perspective to avoid
dogmatism.

• Engaging in Philosophy is contemplation, a

reflective activity where you renounce who
you are, your beliefs and your values.
Holding on to your beliefs is closing your
self to the possibilities of other perspective.
Knowledge vs. Wisdom
 Performance Task
Read Francois-Marie Voltaire’s
the “The Story of the Good
Brahmin”.
Create a photo essay on your
reflections about the article.
Make a short explanation
regarding your photo.
Each member should write their short individual
reflection about the story.
Quiz
 Fill in the blanks
1. The word philosophy comes from the Greek philo which
means ___________ and sophia means 2. ____________ .
3. It is the study of the most basic and profound matters of
human existence.
4. He coined the term Philosophy.
5. Philosophy is the science of truth, according to ____________.
6. WHEN ___________ FAILS TO FULLY ANSWER A PEOPLE'S
QUESTIONS OR ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS, THE PEOPLE TURN
TO PHILOSOPHY.
7. A _______ is a person who practices or investigates
philosophy.
8. ___________ thinking focuses on specific aspects of situation.
9. ___________ thinking is the ability to see the big picture and
the interconnections between different aspects of a problem or a
situation.
 Match column A to Column B.
Write the letter of the correct answer.
10. Metaphysics a. Study of reason
11. Epistemology b. Appreciation of art and
12. Ethics beauty
13.Aesthetics c. Nature of existence
14. Logic d. Standard of morality
e. Science of knowledge
 Read each question carefully. Identify which branch of
Philosophy can answer the following questions.
A. Metaphysics B. Epistemology C. Ethics D. Aesthetics E. Logic

15. Is there a God?

16. What constitutes "good" or "bad" reasoning?
17. Is morality objective or subjective?
18. What is knowledge?
19. Is really beauty in the eye of the beholder?
20. What makes actions or people good?
 Identify whether the following scenario
reflects partial thinking or holistic thinking.
21. Mr Sy terminated his employee after seeing them chatting
while on duty.
22. You easily judge the girlfriend of Carlos Yulo after hearing
Yulo’s Mom interview.
23. A teacher listened first to both tories of his two arguing
students before making any conclusion on the issue.
24. Ms. Sheena scolded student A after student B accused him of
stealing pencil.
25. A mom talk to her fighting children before giving them
advises.
Key
 Fill in the blanks
1. The word philosophy comes from the Greek philo which
means love and sophia means 2. wisdom.
3. Philosophy is the study of the most basic and profound matters
of human existence.
4. Pythagoras coined the term Philosophy.
5. Philosophy is the science of truth, according to Aristotle.
6. WHEN RELIGION FAILS TO FULLY ANSWER A PEOPLE'S
QUESTIONS OR ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS, THE PEOPLE TURN
TO PHILOSOPHY.
7. A Philosopher is a person who practices or investigates
philosophy.
8. Partial thinking focuses on specific aspects of situation.
9. Holistic thinking is the ability to see the big picture and the
interconnections between different aspects of a problem or a
situation.
 Match column A to Column B.
Write the letter of the correct answer.
10. Metaphysics C a. Study of reason
11. Epistemology E b. Appreciation of art and
12. Ethics D beauty
13.Aesthetics B c. Nature of existence
14. Logic A d. Standard of morality
e. Science of knowledge
 Read each question carefully. Identify which branch of
Philosophy can answer the following questions.
A. Metaphysics B. Epistemology C. Ethics D. Aesthetics E. Logic

15. Is there a God? A

16. What constitutes "good" or "bad" reasoning? E
17. Is morality objective or subjective? C
18. What is knowledge? B
19. Is really beauty in the eye of the beholder? D
20. What makes actions or people good? C
 Identify whether the following scenario
reflects partial thinking or holistic thinking.
21. Mr Sy terminated his employee after seeing them chatting
while on duty. PT
22. You easily judge the girlfriend of Carlos Yulo after hearing
Yulo’s Mom interview. PT
23. A teacher listened first to both tories of his two arguing
students before making any conclusion on the issue. HT
24. Ms. Sheena scolded student A after student B accused him of
stealing pencil. PT
25. A mom talk to her fighting children before giving them
advises. HT
 References
• https://philosophy.fsu.edu/undergraduate-study/why-
philosophy/What-is-
Philosophy#:~:text=Quite%20literally%2C%20the%20term%20%
22philosophy,world%20and%20to%20each%20other.
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/philosophy
• https://philosophy.fsu.edu/undergraduate-study/why-
philosophy/What-is-Philosophy
• https://www.philosophy-foundation.org/what-is-philosophy