GEC 108: The Nature of Philosophy

• GEC 108 is a course in Ethics
• Khrisna Cara O. Solde, LPT is the instructor

The Nature of Philosophy

• Philosophy
  • Addresses: What is Philosopy, Philosophy vs other Sciences, Why study Ethics, Ethics as a branch of Philosophy, Philosophical Methods of Enquiry

Philosophy Defined

• Derived from the Greek words "Phylos" meaning "to love" and "Sophie" meaning "Wisdom"
• It means 'love of wisdom'
• Explores general and fundamental problems: existence, knowledge, values, and reason
• Provides the principles that develop skills for critical thinking
  • Helps understand and evaluate the world
  • Enquires into nature, meaning, purpose, origin, and destiny of human life

Philosophy Compared to Other Sciences

• Focus on foundational questions
• Uses a method of inquiry
• Lack of a fixed subject matter
• Normative vs Descriptive approach
• Conceptual Analysis
• Interdisciplinary Influence

Ethics and Cultural Conceptions

• Traditions guide one's actions
• Everyone grows up with a sense of right and wrong, proper and improper, etc
• People assume their basis of the good is reasonable
• The understanding of good is hardly ever unquestioned, especially today

Shaping Culture

• Culture shapes the way people act
• In Pampanga, penitents whip themselves during Holy Week
• Engaging in sexual activities for excitement and fun is amoral
• Wife beating is culturally determined
• Culture shapes the conception of the good as a basic system of codes for behavior
• This could be dangerous because some cultures can harm people
• Do not rely solely on one's culture for a genuine understanding of the good

Ethics

• Ethics is important as a discipline
• It provides a basis to discern ethical systems
• It provides a basis for broadening conceptions of the good

Ethics as a Branch of Philosophy

• Ethics, or moral philosophy, addresses questions of morality
• Concepts explored include good and bad, right and wrong, justice, virtue, etc
• It systematizes, describes, and recommends concepts of right and wrong

Major Areas of Ethics

• Metaethics: Determines the meanings of terms such as right, good, virtue, justice, etc.
• Cognitivism: Moral judgments can be true or false and are a subject of knowledge
• Intuitionism: Human knowledge of good and bad is immediate and self-evident
• Naturalism: Moral terms are complex and established through scientific investigation
• Subjectivism: Moral judgments are subjective with no objective moral truths

Normative Ethics

• Studies ethical actions questioning standards of morally good or bad
• Consequentialism: An action's moral worth is determined by its potential consequences
  • An act is morally good if it produces a positive outcome
• Deontological ethics: An action's morality depends on whether it is right or wrong according to rules and principles, not consequences
• Virtue ethics: Studies a person's character and virtues for determining or evaluating ethical behavior

Ethics of Religion

• Most religions possess an ethical code
• Some philosophers see religion as necessary for ethical living and morality

Philosophical Methods

• As a discipline, philosophy relies on specific method of inquiry to find answers to the questions that philosophers deal with
• When conducting a philosophical inquiry, philosophers employ a methodology
  • Methodology is a set of systematic procedures that guide the inquiry
• Philosophical Inquiry: Geared towards understanding common human issues in everyday life

Philosophical Methods of Inquiry - Logic

• Philosophers must be logical to address philosophical questions
• LOGIC is the science and art of correct thinking
• Logic uses methods for accuracy and objectivity to explain valid and logical arguments
• In logic, an argument is composed of premises and a conclusion
  • A premise is an assumption that something is true
  • A conclusion is a claim reached through reasoning, justified by preceding premises

Philosophical Methods of Inquiry - Epistemology & Metaphysics

• EPISTEMOLOGY studies the theory of knowledge, its scope, method, and validity
  • It deals with knowledge related to truth, belief, and justification
• METAPHYSICS studies the nature of things, what is real and apparent, and explores existence, identity, home, space, and others

Philosophical Methods of Inquiry - Standards

• Philosophers follow a process in explaining the standards of what is morally good or bad
• They know the certainty or uncertainty of information and determine or evaluate ethical behavior
• The Scientific method is an empirical way of acquiring evidence and knowledge

Scientific Method

• Basic steps include:
  • Statement of the Problem
  • Formulation of Hypothesis
  • Gathering of Data
  • Drawing the Conclusion
  • Reporting of the Results

Critical Thinking

• Critical Thinking is objective analysis of facts to form a judgment
  • Involves structured observation and thoughtful analysis of questions and arguments
• Guidelines:
  • Be skeptical, keep an open mind, and ask for evidence
  • Examine definitions, assumptions, and premises
  • Be cautious in drawing conclusions
  • Consider alternative interpretations
  • Avoid oversimplifying or overgeneralizing
  • Apply critical thinking to all areas

ASSESSMENT

• Show your philosophy about life, love, and challenges via picture or representation and explain with five to ten sentences.
• Philosophy is your personal way of thinking about and approaching life
  • A set of beliefs that guide decisions, actions, and world understanding
  • Consider what guides you via hard work, happiness, balance, or purpose.
  • Consider what love about trust, sacrifice, kindness, or connection?
  • Consider how you will approach challenges either via obstacles or opportunities?

Challenges

• Like mountains, challenges are difficult, intimidating, and exhausting
  • The higher you climb, the tougher it gets, but every step makes you stronger
  • Expect obstacles like steep cliffs and harsh weather
  • With perseverance, determination, and belief in oneself, the peak can be reached
  • Challenges are necessary for growth and success so see them as a stepping stone