Philosophy Overview and Key Thinkers

Philosophy

• A search for answers to life's big questions, concerning our knowledge, actions, and beliefs.
• The process of understanding and questioning ideas we often take for granted.

Branches of Philosophy

• Metaphysics: The study of reality, existence, and being.
• Epistemology: The study of knowledge and how we acquire it.
• Ethics: Moral philosophy - exploring right and wrong.
• Social Philosophy: Philosophical study of society and its structures.
• Political Philosophy: Focuses on the state and its role in society.
• Logic: The study of reasoning and argumentation
• Aesthetics: The philosophical study of beauty and art.

Key Philosophers

• Socrates: Known for his questioning approach and the famous phrase "I know that I know nothing." He believed an unexamined life is not worth living.
• Plato: Argued for the immortality of the soul and the concept of "recollection," where we learn by remembering what we once knew.
• Aristotle: Defined the soul as the principle of life, and viewed the soul as a form or structure that brings life to matter. He identified three types of souls: vegetative, sensitive, and rational.
• Rene Descartes: Introduced Substance Dualism, suggesting that an immortal spirit can survive without a body, but a mortal body cannot survive without the spirit.
• Edmund Husserl: Developed the Husserlian phenomenological method - a philosophical approach aimed at understanding the essence of phenomena.
• Gabriel Marcel: Differentiated between primary and secondary reflection, advocating for a deeper and more personal understanding of the human being.
• Jean-Paul Sartre: Emphasized the existence of the individual as a free and responsible agent in a world of possibilities.

Perspectives on the Human Person

• Disembodied Spirit View: Asserts that the human essence is their spirit, viewing the body as nonessential.
• Embodied Spirit View: Maintains that the human person is a unity of body and spirit, recognizing the value of both.
• Unspirited Body View: Argues that the human person is essentially just their body, with no spiritual component.

Key Concepts & Terminology

• Transcendence: The ability to move beyond one's current situation, a characteristic of human beings according to existential philosophy.
• Person: A being who is part of our moral community, deserving of respect and consideration.
• Human: A member of the species "Homo sapiens", distinguished by superior mental development, language, and upright posture.

Fallacies in Reasoning

• Petitio Principii (Begging the Question): A fallacy where the conclusion is assumed in the premises, creating a circular argument.
• Argumentum ad Tradition / Antiquitatem (“Appeal to Tradition"): Claims something is valid simply because it has been practiced for a long time.
• Hasty Generalization: Reaching a conclusion based on insufficient evidence.
• Fallacy of Division: Assuming what's true of a whole must also be true of its parts.
• Fallacy of Equivocation: Using the same term with different meanings in different parts of an argument.

Additional Key Points

• The "embodied spirit view" is considered the most favorable, as it maintains human freedom, acknowledges the soul, and respects the value of the body.
• Philosophy encourages us to examine our lives and challenge our beliefs to achieve truth.
• Philosophy helps us analyze our experiences and reflects on their meaning.
• The 1987 Philippine Constitution emphasizes the state’s responsibility to protect life, including the life of the unborn.

Explore the fundamental branches of philosophy, including metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and more. This quiz delves into the ideas and contributions of key philosophers like Socrates and Plato, offering insights into their influential thoughts on knowledge, existence, and morality.