Intro To Philosophy Notes PDF

**PHILOSOPHY** - The word philosophy comes from two Greek words: Philos (love) and Sophia (wisdom). - \"Love of Wisdom\"- Ancient Greeks used this term and applied it to study or discipline that uses human reason to investigate the ultimate causes, reasons, and principles which gov...

**PHILOSOPHY** - The word philosophy comes from two Greek words: Philos (love) and Sophia (wisdom). - \"Love of Wisdom\"- Ancient Greeks used this term and applied it to study or discipline that uses human reason to investigate the ultimate causes, reasons, and principles which govern all things. **Philosophers** - People who engage in philosophy - \"Lovers of wisdom\" - Pioneers in various fields of knowledge such as history, biology, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, and even physics. - \"experts\" **GREEK PHILOSOPHERS** Pythagoras (570 BCE to 495 BCE) - Mathematician and scientist, he was credited with formulating the Pythagorean theorem. - His worked earned him many followers, and he established a community of learners who were devoted to the study of religion and philosophy. Heraclitus (535 BCE to 475 BCE) - Proposed that everything that exists is based on a higher order or plan which he called logos. - For him, change is a permanent aspect of the human condition as he was credited with the saying, \"No man ever steps in the same river twice". Democritus (460 BCE-370 BCE) - Devoted himself to the study of the causes of natural phenomena. - He was among the first to propose that matter is composed of tiny particles called atoms. - \"laughing philosopher\" because of his emphasis of the value of \"cheerfulness". Diogenes of Sinope (412 BCE TO 323 BCE) - Known advocate of living a simple and virtuous life.\ \"one should not only talk of virtue but should show it in words and actions\". - His emphasis on austerity and simplicity often went to the extreme, and he was said to lived like a beggar. - Known to be a \"vocal critic \" well-known philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle. - His teachings and views were later developed by his followers and influenced the development of several schools of Philosophy such as Cynicism and Stoicism. Cynicism - Is a school of philosophy from the Socratic period of ancient Greece, which holds that the purpose of life is to live a life of Virtue in agreement with Nature (which calls for only the bare necessities required for existence). Stoicism - A school of philosophy which teaches the development of self-control and fortitude as a means of overcoming destructive emotions in order to develop clear judgment and inner calm and the ultimate goal of freedom from suffering. Epicurus (341 BCE-270BCE) - Believed that philosophy could enable man to live a life of happiness. - His views gave rise to Epicureanism- a school of Philosophy which believes that wisdom and simple living will result in a life free of fear and pain. - \"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.\"\ -Epicurus Socrates (470 BCE-399 BCE) - Considered the foremost philosopher of ancient times. - Known critic of intellectual during his time, but he himself did not claim to be \"wise\" and merely considered himself as \"midwife\" that helped inquiring minds achieve wisdom. - Believed that philosophy could enable man to live a life of virtue. - \"Socratic Method\"- a means of examining a topic by devising a series of questions that let the learner examine and analyze his knowledge and views regarding the topic. Plato (427 BCE-347 BCE) - Student of Socrates. - His teachings and writings were considered the foundation of Western Philosophy. - \"Theory of Forms\"- which proposes that everything that exists is based on and idea or template that can only be perceived in the mind; these nonphysical ideas are eternal and unchanging. - Known for his \"dialectic\"- a method of inquiry where two opposing ideas in an attempt to arrive at new knowledge. - Plato\'s lasting contribution to learning was his founding of the ACADEMY, an institution of higher learning which was the first of its kind in the Western World. Aristotle (384 BCE-322 BCE) - He attended the Academy, and was a prominent student of Plato. - He disagreed with Plato\'s theory of forms and took a different stance in interpreting reality. - All ideas and views are based on perception and our reality is based on what we can sense and perceive. - Involved in great variety of disciplines such as zoology, psychology, ethics and politics. - His studies in logic led to formulation of a formal process of analyzing reasoning which gave rise to deductive reasoning. **Why do we need to Philosophize?** Plato - He traced man\'s needs to philosophize to his sense of wonder. - Man\'s overbounding curiousity drives him to ask questions, some of which have no definite answers such as; *Where did we come from? Why do we exist? For what purpose were we created?* - This perspective drives the need of a philosopher to question, examine and learn more. Rene Descartes (15th century Philosopher) - Traced the need to philosophize to doubt. - Famous for rejecting or questioning established ideas, and he even went as far as doubting his own ideas. - In life, we will be faced with several idea and arguments which present themselves as \"truths\". - A critical and questioning perspective is necessary to determine if indeed these ideas or views are correct or true. Karl Jaspers (20th Century Philosopher) - Swiss-German Philosopher\ He saw the need to philosophize because of experience. - Believed that man is often confronted by experiences that challenge his ideas and frameworks. - He called these experiences limit situations, and these are often accompanied by feelings of helplessness, anxiety, or dread. - Philosophy provides us means to understand adverse or challenging conditions, and to rise above them and gain new knowledge and perspectives. Socrates - The need to philosophize is driven by the love for wisdom. To love wisdom is to have an insatiable desire for truth. - He seeks to continue to question, to probe, and to discuss in order to get the bottom of things. - He gained fame for his curiosity and his constant debates with many of the intellectual elite in Greece. - Famous for having said *\"I know that I do not know\"* and it is in accepting state of ignorance that one can begin to learn and understand. - Recognized for his motto: *\"The unexamined life is not worth living.\"* - It helps us solve our problems-mundane or abstract, and it helps us make better decisions by developing our critical thinking. **How Do We Characterize The Study Of Philosophy?** **A Way Of Analyzing Frameworks** - Framework- defined as a way of thinking about the world and is composed of the views and beliefs\ as a person. **Internal Questions** - Questions dealing with our own correctness and values **External Questions** - Seek to question the very frameworks upon which people base their own beliefs and views. - Philosophy can also be thought of *as an examination of a particular area of knowledge.* - The central principle in philosophy is examination and questioning, and this is often applied in the analysis of the frameworks of other areas or sciences. **Branches Of Philosophy** - Aesthetics - Logic - Epistemology - Ethics - Political philosophy - Metaphysics **Aesthetics** - The philosophy that deals with beauty and what makes things \"beautiful\". - Derived from greek word \"aisthetikos\" or sense of perception. **Logic** - Is the branch of philosophy which deals with correct reasoning. **Epistemology** - Greek words episteme\" (knowledge or understanding) and logos (account or argument or reason) - Discusses the nature of knowledge and knowing. - It investigates origin, nature, method and limits of human knowledge. **Ethics** - Branch which deals with moral questions and dilemmas. - Also called moral philosophy, the discipline concerned with what is morally good and bad and moral right and wrong. **Political philosophy** - Studies governments and deals with questions of justice, power and the rights and obligations of citizens. **Metaphysics** - A branch of philosophy which deals with questions regarding reality and existence. **Philosophy Of The Human Person** - An area in philosophy that understands the human person from a philosophical perspective- integrating and synthesizing the different branches of philosophy and other fields of study to know the truth about the human person. **Human Person** - Rational thinking - Emotional - Moral - Has rights - Dignified - Has freedom - Embodied - Social **Human Person** - Rational which means has the\ capacity to think. - A thinking being - An emotional being which means, has feelings and emotions which should not be suppressed or invalidated by anyone. - A moral being who has the capacity to understand the good and the wrong. - Has rights regardless of any reason. - Has dignity and that lies by being created by god. - Humans are created in the image and likeness with god. - Has freedom - Embodied, which means, with body, heart, mind and soul. - Social being, which means, has the capacity to communicate and interact with other beings **Holistic And Partial Thinking** **Holistic Thinking** - Refers to a perspective that considers large-scale patterns in systems. - Often described as the \"big picture\" when describing and analyzing a situation or problem. - Requires an individual to have an open mindset and an ability to get the general sense or impression regarding a situation. **Partial Thinking** - Focuses on specific aspects of a situation. - Important component of analytical thinking, as an individual focuses on certain areas or aspects of a problem in order to understand it. **How Does One Engage In Reflection?** **Reflection** - Requires a person to be willing to examine one\'s thoughts, feelings, and actions and to learn more about one\'s life and experiences. - Reflection is vital in ensuring that our actions and decisions are well thought out and are done with due regard for their implications and consequences on ourselves, others, and surroundings. - Reflection helps us understand ourselves and our actions better. When we reflect, we can judge whether our actions or decisions are reasonable or not. Taking time to analyze your decisions and actions is one vital skill that will greatly help you as you encounter more challenges in life. **What Are The Practical Uses Of Philosophy In Our Lives?** 1. Philosophy enables a person to engage in critical analysis and interpretation of concepts, definitions, arguments and problems. 2. Philosophy also improves problem- solving and decision making. 3. A philosopher is a good communicator who can clearly and adequately present his/her ideas. 4. Wisdom. 5. Knowledge of philosophy can contribute to self-development. **METHODS OF PHILOSOPHIZING** **Which Of The Following Statement Is True?** - The sun is the center of the solar system. - Asia is the largest continent in the world. - God made the world in seven days. - Man has the right to life, liberty, and the\ pursuit of happiness. - A person must always consider the interest of his or her family before his or her own happiness. - The President has done very little to uphold democracy and look after the interests of the Filipino people. **What Is Truth And Why Is It Important?** **Knowledge** - Knowledge is the clear awareness and understanding of something. - It is a product of questions that allow for clear answers provided by facts. ***I know that...*** ***I know why...*** ***I know how...*** *Example 1* - \"I know that fish live in the water\" *Example 2* - \"I know that my school is the best school in the City\". **How Do We Know If Something Is True?** - I am alive - I have a body - I can breathe **Doubt** - This means that every statement, claim, evidence and experience is scrutinized and analyzed. - Nothing is taken as true unless there is sufficient reason and evidence to prove that it is indeed true. **Am I Alive? Do I Have A Body? Can I Breathe?** - If you answered yes to all these questions, then you can conclude with certainty that the previous statements about yourself is true. - I am alive! - I have a body! - I can breathe! **I Am A Filipino** - Am i a filipino? **I Can Play Basketball** **I Can Fry An Egg** - I can play basketball - I cannot play basketball - I can fry an egg - I cannot fry an egg **Determining Truth** - Belief is true if it can be justified or proven through senses. - A belief or statement is true if it is based\ on facts. - Getting a consensus or having people agree on a common belief. Determining truth in this case requires a person to prove a statement through an action. - Claim and beliefs should also be subjected to tests to determine truth. **How Can Philosophy Guide Us In Distinguishing Truth From Opinion?** **Opinion** - A view or judgement formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge. **Example** 1. It takes me 30 minutes to walk from my home to school. 2. My sister ate the last piece of pizza pie. 3. My sister a selfish person because she ate the last piece of pizza pie and did not share it with me. 4. Living near the school is better be we don\'t have to spend much for transportation. **Conclusion** - Is a judgment based on certain facts. **Beliefs** - Statements that express convictions that are not easily questioned. **Explanation** - Statements that assume the claim to be true and provide reasons why the statement is true. **Arguments** - A series of statements that provide reasons to convince the reader or listener that a claim or opinion is truthful. **What Should We Consider When Looking At Arguments Or Opinions?** **Fallacies** - Arguments that are based on faulty reasoning. **What Should We Consider When Looking At Arguments Or Opinions?** **Arguments** - A series of statements that provide reasons to convince the reader or listener that a claim or opinion is truthful. **Fallacies** - A number of arguments that is based on faulty reasoning. - Some of these fallacies may be intentional, as the person making the claim is desperate to convince you to accept his or her argument. **Examples Of Fallacies** - Ad hominem - Appeal to force - Appeal to emotion - Appeal to the popular - Appeal to tradition - Begging to question - Cause and effect - Fallacy of composition - Fallacy of Division **Ad Hominem** - Attacking the person presenting the argument instead of the argument itself. - \" of course he believes that the government is flawed, he is a rebel and a Communist\" **Appeal To Force** - Using the threat of force or an undesirable event to advance an argument. - \"if this peace agreement will not be signed by government, then we will have no recourse but to go to war\" **Appeal To Emotion** - Using emotions such as pity or sympathy. - \"all these charges are baseless; this is just plain harassment - can\'t you see how this is affecting my family?\" **Appeal To Popular** - The idea is presented as acceptable because a lot of people accept it. - \"every boy your age already has a girlfriend, you should go find one\" **Appeal To Tradition** - The idea is acceptable because it has been true for a long time. - \"marriage should be between a man and a woman. It has been so for a long time in this country; it should remain so today and in the future. **Begging To Question** - Assuming the thing or idea to be proven is true; also known as \"circular argument\". - \"I have the right to free speech, therefore you cannot stop me from talking.\" **Cause-and-Effect** - Assuming a \"cause-and-effect\" relationship between unrelated events. - \"ever since you bought that sweater, everything has been going wrong in your life. You should get rid of it.\" **Fallacy Of Composition** - Assuming that what is true of a part is true for the whole. - \"These cases of robbery in this district have convinced me that the city has become a den of thieves and criminals.\" **Fallacy Of Division** - Assuming that what is true for the whole is true for its parts. - \"you come from a family of doctors and intellectual! Surely you can do better in this course!\" **OPINIONS** - These statements go beyond providing facts. - They also provide conclusions or perspectives regarding certain situations. - Also the bases for making arguments and convincing people that a certain claim is a fact. **BIAS** - Personal views of the person presenting it. - They are not necessarily errors in reasoning, but refer to tendencies or influences which affect the views of the people. **COMMON BIASES** - Correspondence bias or attribution effect - Confirmation bias - Framing - Hindsight - Conflict of interest - Cultural bias **CORRESPONDENCE BIAS OR ATTRIBUTION EFFECT** - Tendency to judge a person\'s\ personality by his/her actions, without regard for external factors or influence. - \"these soldiers who fought in the war are all bloodthirsty murderers!\" **CONFIRMATION BIAS** - Tendency to look for and readily accept information which fits one\'s own beliefs or views and to reject ideas or views that go against it. - \"how can I accept his view that there is no God? I am a Christian!\" **FRAMING** - Focusing on a certain aspect of a problem while ignoring other aspects. - "preliminary evidence has still not pointed out the actual cause of the plane crash, but investigators are currently focusing on the possibility of pilot error." **HINDSIGHT** - The tendency to see past events as predictable, or to ascribe a pattern to historical events. - \"Magellan\'s assault on Mactan Island was a foolhardy venture, made by an overconfident, careless man who underestimated the valor of the native Filipinos\" **CONFLICT OF INTEREST** - A person or group is connected to or has a vested interest in the issue being discussed. - \"As the daughter of the accused, I believe I have the right to express m opinion on the issue of his allege corrupt practices.\" **CULTURAL BIAS** - Analyzing an event or issue based on one\'s cultural standards. - \"I do not agree with this Western practice of placing aged parents in retirement homes. We Filipino\'s take care of our family members\" **HOW CAN UNDERSTANDING OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRUTH AND OPINION LEAD US TO WISDOM?** - An understanding of opinions and facts and the means to distinguish one from the other can further improve our understanding and appreciations of varied views and ideas. - The ability to determine truth goes hand in hand with the holistic perspective and enables us to make wiser decisions, especially in choosing the ideas and views which we find acceptable. **THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED SPIRIT** **MAN** - The general term commonly used to refer to the entire human race. - Other terms include humanity, mankind and humankind. **HUMAN** - Refers to man as a species -Homo sapiens or modern human beings. **HUMAN BEING** - Used to distinguished man from other animals. **PERSON** - Refers to a human being granted recognition of certain rights, protection, responsibilities, and dignity, above all. **PERSONHOOD** - Refers to the state of being a person. **HUMAN NATURE** - Refers to the characteristics that distinguish humans from all other creatures. - These traits are assumed to arise independent of the influence of culture and society. - Examples of these characteristics include thinking, feeling, and acting. These traits are considered to form the essence of humanity, and without them, and individual may not be considered a human person. **WHAT IS A HUMAN PERSON?** - The most basic definition of a human being elates to the nature of humans as animals. - Philosophers believe that the human being is not just a mere animal. **WHAT IS EMBODIED SPIRIT?** - Embodied spirit refers to the\ inseparable union of human body and soul. - Inseparable which also means the body and soul work together at all times. Hence, we can safely say that \"embodied spirit\" that the body is not separate from the soul, just as the soul is not separate from the body. **WHAT IS HUMAN PERSON AS EMBODIED SPIRIT?** 1. **SELF-AWARENESS** - Refers to the person having a clear perception of oneself, including his or her thoughts, emotions, identity, and actions.\ The human person is defined by a deeper awareness which is driven by rationality or human thought. - Describes as the person who is actively aware that he or she is perceiving and experiencing reality. **TRY SAYING THESE WORDS ALOUD** - I AM A PERSON - I AM ALIVE - I EXIST - I AM HERE - I AM PRESENT - I AM LIVING AT THIS VERY MOMENT - This awareness of the self also enables us persons to experience an inner world\' that is defined by our personal thoughts and ideas. The fact that we can daydream, get lost in our thoughts, imagine, fantasize and reflect shows that we are able to reach within ourselves and experience **interiority**- which is the quality of being focused on one\'s inner life and identity. 2. **SELF-DETERMINATION** - Refers to the capability of persons to make choices and decisions based on their own preferences, monitor and regulate their actions, and be goal- oriented and self-directed. - Capacity to choose a course of action from various alternatives. - The existence of free will enables a person to act willfully, control his her actions, and recognize himself or herself as the source of action. - Imagine a small boy, Carlo, playing in the living room of their house while his mother is in the kitchen. Suddenly, the boy accidentally bumps into a table, causing a vase to fall. Upon hearing the sound of something crashing to the floor, Carlo\'s mother immediately goes into the living room and sees him standing near the broken vase. Carlo\'s mother asks him \"Did you break the vase?\" What do you think his answer will be? **CONSEQUENCE** - Is the result or effect of an action or condition. - I am a person - My actions are my own and made freely. - I know that I am the cause of my actions. - I know that my actions have consequences. 3. **EXTERNALITY** - The capability to reach out and interact with others and the other world. - I am a person. - I value others. - I interact with others in meaningful ways. - I value my relationship with others. 4. **DIGNITY** - The innate right to be valued and respected. - Human dignity is rooted in the nature of the human being. This means that a human person has dignity simply because of the fact that he or she is human. - Human dignity also drives us to seek what is good. - I am person. - I am a person with dignity. - I recognize that others have dignity, as well. - I must uphold human dignity in my thoughts and actions.