Module 1: The Nature of Philosophy PDF

Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person The Nature of Philosophy Quarter 1 - Module 1 What I Need to Know This module aims to introduce the nature of philosophy including its different theories and methods as well as philosophical views about a human person. After going through this mo...

Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person The Nature of Philosophy Quarter 1 - Module 1 What I Need to Know This module aims to introduce the nature of philosophy including its different theories and methods as well as philosophical views about a human person. After going through this module, you are expected to: 1 understand the nature and origin of philosophy, 2 define philosophy in your own context, 3 differentiate the concept of “pilosopo” from a “philosopher,” and 4 identify the major and minor branches of philosophy. THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY Human beings are natural-born question askers, they are constantly asking questions. THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY Question A question is an information-seeking act. Questions are to elicit information from the person being addressed by indicating the information which the speaker (or writer) desires. To classify the question into research, scientific and philosophical negates the opening statement that if one started to ask question, he/she already engaged in philosophy. Research questions The research questions manifest the objective or line of scientific inquiry designed to address a specific gap in knowledge. Research questions are expressed in a language appropriate for the greatest interest of the academic community to address the said gap. Scientific questions Scientific questions are those questions already known with some degree of certainty to be capable of being answered in a precise and definite way (Mabaquiao, 2017). Philosophical questions Philosophical questions whose answers are in principle open to inform rational and honest disagreement which require intellectual resources. (Floridi, 2013). Philosophical questions which have not been established, whether there is precise and objective means of answering these questions or when this philosophical question is proven to be answerable in some definite way becomes a scientific question (Mabaquiao, 2017). There are various ways of finding out answers to questions such as: by studying the nature or the ancient manuscripts; by conducting experiments or surveys; and by building a piece of apparatus or a model or by stimulating using a computer These are what can be termed ‘empirical investigations.’ The outcomes of these investigations – new discoveries, new data – will often be relevant to philosophy, but empirical investigations cannot provide the answers to philosophical questions. Human persons face different problems or roadblocks in our daily lives. Together with this contradiction, we ask different questions that come our way. As Albert Einstein reportedly said: Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning. Thus, getting into the habit of questioning either happiness or problems is self-reflecting. Origin of Philosophy Wonder is said to be the origin of philosophy. The following thinkers were wondered and doubted certain things and phenomena: 1. The Greek thinkers wondered at the phenomena of the world and tried to explain them by a fundamental principle or principles. Thales (600 B. C.) looked upon water as the primary stuff of the world. Anaximander regarded the infinite atmosphere as the fundamental reality. Anaximander regarded air as the generative principle of things. Heraclitus conceived of fire as the only reality. Empedocles (450 B. C.) thought of earth, water fire, and air as the permanent substances. 2. The Vedic thinkers wondered at the grand and sublime aspects of nature and conceived of the sun, the moon, the sky, the wind or storm, the rain, and the like as animated by spirits. They thought of a large number of Nature-Gods, who gave men rich crops, cattle, health, wealth, and victory in battles. 3. Modern western philosophy sprang from doubt. Descartes, the father of modern western philosophy, started with doubt. Sense-perception may be illusory. The reason may be so constituted that it may lead to error. Experience, reason, and authority or traditions are doubtful. But- the fact of doubting is undoubted. To doubt is to think. To think is to exist. ‘I think; therefore, I exist.’ Cogito ergo sum. 4. The present age is also one of doubt and perplexity. Tradition and authority have lost their hold on the human mind. Human person doubted and get worried due to uncertainties - that nervous feeling over a situation. This is normal and this leads the human person from asking questions. For instance, in the time of pandemic where COVID-19 is prevalent over the whole world, everybody doubted and got worried about being infected with this disease. Sample Situation: Different states and hospitals have come up with different guidelines for deciding who gets life-saving treatment in case of shortages. Nearly all of the plans prioritize children and pregnant women, and most prioritize front-line health care workers. Some favor young adults over older adults or those who were previously healthy over those with underlying conditions, based on the premise that younger and healthier people are more likely to survive. Sample Philosophical Question: What do you think the priorities should be? Guide Questions: As a moral and political philosopher, how can some COVID- 19 inequalities be addressed? What kind of philosophical advice can you offer a senior high school student right now? Meaning of Philosophy Philosophy comes from the Greek word ‘philo’ which means love, and ‘sophia’ which means wisdom. The term ‘philosophy’ literally means ‘love of wisdom’ or pursuit of knowledge. Philosophy uses the tools of logic and reason to analyze how humans experience the world. It teaches critical thinking, close reading, clear writing, and logical analysis. It uses these to understand the language we use to describe the world and our place within it. Philosophy is a criticism of life and experience. Philosophy, in its restricted sense, means neither the study of any particular department of the universe, nor the knowledge of the eternal and essential nature of things and alone, but that highest branch of knowledge which aims at harmonizing and systematizing all truths and arriving at a rational conception of the reality as a whole, both in its eternal and temporal aspects. Examine the following definitions of philosophy coming from different perspectives: (1) “Philosophy is the science and criticism of cognition” (Kant). (2) “Philosophy is the science of knowledge” (Fichte). (3) “Philosophy aims at the knowledge of the eternal, of the essential nature of things” (Plato). (4) “Philosophy is the science which investigates the nature of Being as it is in itself, and the attributes which belong to it in virtue of its own nature” (Aristotle). Examine the following definitions of philosophy coming from different perspectives: (5) “Philosophy is the science of sciences” (Comte). (6) “Philosophy is the sum total of all scientific knowledge” (Paulsen). (7) “Philosophy is the unification of all knowledge obtained by the special sciences in a consistent whole” (Wundt). (8) “Philosophy is completely unified knowledge—the generalizations of philosophy comprehending and consolidating the widest generalizations of science” (Herbert Spencer). Even if they adequately explain all, physical, biological, and mental phenomena, yet an unexplained residue will be left behind, which is beyond their grasp. Besides, philosophy is, concerned with intellectual, moral, aesthetic, and religious values, which satisfy our deepest aspiration. Sciences are not concerned with values but with facts, events, or phenomena only. Therefore, philosophy cannot be defined as a total of sciences or as a completely unified scientific knowledge. Philosophy goes beyond facts and values and seeks to explain them and interrelate them by an all-comprehending reality, which is impenetrable to the sciences. Philosopher A philosopher is a lover of wisdom. The word was first used by Pythagoras (Fremantle, 1954, 13), the Ancient Greek thinker known for his Pythagorean Theorem mathematical formula. Pythagoras preferred to be called a “philosopher” which means “one who knows” or a “wise person.” Filipinos ordinarily use or understand the word philosopher as “pilosopo” or the one who likes to reason out or to engage in the activity of reasoning. However, the circumstances in which a person is labeled as a “pilosopo” are varied (Mabaquiao Jr., 2017). Try to examine three of these cases: Pedro calls Juan a “pilosopo” when Juan engages in reasoning just to evade or cover up an obvious truth, especially of this truth puts Juan in a bad light. (Defensive strategy) Pedro calls Juan a “pilosopo” when Pedro receives that the intention of Juan in engaging in reasoning is simply to irritate or annoy Pedro or somebody else. Pedro calls Juan a “pilosopo” when Juan gives his nonsense reasoning or for whatever reason, Pedro does not like to engage in further argumentation anymore. So, take note that “pilosopo” does not correctly mean the word philosopher because the purposes of arguments include covering up an obvious truth, annoying someone, and engaging someone in an unwelcome situation (Mabaquiao Jr., 2017). #THEHOMESCHOOLLIFE For a person to be called a philosopher, he/she must possess the following characteristics (Mabaquiao, Jr., 2017): A wise person is one who is aware of (or who knows) what he/she knows and what he/she does not know - aware of his/her own ignorance. A wise person holds a belief that is not only true but which he/she can also justify. He/she must have strong reasons to have these beliefs. A wise person knows a lot about things that are valuable in life. Each thing corresponds to value or use in the practical affairs of life. A wise person knows how to apply his/her knowledge to practical matters. A wise person knows which actions are good, and he/she performs them. Nature of Philosophy Philosophy is thinking about thinking. It has been called the mother of all disciplines because it gave birth to the different sciences. Philosophy studies everything, from physics to mathematics, to ethics, law, and politics, to psychology, sociology, and language. More importantly, philosophy studies perception which puts all other forms of knowledge on the edge.  Philosophy attempts to arrive at a rational conception of reality as a whole. It is not contented with a partial view of the world. It seeks to have a synoptic view of the whole reality as it tries to have a vision, of the whole. Philosophy persistently attempts to seek clear notions. It examines, clarifies, and explains popular and scientific concepts of matter, space, time, causality, evolution, mechanism, teleology, life, mind or soul, God or the Absolute, right and wrong, good and evil, beauty and ugliness, arid the like. Philosophy arrives at a rational conception of the reality which clarifies concepts as its task. (Plato).  Philosophy inquiries into the nature of matter, time, space, causality, evolution, life, and mind, and their relation to one another. Philosophy systematizes our scientific knowledge and moral, aesthetic, and religious experiences. Philosophy is an inquiry into its source and destiny. It investigates the nature of the supreme norms, ideals, or values of life. It investigates the relation of values to reality. In this sense, philosophy is the interpretation of life. Philosophy seeks to give a rational conception of the reality as a whole, which satisfies man’s deepest intellectual, moral, aesthetic, and religious aspirations. Major Branches of Philosophy Western philosophy can be divided into five major branches that have assumed various importance over time  Answer these questions? 1. What is the focus of each branch of Philosophy? 2. Which of the branches would be most likely to ask the question “Does God exist?” Explain your answer. 3. Which branch of Philosophy asks questions about knowledge? Why? 4. Which branch of Philosophy deals primarily with the rightness and wrongness of actions? Please explain. Major Branches of Philosophy Metaphysics deals with the ultimate nature of reality. Epistemology concerns whether and how knowledge of reality is possible. Ethics or Moral Philosophy pertains to how we conduct ourselves within the world. Aesthetics or Value Theory refers to the doing of beauty, balance, and harmony. Logic pertains to do the relations of things. Minor Branches of Philosophy Philosophy of Education: It is mainly concerned with what is the correct way to educate a person. Philosophy of History: It is the philosophical study of history. Philosophy of Language: It is concerned with how our languages affect our thought. Philosophy of Law: This is also called Jurisprudence. A study of law which attempts to discern what the best laws might be, how laws came into being in the first place, attempting to delimit human laws from natural laws, whether we should always obey the law among others. Minor Branches of Philosophy Philosophy of Mathematics: It is concerned with issues such as the nature of the axioms and symbols (numbers, triangle, operands) of mathematics that we use to understand the world, do perfect mathematical forms that exist in the real world among the others. Philosophy of Mind: A study of the mind, attempting to ascertain exactly what the mind is, how it interacts with our body, how does it work, and do other mind exists. Philosophy of Politics: This is closely related to ethics or moral philosophy. This is a study of government and nations, particularly how they came about, what makes good governments, what are the obligations of the citizens towards their government.