Philosophical Inquiry

PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY Karlo S. Tolentino, LPT, MAEd. Ethics as a Branch of Philosophy The essence of philosophy is to question what is considered the truth Philosophical inquiry involves questioning beliefs and assumptions of reality and how it works. Philosophical activity is...

PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY Karlo S. Tolentino, LPT, MAEd. Ethics as a Branch of Philosophy The essence of philosophy is to question what is considered the truth Philosophical inquiry involves questioning beliefs and assumptions of reality and how it works. Philosophical activity is practical because it challenges what and how humans think and act.  Philosophers also raise questions about moral behaviors such as: What is good? How can good be distinguished from evil? What is the difference between moral and immoral? What is justice? Philosophers seek to find answers to these questions, which are often the basis of human behaviors. They need to learn the factors that influence moral or immoral, good or bad behaviors, and apply this knowledge to understand the nature of humans and society. Ethics and Philosophy Philosophy and ethics form a more complex relationship which provides people with different perspectives of reasoning in order to understand how right differs from wrong. Ethics, as a branch of philosophy, involves systematizing, describing, and recommending concepts of right and wrong. Major Areas of Ethics 1. METAETHICS Attempts to determine the meanings of terms such as right, good, virtue, justice, etc. Among the approaches in metaethics are cognitivism, intuitionism, naturalism, and subjectivism. Approaches of Metaethics Cognitivism maintains that moral judgment can be true or false and can be a subject of knowledge or cognition. Intuitionism suggests that human knowledge of what is considered good and bad is immediate and self- evident. Naturalism suggests that moral terms are complex matters and can be established through scientific investigation. Subjectivism holds that moral judgments are subjective and that there are no objective moral truths. Aform of moral skepticism that doubts absolute moral truth and asserts that no one can have absolute knowledge of it. 2. NORMATIVE ETHICS The study of ethical actions and questions the standards of what is considered morally good or bad. It is concerned with questions such as why should one be moral and how can one tell what is right or wrong. Major Theories of Normative Ethics Consequentialism, the moral worth of an action is determined by its potential consequences. Deontological ethics is the study of the rightness and wrongness of the actions themselves regardless of their consequences. In short, it is the study of duty. Virtue ethics is the study of a person's character and the virtues for determining or evaluating ethical behavior. 3. ETHICS OF RELIGION Most religions possess an ethical code. Thus, some philosophers regard that there can be no morality without religion as it is necessary to live ethically. Ethics and religion are best viewed as complementing systems. Scientific Method of Philosophical Inquiry 1. Statement of the Problem. This involves identifying a problem that needs a solution. People's daily experiences, moral issues, social problems, and philosophical theories help generate topics and motivation to conduct a scientific investigation or a research study. 2. Formulation of Hypothesis. A hypothesis is a tentative explanation of the problem. 3. Gathering of Data. This involves the use of scientific methods like surveys and case studies to prove or disprove the hypothesis. 4. Drawing the Conclusion. A conclusion is established and justified based on the pieces of evidence and findings. 5. Reporting of the Results. This enables other researchers to verify the results and ensure that they are accurate. It also prompts other researchers to conduct further research and to suggest improvements on the philosophical theories and knowledge.  Reporting Identifying of the the Problem Results Formulation Drawing the of Conclusion Hypothesis Gathering of Data  Philosophers are able to establish scientific answers to philosophical questions through critical thinking. Spence Rathus (2017) provides these guidelines for critical thinking: 1. Be skeptical. Keep an open mind. Accept nothing as the truth until you have examined the evidence. 2. Ask for evidence. 3. Examine the definition of terms. Some statements are true when a term is defined in a certain way. 4. Examine the assumptions or premises of arguments. 5. Be cautious in drawing conclusions from evidence. 6. Consider alternative interpretations of evidence. 7. Do not oversimplify. 8. Do not overgeneralize. 9. Apply critical thinking to all areas of life. END K.S.T.