Introduction to Philosophy PDF

LESSON 1: Introduction to the of the Human Person This course/subject will be divided into four: INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY - discipline PHILOSOPHY AND MAN - nature of a human person...

LESSON 1: Introduction to the of the Human Person This course/subject will be divided into four: INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY - discipline PHILOSOPHY AND MAN - nature of a human person PHILOSOPHY AND SOCIETY - A person’s existence in the society PHILOSOPHY AND LIFE - Major philosophical issues Read and analyze the following conversation between a high school teacher and her student in class: Teacher: "John, what would you like to be when you grow up?" John: "Ma'am, I want to be happy!" Teacher: "John, you did not understand my question." John: "Ma'am, you do not understand what life is all about!" 1. Do you think that John answered his teacher's question correctly? 2. What do you think was John's interpretation of his teacher's question? 3. Based on his responses, what kind of student do you imagine John to be? 4. If you were John's teacher, how would you respond to him? 5. How is Philosophy related to this situation? PHILOSOPHY & ORIGIN  PHILOSOPHY - comes from a Greek word philos (love) and sophia (wisdom) - the ancient Greek use this term to refer to a “love of wisdom” - soon applied to science or discipline which uses human reason to investigate the ultimate causes, reasons, and principles which govern all things” EMERGENCE OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY - primarily concerned with uncovering the truth through systematic argumentation and theory. - emphasis on the use of reason rather than faith - this perspective led to the development of a more scientific and theory-based approach in philosophy Greece was home to one of the greatest civilizations during the ancient Period. LOVE OF LEARNING was one of the most notable characteristics of Ancient Greek Civilization. FIRST PHILOSOPHERS OF ANCIENT GREECE - preoccupied with the study of nature and the universe. - concerned with questions about the process of change and unifying principles of the world. - they raised questions that started the intellectual activity and method of inquiry, pondering upon the ultimate nature, and cause of things.  FIRST (2) PHILOSOPHERS OF ANCIENT GREECE PRE-SOCRATIS – first philosophers who came before Socrates THALES – earliest philosopher to inquire about the world and explain the composition of things and the changes in the physical reality. - father of Western Philosophy.  FIRST PHILOSOPHERS OF ANCIENT GREECE SOPHIST – emerged and influenced learning in Ancient Greece - They taught a way of argumentation called ERISTIC, which aimed to win arguments rather than arrive at the truth. - excellent in public speaking and traveled throughout Greece and taught young people a wide array of subjects such as grammar, mythology, political virtue, and rhetoric. The mathematician PYTHAGORAS was the first to call himself a philosopho, a term which means a lover of wisdom. In the west, the first philosophical schools emerged in ancient Greece around the 6 th century BCE.  For PHILOSOPHOS - Their central belief was that man need not know all things in the world, but one must continue to inquire and seek to understand and learn about the human condition ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHERS MOST NOTABLE ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHERS THALES (624 BCE TO 546 BCE) - He believed that the ultimate composition of all things is water. He believed that all things take nourishment from water, and he considered heat as being generated and maintained by the amount of moisture in an object. MOST NOTABLE ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHERS ANAXIMANDER (610 BCE TO 546 BCE) - A student of Thales who agreed with his teacher that everything comes from a single, basic material. He argued, however, that matter is not composed of water or any other element. It is his view that all things are created and emerge from an indefinite and boundless realm called APEIRON. When things decay or are destroyed, they go back into the apeiron. MOST NOTABLE ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHERS ANAXIMENES (586 BCE TO 528 BCE) - A young associate of Anaximander who followed Thale's view of matter being created from a single element. - He, however, believed that it is the air that makes up all things and that different elements and substances are merely different phases of air. - Anaximenes also considered air as the source of all life. MOST NOTABLE ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHERS PYTHAGORAS (570 BCE TO 495 BCE) - A mathematician and scientist, he was credited with the formulation of the Pythagorean theorem. - His work earned him many followers, and he established a community of learners who were devoted to the study of religion and philosophy. MOST NOTABLE ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHERS HERACLITUS (535 BCE TO 475 BCE) - He 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. Heraclitus is credited with the saying, "You cannot step twice into the same river, for fresh waters are ever flowing upon you." MOST NOTABLE ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHERS DEMOCRITUS (460 BCE TO 370 BCE) - He devoted himself to studying the causes of natural phenomena. - He was among the first to propose that matter is composed of tiny particles called atoms. MOST NOTABLE ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHERS DIOGENES OF SINOPE (412 BCE TO 323 BCE) - He was a known advocate of a simple and virtuous life. For him, 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 have lived like a beggar. He was also known to be a vocal critic of well-known philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle. - His teachings and views were later developed by his followers and influenced the development of Cynicism. CYNISM- the belief that people are only interested in themselves and are not sincere: MOST NOTABLE ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHERS EPICURUS (341 BCE TO 270 BCE) - A practical philosopher and believed that philosophy could enable man to live a life of happiness. - He denounced certain pleasures of the body that were unnatural and stated that continuous indulgence in bodily pleasure often leads to dissatisfaction. Therefore, one should indulge in the needs and pleasures of the mind instead of the body. - His views gave rise to Epicureanism - a school of philosophy which believes that wisdom and simple living will result in a life free from fear and pain. MOST NOTABLE ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHERS SOCRATES (470 BCE TO 399 BCE) - He was considered the foremost philosopher of ancient times and made great contributions to the field of ethics. - He was a known critic of intellectuals during his time, but he himself did not claim to be "wise" and merely considered himself a "midwife" who helped inquiring minds achieve wisdom. He believed that philosophy could enable a man to live a life of virtue. Credited with formulating the Socratic Method - a means of examining a topic by devising a series of questions that lets the learner examine and analyze his knowledge and views regarding the topic. MOST NOTABLE ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHERS PLATO (427 BCE TO 347 BCE) - A student of Socrates, he wrote down his teacher's writings and incorporated some of his own ideas into them. His teachings and writings are considered as the foundation of Western philosophy. - Theory of forms, which proposes that everything that exists is based on an idea or template that can only be perceived in the mind; these nonphysical ideas are eternal and unchanging.  PLATO (427 BCE TO 347 BCE) - He focused on political theory and wrote The Republic which discussed what he proposed as the ideal society and ideal form of government ruled by wisdom and reason. - 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 West. MOST NOTABLE ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHERS ARISTOTLE (384 BCE TO 322 BCE) - He attended the Academy and was a prominent student of Plato. Aristotle, however, disagreed with Plato's theory of forms and took a different view in interpreting reality. - For him, all ideas and views are based on perception, and our reality is based on what we can sense and perceive. This view greatly influenced the study of the physical sciences. ARISTOTLE (384 BCE TO 322 BCE) - He was involved in a great variety of disciplines such as zoology, psychology, ethics, and politics. - He also proposed a system for the classification of plants and animals. - His studies in logic led to the formulation of a formal process of analyzing reasoning which gave rise to deductive reasoning - the process by which specific statements are analyzed to reach a conclusion or generalization. - Aristotle, like Plato, founded his own school called the Lyceum. MOST NOTABLE ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHERS ARCHIMEDES (287 BCE TO 212 BCE) - known for the practical aspects of his philosophical inquiries and considered a leading scientist in ancient times. - A mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer, Archimedes' inquiries into mathematics led to earlier developments that gave rise to modern calculus. He pioneered the use of mathematics to analyze natural phenomena. ARCHIMEDES (287 BCE TO 212 BCE) He is credited for inventions such as the Archimedes screw - a device for raising water, and a method for determining volume using displacement.  Philosophy plays an important role in our lives and our experiences are made more meaningful because of the insights gained from careful thought and reflection. Please be ready for your seatwork! MOST NOTABLE ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHERS