Introduction to Philosophy Lesson 1 PDF
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Roberto D. Abella
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This document provides an introduction to the history of philosophy, focusing on the pre-Socratic philosophers and their contributions. Key concepts, such as the four causes and the nature of being, are also touched upon.
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Philosophy - comes from the Greek word: philos (love) and Sophia (wisdom) The Ancient Greeks used this term to refer to a “love of wisdom” and was soon applied to a science or discipline which uses human reason to investigate the ultimate causes, reaso...
Philosophy - comes from the Greek word: philos (love) and Sophia (wisdom) The Ancient Greeks used this term to refer to a “love of wisdom” and was soon applied to a science or discipline which uses human reason to investigate the ultimate causes, reasons, and principles which govern all things. Pythagoras a Greek mathematician who first call himself a “philosopho” which means a “lover of wisdom.” Philosophy: What is it and where did it originate? The birthplace of Greek philosophy was the sea-board of Asia Minor in Aegean sea, Ionia in the little city of Miletus in the 6th century BCE. What is the technical term of philosophy? Philosophy -the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline. -It is the process of constant questioning, and questioning necessarily takes the form of dialogue. -Plato -It is the foundation of the ability to understand the basic axioms that comprise knowledge. To study and question completely, logic is the basic means of reasoning -Aristotle NATURALISTIC NATURAL WORLD Four Divisions METAPHYSICAL of Greek LAW AND JUSTICE Philosophy ETHICAL WORTHY LIFE/WORTH LIVING RELIGIOUS RELIGION Four Periods of Philosophy and It’s Trend of Thinking ANCIENT MEDIEVAL MODERN CONTEMPORAR PERIOD PERIOD PERIOD Y PERIOD 1,000BCE-5CE 10CE-1500 1600-1889 1960-present Cosmocentric Theocentric Anthrophocentric Existentialism What are the six branches of Philosophy? METAPHYSICS EPISTEMOLOGY LOGIC ETHICS AESTHETICS POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY Metaphysics -it is the philosophical branch that studies reality, existence, the nature of being, the physical world, and the universe. Epistemology -It is often referred to as the theory of knowledge. It delves into the definition, scope, and parameters of knowledge and knowledge formation. It seeks to explain how we acquire knowledge, how knowledge relates to notions like justification, truth, and belief, and how and where it falls in the spectrum of certainty and error. Logic -It is the branch of philosophy that studies reasoning. It teaches us how to differentiate between good and bad reasoning and how to construct valid arguments. Ethics It is known as moral philosophy, is often referred to as the study of morality. It seeks to address questions about how we should live our lives, how we define proper conduct, and what we mean by the good life. It’s a study that teaches us what the virtuous life is like and how we can put these virtues into practice. Aesthetics It refers to the study of everything related to beauty, art, and good taste. This includes how we define art, how we feel when viewing art or witnessing beauty, how we judge works of art, and how we form our taste. Political Philosophy - It examines various concepts related to politics, government, laws, liberty, justice, rights, authority, state, and even ethics (ethical ruling). THE PRE- SOCRATIC PHILOSOPHERS ARE DIVIDED INTO MONISM AND PLURALISTS The Pre-Socratic Philosophers Reality is One Thales Reality is Many Anaximander Empedocles Anaximenes Anaxagoras Pythagoras Democritus Heraclitus Parmenides Zeno of Elea Who is the first philosopher? He was the founder of Milesian School. He believed that the ultimate composition of all things is water. Thales of Miletus He believes there is a unifying principle of the universe, and he called it “Arche.” Anaximander Student of Thales He believed that the unifying element is not water. He called it Apeiron or boundless He believed that the planet moves the way he observed the sun and moon. Proto-Evolutionary human anthropology. First metaphycisist. Anaximenes Student of Anaximander He believed that the source of all things is Air Rarefaction and condensation. fire mud> dirt> stone Pythagoras Mathematician of Samos who obsessed with numbers. He even ascribed special meaning to numbers. Applied numbers on music. Founder of Pythagorean Theorem Totality of reality can be explained by mathematical laws. Xenophanes He doesn’t believe in anthropomorphism. He criticized Homer and Hesiod during his time that portrays God in human form. He believed that there is only one God, which was identified with the ultimate basic stuff that was self-moving, imperishable, and the rational basis of the universe. Heraclitus The enigmatic and the dark philosopher. He believed that fire is the single original element. Reality is always changing. He proposed that everything that exists is based on a higher order or plan which he called logos. Parmenides The reality is illusion He believed that it is impossible to create concept if it is nothing. He believed that the empty space of arche is nothing. Zeno of Elea Philosophy of Paradox The loyal defender of Parmenides that time and motion is illusion. The paradox of motion. The Pre-Socratic Philosophers (Pluralists) Reality is Many Empedocles Anaxagoras Democritus Everything was composed of four elements known as “four roots” Two forces needed to explain change and movement. 1. Love 2. Hate Empedocles Pluralist philosopher Anaxagoras The first philosopher to be connected to Athens. He replaced four roots with “infinite seeds” In everything that exists there is a seed of everything else. Democritus The atomist He saw the world as composed of groups of “atoms.” the Greek word which means “indivisible” He contradicted the idea of Parmenides that empty space of arche is real and has a motion.