Introduction to Philosophy Lesson 2 PDF

Handouts for Introduction to Philosophy Midterm Period Lesson 2: History of Philosophy a. What is Philosophy? The word philosophy comes from two Greek words: philos (love) and Sophia (wisdom). The ancient Greeks used this term to refer...

Handouts for Introduction to Philosophy Midterm Period Lesson 2: History of Philosophy a. What is Philosophy? The word philosophy comes from two Greek words: philos (love) and Sophia (wisdom). The ancient Greeks used this term to refer to “love of wisdom” and they soon applied it to the study or discipline that uses human reason to investigate the ultimate causes, reasons, and principles which govern all things. People who engage in philosophy are called philosophers or “lovers of wisdom”. Among ancient Greeks, the philosophers became pioneers in various fields of knowledge such as history, biology, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, and even physics. It was quite common to hear of ancient philosophers who were “experts” in various fields of learning. b. How to practice Philosophy? What is Philosophy? Any attempt to coin an all-encompassing definition of Philosophy would fail because humanity never shared a universal idea of what it is (Co, 2009). Although one of our goals in this chapter is to present a general idea of what Philosophy means, our challenge is to address a much more important question, that is, “What does it mean to philosophize?” The assumption here is that Philosophy is intimately connected with praxis. In other words, an idea is useless if it is devoid of any practice. For the Greeks, Philosophy or philosophia means the “love of wisdom," but to know the idea of love and wisdom is not enough if one denies doing it (Kenny, 2004). This chapter explores the two major traditions of philosophy. These traditions, while unique in various ways, do not necessarily contradict each other. The first is the Western tradition, which is characterized by its rigorous way of doing philosophy and presupposes an analytic approach. The second is the Eastern tradition, which is often used interchangeably with religion because it treats philosophy as a way of life. Way back ancient times, people have been analyzing different issues regarding philosophy. Since 2000 BCE, the Asian communities have introduced schools of thought and ancient belief systems. Around the 6th century, the first philosophical schools started in the ancient Greece in the western part of the world. These schools of thought gave way to the rise and developments to the philosophy we know at present. Today, we tend to view philosophy as a means of seeking to understand the nature of reality itself, including the way we think about it. EMERGENCE OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY Western Philosophy is concerned with uncovering the truth through systematic argumentation and theory. The emphasis of this is on the use of reason rather than faith, and on man as individual. This perspective made development of a scientific, theory-based approach in philosophy. Moreover, Greece is said to have one of the great civilizations because of their notable characteristic, their love for learning. A Greek man must be wise, learned, and knowledgeable about many things. There was an notable group called the Sophists that emerged and influenced learning in Greece. They were teachers who traveled across the country, educating those who sought knowledge. The learning process involved discussion and debate, where students were taught to win any argument they chose to participate in. This style of teaching, however, was contradicted by another group of thinkers who disagreed with the methods of the Sophists. These people believed that teaching is more than just training people to win arguments. Teaching and learning should be an opportunity to learn the truth of all things in the world, and all wisdom should strive to achieve the truth apart from knowledge. Pythagoras, one of their leaders, called themselves Philophos which means "lovers of wisdom". For these people, arguments and discussion must be based on sound reasoning. Handouts for Introduction to Philosophy Midterm Period They believe that man must not need to know everything in the world, but he must continue to inquire and seek to understand and learn about things. Among the ancient Greeks, philosophers were known for their expertise in various fields of knowledge. The following are the most notable ancient Greek philosophers: Pythagoras (570 BCE to 495 ВСЕ) He was the mathematician/scientist behind the formulation of 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. Heraclitus (535 BCE to 475 BCE) He proposed that everything that exists is based on a higher order plan which he called logos. For him, change is a permanent aspect of a human condition, and he was credited for saying, "No man ever steps on the same river twice". 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 little particles called atoms. 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. c. Art of Questioning and Answering THE SOCRATIC METHOD (Intellectual Midwifery) In Plato's earlier dialogues, Socrates' inquiries display a pattern of investigation whose rationale he does not investigate. They are constrained by rules he does not undertake to justify. In other words, Socrates is known for his approach to philosophical questioning, which involves probing and challenging ideas to uncover underlying truths. However, he never explains why his method of questioning is the best way to find truth, or even what this method is. Socratic method is a search for moral truth by question-and-answer adversary argument in which a thesis is debated only if asserted as the answerer's own belief and is regarded as refuted only if its negation is deduced from his own beliefs. Socrates would simply engage his interlocutors (conversant) in a series of questions designed to reveal contradictions in their beliefs. This method often ends with the interlocutor realizing that their initial beliefs are flawed or incomplete. Through this process, the interlocutor is led to refine or abandon their original stance in favor of a more consistent or accurate position. References: Vlastos, G. (1994). Socratic Studies (M. Burnyeat, Ed.). Cambridge University Press