Philosophy Handout Lesson 1 PDF

**PHILOSOPHY** Derived from the Greek words Philos "love" and Sophia "wisdom"; hence, Philosophy literally means "Love of Wisdom". The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline. "The fundamental values or some basic...

**PHILOSOPHY** Derived from the Greek words Philos "love" and Sophia "wisdom"; hence, Philosophy literally means "Love of Wisdom". The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline. "The fundamental values or some basic assumptions about things, persons, institutions, and others which form presuppositions that influence one's beliefs, decisions, and actions." -- Armando Bonifacio **Pythagoras** is said to be the first to use Philosophy when he differentiated the three classes of people who attended the ancient Olympic Games. **1. Lovers of Gain;** **2. Lovers of Honor;** **3. Lovers of Knowledge or Wisdom.** Pythagoras called the third class of people as the best kind of people or Philosophers; those who seek to arrive at the truth, as they neither seek profit nor compete in the games. **The Subject Matter of Philosophy** Three Concept of Philosophy as explained by Armando Bonifacio: 1\. "The fundamental values or some basic assumptions about things, persons, institutions, and others which form presuppositions that influence one's beliefs, decisions, and actions." the important belief you have, the things you assume, ideas you dont even realize you are using all of it work together to shape how you think, decide and act. ex. important belief like being cautious this hinders you from taking risk ,shapes your decision in taking actions. 2\. "The activity of reflecting on and analyzing one's beliefs reasons for actions or decisions could be a kind of Philosophy as well." Examining and questioning your thoughts is form of philosophy. its a way of exploring the deeper meaning behind your actions and decisions ex. thinking why you believe certain thing or why you are certainabout this things I used to think that winning at any cost is the only way, but then i realised it is causing problems. thats like doing philosophy reflecting and changing belief. Through reflection you recognize the pattern and change it, WHICH IS A FORM OF PHILOSOPHY IN ACTION. 3\. "A reconstructed belief or a value system which shows universal and comprehensive character as a result of reflection and analysis in a more comprehensive and systematic manner" -philosophy is the byproduct of your careful systematic examination of your thoughts and belief that are organized to make sense. ex. working non stop to achieve goal, after careful analysis and thinking through is this the best way or having breaks and before working give you a better result. **Talking about the Subject** Another view on Philosophy is as a study of subjects which can be understood on how they are talked about. Talking about the subject means: **1. Investigating the meaning of concepts or proposal of a new term in order to advance some area of philosophical inquiry;** **2. Critiquing the use of these terms; or** **3. A combination of both.** By **dissecting language and communication** we uncover underlying assumptions and implications. **It reveals hidden meanings and ideas showing us deeper understanding of the conversation.** example: talking about freedom we all agree that freedom is important, but if we talk what does it means to be free? We realize that have different ideas. So by examining how we use the word freedom we uncover different assumptions that we dont even consider before. **Philosophical and Non-philosophical Subjects** Philosophical subjects differ from nonphilosophical ones because they have a fundamental importance to a reflective person and there is a lack of general agreement on how subject of concern may be defined. What is considered as philosophical subjects are matters a reflective person believes in, counts as real, and considers as good which shapes his or her life. **philosophical subjects involve deep questions and exploration of ideas.\ ** **existence and reality** **ethics and morality** **knowledge and truth** **mind and consciousness** **free will and determinism** **non-philosophical subjects are more practical and concrete.\ ** **Science, math medicine, economics etc..** while philosophical subjects often deal with abstract concept and deep inquiries NP subjects are more about practical application and tangible outcomes in various fields. **thus philosophy is an ongoing activity for it branches to many more questions that need to be discussed.** **Philosophy becomes an ongoing activity because there may be many and varied answers to fundamental questions**. **Value of philosophy** Thus the value of philosophy lies in its ability to stimulate critical thinking. It encourages open-mindedness and creativity and the development of analytical skills that can be applied in various aspects of life. Major Branches of Philosophy **Ethics** Derived from the Greek term Ethos **"moral philosophy"** and is concerned about human conduct. Deals with norms or standards of right and wrong applicable to human behavior. Considered as prescriptive as it prescribes what people ought to do rather what people do. The systematic reflections in Ethics will lead to an understanding of the concept of right and wrong and conceptions about morality which affects one's actions towards others. Ethics helps people prioritize their values. **Aesthetics** **Comes from the Greek word aisthetikos which means "sensitive" or "perspective".** In this branch, the Philosopher is concerned with the analysis of aesthetic experience and the **idea of what is beautiful.** **The analysis is directed toward the nature of aesthetic judgment, standards of beauty, and the objectivity of these standards in response to the questions about the meaning of aesthetic experience.** In aesthetics, Philosophers analyze whether beauty is based on utility, experience, form, pleasure, or expression. **Epistemology** Derived from the Greek word "epistēmē" which means "knowledge". **This branch of Philosophy deals with various problems concerning knowledge; its origin, whether empiricism or rationalism, and the verification or confirmation knowledge.** Epistemology specializes in the distinction between belief and knowledge, the nature of truth, the problems of perception, the external world, and meaning and other minds. **Logic** **A branch of Philosophy that looks into whether there are rules or principles that govern reasoning.** **Logic incorporates the analysis of the methods of deduction and induction** to provide the rules on how people ought to think logically. Logic gives a person the techniques to create sound arguments and avoid fallacious reasoning. Logic increases one's ability to reason correctly and distinguish irrational reasoning. **Metaphysics** **A study of reality. This literally means "after Physics".** This branch analyzes whether everything is material, and if life, energy, and mind are its different manifestation. **Metaphysics reflect on the subject of appearances (how something looks by how it appears) and reality (that which actually is).** **[Philosophizing]** A reflective analysis and criticism of beliefs and values of human beings. To speculate or theorize about fundamental or serious issues, especially in a tedious or pompous way. To explain or argue in terms of one's philosophical theories.