WHAT IS
PHILOSOPHY?
Lesson 1
• Read and analyze the following conversation
between a high school teacher and her student in
class:
Teacher : Juan, what would you like to be when you
grow up?
Juan : Ma’am I want to be happy?
Teacher : Juan, you did not understand my question.
Juan : Ma’am, you do not understand what life is all
about!
GUIDE QUESTIONS
• Do you think that Juan’s answer was appropriate for
his teacher’s question?
• What do you think was Juan’s interpretation of his
teacher’s question?
• Based on his responses, what kind of student do you
imagine Juan to be?
• If you were Juan’s teacher, how would you respond to
him?
• How is philosophy related to this situation?
• Have you, like Juan, come to a
realization of what you want in life?
Have you ever found yourself
wondering about the things you
experienced or where you life is
headed? Have you ever encountered
a situation where you had to think
about the “deeper” questions in life?
OBJECTIVES:
• Discuss philosophy and its importance as a discipline and a
means for understanding life;
• Distinguish a holistic perspective form a partial point of
view;
• Recognize human activities that emanated from deliberate
reflection; recognize reflection as an important aspect of
philosophy;
• Realize the value of doing philosophy in obtaining a broad
perspective on life;
• Do a philosophical reflection on a concrete situation form a
holistic perspective; and
• Discuss their thoughts regarding the importance of
philosophy in their lives.
WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?
• PHILOSOPHY come from the 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 of
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 “lover of wisdom”.
• What word come to mind when you hear the word
philosophy?
PHILOSOPHY
MOST NOTABLE GREEK
PHILOSOPHERS
• Pythagoras – a
mathematician and
scientist, he was
credited with
formulating 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.
PYTHAGOREAN
THEOREM
MOST NOTABLE GREEK
PHILOSOPHERS
• Heraclitus – 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 as he was
credited with the saying,
“No man ever steps in the
same river twice”
LOGOS
• “all things are one”
• Everything in the universe is
interconnected and ultimately part of a
single, unified whole.
• The phrase "all things are one" means
that everything in the world is connected
and part of a bigger whole. Even though
things may look different—like people,
animals, trees, and stars—they are all
part of the same universe and are linked
together.
MOST NOTABLE GREEK
PHILOSOPHERS
• Democritus – he devoted
himself to the study of the
causes of natural
phenomena. He was among
to propose that matter is
composed of tiny particle
called atoms
Natural phenomena
• Weather
• Fog
• Thunder
• Tornadoes
• Decomposition
• Germination
• Physical processes
• Diogenes of Sinope – he
was a known advocate of
living a simple and
virtuous life. For
Diogenes, one should not
only talk of virtue but
should show it in words
and actions. His emphasis
on austerity(sternness or
severity of manner or
attitude, pagtitipid) and
simplicity often went to
the extreme, and he was
said to have lived like a
beggar.
Epicurus
• He believed that philosophy
could enable man to live a
life of happiness. His views
gave rise to Epicureanism – a
school of philosophy which
believes that wisdom and
simple living will result in a
life free of fear and pain.
• Socrates - he was
considered the foremost
philosopher of ancient
times. He made great
contributions to the field of
ethics. Socratic Method – a
means of examining a topic
by devising a series of
questions that let the
learner examine and
analyze his knowledge and
views regarding the topic.
• Plato - a student of Socrates, he
wrote down his mentor’s teaching
and incorporated some of his own
ideas into them. Plato’s most
significant ideas included his
Theory of Forms, which proposes
that everything that exists is
based on an idea of template that
can only be perceived in the mind.
• Plato is known for his dialectic – a
method of inquiry where two
opposing ideas are discussed in
an attempt to arrive at new
knowledge.
THEORY OF FORMS
• The Theory of Forms is ultimately a way of
understanding reality. Plato argued that what people
see and experience in their daily lives is actually just
a representation of actual reality, which people
cannot access but which influences the world
nonetheless.
• Aristotle – he attended the
Academy, and was a prominent
student of Plato. He disagreed
with Plato’s theory of forms and
took a different stance 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.
• Deductive reasoning- the process
by which specific statements are
analyzed to reach a conclusion
or generalization.
SEATWORK
He disagreed with Plato’s
theory of forms and took
a different stance in
interpreting reality.
ARISTOTLE
He made great
contributions to
the field of ethics.
SOCRATES
He believed that
philosophy could
enable man to live a
life of happiness.
EPICURUS
He was a known
advocate of living a
simple and virtuous
life.
DIOGENES OF
SINOPE
He devoted himself
to the study of the
causes of natural
phenomena.
DEMOCRITUS
He was credited with
formulating the
Pythagorean Theorem
PYTHAGORAS
He’s most
significant ideas
included his
Theory of Forms.
PLATO
He proposed that
everything that exists is
based on a higher order or
plan which he called logos.
HERACLITUS
His work earned him many
followers, and he
established a community
of learners who were
devoted to the study of
religion and philosophy.
PYTHAGORAS
For him all ideas and views
are based on perception and
our reality is based on what
we can sense and perceive.
ARISTOTLE
WHY IS THERE A NEED
TO PHILOSOPHIZE?
• Philosophers have often wondered and argued about
the role of philosophy in man’s life.
• The Greek philosophers Plato traced man’s need to
philosophize to his sense of wonder. Whenever we
are confronted with an experience, we always
wonder how it came about.
• Rene Descartes French philosophers traced the need
to philosophize to doubt. Descartes was famous for
rejecting or questioning established ideas, and he
even went as far as doubting his own ideas.
CARTESIAN DOUBT
• is a way of seeking certainty by
systematically doubting everything.
• Karl Jaspers a Swiss-German philosopher saw the
need to philosophize because of experience. Jaspers
called these experiences as limit situations, and
these are often accompanied by feelings of
helplessness, anxiety, or dread(fear).
• The need to philosophize is driven by the love of
wisdom. To love wisdom is to have an insatiable
desire(they want as much of it as they can possibly
get) for truth.
HOW DO WE CHARACTERIZE
THE STUDY OF PHILOSOPHY?
• These are the approaches in philosophy
• Philosophy is to consider it as a way of analyzing
framework. Framework is defined as a way of
thinking about the world and is composed of the
views and beliefs of a person.
• Questions dealing with our own correctness and
values are considered internal questions which can
be addressed using our own personal framework.
• External questions that seek to question the very
frameworks upon which people base their own beliefs
and views.
• Philosophy can be thought of as an examination of a
particular area of knowledge.
• Philosophy itself is a distinct area of knowledge with
its own goals, concerns, and ways of doing things.
BRANCHES OF
PHILOSOPHY
• Aesthetics – which deals with beauty and what makes things
“beautiful”
• Logic – deals with correct reasoning
• Epistemology – nature of knowledge and knowing
• Ethics – deals with moral questions and dilemmas
• Political philosophy – studies government and deals with
questions of justice, power and the rights and obligations of
citizens.
• Metaphysics – deals with question regarding reality and
existence.
• Philosophy of the human person – area in philosophy that
understands the human person from a philosophical
perspective.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN HOLISTIC THINKING
AND PARTIAL THINKING?
• Holistic Thinking
- Refers to a perspective that considers
large-scale patterns in system.
- Looking in a “big picture” when
describing and analyzing a situation or
problem.
- Requires an individual to have an open
mindset and an ability to get the general
sense or impression regarding a situation.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN HOLISTIC THINKING
AND PARTIAL THINKING?
• Partial Thinking
- Focuses on specific aspects of a situation.
- An important component of analytical
thinking, as an individual focuses on
certain areas or aspects of a problem in
order to understand it.
- It is useful philosophy utilizes holistic
thinking in making sense of problems and
issues related to the human experiences
HOW DOES ONE ENGAGE
IN REFLECTION?
• Reflection requires a person to be willing to examine
one’s thoughts, feelings, and actions and to learn
more about one’s life and experiences.
WHAT ARE THE PRACTICAL
USES OF PHILOSOPHY IN OUR
LIVES?
• Philosophy enables a person to engage in critical analysis
and interpretation of concepts, definitions, arguments
and problems
• Philosophy also improves problem-solving and decision
making.
• A philosopher is a good communicator who can clearly
and adequately present his or her ideas.
• Wisdom is one intended product of philosophizing, and
this refers to a person’s ability to apply knowledge to
daily life particularly in making sound choices and
judgment.
• Knowlegde of philosophy can contribute to self-
development.
