Lesson 2. DIVISION OF PHILOSOPHY Example: Love. No one can touch love, yet we fall in love.

Objectives: At the end of the lesson the learners are expected to: PHILOSOPHY
identify the division of Philosophy; THEORETICAL PRACTICAL
name and define all the members of its division; and COSMOLOGY SEMANTICS
compare and contrast each division; ONTOLOGY AXIOLOGY
METAPHYSICS AESTHETICS
Values to be developed: PSYCHOLOGY LOGIC
 truth THEODICY ETHICS
 knowledge EPISTEMOLOGY
 Freedom
Question 4. What are other Metaphysical realities? Give at least 5 examples.
Modality: Blended Learning; Online class, Module d. Psychology- studies about the nature of the soul of the person and other entities.
Philosophy is divided into Theoretical and Practical. It was the philosopher Aristotle who coined the word Psychology which came from
1. Theoretical or Speculative philosophy- studies truth to be known. ex. God, the Greek words psyche meaning soul and logos meaning science or study. Today,
immortality of the soul, origin of the universe, among others. The following are under Psychology is defined as a science that studies human and animal behavior.
theoretical philosophy. e. Theodicy- is also known as Rational Theology. Etymologically, Theodicy came
a. Cosmology- studies the origin and destiny of the universe, evolution and the from the Greek words- theos meaning God and dike meaning justice. Theodicy
ultimate of the entire universe. The word universe comes from the Greek word investigates the nature, being and the attributes of God not based on the Bible and
"kosmos". The first philosophers were actually "cosmologists" since they dealt with divine revelation but by logical abstractions and reasoning.
the questions regarding the origin of the universe in a scientific and philosophical f. Epistemology- comes from the word episteme meaning knowledge. It is a branch
manner. of philosophy that addresses the philosophical problems surrounding the theory of
b. Ontology- deals with the nature of existence of things and the status of reality. knowledge. It is concerned with the definition of knowledge and related concepts, the
The word "onta" is a Greek word which means "being". Ontology is also referred as sources and criteria of knowledge, the kinds of knowledge possible, the degree of its
the theory of being. "What does to exist mean?" or "What is the nature of being?" Are veracity and the exact relation between the one who knows and the object known.
some of the questions often asked in Ontology. It is a branch of Metaphysics.
c. Metaphysics- is derived from the Greek words meta- beyond and physikon- nature. 2. Practical philosophy- studies truths to be acted upon. The following are under
As a branch of philosophy, metaphysics studies the nature of the mind, the self and practical philosophy
consciousness. It also investigates the nature of religion, existence of God, the a. Semantics- came from the words sema meaning sign or mark and semantikos
concepts of time, space, cause and chance. Metaphysical realities are non-physical meaning significant. This practical branch of philosophy studies the meaning of words
realities. They are non tangible. The word metaphysics is said to originate from the and its linguistics forms, their functions and their relationship to other words.
mere fact that the corresponding part of Aristotle's work was positioned right after b. Axiology- from the Greek words axios meaning worthy, and logos, meaning
the part called 'physics". But is is not unlikely that the term won a ready acceptance as discourse or study. Axiology is thus the discourse or study of the philosophy or system
denoting this part of philosophy because it conveyed the purpose of metaphysics, of value judgments or worthiness. Axiology studies values, its origin, types and
which is to reach beyond nature [physics] as we perceive it, and to discover the "true characteristics.
nature" of things, their ultimate essence and the reason for being.
 c. Aesthetics- aims to establish the general principles of art and beauty. It is the A. Cf. Montemayor [1994]. Ethics: The Philosophy of Life. Mandaluyong City: National
study of beauty and art. It is relatively new branch of philosophy that emerged in the Book
early 18th century [early 1700s] in England and Germany, more than 2000 years after Store, pp. 8-9] defined Ethics as:
the emergence of the other branches of Western philosophy [which began earlier in  the practical science of the morality of human acts;
Greece, around 600 B.C.E.J. Aesthetics came from the Greek word aisthetikos which  the study of human conduct from the standpoint of morality;
means one is perceptive of things through his sensations, feelings and intuitions.  the normative science based on reason which studies human conduct and provide
d. Logic- deals with the nature of thinking and reasoning using empirical support to norms for its
establish the truth. It is the study aimed at determining the conditions under which  nature integrity and honesty; practical science that guides us in our actions that
one is justified in passing from given statements, called premises, to a conclusion that we may live rightly and well; and
is claimed to follow from them. Logical validity is the characteristic of an argument  the science which lays down the principles of right living.
that quarantees that if the premises of the argument are true then the conclusion
must necessarily be true. B. Glenn said; Ethics is:
Deductive reasoning- reasoning from universal truth to particular. the practical science of the morality of human conduct
Inductive reasoning- reasoning from particular to universal or general principles. C. Corazon L. Cruz, Ph. D. defined Ethics as:
e. Ethics- is derived from the Greek word ethos which means "characteristic" way of the philosophical science which treats of the morality of human acts; and
acting" which is proper to man as a rational being. The Latin word for ethos is mos [or the philosophical reflection on "creative responsibility."
mores]. Hence, we understand why Ethics is sometimes called a Moral Science or Corazon L. Cruz in her book Contemporary ETHICS published by National Bookstore,
Moral Philosophy. Ethics is a philosophical science that studies the morality of human Inc. 1984 talks about NEW ETHICS.
acts. The goal of Ethics as a science is to investigate the nature of the human act or
human conduct. She said that, many Filipino adults today deplore the mores of the young. To
them, the removal of the po or ko from the latter's vocabulary, the crassness of
. attitude towards cheating, the tasteless display of affection in public are some of the
things non-existent in the past.

Lesson 3. DEFINITION OF ETHICS We are aware of the centuries-old custom of our Ilongot and Igorots. During their
Objectives: At the end of the lesson the learners can: mating season, that is, when the caballero trees are in bloom, the Ilongot males gift
 define Ethics; -Truth their brides-to-be with the heads of Christians they hunt down. The Igorots have their
 master each definition; -Knowledge ulog, a hut from [on exhibit in the Nayong Filipino and in Imelda Park in Baguio] where
 discuss and compare each definition; and -Honesty boys and girls of marriageable age sleep together, a strong determinant of their
 analyze the significance of each definition. choice for life partners. Their customs are, of course, disowned by Christian Filipinos.
 Values to be developed:
Modality: Blended Learning, Online class, Module
 In other countries the same changes and disparities of customs occur. The people no norm whatsoever. There must be an absolute for any true relativity. And its
of Sweden and Denmark are noted for their liberalism towards sex and pornography. absolute is love.
In many American campuses these past several years, the keeping of "parietal hours"
[mutual visitation hours in dormitory rooms] has found acceptance. In Italy abortion 3 . Positivism. In theology, faith in God is "posited or affirmed voluntarily rather
and divorce are now legal-over the Pope's objections. Examples are abundant to than rationalistically." This means such a belief is outside reason but not against it.
prove ethical relativism. What is non-ethical is identified with what is thought to be Fletcher refers to Bernard Clairvaux's "I love because I love." It is a statement
ethical. Relativism is the opposite of absolutism meaning fixed; there is no middle accepted at its face value and provokes a whole theology or philosophy based on it.
ground. If it is good, then, it is good, evil, if it is evil. There are truths that do not Thus, one of the postulates of Christian Ethics is the existence of God. In non-Christian
change. What is truth before is still truth today and everywhere. The existence of God ethics, positivism's role is to show that any moral or value judgment is an outcome of
is the best example of it. The truth contained in the Creed that Catholic Christians choice and is a "decision, not a conclusion."
believe. It remains true, before, now, and forever.
4. Personalism. Situationists place people, not things, in the heart of happenings.
A way of understanding the problem is to remember what Father Gorospe calls Martin Buber's "I-Thou" relationships have influenced a lot of other writers. Kant
the distinction between ethics, which is a "philosophy of morals," and a morality, advises: Treat person as ends, never as means..." Fletcher writes: "Love is of people,
since there is a "unity of ethics in a plurality of moralities." by people, and for people. Things are to be used: people are to be loved. It is immoral
when people are used and things are loved... It is not the unbelieving who invite
Another way is to have a look at situationism, which is usually referred to as the damnation but the unloving."
"New" Ethics, and see if consciously, the examples given and similar problems reflect
it. The most outspoken exponent of situationism is Joseph Fletcher. To him, Fletcher concludes that situation ethics is one of action, of decision-making. "It
situationism is this: "Nothing is good or evil, except love [personal concern] and its does not ask what is good but how to do good for whom; not what is love but how to
opposite, indifference or actual malice. Anything else, no matter what it is, may be do the most loving thing possible in the situation...
good or evil, right or wrong, according to the situation." 1. Robinson says the same "New" Christian Morality
thing for "Christian ethics." Philosophy asks plenty of questions which it cannot answer adequately, and this is
most true in ethics. Thus, it usually turns to religion for answers. A synthesis of ethics
Fletcher explains some presuppositions of Situation Ethics: and moral theology is called for.

1. Pragmatism. This relies heavily on the Pierce-James- Dewey analysis of human

2. Relativism. Words like always, never, absolutely and perfect do not exist in a
situationist's vocabulary. Relativism, which is usually taken to mean that which
depends of the situation, specifically on the person, time, and place, is not viewed in
its anarchic sense by the situationists, according to Fletcher. It does not mean there is
 How has situationism affected Christian morality? There seem to be two schools
of
thought on what today's ethics should be:
1. the conservative or traditional
2. the liberal Christian situationism, which may be
a. ultra-liberal
b. moderate
Typical of the first approach is Von Hildebrand. His work aims to "show the
inalterable character of the moral law, the absolute nature of moral values." Christian
situation is built on "agapeic love," on a faith in a personalistic God. Three polarities: 1.
law and love, 2. authority and experience, and 3. fixity and freedom- while present in
all forms of situationism, have attracted a lot of Christian contemporary moralists and
theologians.

The ultra-liberal group, and Fletcher cites three of them, has looked kindly on
ethical relativism. These three are Paul Tillich, Emil Brunner [The Divine Imperative]
and Reinhold Neibuhr [Moral Man and Immoral Society]. The last two base their ideas

On the principle that the divine command is always the same in its why but always
different in its what, or changeless as to the what but contingent as to the how. We
are always commanded, to act lovingly, but how to do it depends on our own
responsible estimate of the situation. Our love is a constant; everything else is a
variable. Paul Tillich agrees: "Every moral law is abstract in relation to the unique and
totally concrete situation." The moderates are Christian writers like Teilhard, Johann,
and Marcel, who shy away from loose interpretation of ethical relativism, at the same
time rejecting the traditional position of an immutable natural law.

Rich guidelines can be culled from Teilhard's evolutionary man: as a developed