Introduction To The Philosophy of The Human Person

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Senior High School

Introduction to
the Philosophy of
the Human Person
Quarter 1 – Module 1:
The Meaning and Process of
Philosophy
Introduction to
the Philosophy of
the Human Person
Quarter 1 – Module 1:
The Meaning and Process of
Philosophy
Lesson The Meaning,
1 Characteristics and
Branches of Philosophy
At the end of this lesson you are expected to:

1. discuss the meaning of philosophy


2. identify the branches of philosophy; and
3. appreciate the significance of the characteristics of philosophy.

What’s In

Hi there! Welcome to our new lesson on Philosophy. Before


dwelling to the new lesson, let us try to analyze the
following questions.

Choose one question below and explain what kind of


question it is.

Ex. What does it mean to be beautiful? (The question


is about beauty therefore it is a question about aesthetics or art.)

1. What is knowledge?
2. How do we know?
3. What is good?
4. What is freedom?
5. What is beauty?
6. Does God exist?
7. Can we prove the existence of God?
8. What is good life?
9. What is man? Who is man?

In the given questions:


a. What is the role of philosophy?
b. Based on your responses, what kind of questions are they?
c. Do you think philosophy has a practical significance in your life?
d. Do you have questions in life which bring you uneasiness?

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What’s New

What is Philosophy? What is the connection of Philosophy to human experience?


What is the significance of Philosophy with the existence of everything around us?
What does Philosophy say about one’s personal experiences? Is Philosophy still
significant in the event of post-modernism and globalization?

Doing Philosophy is not something new to every individual. Philosophizing is


innate to everyone. It is giving birth to knowledge and wisdom using the things
around us and the things we experience.

Who and what is a philosopher? A philosopher is a lover of wisdom. He/she puts


meaning to what is out there, is open to changes and discovery. He/she does not
stop knowing, wondering and asking questions, hungers for truth, meaning and of
sense. He/she goes beyond and experiences transcendence. A philosopher possesses
a beautiful mind.

A. Definition:

According to Abella (2016), the word Philosophy comes from the two Greek words
philos (love) and Sophia (Wisdom), (Abella 2016). Thus, Philosophy is the love of
wisdom. This is the most common and simplest definition of Philosophy. He further
defined Philosophy as a science of thinking that deals with the study of processes
governing thoughts and conduct. He also added that Philosophy is the study that
uses the human reason to investigate the ultimate causes, reasons, and principles
which governs all things.

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B. Characteristics:
- Just as there are many ways at looking at things, like, experiences, situations,
problems, Philosophy can also be seen and treated in different ways.
Philosophy can be seen as a framework, as an examination of knowledge and
as a discipline. (Abella 2016)

PHILOSOPHY

FRAMEWORK DISCIPLINE

EXAMINATION OF KNOWLEDGE

He explained that whenever a person encounters a problem, situation or a


question life, he or she often goes back to his or her framework in order to make
sense of the problem. According to him, a framework is defined as a way of thinking
about the world and is composed of views and beliefs of a person. Philosophy then
as a framework could lead the person to come up with something that may pave the
way for solutions or answer. The framework of Philosophy aids the personal
framework of the person.

He also discussed that Philosophy can also be treated as an examination of a


particular area of knowledge. This means that the principles of philosophy can be
used as an examination of other disciplines or areas of knowledge. In the long run,
he explained that other areas of specialization may benefit from the very nature of
philosophy
Lastly, according to him, Philosophy in itself is a distinct area of knowledge. It
has its own goals, concerns and ways of doing things. Definitely, philosophy
according to him is a discipline in itself.

Let us ponder:
Based on the characteristics of philosophy, would it be
possible for any person to engage in philosophical
discussion? Why or Why not?

(Abella 2016)

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A. According to Garcia, et.al. (2016), the following are the branches of
philosophy:

Logic
o a branch of philosophy that deals with the
nature of thinking and reasoning using
empirical support and information which are
reliable, valid and objective.
o it is the science of correct thinking.

Two Types of Logic


a. Deductive Reasoning – from a general truth to specific truth, from universal
truth to particular.
b. Inductive Reasoning – from a specific truth to general truth, particular to
universal.

Epistemology
o a branch of Philosophy that concerns with the definition of knowledge and
related concepts such as the sources and criteria of knowledge.

Two Contending Schools of Thought


a. Rational school – the main source of knowledge is deductive reasoning based
on self-evident principles or actions.
b. Empirical school – the source of knowledge is sense-perception.

Ethics
o it comes from the Greek word “ethos” which means character.
o it is the science of correct doing.
o it is the study of what is right and what is wrong in human behavior in the
pursuit of beauty and goodness of life.

Metaphysics
o it comes from the Greek words “meta” which means beyond and “physikon”
which means nature.
o it is branch of philosophy which is concerned with the nature of ultimate
reality.

Aesthetics
o it is derived from the Greek word “aesthetikos” which means one who is
perceptive of things through his sensations, feelings and intuitions.
o it is concerned with the essence of perception of beauty and ugliness.

Political Philosophy
o it refers to a body of knowledge that looks up on the society, politics and the
people that makes it whole.
o it is believed that society is inseparable to politics.

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General Questions in Philosophy

According to Garcia, et al, (2016), Philosophy is concerned with the deepest and
widest questions in life. The following are examples of questions in the different
branches of philosophy as mentioned by him.

A. Epistemology –Theory of Knowledge


• What is knowledge?
• Can we know?
• What is to know?
• How can we know?

B. Ethics – Moral Philosophy


• What is freedom?
• Do we have free will?
• What is human act?
• Are our actions already determined?

C. Philosophy of Art – Aesthetics


• What is beauty?
• What does it mean to be beautiful?

D. Philosophy of Religion
• Does God exist?
• Can we prove the existence of God?
• What reasons are there to believe in God?

E. Rational Psychology/Philosophy of Man/ Philosophical Anthropology


• What is the essence and meaning of life?
• Does life make sense?
• What is good life?
• What is happiness?
• What is man? Who is man?
• Is man only his body, or man is his soul

He further explained that Philosophy is reflective and


reflections arise from our experiences and that man is
rich with experiences both good and evil. These
experiences are the starting point of wonder and awe.
Reason leads to reflection and that’s what makes us
human. He also mentioned that we are capable of
becoming aware of our consciousness and daily
activities. Lastly, he said that man by essence is
reflective and yet, people nowadays have less time to
think and reflect on their experiences. Man is simply now becoming a contradiction
of his ow

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What I Have Learned

1. The word Philosophy comes from two Geek words philos (love) and Sophia
(wisdom).
2. Philosophy is the study that uses human reason to investigate the ultimate
causes, reasons and principles which governs all things.
3. Philosophy is a distinct area of knowledge with its own goals, concerns and
ways of doing things.
4. Philosophy is divided into several branches namely: Aesthetics, Logic,
Epistemology, Ethics, Metaphysics and Political Philosophy.
5. Philosophy can be seen as a framework, as an examination of knowledge and
as a discipline.
6. Philosophy is concerned with the deepest and widest questions in life.

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