The document provides an introduction to Plato's philosophy of the human person. It discusses key concepts from Plato like forms and ideas, and the divided line between knowledge and opinion. It also covers Socrates' view that "an unexamined life is not worth living" and Descartes' method of systematic doubt which led him to conclude "I think, therefore I am." The document is meant to guide students in understanding central philosophers and analyzing philosophical methods and perspectives.
The document provides an introduction to Plato's philosophy of the human person. It discusses key concepts from Plato like forms and ideas, and the divided line between knowledge and opinion. It also covers Socrates' view that "an unexamined life is not worth living" and Descartes' method of systematic doubt which led him to conclude "I think, therefore I am." The document is meant to guide students in understanding central philosophers and analyzing philosophical methods and perspectives.
The document provides an introduction to Plato's philosophy of the human person. It discusses key concepts from Plato like forms and ideas, and the divided line between knowledge and opinion. It also covers Socrates' view that "an unexamined life is not worth living" and Descartes' method of systematic doubt which led him to conclude "I think, therefore I am." The document is meant to guide students in understanding central philosophers and analyzing philosophical methods and perspectives.
The document provides an introduction to Plato's philosophy of the human person. It discusses key concepts from Plato like forms and ideas, and the divided line between knowledge and opinion. It also covers Socrates' view that "an unexamined life is not worth living" and Descartes' method of systematic doubt which led him to conclude "I think, therefore I am." The document is meant to guide students in understanding central philosophers and analyzing philosophical methods and perspectives.
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INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
Guide Questions: 1. What is the main contribution of Plato in the field of philosophy? 2. According to Socrates, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” Explain. 3. Explain in your own words the essence of Descartes’ “Systematic Doubt”. How did he arrive at “I think, therefore, I am.”? 4. How does one’s admission of his own ignorance become a prerequisite in attaining enlightenment?
LESSON 1: KNOWLEDGE, WISDOM AND OPINION
OPINION
a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.
FACT
a thing that is indisputably the case.
1. Plato’s Metaphysical System
Platonic Philosophy – says that knowledge is wisdom and virtue is knowledge
According to Alfred North Whitehead - “The safest characterization of western philosophy is that of a series of footnotes to Plato” Plato’s Claims and Ideas The world is not the basis for the attainment of true and real knowledge Objects of real knowledge must be ageless and eternal “If something is to be accepted as knowledge, there must be an ultimate basis for it that is absolute and unchanging.” Plato assumed that before we were born, our souls was once a part of the World Soul. World Soul- has immediate and direct contact with the world of Forms and Ideas FORMS and IDEAS – Dimension/ world where object of knowledge is ageless and eternal According to Plato, everything that we see in this world (like chairs, tables, etc.) is nothing but a secondary copy of the idea in what he called the world of forms and ideas.
2. The Allegory of the Cave
Idea of the GOOD -the goal of Plato’s Philosophy
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave -he described prisoners inside a cave, where they are chained facing a wall. Behind and above the prisoners are people carrying objects along a road and beyond this road is a burning fire. 3. The Divided Line - Knowledge and Opinion
Distinction between the sensible world or the world of experience, and the intelligible world or the world of true knowledge. Sensible World – known through the use of five senses. Intelligible World – known through the use of the intellect paving basis for knowledge Opinion is divided into Two: 1. Belief /pistis – our common sensical views about the world 2. Illusion/eikasia- the lower type in Plato’s Allegory Plato – according to him the real objective is the search for knowledge Two Levels of Knowledge: 1. Reason/noesis – using the intellect 2. Dianoia/understanding – using scientific, mathematical, or abstract hypothesis. Noesis – claimed by Plato to be higher than dianoia because it deals with the grasping of complete or perfect knowledge Socrates – said that, “The unexamined life is not worth living” Before achieving full or complete knowledge, the person has to go through process of recognizing his own ignorance or aporia
Eye of the mind – refers to soul/intellect
- can be honed through dialectics and constant questioning and by recognizing one’s ignorance in order to grasp the universal goodness Dianoia – has to do with a lower type of knowledge, which is associated with mathematical, abstract or scientific understanding 4. Socratic Method-An exercise in Dialectics
embracing and taking on the hypothesis or view of your opponent as if you agree with it. Sophists - were known to be the first professional teachers Skill/techne - sophists treated wisdom as a skill which could be taught to anyone interested on becoming wise Protagoras - “Man is the measure of all things” Gorgias – “Virtue is not one but many” Thrasymachus – “Justice or Righteousness is the interest of the stronger party”
5. Systematic Doubt- an Exercise in Skepticism
Doubting everything that can be doubted until you arrive at clear and distinct ideas which are nonsensical to doubt
RENE DESCARTES In his book, Meditations on First Philosophy, believed that knowledge can proceed or start from very few premises or starting points
“YOU CAN EVEN DOUBT YOUR OWN DOUBT”
“COGITO, ERGO, SUM”
“I think, therefore, I am” ASSESSMENT: Complete the concept by filling out the blanks with the most appropriate word.
1. “Cogito, ergo, sum” means “I _________, therefore, I am.”
2. According to _____________, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” 3. The ____________ method is actually an example of the method of dialectics. 4. Belief or conviction, or __________, on the other hand, comprises our commonsensical view about the world. 5. According to Plato, “The __________ of every man possesses the power of learning the truth and the organ to see it with…” 6. ______________ has to do with the lower type of knowledge, which is associated with mathematical, abstract or scientific understanding. 7. Before achieving full or complete knowledge, the person has to go through the process of recognizing his own ignorance or _____________. 8. ___________ is claimed by Plato to be a higher level of knowledge because it has to do with the grasping of complete or perfect knowledge of the forms and ideas. 9. Plato believed that this world is not the basis for the attainment of true and real knowledge because he assumed the existence of another world in another dimension which he called the _____________________. 10. ____________________ is the method of embracing and taking on the hypothesis or view of your opponent as if you agree with it then deduce contradictory consequences from the same hypothesis to make it look absurd.
