A Module

In
Introduction to Philosophy
Of The
Human Person

Compiled by:
SUBJECT INSTRUCTORS

2020 Revision
 LESSON 1
THE MEANING AND METHOD OF DOING PHILOSOPHY

TOPICS

1. The Meaning of Philosophy

2. Difference Between Holistic Perspective And Partial Point Of View
3. The Value of Doing Philosophy
4. Doing a Philosophical Reflection

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. Show an understanding of the meaning of philosophy

2. Discuss the major branches of philosophy
3. Identify notable ancient philosophers
4. Distinguish a holistic perspective from a partial point of view
5. Realize the value of philosophy in obtaining a broad perspective in life
6. Apply a philosophical reflection on a concrete situation from a holistic perspective

TOPIC 1: THE MEANING OF PHILOSOPHY

A Philosophy is a word that comes from two Greek words: philos (love) and sophia (wisdom).
The Ancient Greeks used this term to refer to a “love for wisdom” and soon applied to a science or
discipline which uses human reason to investigate the ultimate causes, reasons and principles which
govern all things.

Philosophy as a concept is a system of beliefs about reality. It is one’s integrated view of the
world. It includes understanding of the nature of existence, man, and his role in the world. It is a
necessary product of man’s rational mind.

Philosophy as a process is employed as a method of inquiry. It is an engagement in the search

for the meaning of life, its value and relevance. It is a process for finding significance inexistence.

We can use the analogy of riding a bicycle, “Riding a bicycle is not about knowing its parts but
it is in riding the bicycle itself”, to differentiate the two.

Major Branches of Philosophy

The following are the major branches of philosophy.

Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy that studies the nature of reality. This branch of
philosophy analyzes whether everything is material, and if life, energy, and mind are its different
manifestations.

Some examples of specific questions that metaphysicians reflect upon are the following:

 What is the meaning of life?

 What is the purpose of life?
 Does God exist?
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 Epistemology comes from the Greek word epistēmē which means “knowledge”; thus, this
branch of philosophy deals with the studies of the nature and scope of knowledge. Among the major
concerns in epistemology are the origin of knowledge – whether empiricism (given by experience) or
rationalism (given by the mind prior to experience) and the verification or confirmation of knowledge.

Logic is the branch of philosophy that looks into whether there are rules or principles that
govern reasoning. It increase one’s ability to reason correctly and distinguish irrational reasoning.

Ethics, which is derived from the Greek term ethos, meaning “moral philosophy,” is concerned
about human conduct.

Aesthetics comes from the Greek word aisthetikos which means “sensitive” or “perceptive.” It
is a branch of philosophy that studies the nature of beauty.

Philosophers in Different Eras

ANCIENT GREEKS: to have a good life

Pythagoras (570BCE to 495 BCE) is a mathematician and scientist, he was credited with the
formulation of 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.

Heraclitus (535 BCE to 475 BCE) 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 and he was
credited with the saying, “No man ever steps on the same river twice.”

Democritus (450 BCE to 370 BCE) devoted himself to studying the causes of natural
phenomena. He was among the first to propose that matter is composed of tiny particles called atoms.

Diogenes of Sinope (412 BCE to 323 BCE) was a known advocate of 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 and simplicity often went to extreme and he was said to have lived like a beggar. He was
also known to be a vocal critic of well-known philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle. His teaching and
views were later developed by his followers and influenced the development of several schools of
philosophy such as Cynicism and Stoicism.

Epicurus (342 BCE to 270 BCE) 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 to a life free from fear and pain.

Socrates (470 BCE to 270 BCE) was considered the foremost philosopher of ancient times. He
made great contributions to the field of ethics. Socrates was a known critic of intellectuals during his
time, but he himself did not claim to be “wise” and merely considered himself as a “midwife” that
helped inquiring minds achieve wisdom. He also believed that philosophy could enable a man to live a
life of virtue. He was credited with formulating the 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 (427 BCE to 347 BCE) is a student of Socrates. He wrote down his teacher’s writings and
incorporated some of his own ideas into them. His teachings and writings were considered the
foundation of Western Philosophy. Plato’s most significant ideas included his Theory of Forms, which
proposes that everything that exists is based on an idea or template that can only be perceived in the
mind; these nonphysical ideas are eternal and unchanging. He also focused his studies on the ideal
society and proposed an ideal model of government and society which is ruled by wisdom and reason.
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Plato is also known for his dialectic, a method of inquiry where to opposing ideas are discussed in an
attempt to arrive at new knowledge. Plato’s lasting contribution to learning was his founding of the
Academy, an institution of higher learning which was the first of its kind in the West.

Aristotle (384 BCE to 322 BCE) attended the Academy, and was a prominent student of Plato.
Aristotle, however, disagreed with Plato’s theory of forms and took a different view in interpreting
reality. For him, all ideas and views ae based on perception and our reality is based on what we can see
and perceive. This view greatly influenced the study of the physical sciences. Aristotle was involved in a
great variety of disciplines such as zoology, psychology, ethics, and politics. He also proposed a system
for the classification of plants and animals. His studies in logic led to the formulation of a formal process
of analyzing reasoning which gave rise to deductive reasoning, a process by which specific statements
are analyzed to reach a conclusion or generalization.

MEDIEVAL: to defend God

Augustine is regarded as the greatest of the Church Fathers. He is primarily a theologian and a
devotional writer, but much of his writing is philosophical. His themes are truth, God, the human soul,
the meaning of history, the state, sin, and salvation. For over a thousand years, there was hardly a Latin
work of theology or philosophy that did not quote his writing, or invoke his authority. Some of his
writing had an influence on the development of early modern philosophy, such as that of Descartes.

MODERN: to reason/rationalize

René Descartes was a French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist. A native of the
Kingdom of France, he spent about 20 years (1629–1649) of his life in the Dutch Republic after serving
for a while in the Dutch States Army of Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange and the Stadtholder of the
United Provinces. One of the most notable intellectual figures of the Dutch Golden Age, Descartes is also
widely regarded as one of the founders of modern philosophy.

POST-MODERN: to find meaning

The most influential early postmodern philosophers were: Jean Baudrillard, Jean-François
Lyotard and Jacques Derrida, to name a few.

TASK/ACTIVITY

1.1 Read and analyze the following conversation between a high school teacher and her student in
class:

Teacher: “John, what would you like to be when you grow up?”

John: “Ma’am, I want to be happy!”

Teacher: “John, you did not understand my question.”

John: “Ma’am, you do not understand what life is all about!”

1. Do you think John answered his teacher’s question correctly?

2. What do you think was John’s interpretation of his teacher’s question?
3. Based on his responses, what kind of student do you imagine John to be?
4. If you were John’s teacher, how would you respond to him?
5. How is Philosophy related to this situation?
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1.2 Let’s Ponder!
1. Why do we need to respect the view of other people?

NOTE: Philosophy will not teach the learners how to earn a living, but how to make life worth living.
However, if a person gain philosophical skills, he or she will become a productive individual and citizen
that will help him or her to be successful in a profession.

TOPIC 2: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE AND PARTIAL POINT OF VIEW

Before engaging in philosophical inquiry, one must be able to distinguish between a holistic and
partial point of view. This is critical for anyone doing philosophy because it sets a limit in coming up with
conclusions about a given situation.

Holistic Perspective, in philosophy, is a school of thought that tries to explain the whole system
by evaluating the components. This means that it looks at all factors as dependent to each other.

For example, to understand why Filipinos celebrate fiesta, the researcher has to consider the
history of the Filipino people, religion, tradition, aesthetics, and even the political aspect of it.  

Partial Point of View is a view where one sees that a phenomenon is caused by a single factor,
or causal agency. 

For example, when one researcher conducts an inquiry on the reason why Filipinos celebrate
fiesta based on the religious aspect of it, the point of view is partial since it only considered one causal
factor and did not include other possible factors like sociological, political and historical.

Their difference is that a partial point of view looks at one thing and determines it to be the
cause, while the holistic perspective tries a broader approach to understanding a reality by taking
considerations of other possible causal agents or factors be it biological, theological or any other factors
that may contribute in understanding a certain phenomenon.

COMPARISON CHART

Holistic Point of View Partial Point of View

• Looks at all aspects of the given problem or • Looks at only a limited number of aspects of
situation the given problem or situation
• All aspects are given importance when • Conclusions are made of based on
making decisions considering some, but not all, side of the
• All aspects are tied in together to form a problem or situation
general overview of the problem or situation
Example:
Example: A teacher scolds Student A after Student B
A teacher listens first to both stories of her accused him of stealing her pencil case. However,
two arguing students before making any the teacher only listened to the story of Student
conclusion about the issue. B, and not to Student A before deciding to scold
the student.

Looking at the characteristics of holistic and partial points of view, it can be concluded that using
a holistic perspective is more desirable in doing philosophy than using a partial perspective. Partial
points of view only promote limited knowledge on the situation. This leads to wrong conclusions. On the
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other hand, holistic point of view, encourages one to look at all aspects of situation first before making a
judgment.

TOPIC 3: THE VALUE OF DOING PHILOSOPHY IN OBTAINING A BROAD PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE

Learning philosophy requires learning to look into all available perspectives and work on their
relationship to come up with sound, logical, and valid conclusions.

Doing philosophy means engaging oneself in “matters of utility” and methodologies to eliminate
any practical problem or abstract idea.

In the process of doing philosophy, one may develop the skill of broadly looking at the situation
first before concluding anything. Critical, logical, and analytical thinking, observation, and
communicative skills are some other skills that can be developed in doing philosophy. This is because, in
doing philosophy, the person needs to engage with arguments about staff that matters. For example,
you engage with arguments and want to offer your own claims either in an effort to help the other party
by fixing flaws in his or her arguments while preserving his or her conclusions or by refuting his or her
entire project; you don’t just say, “You’re wrong”, you have to give your counterargument.

Criteria in Evaluating Argument

Fairness. Is the argument fair and balanced, or does it contain bias? Is the argument overly
emotional and filled with loaded language? Is the argument one-sided? Are there alternative points of
view not addressed?

Evidence. Are the given premises reliable and relevant?

Logic. Are the arguments thoroughly explained? Do they contain gaps in reasoning or logical
fallacies?

Tone. Is the attitude of the writer appropriate for the content?

The Need for Man to Philosophize

The Greek philosopher Plato trace man’s need to philosophize to his sense of wonder .
Whenever we are confronted with an experience, we always wonder how it came about. Man’s over-
abounding curiosity drives him to ask questions, some of which have no definite answers. Where did we
come from? Why do we exist? For what purpose were we created? Consider a small child’s curiosity
about all the things around him, since many of the things he sees be encounters for the first time. This
perspective drives the need of a philosopher to question, examine and learn more.

The 15th century French Rene Descartes, meanwhile, traced the need to philosophize to doubt.
Descartes was famous for rejecting or questioning old ideas, and he even went as far as doubting his
own ideas. His method of examining ideas and perspective became the basis of critical thinking and
analysis in the sciences. In the sciences, there is a need to verify an information or explanation before it
is accepted as truth. In life, we will be faced with several ideas and arguments which present themselves
as “truths.” A critical and questioning perspective is necessary in order to determine if indeed these
ideas or views are correct or true.

The 20th century Swiss-German philosopher Karl Jaspers saw the need to philosophize because
of experience. Jaspers believed that man is often confronted by experience which challenge his ideas
and frameworks. Jaspers called these experiences limit situations and these are often accompanied by
feelings of helplessness, anxiety or dread. For Jaspers, philosophy provides us a means to understand
adverse or challenging conditions, and to rise above them and gain new knowledge and perspective.
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 Finally, the need to philosophize is driven by the metaphysical uneasiness. It means to be
unsure of one’s center (Gabriel Marcel) equivalent to Soren Kierkegaard’s “Angst”. Philosophizing here
begins from the inner relentless which is linked to the drive of fullness. It is contrasted with Curiosity.
To be curious is to start from a fixed external objects (outside of me) which I have a vague idea of.
Metaphysical Uneasiness is beyond the physical (external) but more of internal. Curiosity tend to
become metaphysical uneasiness as the object becomes part of me.

TASK/ACTIVITY

3.1 Essay.

WHO AM I?

Topic 4: DOING OF PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTION

Doing Philosophical Reflection on a Concrete Situation from a Holistic Perspective

Philosophical reflection is the process by which person undergoes a reflective state or evaluates
his or her experiences first before making any related action. The use of philosophical reflection is
important as it enables thought to be looked into using a deeper, holistic perspective. In effect, actions
are directed towards greater sources of wisdom and truth.

Wisdom as it refers to a person’s ability to apply knowledge to daily life particularly in making
sound choices and judgment is the intended product of philosophizing.

Finally, knowledge of Philosophy can contribute to self-development.

Human Activities Emanated From Deliberate Reflection

In the process, one can learn more about himself or herself, including personal beliefs, ideals, or
values. Previous experiences may be seen as important aspects of making reflections because they
facilitate deeper thinking and understanding of the self. Aside from knowing the self, many other
activities also emanate from reflection.

Examples:

• learning from your previous mistakes and not repeating them again
• evaluating and knowing the best choice from a set of options
• gaining a holistic point of view first before making any conclusion

To philosophize means to view life in diversity rather than conformity. It is through the ability of
questioning that students are liberated from ignorance and conformity, thereby encouraging them to
live a more meaningful life.

Three Disciplines of Philosophy

1. Discipline of Questioning
The act of questioning, of wanting to know, is the initiation to philosophy. Asking
question like “I want to know who and what I am.” Wanting to know and understand our
identity is what we might call the beginnings of a philosophy of man.
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 2. Discipline of Liberation
We are liberated from chains of unquestioning acceptance of whatever is at hand and
you began to resist the currents which pull you toward thoughtless conformity.

3. Discipline of Personhood
If I am to be a philosopher, then it is I who must philosophize. If we look at ourselves or
listen to the testimony of other men, we can see that the human person is driven by his very
personhood, to know and to do something about himself.

Every man wants to know himself and do something about himself.

“Man’s search for meaning” – Viktor Frankl

“Man’s search for himself” – Rollo May

TASK/ACTIVTY

4.1 Direction: Answer the following. Write your answer on the space provided.

ACTIONS WHAT MUST BE DONE BEFORE THE ACTION?

1. Buying a new gadget

2. Choosing friends

3. Eating food

4. Deciding where to study in College

5. Joining an organization in school

6. Helping a stranger

7. Going out with friends

8. Posting your opinion or feelings in

the social media
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 9. Going out with the opposite sex

10. Confronting a person who verbally

hurt you

4.2 Essay.

1. Was there a time where you have wronged a person because of your assumption or judgement?
What have you realize because of that experience?
2. Is doing philosophy possible without engaging in philosophical reflection?