DOING PHILOSOPHY

• What is PHILOSOPHY?
• is the study of general and fundamental
problems, such as those connected with
reality, existence, knowledge, values, reason,
mind, and language. ... The word "philosophy"
comes from the Ancient Greek (philosophia),
which literally means "love of wisdom".
 MEANING OF PHILOSOPHY
Before that time the wise men had called
themselves a sage, which was interpreted to
mean those who know. Pythagoras was more
modest. He coined the word philosopher, which
he defined as one who is attempting to find out.
According to him, men and women of the world
could be classified into 3 groups:
1. those that love pleasure
2. those that love activity and
3. those that love wisdom
 • DOING PHILOSOPHY
• PHILOSOPHY- is like a fruit bearing
tree of different disciplines
–This chapter will provide an
introduction of philosophy. The
essential question that this address is.
“What is philosophy” The background
of this Chapter is includes the
“NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY”
 DOING PHILOSOPHY
• is a way of understanding the things that we
experience every day of our life. It is practical
knowledge that we can use every day.
• You can apply Philosophy in everyday of your
life which you can do it on your own, with a
partner or in a group that you can share with
THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY

This lesson will give you an overview on the nature of

philosophy as a discipline. Under this picture , there are
three subtopics that would attempt to explain the Nature
of Philosophy as a Mother Discipline, the Characteristics
of a Philosophic Question, and the Nature of Philosophy
as a Second-Order Inquiry.
 NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY
• Philosophy is the logical analysis of language and
the clarification of the meaning of words and
concepts. . Certainly this is one function of
philosophy. In fact, nearly all philosophers have
used methods of analysis and have sought to clarify
the meaning of terms and the use of language.
Some philosophers see this as the main task of
philosophy, and a few claim this is the only
legitimate function of philosophy.
 NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY
NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY 5. Philosophy is a group of
perennial problems that interest people and for which
philosophers always have sought answers. Philosophy
presses its inquiry into the deepest problems of human
existence. Some of the philosophical questions raised in
the past have been answered in a manner satisfactory to
the majority of philosophers. Many questions, however,
have been answered only tentatively, and many problems
remain unsolved. “What is truth?” “What is the
distinction between right and wrong?” What is life and
why am I here? Why is there anything at all?
IMPORTANCE OF PHYLOSOPHY
1. The study of Philosophy enables us to think carefully and clearly about
important issues.
2. In studying Philosophy, we learn to take a step back from our everyday
thinking and to explore the deeper, bigger question which underpins our
thought.
3. The focus in the study of Philosophy is to learn not what to believe, but
how to think.
4. Studying philosophy sharpens your analytical abilities, enabling you to
identify and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses in any position.
5. It hones your ability to construct and articulate cogent arguments of
your own. 6.
6. It prompts you to work across disciplinary boundaries and to think
flexibly and creatively about problems which do not present immediate
solutions.
7. Because philosophy is an activity as much a body of knowledge, it also
develops your ability to think and work independently.
PHILOSOPHY AS THE MOTHER DISCIPLINE

Philosophy seems to be profound

subject matter. As a matter of fact,
you ever wondered why most
philosophers are at the forefront of
any science.It seems like philosophers
are everywhere , especially in the
beginning of a science.
This lesson will examine the
foundation for the claim. In fact,
philosophy is the mother of discipline
out of which the other sciences
emerge. During the ancient times in
Greek Ionia, before the emergence of
philosophy as a discipline, any
investigation regarding the nature of
things would be labeled as phusis
or”nature”in the English Language.
 2 TYPES OF SCIENCE
• HARD SCIENCE • SOFT SCIENCE
BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY
• Historically, philosophical concerns have
been treated under these broad
categories:
• 1. Logic
• 2. Metaphysics
• 3. Epistemology
• 4. Axiology
Ethics
Aesthetics
 LOGIC
Logic is the systematic study of the rules for the
correct use of these supporting reasons, rules we can
use to distinguish good arguments from bad ones.
Most of the great philosophers from Aristotle to the
present have been convinced that logic permeates all
other branches of philosophy. The ability to test
arguments for logical consistency, understand the
logical consequences of certain assumptions, and
distinguish the kind of evidence a philosopher is
using are essential for “doing” philosophy
 METAPHYSICS
Another traditional branch of Philosophy
traditionally known as metaphysics. For
Aristotle, the term metaphysics meant “first
philosophy,” discussion of the most universal
principles; later the term came to mean
“comprehensive thinking about the nature of
things.” It means, usually, the study or theory
of reality.
 METAPHYSICS
The question of metaphysics is: what is reality? What is
real? Is reality some kind of “thing”. Is it one or is it
many? If it is one, then how is it related to many things
around us? Can ultimate reality be grasped by five
senses, or is it supernatural or transcendent?
Metaphysics undoubtedly is the branch of philosophy
that the modern student finds most difficult to grasp.
Metaphysics attempts to offer a comprehensive view of
all that exists. It is concerned with such problems as the
relation of mind to matter, the nature of change, the
meaning of “freedom,” the existence of God, and the
belief in personal immortality.
 EPISTEMOLOGY
• EPISTEMOLOGY The technical term for the theory of knowledge is
epistemology, which comes from the Greek word episteme,
meaning “knowledge.” In general, epistemology is the branch of
philosophy that studies the sources, nature, and validity of
knowledge.
• There are three central questions in this field:
(1) What are the sources of knowledge? Where does genuine
knowledge come from or how do we know? This is the question of
origins
(2) What is the nature of knowledge? Is there a real world outside the
mind, and if so can we know it? This is the question of appearance
versus reality.
(3) Is our knowledge valid? How do we distinguish truth from error?
This is the question of the tests of truth, of verification.
•
 AXIOLOGY
• the study of value; the investigation of its
nature, criteria, and metaphysical status.
More often than not, the term "value
theory" is used instead of "axiology" in
contemporary discussions even though the
term “theory of value” is used with respect
to the value or price of goods and services
in economics.
• Axiology has a 2 sub branches which is
ethics and aesthetics
 ETHICS
Descriptive ethics consider the conduct of individuals, or
personal morality; the conduct of groups, or social morality; and
the culture patterns of national and racial groups. A second
level of inquiry is normative ethics (what ought to be). Here
philosophers try to work out acceptable judgments regarding
what ought to be in choice and value. “We ought to keep our
promises” and “you ought to be honorable” are examples of
normative judgments of the moral ought, the subject matter of
ethics. Third, there is the area of critical or metaethics. Here
interest is centered on the analysis and meaning of the terms
and language used in ethical discourse and the kind of reasoning
used to justify ethical statements. Metaethics does not
propound any moral principle or goal but rather consists entirely
of philosophical analysis. What is the meaning of “good?” and
Can ethical judgments be justified? are typical problems for
metaethics.
 AESTHETICS
Concerns the theory of art and beauty. Questions of art
and beauty are considered to be part of the realm of
values because many philosophical problems in aesthetics
involve critical judgments. There are wide differences of
opinion as to what objects call forth the aesthetic
response, and what beauty really is. Our concepts of
beauty may differ not because of the nature of beauty
itself, but because of varying degrees of preparation in
discerning beauty. Therefore, if we cannot perceive
beauty in objects that others find beautiful, it may be
wise to withhold judgment until we are capable ourselves
of making a competent analysis of the aesthetic
experience.
However, around 650 B.C., a man from/=born a fishing village in
Miletus, named THALES, started to diverge from the mythological
tradition and sought to answer questions like “What is that
underlying substance that reality is made of? How do things
come to be, change and pass away? Is there something that
remains amidst all these changes? According to Thales, the
underlying substance that reality is made of must be WATER is
everywhere. It can change solid, liquid, or gas, it is as dew in the
morning, it was even believe that the sea was father of all things.

THALES- FATHER OF
WESTERN PHILOSOPHY
 CHARACTERISTICS OF A
PHILOSOPHIC QUESTION
Let us now consider a very important question that
needs to be brought to light. What makes a
question or problem philosophical? What unique to
problems or questions in philosophy? These
questions are not as simple as asking somebody
“What is your name? or “What time is it?” There
must be somthing more in a philosophical
question,. What makes them belong to philosophy?
• According to Isaiah Berlin, there are three
characteristics of a philosophic question or
problem. First, these questions are often very
broad or general. Remember the question that
Thales tried to answer: “What is the purpose of
my existence?” Because of the generality of the
questions being asked in philosophy, comes the
second characteristics, there is no single
methodology for answering the questions.

• METHODOLOGY - a system of methods used in a

particular area of study or activity
 PLATO Athens
philosopher,
mathematician
-according to Plato who is
believer of realism the
would be yes

KANT- german philosopher

-according to Kant who is
believer of constructivism, the
answer would be no, because they
believe that reality is a construct of the mind
 Without philosophy, the different
sciences would not have emerged.
It became the task of philosophers
to ask general questions that led
towards the development of a
particular science
 PHILOSOPHY AS A SECOND-ORDER
INQUIRY

• Now, it's time to distinguish between an

inquiry done in the sciences as against an
inquiry done by philosophy. What makes a
philosopher different from a scientist? What
is the difference between a first-order inquiry
done by a scientist as against a second-order
inquiry by a philosopher?
• A physicist, for example, will follow the method of his
science strictly while doing his laboratory.
-this physicist could be considered as doing his science as
a first-order inquiry. A philosopher, on the other hand,
would take upon himself, to question or criticize the
assumptions of the scientist.
For a Scientist, it becomes a part of his regimen to do his
experiments. The philosopher, here, is said to be doing a
second-order inquiry, instead. He is there to criticize and
scrutinize the methods of the sciences, and to question
their assumptions.
-at one time it was commonly held that philosophy was
the “Science of sciences” their supreme ruler. Today's
physics is regarded as the “Queen of sciences”
Philosophy is there to watch over them, like a mother
keeping a watchful eye over her children
 A group of learned men having a
discussion in a public palce during
ancient time
FRIEDRICH WAISMANN
An Australian pilosopher, once said
“Philosophy is vision”