PHILOSOPHY

WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?

KAIZEN 改善
 a combination of two Japanese terms:
1) kai – change, revision; 2) zen - virtue, goodness
 Kaizen has come to mean "continuous improvement"

WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?
The word philosophy comes from two Greek words:
1. Philos (love)
2. Sophia (wisdom).
The ancient Greeks used this term to refer to "love of wisdom" and they soon applied it to the study or discipline that
uses human reason to investigate the ultimate causes, reasons, and principles which govern all things.

WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?
 rational attempt to formulate, understand, and answer fundamental questions.

Among the ancient Greeks, the philosophers became pioneers in various fields of knowledge such as history, biology,
medicine, mathematics, astronomy, and even physics. It was quite common to hear of ancient philosophers who were
"experts" in various fields of learning.

Philosophers
 what we call “lovers of wisdom”. They are the ones who engage in philosophy.

FOUR MAIN BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY

COGNITIVE BRANCHES
1) METAPHYSICS
Comes from the two Greek words:
1) Meta (beyond/after)
2) Physika (physical/nature)
Hence, metaphysics is the study of things beyond physical; concepts or experiences that cannot be experienced.

2) EPISTEMOLOGY
Comes from the two Greek words:
1) Episteme (knowledge)
2) Logos (study)
Hence, metaphysics is the study of the nature and scope of knowledge and justified belief.

3) LOGIC
Comes from the Greek word:
1) Logos – the science of correct thinking
Logic is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of thinking and reasoning. It uses information which are
reliable, valid, and objective.

NORMATIVE BRANCHES
1) ETHICS
Comes from the Greek word:
1) Ethos – means Character
Ethics is the science of correct doing. It is the study of what is right and what is wrong in human behavior.

2)POLITICS
 Body of knowledge that looks upon society, politics, and the people making it whole.
 It is believed that society is inseparable to politics.

3) AESTHETICS
Comes from the Greek word:
1) Aesthetikos – means Perceptive of Things
Ethics means perception of things through one’s feelings, sensations, and intuitions. It is concerned with the essence
objective judgement beauty and nature of art

Most Notable Ancient Greek philosophers

PYTHAGORAS
 Pythagoras (570 BCE to 495 BCE) - A mathematician and scientist, he was credited with formulating 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
 Heraclitus (535 BCE to 475 BCE) - He 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 as he was credited with
the saying, "No man ever steps in the same river twice."

DEMOCRITUS
 Democritus (460 BCE to 370 BCE)- He devoted himself to the study of the causes of natural phenomena.
He was among the first to propose that matter is composed of tiny particles called atoms.

DIOGENES OF SINOPE
 Diogenes of Sinope (412 BCE to 323 BCE) - He was a known advocate of living a simple and virtuous life.
For Diogenes, one should not only talk of virtue but should show it in words and actions.
 His teachings and views were later developed by his followers and influenced the development of several
schools of philosophy such as Cynicism and Stoicism.

EPICURUS
 Epicurus (341 BCE to 270 BCE)- He believed that philosophy could enable man to live a life of happiness.
His views gave rise to Epicureanism

SOCRATES
 He was considered the foremost philosopher of ancient times.
 He also believed that philosophy could enable a man to live a life of virtue.
 He was credited with formulating the Socratic Method
 He made great contributions to the field of ethic

PLATO
 His teachings and writings were considered the foundation of Western philosophy. Plato's most significant
ideas included his Theory of Forms.
 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.
 Plato is also known for his dialectic
 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 Western World.

ARISTOTLE
 ARISTOTLE (384 – 322 BCE) All ideas and views are based on perception and our reality is based on what
we can sense and perceive (basis of physical science).

Deductive reasoning
 the process by which specific statements are analyzed to reach a conclusion or generalization.
WHY IS THERE A NEED TO PHILOSOPHIZE?
 The Greek philosopher Plato traced 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 bounding
curiosity drives him to ask questions, some of which have no definite answers.
 This perspective drives the need of a philosopher to question, examine, and learn more.
 The 15th-century French philosopher Rene Descartes traced the need to philosophize to doubt.
 Descartes was famous for rejecting or questioning established ideas, and he even went as far as doubting his
own ideas.
  His method of examining ideas and perspectives became the basis of critical thinking and analysis in the
sciences.
 A critical and questioning perspective is necessary 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 experiences 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 perspectives.
 The developments that started in ancient Greece brought about the emergence of Western Philosophy.
 Eastern Philosophy emerged from the communities and civilizations in Asia.
 Both philosophies pondered the significant questions regarding human existence, Western philosophy
throughout the centuries became more systematic and specialized in its approach.
 Eastern philosophy, on the other hand, is more fluid and places greater emphasis on social relations, the
family, and community.
 At present, philosophy is an important field of study as it touches upon a diverse array of topics and
disciplines
 Finally, the need to philosophize is driven by the love for wisdom. To love wisdom is to have an insatiable
desire for truth.
 A philosopher does not seek knowledge to claim ownership of it; and one who engages in philosophy is not
satisfied with figuring out the answer to a question.
 He seeks to continue to question, to probe, and to discuss in order to get to the bottom of things. The
philosopher who exemplified this perspective was Socrates.
 He gained fame for his curiosity and his constant debates with many of the intellectual elite in Greece.
 Socrates is famous for having said "I know that I do not know..." and it is in accepting this state of ignorance
that one can begin to learn and understand.