LESSON 1

WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?
PHILOSOPHY come from the Greek words: philos (love) and
sophia (wisdom).
The ancient Greeks used this term to refer to “love of wisdom”
and they soon applied it to the study of discipline that uses
human reason to investigate the ultimate causes, reasons,
and principles which govern all things.
People who engage in philosophy are called Philosophers or
“lover of wisdom”.
MOST NOTABLE GREEK PHILOSOPHERS
1. PYTHAGORAS - mathematician and scientist, he was
credited with formulating the Pythagorean Theorem.
- he established a community of learners who were devoted
to the study of religion and philosophy.
2. HERACLITUS - 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”
LOGOS - “all things are one”
3. DEMOCRITUS - devoted himself to the study of the
causes of natural phenomena. He was among to propose
that matter is composed of tiny particle called ATOMS
(means indivisible)
Natural phenomena
 Weather
 Fog
 Thunder
 Tornadoes
 Decomposition
 Germination
 Physical processes
4. DIOGENES OF SINOPE - 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 emphasis on austerity went to
the extreme, and he was said to have lived like a beggar.
5. EPICURUS - believed that philosophy could enable man to
live a life of happiness.
EPICUREANISM – a school of philosophy which believes that
wisdom and simple living will result in a life free of fear and pain.
6. SOCRATES - He made great contributions to the field of
ethics.
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.
7. PLATO - student of Socrates, he wrote down his mentor’s
teaching and incorporated some of his own ideas into
them.
 - included his Theory of Forms, which proposes that
everything that exists is based on an idea of template that
CAN ONLY BE PERCEIVED IN THE MIND. Way of
understanding reality.
DIALECTIC – a method of inquiry where two opposing
ideas are discussed in an attempt to arrive at new knowledge.
8. ARISTOTLE - a prominent student of Plato. He DISAGREED
with Plato’s theory of forms and took a different stance in
interpreting reality.
- For him all ideas and views are based on perception
and OUR REALITY IS BASED ON WHAT WE CAN SENSE
AND PERCEIVE.
DEDUCTIVE REASONING - the process by which specific
statements are analyzed to reach a conclusion or
generalization.

WHY IS THERE A NEED TO PHILOSOPHIZE?

 Philosophers have often wondered and argued about the role
of philosophy in man’s life.
 The Greek philosophers 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.
 Rene Descartes French philosophers 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.
CARTESIAN DOUBT - is a way of seeking certainty by
systematically doubting everything.

 Karl Jaspers a Swiss-German philosopher saw the need to

philosophize because of experience. Jaspers called these
experiences as limit situations, and these are often
accompanied by feelings of helplessness, anxiety, or
dread(fear).
 The need to philosophize is driven by the love of wisdom. To
love wisdom is to have an insatiable desire(they want as
much of it as they can possibly get) for truth.

HOW DO WE CHARACTERIZE THE STUDY OF

PHILOSOPHY?
 Philosophy is to consider it as a way of analyzing framework.
Framework is defined as a way of thinking about the world
and is composed of the views and beliefs of a person.
 Questions dealing with our own correctness and values are
considered internal questions which can be addressed
using our own personal framework.
 External questions that seek to question the very
frameworks upon which people base their own beliefs and
views.
BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY
Aesthetics – which deals with beauty and what makes things
“beautiful”
Logic – deals with correct reasoning
Epistemology – nature of knowledge and knowing
Ethics – deals with moral questions and dilemmas
Political philosophy – studies government and deals with
questions of justice, power and the rights and obligations of
citizens.
Metaphysics – deals with question regarding reality and
existence.
Philosophy of the human person – area in philosophy that
understands the human person from a philosophical perspective.

Holistic Thinking
- Refers to a perspective that considers large-scale patterns in
system.
- Looking in a “big picture” when describing and analyzing a
situation or problem.
Partial Thinking
- Focuses on specific aspects of a situation.
- An important component of analytical thinking, as an
individual focuses on certain areas or aspects of a problem in
order to understand it.
 Philosophy enables a person to engage in critical analysis and
interpretation of concepts, definitions, arguments and problems
 Philosophy also improves problem-solving and decision
making.
 A philosopher is a good communicator who can clearly and
adequately present his or her ideas.
 Wisdom is one intended product of philosophizing, and this
refers to a person’s ability to apply knowledge to daily life
particularly in making sound choices and judgment.
 Knowlegde of philosophy can contribute to self-development.

LESSON 2
METHODS OF PHILOSOPIZING
- Most information we receive is helpful, but some may mislead us or
may even be utterly false.
- These kinds of information often have a negative impact on our lives.
- “News” on the internet and social media sites often relies on
sensational headlines which often twist and distort the truth.
TRUTH
 The quality or state of being true
 It lies at the heart of any inquiry
 Philosophers consider truth as a kind of quality or value.
 The concept of truth remains a highly debated and much-discussed
topic among philosophers.
PROPOSITION
 Statements about the world or reality are called propositions
 These propositions may or may not be truth
 Usually stated as short statements or sentences
 Paksa ng pagtatalo
KNOWLEDGE
 Is the clear awareness and understanding of something
 It is the product of questions that allow for clear answers provided by
facts.
 Comprised of ideas and beliefs that we know to be true.
FACTS
 This simply means that what we know is what is observable or
evident in the real world
 Propositions or statements which are observed to be real or truthful
Ex. “I know that fish live in the water” because fish do live in the water
CLAIM
 These are statements that are not evidently or immediately known
to be true
 Further examination is required to establish whether it is true or false
Ex. I know that my school is the best school in the city

How do we know if something is true?

 Philosophers emphasize the importance of belief as a basis for
determining truth.
 Ancient Greek philosophers approached the problem of truth by
looking at the nature of knowledge and how we know what we know.
 We assume that everything we know about this world is true. But
philosophers who pondered upon the origins of knowledge doubted
everything that there is to know about themselves and the world.
 A belief is true if it can be justified or proven through the use of
one’s senses.
 A belief of statement is true if it is based on facts
 Determining truth in this case requires a person to prove a statement
through an action
 Claims and beliefs should also be subjected to tests to determine
truth
OPINION
 These statements go beyond providing fact
 Provides conclusions or perspective regarding certain situations.
 Belief about a certain thing or person
 Bases for making arguments and convincing people that a certain claim
is a fact
CONCLUSION
 Is a judgement based on certain facts.
BELIEF
 Statements that express convictions that are not easily and clearly
explained by facts.
Ex. “I believe that God put me on this earth to spread His message of love”
EXPLANATION
 Statements that assume the claim to be true and provide reasons
why the statement is true.
ARGUMENTS
 Are a series of statements that provide reasons to convince the
reader or listener that a claim or opinion is truthful.
 Made with the assumption that the truth of the claim or opinion is still to
be determined.
 Given great importance since these are used to convey ideas that
influence the thinking, actions, and behavior of people.
 It can lead people to either right or wrong decision and action.
LOGIC
 Is the branch of philosophy that focuses on the analysis of
arguments.
FALLACIES
 Arguments that is based on faulty reasoning
Fallacy: ad hominem
Characteristic: attacking the person presenting the arguments instead
of the argument itself
Fallacy: appeal to force
Characteristics: using the threat of force or an undesirable event to
advance an argument
BIAS
 Are not necessarily errors in reasoning, but refers to tendencies or
influences which affect the views of people.
Bias: correspondence bias or attribution effect
Characteristics : tendency to judge a person’s personality by his or her
actions, without regard for external factors or influences
Ex. These soldiers who fought in the war are all bloodythirsty murderers

Bias: framing
Characteristics: focusing on a certain aspect of a problem while
ignoring other aspects
Ex. Preliminary evidence has still not pointed out the actual cause of the
plane crash, but investigators are currently focusing on the possibility of
pilot error

LESSON 3
Human Person as an Embodied Spirit
 The human person is an important subject in Philosophy and an
understanding of the nature and condition of the person is one of
the foremost goals of the discipline.
 Philosophers have long pondered human nature, what it means to
be human, and what sets us apart from other beings and things in
existence.
Man – general term commonly used to refer to the entire human race.
Human - refers to man as a species
Human Being - term used to separate man from other animals
Person - refers to a human being granted recognition of certain rights,
protection, responsibilities, and dignity. A totality of an individual,
possessing awareness, self-determination, and the capacity to interact with
others and with himself or herself.
Personhood – refers to the state of being a person.
Human Nature - refers to the characteristics that distinguish humans
from all other creatures.

TRAITS THAT DEFINE A PERSON

 Self-Awareness
-refers to the person having a clear perception of oneself, including
his thoughts, emotions, identity and actions.
 Rationality/Human Thought
- A person is aware of both his/her surroundings and himself/herself.
- RATIONALITY the quality of being based on or in accordance with reason
or logic.
- A human person knows that he or she is living an experience and is an
active participant in this experience.

 Interiority
- Quality of being focused on one’s inner life and identity. These enables
person to exercise creativity.
 Inner World
- Allows a person to create goals, dreams and plans which may be realized
through activity.
- The self also enables us to reach out and interact with things outside of
ourselves.
- This means that we are not only aware of our surroundings and
everything around us, but we are also aware of other human beings.
 Self- determination
- Capability of persons to make choices and decisions based on their own
preferences, monitor and regulate their actions and be goal-oriented and
self- directed.
- SELF-DETERMINATION is free choice of one's own acts or states
without external compulsion. We are a person because we act, and we
are aware of our actions.
 Free-will
- Enables us to do actions whenever we want to makes self determination
possible.
 Consequence
- Result or effect of an action or condition.
 Morality
- The goodness and the badness of an act.
 Externality
- The capability to reach out and interact with others and the world.
- The realization that we are not alone and that there are other persons
around us enables us to reach out and establish meaningful relationships
to others.

 Dignity
- The innate right to be valued and respected.

What is in our human nature that enables us to become person?

 They asked what enables humans to have a sense of self and the traits
that define the person. Philosophers began to ponder the essential
nature of the human being.
 The person is truly defined by his or her body and what he or she
experiences through the senses.
Ex. Physical appearances
 Philosophers believe that a person cannot be simply reduced to his or
her physical body.
Ex. When get to accident, does he become less of a person?
 Philosophers point to another unseen aspect of the human person
which along with the body, defines us a person. This tangible element is
the spirit which enables us to exercise thought, possess awareness,
interiority and the capacity to reach out to outside world and other
person.
The human person is an embodied spirit
 Philosophers consider the human person as defined by the union of
the body and the spirit.
 We cannot separate the two and they go hand-in-hand in making us
who we are.
 Embodiment enables us to do and experience all the things that make
us human person.

- When we say embodied spirit, people normally thought of the spirit

being incarnated.
- So when we say that the human person is an embodied spirit, we
specifically mean that the human person is the point of convergence
between the material and spiritual entities, that is between the body and
soul.
EMBODIMENT
- Embodiment or incarnation is defined as the giving of human form to a
spirit to make manifest or comprehensible an idea or concept,
through a physical presentation.
Example: We love not just not just with the heart nor with the brain but we
love another person with our entire being
Embodiment: The one thing that enables us to feel love and loved.

 Our experience is also a product of embodiment. The human mind

possessed information through the sense, which are experienced
through a body. Aside from perceiving our surroundings, we also react
to the things we experience emotionally. Most of our meaningful
experiences are often closely tied to emotions.
 Human embodiment allows person to attach certain feelings or
ideas not only to people, but also to objects.
 With human embodiment, physical acts are no longer purely
physical acts because the body conveys something from a
persons inner world.

TRANSCENDENCE
- Ability to surpass limits.
- Being physically limited on our abilities does not prevent us from hoping
for or aspiring to greater things.

 Our mind is an important tool that allows us to go beyond many of

our physical limits. As person, we are able to exercise our imagination
and reflection to go beyond our own thoughts and experience.
 Transcendence also means overcoming oneself or being in control
even if the body reminds us of certain tendencies.

LESSON 4
HUMAN PERSON AND HIS ENVIRONMENT
 Humankind is a part of the world, and WE significantly affect our
environment in the same way that changes in our environment
affect us.
Environmental Philosophy/ Environmental Ethics
- Discipline that studies the moral relationship of human beings with the
environment.
3 Views of Philosophical Environment
1. ANTHROPOCENTRISM - focuses on the significant role of human kind
in the world and considers natures as the means by which human are able
to meet their needs and survive.
2. BIOCENTRISM - believes that humans are not the only significant
species on the planet and that all organisms have inherent value and
should be protected.
3. ECOCENTRISM - This believes that human kind is part of a greater
biological system or community and that we have a significant role as
stewards or guardians of nature.

ENVIRONMENTAL AESTHETICS
- A philosophical view that believes in maintaining order in the environment
will bring out the natural beauty of surroundings and contribute to the well-
being of the people and other organisms living in it. (Endriga,2017)

Environmentalism - Advocates to address the growing environmental

problems.

ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
 Is a moral approach that analyzes the relationship between humans
and the environment.
 Discusses environmental problems caused by human activities and
social issues that impact the environment.
 Serves as a basis for reflecting on how our actions show our regard for
nature.
 Guides us in upholding the welfare of the environment and everything in
it.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
 Defines as the development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
 Focuses on reconciling human activities and economic development
with the protection of the environment.
PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY
1. Environmental Integrity - means that any human activities or
economic advances SHOULD NOT unduly disrupt the environment
and human communities located in the area.
2. Economic Efficiency - This is to ensure that there is minimum to
zero waste in using our natural resources.
3. Equity - It refers to conserving our natural resources so that the
future generations will still be able to use it.

PRUDENCE - is the ability to regulate ONE’S ACTIONS AND BEHAVIOR.

FRUGALITY - is being THRIFTY WITH THE USE OF ONE’S
RESOURCES.

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every
man’s greed.’’ ― Mahatma Gandhi