INTRODUCTION TO THE

PHILOSOPHY OF THE
HUMAN PERSON 11
Lesson 1: What is Philosophy?
❑ Came from two Greek words “philos” (love) and “Sophia”
(wisdom)
❑ Thus, Philosophy is defined as the “love of wisdom
❑ A person who seeks wisdom or enlightenment is called
“philosopher”. Pythagoras of Samos was the first to use the
term “philosopher”
Definition of Philosophy
Philosophy is a thinking mode or a method which asks
questions about the nature and essence of various realities
appearing on our earth (Laehy, 2008)
Philosophy of Man?
• Philosophy of man which considers what man himself means. It tries to
articulate as best as it can what the being or creature we call “man” really is.
• In the past, Philosophy of Man called: Philosophical of psychology or
rational psychology
• Term “psychology” is difficult because etymologically “psychology” is “a
science of the mind”.
• Philosophical anthropology (anthropos in Greek means “man”. It appears
more exact because it denotes the whole human being, spirit and body, mind and
flesh.
What is the difference
between “lover of wisdom”
and a “mere receiver of
knowledge”?
Lesson 2:Branches of Philosophy

1. METAPHYSICS

o Derived from the Greek term “metaphysika” (beyond physics)

o It focuses on the study of existence and answers the question
“what is?”
o It deals with the true nature of reality to what is perceived by
the naked eyes
2. EPISTEMOLOGY
o Derived from the Greek terms “episteme” (knowledge) and
“logos” (to study)
o Deals with the study of the nature and scope of
knowledge and justified beliefs
3. ETHICS
o Derived from the Greek term “ethos” which means custom
or habit
o Also called as “moral philosophy”
o This discipline aims to synthesize the concepts of right
and wrong behavior
4. AESTHETICS
o Derived from the Greek term “aesthetikos” which means
“of sense perception”
o It deals with the nature and appreciation of art, beauty
& good taste
Lesson 3: Functions of Philosophy

Philosophy is to inquire what reason can do, what it cannot do, by way of
supporting a particular belief

Philosophy is to frame a picture of the whole universe, to establish a

complete worldview

Philosophy is not to change the world but to understand it

Ten (10) Commandments of Philosophy
1. Allow the spirit of wonder to flourish in your breast. Philosophy begins with deep
wonder about the universe and questions about who we are, where we came from, and
where we are going.

2. Doubt everything unsupported by evidence until the evidence convinces you of its truth.
Be reasonably cautious, a moderate skeptic, suspicious of those who claim to have the
truth. Doubt is the soul’s purgative process

3. Love the truth. “Philosophy is the eternal search for truth, a search which inevitably fails
and yet is never defeated; which continually eludes us, but which always guides us
Ten (10) Commandments of Philosophy
4. Divide and conquer. Divide each problem and theory into its smallest essential
components in order to analyze each unit carefully. This is the analytic method.

5. Collect and construct. Build a coherent argument or theory from component parts. One
should move from the simple, secure foundations to the complex and comprehensive.

6. Conjecture and refute. Make a complete survey of possible objections to your position,
looking for counterexamples and subtle mistakes.
Ten (10) Commandments of Philosophy
7. Revise and rebuild. Be willing to revise, reject, and modify your beliefs and the degree with which you
hold any belief. Acknowledge that you probably have many false beliefs and be grateful to those who correct
you

8. Seek simplicity. This is the principle of parsimony, sometimes known as Occam’s razor. Prefer the simple
explanation to the more complex, all things being equal.

9. Live the Truth. Appropriate your ideas in a personal way, so that even as the objective truth is a
correspondence of the thought of the world, this lived truth will be a correspondence of the life of the
thought.

10. Live the Good. Let the practical conclusions of a philosophical reflection on the moral life inspire and
motivate you to action.
Lesson 4: What is knowledge?

He who knows not and knows not he knows not; he is a fool,

shun him.
He who knows not and knows he knows not; he is ignorant,
teach him.
He who knows and knows not he knows; he is asleep, wake him.
He who knows and knows he knows; he is wise, follow him.

-Arabian proverb attributed to King Darius,

The Persian
Knowledge
-is “A JUSTIFIED TRUE BELIEF”.

A claim to knowledge is successful if:

(1) it is believed by someone; (2) that person can produce
concrete evidence to validate his belief; and (3) this
justification supports a claim that actually corresponds
with the facts.
Theories of Knowledge
1. Empiricism
-A philosophical doctrine advocating that true knowledge comes from
experience, that is a posterior, or post experiential.

-This concept has its objective reference from which

knowledge is acquired as we see, hear, taste, smell and touch it

-John Locke, an English empiricist, is one of the leading proponents of

empiricism. He asserts that the mind at birth is a “tabula rasa”

-Thus, experience is the very source of our knowledge

Theories of Knowledge
2. Rationalism
-An epistemological view claiming that true knowledge is acquired
through reason and not experience
-knowledge is primarily acquired by a priori or pre-experience processes or
is innate—e.g., in the form of concepts not derived from experience
-knowledge is primarily acquired by a priori or pre-experience processes or
is innate—e.g., in the form of concepts not derived from experience
Theories of Knowledge
3. Skepticism
-A theory of knowledge upholding that knowledge is limited
and that we cannot be completely certain of what we know.
-There is likewise the inaccessibility of object that our senses perceive
because our senses can be deceived and therefore unreliable.
Though this theory asserts the limitation of knowledge, it does not
preclude us to seek for knowledge but rather motivates us to further
seek for the certainty of the knowledge we acquire, be it from the
senses or the mind
Theories of Knowledge
3. Skepticism
-A theory of knowledge upholding that knowledge is limited
and that we cannot be completely certain of what we know.
-There is likewise the inaccessibility of object that our senses perceive
because our senses can be deceived and therefore unreliable.
Though this theory asserts the limitation of knowledge, it does not
preclude us to seek for knowledge but rather motivates us to further
seek for the certainty of the knowledge we acquire, be it from the
senses or the mind
Lesson 5: Fact, Truth and Opinion

"Facts are the foundation, truth is the journey,

and opinions are the reflections of our
understanding along the way."
Fact, Truth and Opinion

A fact is indisputable. Facts can be objectively

verified and proven through evidence. Facts are not
decided by how many people believe in them. They
are concrete realities that don’t change. Facts are
determined by objective, not subjective,
measurement. As evidence mounts, facts become
irrefutable. Over time, we acknowledge facts. We
don’t create them.
Fact, Truth and Opinion

Opinions, on the hand, are value judgments that

expresses a feeling or view. They may or may not be
supported by facts. Opinions rely on assumptions
and are exceedingly dependent on the perspective of
those holding them. They are also highly temporal
and can change quickly when new information or
facts become available. A deep commitment to an
opinion doesn’t make it any more or less accurate.
Fact, Truth and Opinion

Truth is created by people to describe how things

really are. They are best described as a state of
belief that is thought to represent a universal reality.
We decide what truths we are willing to believe in.
Truths don’t have to be logical or verifiable. They
simply have to be shared. They can arise from faith,
commitment, or experience. When like-minded
people agree as to a given reality of how things are,
then a truth emerges.
Facts, opinions, and truth are often at
war with each other. They vie for
influence over how people think about
a given issue or topic. Distinguishing
between them is essential work for
smart leaders.
 Quiz#1:

Direction: Identify whether the

statement is truth, fact, or opinion.
(2 points each)
1. The Earth
revolves around
the Sun in
approximately Truth
365 days. Fact
Opinion
2.Pizza tastes
better with
extra cheese. Truth
Fact
Opinion
3. All humans
need oxygen to
survive. Truth
Fact
Opinion
4. Reading
books is a more
productive
hobby than Truth
watching TV. Fact
Opinion
5. Summer is
the best season
of the year. Truth
Fact
Opinion
6. The Eiffel
Tower is
located in Truth
Paris, France. Fact
Opinion
7. Gravity is
the force that
keeps us on the Truth
ground. Fact
Opinion
8. The sun
rises in the
east every Truth
morning. Fact
Opinion
9.Chocolate ice
cream is the
best dessert in Truth
the world. Fact
Opinion
10.The capital
of Japan is
Tokyo. Truth
Fact
Opinion
11. The Great
Wall of China
is visible from
space with the Truth
naked eye. Fact
Opinion
12. The Pacific
Ocean is the
largest ocean Truth
on Earth. Fact
Opinion
13. The Moon is
Earth's only
natural Truth
satellite. Fact
Opinion
14. Online
learning is
more effective
than face-to- Truth
face classes. Fact
Opinion
15.Earth is the
third planet
from the Sun. Truth
Fact
Opinion