Philosophy

Lesson 1: Modern Philosophy and the Enlightment

A new spint: The Spint of Modern Philosophy 1500-1800
A. The Copernican Revolution
B. Frances Bacon and Early Scientific Revolution
C. Descartes and the new Science
D. Thomas Hobbe's Political Philosophy

There was the general revival of learning which brought the wind of ancient Greece intimately in
contact with modern thinker’s mind. There was the beginning of a new science on the other hand explosion
and discovery enriching humanity's knowledge of the earth and its inhabitant bordering their horizon and giving
new scope to their thoughts. Mechanical genius devised the printing press. Development in arts and literature
had their part to play and the religious reforms as well. Discovery was the keynote of the time.
Modern Philosophy itself divides reality into periods, such division, takes into account only those ment
and traditions that were widespread and lasting. Rationalism was the Predominant feature of the period.
1st period- We may call naturalism, pure and simple. Nature is full of facts.
2nd period- Human being is the most interesting in nature
3rd period- Critical thinking.
A. Copernican Revolution (general scientific knowledge)
In astronomy he believed that the earth at rest. The sun, moon and 5 planets (wondering stars are fixed
all moved south from north then south again so that it regained its former place once a year. Claudius Ptolemy
introduce a system of combination of a circular motion that gave the adequate picture of heavenly bodies-the
invention of telescope.
Result:
Development in science:
-Open mindless
-Rapid growth of cosmopolitan cities
-National and international in values
-New kind of Philosophies- Self questioning
Modern Philosophy the starting point in Rationalism.
B. Francis Bacon: Early Scientific Revolution
Philosophy= Science clear away the mistakes or source of error before we can make real progress cause of
error, he called it the Idol of the mind.
There a 5 cause of error or Idol of the mind:
1. Idols of the tribe (Idola Tribes) Human Understanding is like a false mirror. It is a hindrance to
understanding based on human nature.
Examples:
do not like to think deeply
2. Idols of the cave (Idola Specs) belong stop the individual meaning hindrance to understanding based
on the individual shortcoming and prejudices.
Example:
some favor differences.
3. Idols of the market place (Idola Fori) confusion of words and things in the common speech of the
market place.
Example: Idol of the mind exist when people imagine and named things that do not exist. Words have a range
of meaning that they have the tendency to obstruct understanding.
4. Idols of the theater (Idola Theatre) his idol refers to false belief that comes from various dogmas of
philosophies, theology or tradition.
So, idol of the mind or cause of error from the medieval conception of science,

Francis Bacon = a scientist philosophers and innovator in the methods of science.

C. Rene Descartes: and the new science

The Father of Modern Philosophy
I think, therefore I am
(Cognito Ergo Sum)

Philosophy = Doubt: Why? Dissatisfied by the instability of human opinion. Why? we aim for real and enduring
certainty. In order to attain it we carry doubt to the extreme. Certainty is the foundation of all further knowledge
that is accessible to us. That is ability to think. Doubt to the extreme to the point of absurdly that give us
indubitable truth.

Doubting is a sort of thinking and in the act of thinking one must be aware that which one think exist.
There is no process or movement of thought by which one becomes convinced that he exists. The fact is
simply set before him in the act of thinking, so clearly and distinctly that it is certainly true. It is them by intuition
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that he knows it. " I think, therefore, I am".

Limit of Knowledge
Human mind is incapable of understanding everything it is finite and unperfect only God is perfectly
wise endowed with full Knowledge of the truth of all things.

D. Thomas Hobbe: Political Philosophy

His Work - Leviathan
He argued that human being is by nature equal in body and mental capacities, not everyone possesses
the same degree of physical strength and of quickness of mind because we have individual deficiencies and
can be compensated by other qualities.

Example:
The physically weak master the physically strong by craft. By this nature make us naturally prone to
quarrel.

There are 3 natural causes of quarrel.

- limited supply of material possession
- distrust t one another
- mental capacities

Why?
Glory insofar as people remain hostile, to preserved their powerful reputation. The result is war of all
against all, no morality and every one lives in constant fear.

Effect of War
- Civilization and benefits are absent because of no industry
- Uncertain and no culture of the world
- No navigation nor use of commodities to transport to other countries
- No instrument of moving and removing the require much force
- No knowledge of the face of the earth
- No account of time
- No arts, no society
- There is continual fear and danger of violent death belief of the people is solitary, poor, nasty and
brutish.

Nature of War:
- There is no objective moral distinction = the motion of right and wrong
- Justice and Injustice have no lace
- No common power there is no law
- There is no dominion no mine and theirs.

Human have 3 motivation for ending the state of war.

- fear of death
- desire to have adequate living
- hope to attain this through one’s labor

After the war, each person has a right to everything. How? through organization of society and
establishment of the common wealth that peace and civilization can be attained by following the law of nature.
Law of nature (Lex naturalist) are general rules found out of reason by which a person is forbidden to do that
destructive of his life. How do we preserve life? Seek peace and this is the first law of nature. "Peace Building"
lay down rights to all things and be contented with so much liberty against other people. So mutual transferring
of these rights called "Contract" it is a moral obligation and duty. Next law of nature: Human living perform their
covenant this law is the fountain of "justice". Covenant of mutual trust are invalid when there is fear of
nonperformance of either part. Fear is always present so establish common wealth which compel human being
to perform their covenant.
Module 5: Intro to Philosophy
I. General Instruction:

This module contains several lessons. Instructions are explained with activities and
example. Understand and internalized the learning outcomes. Read well the content of the lessons. A
strategy is used to let you learn and to developed your improved your highest order of thinking skills at
the end of each module is assessment and examination.
Understand and answer it as directed.
II. Learning Outcome:
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 After finishing the course, the students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate what constitutes the structure of society.
2. Illustrate how human knowledge is acquired.
3. Explain the theory of struggle.
4. Enumerate and discuss the different kinds of values.
III. Topics:

A. 18th century empiricism

Filipino indigenous philosophy

Period of rationalism was followed by the Theory of Knowledge described as

Empiricism. Empiricism a knowledge depends upon the sole basis of foundation of real knowledge
and reason have secondary part.
The empiricism philosophers are:
1. John Locke- he provides the groundwork of its doctrine of the manner in which the mind comes
by experience to know.
2. Berkeleys- concern the status of what is known with the relationship of ideas to reality.
3. David Hunnes- the function of knowledge is primarily the critical one, that is questioning more
deeply, and the possibility and validity of knowledge is by experience.
4. Jean Jacques Rousseau- France shift to power from aristocracy to middle class or
“bourgeoisie”. Revolution began with the declaration of nights 1792. These was uprising and it
causes blood bath, Kings and Queens were executed. France was invaded by Napoleon Bon
apart 1795. The period known as “Enlightenment”. Jean Jacques Rousseau of the famous and
influential philosopher of the French Enlightenment. His theory known as social contract it was a
theory of human nature. Rousseau believes on democracy and individualism. Human have to
form a community to protect themselves from one another, why? Because human being's
nature is to wage war because human tend toward self- preservation. Human come to a free
mutual agreement to protect themselves. For he believes that human being is born free and
good, but he became bad due to evil influence of society, civilization, learning and progress.
The result is conflict, fraud and deceit. Human being lost his original goodness, tranquility of
spirit. So, in order to restore peace, bring back problem, return his true self. Through social
contract and this everyone grants his individual insights.
Social contract means society of voluntary collection of agreeable individual
Constitution and the Bill of Rights as an resistance of a Social Contract because it is an actual
agreement, signed by the people or their representative.
John Locke
He provides the groundwork of its doctrine of the manner in which the mind comes by
experience, to know. John Locke “Theory of Ideas” he believed the idea is first of all something that exist in
an understanding, he called Minds intellectual or cognitive parts. Ideas are the object of certain mental
action or operation of thinking and perception or thoughts. Experience in that all our knowledge is founded
and derives itself or about the internal operation of our mind.
Question:
How does idea come to be furnished?
Activity:
1. Recall an experience of yours where in your acquis knowledge.
2. What is your philosophy of ideal human society?
B. 20TH CENTURY PHILOSOPHY
A. Founded around the turn of the century by Edmund Husserl, phenomenology is essentially a
philosophical method, one that focuses on careful inspection and description of phenomena
or appearance, defined as any object of conscious experience that is, that which we are
conscious. The word phenomenon comes directly from a Greek meaning “appearance”.
Emmanuel Kant had used the same word to refer to the world of experience. Edmund
Husserl defines Phenomenology is the scientific study of the essential structure of
consciousness.
Idea- distinguisher between natural and the phenomenological
Natural- our ordinary everyday view point.
Phenomenological- our consciousness of things.

B. Existentialism - freedom of in search for truth base on attitudes or outlook. Soren

Kierkegaard and Jean Paul Satre believed on this theory.
Example:
1. Free to choose and responsible for once life.
2. Shy or assertive behavior is always a choice and can be change.
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Activity: Explain
You only live once…but if work it right once is enough. By Joe E. Lewis
C. Post modernism- cultures
- Aim to supersede “Modernity” The convict, aspiration of modern
thoughts and culture.
- Philosophy of many culture
Martin Heidegger
As a German philosopher he is interested in the problem of being rather than merely in the
problem of human existence. A person has a way in to the truths of being because he exists. So human
existence is exhibited in care. Care is understood in terms of finite temporary which resolved with death. This
are three folds of structure of care:
1. Possibility- humanity gets protected ahead of its self, Entities that are encountered are transformed
merely as ready to hand for service ability and out of them.
2. Facticity- a person is not pure possibility but factual possibility; Possibilities open to him at any time
conditioned and limited by circumstances like historical situation, rea, and natural endorsement.
3. Fallenness- humanity flea’s form the disclosure of anxiety to lose oneself.in absorption with the
instrumental world. Heidegger claimed that only by living through the nothingness of death anticipation
do one attain authentic existence. Death is transferable an individual must die himself alone. He
believes that death is not accidental nor should be analyzed. It belongs to humanity’s limitation or
facticity.
Jean Paul Sartre
Sartre philosophy is considered to be a representative of existentialism. For Sartre the human
person is the desire to be God: The Desire to exist as a being which contradictory to be God is useless
passion. There is no guide posts along the mad to life. The human person builds the road to the destiny of his,
her choosing, he, she is the creator.
Sartre’s Existentialism stems from his principle: existence precedes essence:
1. Person, first of all exist, encounters himself, sources up in the world and defines himself afterward the
person is nothing else but what he makes himself
2. The person is provided with supreme opportunity to give meaning to one’s life, one fill the world with
meaning.
3. Freedom is therefore the very core the door to authentic existence. Existence is realized only in deeds
that are committed alone in absolute freedom and responsibility of which therefore the character of true
creation.
4. The person is what one has done and is doing, not what he, she dreams hopes and expects.
Activity: Do you agree with Sartre’s Existentialism between having and being Erich Fromm believed that both
having and being our mode of existence are potential of human nature which our biological urge for survival
but they contradict in every human being because of social structure, values and norms.

Activity:
1. In your own opinion which of the 2 becomes dominant culture or existence?
2. As a member of the society how do you encourage the emergence of a new human being.