Philosophy of the Human Person

Conversation:
Teacher: Juan, what would you like to
be when you grow up?
Juan: Ma’am, I want to be happy!
Teacher: Juan, you did not understand
my question.
Juan: Ma’am, you do not understand
what life is all about!
1. Do you think that Juan’s answer was
appropriate for his teacher’s question?
2. What do you think was Juan’s
interpretation of his teacher’s question?
3. Based on his responses, what kind
of student do you imagine Juan to be?
4. If you were Juan’s teacher, how
would you respond to him?
5. How is philosophy related to this
situation?
 MEANING OF PHILOSOPHY
• The word philosophy is derived from the Greek words
philos (love) and sophia (wisdom) and means “the
love of wisdom.”
• Pythagoras was said to have been the first man to
call himself a philosopher; in fact, the world is
indebted to him for the word philosopher. It is said
that when Leon, the tyrant of Philius, asked him of
who he was, he said, “a Philosopher” and he likened
the Philosopher to spectators at ancient games.
• Before that time the wise men had called themselves
a sage, which was interpreted to mean those who
know.
 MEANING OF PHILOSOPHY

• 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.
 MEANING OF PHILOSOPHY

• Philosophy is the study of general

and fundamental problems, such as
those connected with existence,
knowledge, values, reason, mind,
and language.
• Philosophy is the rational attempt to
formulate, understand, and answer
fundamental questions.
 NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY
1. Philosophy is a set of views or beliefs
about life and the universe, which are
often held uncritically. We refer to this
meaning as the informal sense of zor
“having” a philosophy. Usually when a
person says “my philosophy is,” he or she
is referring to an informal personal
attitude to whatever topic is being
discussed.
SOME COMMON MEANINGS OF
PHILOSOPHY
• In understanding what philosophy means, it is
best to begin with what we already know
about it, referring to our common
understanding of philosophy.
• It refers to;
1. ideas, views, principles, perspective or belief
2. the activity of reasoning
3. an academic course or degree
 INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL QUESTIONS
• These are questions that we ask in the
course of using or applying a framework to
explain some events.
Internal Questions
- they are questions answerable by using rules
and concepts of the framework.
External Questions
- they are questions not answerable using the
rules and concepts of the framework.
• The first common meaning of philosophy is that it
refers generally to ideas, views, principles,
perspectives, or beliefs held by individuals or
groups of individuals, regardless of the specific
nature of these ideas, views, principles,
perspectives, or beliefs.
- For instance, someone askes us about "philosophy
of life", the person is presumably asking us about
beliefs and principles (such as ethics and rules)
that we have held on to throughout the years to
overcome life's difficulties or challenges, that have
given us a sense of purpose in living, or that have
significantly helped us in achieving a certain kind or
level of success.
• these beliefs, principles, and the like, are often
conveniently referred to as forming a person's
"philosophy of life".
For instance,
When a manager and a basketball coach who have
succesful careers are asked, respectively, about
their "philosophy of management" and "philosophy
of coaching", they will most likely talk about the
beliefs and principles that they have consistently
held on to.
- Again, these beliefs and principles are conveniently
referred to as constituting a person's philosophy of
something, regardless of the specific nature.
 LOVE OF WISDOM
• The original meaning of philosophy," based
on etymology (or origin of its linguistic form),
is love of wisdom.
• The term "philosophy" is an English
translation of the Greek word "philosophia",
which is a combination of two Greek words,
namely, "philo", which means love, and
"sophia", which means wisdom.
Pythagoras - the Ancient Greek thinker was the
first to introduce the term "philosopher" and
was known for his mathematical formula (the
Pythagorean theorem)
Sophist - are group of intellectuals
who taught oratory (or the art of
public speaking) for a fee to
individuals aspiring to have a
successful career in politics.
- The belief then that a succesful
career in politics would require skills
in public speaking and persuasion.
 SOPHIST BELIEF
1. They believed that all truths are relative in
that all truths are determined by or based on
human interest.
2. Because human interest vary from one
person to another, or from one group of
persons to another, there is no truths that
hold for human.
- This view was expressed by Protagoras.
Protogoras - a leading sophist and said that
"Man is the measure of all things".
 The First three Philosphers
1. Pythagoras
2. Socrates
3. Plato
- for the philosophers, our reason will
show us that certain truths are
universal (true for all humans) and
objective (independent of human
interests)
- based on its etymological meaning,
philosophy first and foremost, is a kind
of love, one is directed at wisdom.
- philosophy is not purely intellectual
activity, it is also a kind of attitude or
emotion.
- the elements of wisdom can be
gathered from the traits that someone
would have if he or she were a wise
person.
 TRAITS OF A WISE PERSON
1. A wise person is one who is aware of (or knows) what
he knows and what he does not know.
2. A wise person holds belief that are not only true but
which he/she can also justify. Not only does he/she
must have true beliefs, he/she also must have strong
reasons to have these beliefs.
3. A wise person knows a lot about things that are
valuable in life. A person may know so many things but
if these things prove to be of no value or of use in the
practical affairs of life, this person cannot be said a
wise person.
4. A wise person can put his/her knowledge to practical
matters.
5. A wise person does not only know what is true, but
also knows what is good or what ought to be done in
the given situation and he/she acts accordingly. In
other words, a wise person knows which actions are
good, and he/she performs them.
 ASKING FRAMEWORK QUESTIONS
• Philosophy is sometimes describe as the
umbrella discipline, for the most it not all, of
the other disciplines, used to be under it.
• Philosophy is also sometimes called the
queen of the sciences for the different
sciences, both natural and social, originated
from philosophy.
• Isaac Newton for instance, called his
scientific research as a work of natural
philosophy. And we presently call "scientist"
used to be called "natural philosophers."
• One distinct feature of philosophy concerns
the kind of questions that it asks about the
many things that it discusses.
• These questions are what some
philosophers refer to as framework
questions, or sometimes as foundational
questions.
Framework Questions
- these are questions that are directed at the
theory or set of beliefs that serves as the
framework or foundation of our interpretation
of the things in the world.
Sample Questions
• What are the causes of earthquakes?
• What is the nature of causation?
– The first question seeks to understand the
physical event called "earthquake" using the
scientific framework through the use of the
scientific concept of causation.
– Whereas, the second question seeks to
understand the nature of the concept of
causation and scientific framework itself
– The first question is a scienntific but the second
question is philosophical.
– The first question is not framework, but the
second one is.
• In our example;
– What are the causes of earthquakes - internal
– What is the nature of causation - external
* Internal questions - not framework, not
philosophical
* External questions - framework and
philosophical
Another Example:
- What is two and two?- a mathematical question
- It is question internal to the mathematical
framework; and its answerable using the rules
and concept of the mathematical framework.
 NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY
2. Philosophy is a process of reflecting on and criticizing our
most deeply held conceptions and beliefs. These two
senses of philosophy— “having” and “doing”— cannot be
treated entirely independent of each other, for if we did not
have a philosophy in the formal, personal sense, then we
could not do a philosophy in the critical, reflective sense.
Having a philosophy, however, is not sufficient for doing
philosophy. A genuine philosophical attitude is searching
and critical; it is open-minded and tolerant—willing to look at
all sides of an issue without prejudice. To philosophize is
not merely to read and know philosophy; there are skills of
argumentation to be mastered, techniques of analysis to be
employed, and a body of material to be appropriated such
that we become able to think philosophically. Philosophers
are reflective and critical.
 NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY

3. Philosophy is a rational attempt to

look at the world as a whole. Philosophy
seeks to combine the conclusions of the
various sciences and human experience
into some kind of consistent world view.
Philosophers wish to see life, not with
the specialized slant of the scientist or
the businessperson or the artist, but
with the overall view of someone
cognizant of life as a totality.
 NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY

4. 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

5. Philosophy is a group of perennial problems that i

nterest people and for which philosophers always h
ave sought answers.
- Philosophy presses its inquiry into the deepest probl
ems of human existence. Some of the philosophical
questions raised in the past have been answered in
a manner satisfactory to the majority of philosopher
s. Many questions, however, have been answered
only tentatively, and many problems remain unsolv
ed.  “What is truth?”  “What is the distinction
between right and wrong?”  What is life and w
hy am I here?  Why is there anything at all?
What questions about your life are
you struggling to find answers to?

What does it mean to be a lover of

wisdom? What characteristics
should philosopher posses?
PHILOSOPHY AS AN ACTIVITY
Question:
- Why is philosophy better understood as an
acitivity rather than as set of theories?
According to Ludwig Wittgensten, "Philosophy
is not a body of doctrine but an activity".
- He remarks that the distinction between to
ways of understanding the nature of
philosophy;
a. one sees as a collection of theories
b. the other sees it as activity
- engaging in the philosophical activity, unlike in
the case of mere knowing and memorizing
philosophical theories, can, however, lead us to
new and more relevant philosophical doctrine.
- Philosophical Theories are formulated in the
light of the current state of knowledge and
technology and in the background of realities
and issue in a given historical period.
- engaging in the philosohical activity enables us
to evaluate whether previously formulated
philosophical theories are still applicable today
and whether they should be revised or replaced
with new and better ones.
Philosophy studied as an activity thus
emphasizes the features of philosophy as;
- dynamic
- critical
- creative discipline
a. It is dynamic because it does not stop at certain
results; it continues to search for new and better
solutions to the problems, old and new, that it
deals with.
b. It is critical because it examines and analyzes
the assumptions of our frameworks or
perspectives of things including those
frameworks provided by philosophy itself.
c. It is creative in that it leads us to a formulation of
new and better frameworks or perspectives.
- Studying philosophical theories is very
important especially for historical and
comprehensive understanding of philosophy.
- knowing these theories is the preliminary step.
- these theories can motivate and guide our current
philosophical inquiries

"But the real work begins

when we start doing
philosophy ourselves".
 IMPORTANCE OF PHILOSOPHY
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. 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.
Ten rules of Philosophy

1. Allow the spirit of wonder to flourish in your breast

2. Doubt everything until the evidence convinces you
of its truth
3. Love the truth
4. Divide and Conquer
5. Collect and construct
6. Conjecture and refute
7. Revise and rebuild
8. Seek simplicity
9. Live the truth
10. Live the good
ACTIVITY
1. Identify the 3 common meanings of philosophy
as discussed in the lesson.
2. Explain the etymological meaning of
philosophy.
3. Who are sophists and what is their view about
the nature of truth?
4. What are some of the traits of a wise person?
5. What do we mean when we say that
philosophical questions are framework
questions?
6.What is the difference between internal and
external questions?
7. What are the traits of philosophy when we
studied as a kind of activity?
The main branches of philosophy
• There is a hierarchical relationship between these branch
es as can be seen in the Concept Chart. At the root is M
etaphysics, the study of existence and the nature of exist
ence. Closely related is Epistemology, the study of knowl
edge and how we know about reality and existence. Dep
endent on Epistemology is Ethics, the study of how man
should act. Ethics is dependent on Epistemology becaus
e it is impossible to make choices without knowledge. A s
ubset of Ethics is Politics: the study of how men should in
teract in a proper society and what constitutes proper. Es
thetics, the study of art and sense of life is slightly separa
te, but depends on Metaphysics, Epistemology, and Ethi
cs.