INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF HUMAN PERSON
FIRST QUARTER, FIRST SEMESTER
Reviewer by Christian P. Labadan
LESSON 1
What Philosophy Means?
Some Common Meanings
A. ideas, views, principles,
perspectives, belief
B. an activity of reasoning
1. to cover an obvious
truth
2. to annoy someone
3. to engage someone in
an unwelcome
argumentation
C. an academic course
Love of Wisdom
Philosophy
from
Philosophia
(Latin)
from
philo (love)
+ 3. knows what
sophia (wisdom)
(Greek)
Philosophy- love of wisdom; a
kind of emotion directed to
wisdom
Pythagoras- the one who first
used the term ‘philosopher’
Sophist- wise man; the one
who knows; an intellectual
who taught oratory for a fee
for individuals who seek
career in politics
Protagoras- a leading sophist
“Man is the measure
of all things.”
– was said by Protagoras;
opposed by the philosophers
for they believe in universal
(true to all) and objective
(independent from human
interests)
Traits of a Wise Man
1. knows one’s ignorance
(Docta Ignorantia)
2. has justified true
beliefs
is valuable
in life
4. has the ability to put
knowledge into action
5. knows what to do and
acts accordingly
Asking Framework Questions
 pieces of information
Framework questions- a.k.a. were gathered
foundational questions; put a (memorization)
framework into question

Difference between Internal B. An activity

and External Questions by o To engage in the very
Rudolf Carnap act of doing philosophy
o Knowing without
Internal questions- questions recognizing
that can be answered by a philosophical doctrines
certain framework ( asking the ‘hows’ and
‘whys’ of things)
Ex. What is two plus two? o Features:
1. Dynamic
The framework of mathematics - a continuous process
can answer the question
above. 2. Critical
- examination and
External questions- questions analysis of framework
to the framework
3. Creative
Ex. What is a number? - formulation of new and
better framework
A certain concept in the
framework of mathematics is LESSON 2
being questioned above. Kinds of Philosophy

General Types of Philosophy

Philosophy as an Activity
A. Thematic
- according to the topic
“Philosophy is not a body
of the issues being
of doctrine but an
\ addressed
activity.”
- branches of philosophy
was said by Ludwig
Wittgenstein. According to Logic reason
him, philosophy can be viewed Epistemology knowledge
in two ways:
reality/
Metaphysics
A. A collection of theories existence
o To know various Ethics morality
philosophical theories Aesthetics beauty
o Deals with the end- Social and
products of philosophy Political the state
Philosophy
o Knowing without
recognizing how the
 Philosophy religious
of religion beliefs Reply: Philosophy primarily
deals with the needs of the
Philosophy mind.
science
of science
meaning of Some Major Achievements
Philosophy
linguistic
of language
expressions A. Provides a holistic view
mind/ of life
Philosophy
consciousness
of mind
B. Contributes to the
development of some
disciplines
B. Positional- according to
the solution that is
C. Provides ethical
being proposed for a
guidelines in using
certain issue
modern technology
C. Methodological- according
D. Contributes to social
to the method used to
transformation
resolve a certain issue
E. Expands boundaries of
D. Regional- according to
knowledge
the geographical location
where the philosophy LESSON 4
flourishes The Nature of Truth
E. Historical- according to
Bearers of Truth
the historical period in
which the philosophizing
occurred A. Statement/Proposition-
linguistic expression
LESSON 3 used to advance a claim
The Importance of Philosophy
B. Belief- mental
Charge of Futility expression of claim

Charge #1:
Philosophy does not provide Fact- something that occurs
definite answers. in the world that makes a
statement true
Reply: Philosophy examines
Kinds of Truth
whether the questions can be
given definite answers.
A. Empirical (based on
experience) vs. Rational
Charge #2:
Philosophy is impractical. (based on reason)
 B. A Posteriori (after A. General Methods of Truth
experience) vs. A Priori
(before experience) 1. Correspondence-
represents a fact in
C. Synthetic (subject does the world
not contain the
information provided by 2. Coherence- coheres
the predicate) vs. with the related
Analytical (subject system
contains information
provided by the 3. Pragmatic – based on
predicate) the practical
consequence of a claim

B. Particular Methods of
D. Contingent (not true to Truth
all situations;
changing) vs. Necessary 1. Observation
(true to all situations; a. Internal-
constant) observation of
one’s thought
E. Private (known and feelings
personally) vs. Public (introspection)
(known by everybody) b. External-
observation
F. Subjective (dependent on outside of the
subjective interest) vs. mind
Objective (free from
subjective interest) 2. Reasoning
a. Test of
G. Universal (true to all) coherence-
vs. Relative (true to whether two
some) statement are
contradictory
H. Certain (deductive) vs. or cannot be
Probable (inductive) held true at
the same time
I. Disciplinal kinds of b. Inference-
truth (based on the area proving truth
of study) on the basis
of truth of
another
LESSON 5 statement;
Truth and Knowledge deductively or
inductively
Ways of Knowing Truth
 3. Intuition A. Disagreement in belief-
a. direct disagreement about facts
grasping
b. gut feeling B. Disagreement in
4. Mystical experience attitude- disagreement
a. Spiritual - on preferences
dealing with
the C. Merely verbal
nonphysical disagreement-
aspect of life misunderstanding of the
b. Religious- meaning of linguistic
dealing with expressions
the sacred and
divine

5. Appeal to Authority

Conditions of Knowledge

Forms of Knowledge

A. Knowledge by
acquaintance-
familiarity of a
place/person

B. Practical knowledge-
knowledge of skills;
know-how

C. Propositional knowledge-
knowledge of fact; know-
that

Conditions of Knowledge

justified true belief =

knowledge

A. Knowledge

B. Belief

C. Justification

Kinds of Disagreement