Name: Karl Jason Comin

Subject: BM 215 Philosophy of Business

Basic Philosophical Concepts

I. Introduction

The essential definition of philosophy just given means that the nature of a

thing, anything can be understood only in terms of its ultimate causes, which there

are four namely: the formal cause, the material cause (intrinsic causes), efficient

cause and final cause (extrinsic causes). They show the what, who/whom, where,

when, how and why of a thing or of an act or of an event. This doctrine of the four

causes was first expounded by Aristotle and later adopted by the Scholastics.

II. Summary of the Topics/Topics Digest

The starting point of a philosophical inquiry, as in all process of inquiry, is the

definition of terms and concepts, without which, no medium or common direction can

be established to ensure the stability of philosophical foundation.

Classification of Definitions:

Nominal – when it explains in an indeterminate way what is that which is signified by

the name of the term defined. It is a connotation; an identification of concepts.

Real – when it explains the thing defined in a determinate way.

Intrinsic – explains a thing by principles which are inherent in the thing itself.

Extrinsic – explains a thing by principles which are not inherent in the thing defined

but are attributed to ordain towards the concept of that thing.

Descriptive – which explains a thing using principles other than what it constitute

the concept of the thing defined.

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Essential – when it explains a thing by assigning to it the principles which constitute

the thing itself. This is done by presenting the thing in its genus and its species within

that genus.

According to tradition, the early Greek thinkers referred to themselves as

“wise men.” Out of humility, however, Pythagoras preferred to be called simply as a

“lover of wisdom” or “philosopher”. By etymology, “philosopher” comes from the

Greek “philos” meaning lover, and “sophos” meaning wisdom. That was how

Pythagoras referred to himself. That was the history of the term philosopher which,

from then on, replaced the term “”wise men” and philosophy replaced that of wisdom.

Formal Cause refers to what a thing is in its essence (also called form). It is

what makes a thing the thing that it is and not any other, and therefore gives

specificity to that thing defining its quiddity or “whatness”. Since it is the major

determinant of the nature of the thing, it is best expressed in its definition. Material

Cause may be viewed in two ways. First, it is taken as the substratum in which

essence is and is informed by another essence or form. Efficient cause is that by

which the effect is produced, consisting of the external factors responsible for the

existence of a thing as invested, and when informed, that is. When form or essence

is united with it, a concrete thing is formed. The essence can be withdrawn or

destroyed or corrupted, but the matter remains a being, and sustains it in that

existence and in its reason for being, or in its operations as organism. Final Cause

is that on account of which the effect is produced. It is, in other words, the end or

purpose or objective. It is the reason for which a thing exists, or has been created or

made, or why an act is pursued.

Philosophy and science are both fields of inquiry and investigation, asking

questions and seeking answers to those questions. They are both processes and

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structures. As processes they are both a body of principles systematically ordered

towards the acquisition of knowledge. As structures, they are both body of acquired

knowledge systematically ordered towards the acquisition of further knowledge.

There are two methods of drawing philosophical principles namely, (1) a

priori, or deductively, that is invoking a general or universal principle and applying it

to particular or specific cases: and (2) aposteriori or inductively, that is studying

particular cases, observing what is common among them, and obtaining a general

conclusion or principle about them.

SCIENCE as object of the Intellect

More specifically, philosophy looks into the objects of man’s faculties – his intellect in

search of truth or knowledge and his will probing into the good or the desirable. This

search for knowledge and the good brings us to the various disciplines of man’s

learning. These may be classified on the basis of the degree of mental abstraction

according to which the various disciplines are categorized:

From the First Degree of Abstraction - Abstracting from individuality and arriving at

common corporeal qualities.

From the Second Degree of Abstraction - Abstracting from corporeal properties and

arriving at quantity.

From the Third Degree of Abstraction - Abstracting from quantity and arriving at the

concept of being. Metaphysics, which means “above the physical level” deals with

being as it is perceived by the mind as existing in reality or in a real thing. When

metaphysics deals with being as being, abstracted from reality, the field of study is

known as ontology. When metaphysics deals with being as ideas, the discipline is

known as logic which deals with how the intellect apprehends ideas (simple

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apprehension), relates them to one another (judgement) and forms conclusions from

their relationship (rationalization).

SCIENCE as object of the Will

The objective of the will is good or goodness, in the same way that the object of the

intellect is true and truth. A person’s acts pertaining to his choice constitute his moral

behaviour. The study of that moral behaviour on the specific aspect of the quality of

human acts, that is, the morality of human acts, is Ethics.

Ethics relates the individual act as to its impact on the group or his profession or

society in general.

III. Recommendations

Philosophy of business is one specific field of applied philosophy which

includes philosophical concepts, ethical principles and social responsibility. Specific

business concepts would include the fundamental principles of industry, commerce

and business management.

Any philosophical inquiry whether into philosophy per se or into the

philosophical perspectives of another discipline must be made with a view to looking

into its nature and causes. This implies two things. First, that every discipline has its

nature and its causes which explain its reason for being; second, that every

discipline can be the subject of a philosophical inquiry. The process is a little

overwhelming especially to the unitiated but it is necessary and convenient to identify

where philosophy stands in relation to man, to science and its ultimate causes.

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IV. Conclusion

To conclude, Philosophy and Science are correlated with each other and they

are both essential and important in understanding with comprehensions with the

existence and beginnings of things, human and everything. These four causes

namely: Formal, Material, Efficient, Final causes are the bases which the

philosophical perspective of business is founded. All organizations and groups

experience the direct relationship between job satisfaction, and performance. In

order to maximize the performance of those within a system, it is significant

important to develop an optimal interpersonal chemistry. There is more evidence that

the teaching and implementation of soft skills should get higher emphasis in

education and organization training process, but it should only complement hard

skills, not substitute for it.