Introduction to

PHILOSOPHY
Learning objectives:
At the end of the lecture, the student should be
able to:

1. define philosophy.
2. enumerate and discuss the different
branches of philosophy.
3. appraise the value of philosophy.
ETYMOLOGY
of the term
 Etymology

• Greek: philein – love; sophia –wisdom

• Coined by Pythagoras
• Philosophy is the love of wisdom
• It is a pursuit of wisdom re: nature of
human being, reality, God, the
sources and limits of our knowledge
and the goodness and rightness in our
lives and in our societies.
How PHILOSOPHY Begins?

early Greeks: love of

sense of wisdom → speculative
wonder insights → cosmic
(curiosity) in point of view
the world
 We wonder and
Question

- Human existence
- God’s existence
- Why evil exists
- Knowledge and belief
- Experience of pain and pleasure
- Freedom and Destiny
- Life after Death
- Love and Friendship
- Science
 Philosophy does not end in wondering and
questioning? → go beyond the standard
answers
The goal of Philosophy → to get us to answer
these questions for ourselves → to make up
our own minds about our self, life, knowledge,
art, religion and morality → WITHOUT being
depending on the authority of the parents,
peers, media, teachers or society.
AUTONOMY: the freedom from being able to
decide for yourself what you will believe in
by using your own reasoning abilities
 Plato’s allegory
of the cave

Explains much about what philosophy is

 What
philosophy is

1. Philosophy is an activity: journeying

upward from the dark cave to the light
- unlike other subjects, it does not
consist of a lot of information or
theories
- Philosophical theories are product
of philosophy, not philosophy
itself → how to “do” philosophy.
 What
philosophy is

2. Philosophy is a difficult activity: the

journey upward is hard because it involves
questioning the most basic beliefs that
each of us accepts about ourselves and the
universe.
- requires to think critically, consistently, &
carefully about our fundamental beliefs. →
intellectual discipline and the hard work of
thinking things through as carefully as
precise as we can.
 What
philosophy is

3. The aim of philosophy is freedom: it

breaks the chain that imprison and
hold us down.
- it aims at breaking us free of
the prejudices and unthinking
habits → move toward more
reflective views that are truly
our own.
 What
philosophy is

4. Philosophy examines the most basic

concerns of human existence.
- like prisoner who is led to look
at the real objects whose shadows
he always thought to be real, the
person who does philosophy
examines the most basic
assumptions we have about the
world around us.
 What
philosophy is

RATIONAL INQUIRY

Clarification of knowledge and

insights → more valuable →
tempered by REASON

Doing philosophy is using our

rationality in trying to figure out the
answers to difficult questions
 Another way of
understanding what
philosophy means is to
look at the kinds of
questions it has
traditionally asked.
 Reality
Metaphysics Value
Ethics
Knowledge
Epistemology

Traditional Divisions of
Philosophy
 DIVISION

Epistemology – from Greek “episteme”

means knowledge - the study of knowledge
• about the foundation, structure,
reliability, extent and kind of knowledge;
the meaning of truth; logic and variety of
strictly linguistic concerns;
• Some basic question asked…
- What is knowledge?
- How do human beings acquire knowledge?
- Is truth many or one?
 DIVISION

Metaphysics – means “after physics”

• the study of the most general and ultimate
characteristics of reality or existence – the
place human in the universe, the purpose
and nature of reality, nature of mind & self.
• Some basic questions asked…
- What is reality?
- What is being?
- What is the nature of God?
- Are we free or determined?
 DIVISION

Ethics – from Greek “ethos” means

character.
• study of our values and moral principles
and how these relate to our conduct and
to our social institutions.
• Some basic questions asked…
- What is morally right or wrong?
- Are there any objective standards of
right and wrong?
-Are moral values objective or relative?
 DIVISION

Philosophy of Religion – deals with “the

nature of religion in the philosophical
spirit”
• concerns man in his relation to God.
• the meaning of religious experience & the
various forms such an experience may take.
• Some basic questions asked…
- Does God exist?
- How can God’s existence be proved?
 DIVISION

Social and Political Philosophy – deals with

the general problems and principles that
affect the entire political society of men.
(presents landscape of problems, methods of
analysis and solutions)

• Some basic questions asked…

- What is the best form of government?
- Who should rule?
- Do we have basic rights?
- What is justice?
 DIVISION

Philosophy of Science – deals with the

nature of scientific knowledge and the
methodology of sciences

• analysis of basic theoretical concepts of

science

• nature of hypotheses and the laws of

nature
 DIVISION

Aesthetics – deals with the nature of

aesthetic experience

• the idea of beautiful

• Some basic questions asked…

- What is beauty?
- What is art?
- Are there standards of beauty?
 The Value of Philosophy

What is the value of Philosophy and why

it ought to be studied?
1. Through philosophy we achieve
freedom.
Freedom from assumptions we
have unquestioningly accepted
from others, and freedom to
decide for ourselves what we
believe about ourselves and
our place in the universe.
 The Value of Philosophy
2. Philosophy helps by promoting the
ideal of self-actualization – to become
the “self-actualized or fully-functioning
person” characterized by:
a. ability to form
one’s own opinions
and beliefs → to
think, evaluate and
decide for
themselves.
 The Value of Philosophy
2. Philosophy helps by promoting the
ideal of self-actualization – to become
the “self-actualized or fully-functioning
person” characterized by:
b. profound self-awareness →
philosophy deepens self-awareness
by inviting us to examine the basic
intellectual foundation of our lives
 The Value of Philosophy
2. Philosophy helps by promoting the
ideal of self-actualization – to become
the “self-actualized or fully-functioning
person” characterized by:
c. flexibility → they exhibit
resilience in the face of disorder,
doubt, uncertainty, indefiniteness,
even chaos → philosophy promotes
philosophical calm – the capacity to
persevere in the face of upheaval.
 The Value of Philosophy
2. Philosophy helps by promoting the
ideal of self-actualization – to become
the “self-actualized or fully-functioning
person” characterized by:
d. generally creative → they need
not necessarily writers, painters, or
musicians, self-actualized person
exhibit creativity on all they do →
philosophy helps us to develop a
philosophical perspectives on issues,
problems and events.
 The Value of Philosophy
2. Philosophy helps by promoting the
ideal of self-actualization – to become
the “self-actualized or fully-functioning
person” characterized by:
e. having clearer, well-thought-out
value systems in morality, arts,
politics, and so on →
values are the
fundamental
concern of
philosophy
 The Value of Philosophy?
3. Even if philosophy seems to be going
absolutely nowhere, just the act of doing
philosophy can still be very useful:

Doing philosophy will improve your

critical thinking skills, and those can
be successfully applied to almost
any aspect of life

Philosophy forces one to be precise,

clear, and rigorous.
THANK YOU !