BEING PHILOSOPHICAL

BEING PHILOSOPHICAL
 Has something to do with a certain way of thinking rather than having code or
having point of view or even having a purpose.
 It involves realizing that amidst all the things that we know - amidst all our
perspectives and certain ideas about things in life and our experiences – there are
always some things we do not know, some things we have not thought about, or some
way we have never thought of thinking.
WONDER (“what if I
REALIZATION LIMITED POINTS OF think about something this
VIEW way, instead of how I
usually think about it?”)

Being able to think carefully, in a manner that suggests a deliberate examination

not only of what we think, but why we think about a certain thing in a particular way.
BEING PHILOSOPHICAL
 It involves not only thinking about things which we hold to be
certain, but carefully examining the reasons why we think the way
we do about things, why we have the points of view that we have,
and why we think we are certain.

It is not simply matter of asking questions, but questions that

pertain to fundamental causes and principles, as well as why we
might hold them as meaningful, or true, or viable.
ASKING FRAMEWORK QUESTIONS What kind of question does
philosophy ask?
FRAMEWORK QUESTIONS (FUNDAMENTAL 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.
For example: What is the difference between this questions?

“What are the causes of earthquakes?”

“What is the nature of causation?”

FRAMEWORK QUESTIONS (FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS)
“What are the causes of earthquakes?”
The first question seeks to understand the physical event called an “earthquake” using the
scientific framework through the use of scientific causation.
Scientific Question
Applies the framework
“What is the nature of causation?”
The second question seeks to understand the nature of the concept of causation and the
scientific framework itself.
Philosophical Question
Directed at the framework
FRAMEWORK QUESTIONS (FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS)
Internal Questions – questions that we ask in the course of using or applying
framework to explain some events. They are answerable using the rules and
concepts of the framework.

“What are the causes of earthquakes?”

External Questions – questions that we ask about the framework itself (like
whether it is a correct or effective framework). This are regarded as external
to the framework for they are not answerable using the rules and concepts of
the framework.

“What is the nature of causation?”

FRAMEWORK QUESTIONS (FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS)
EXAMPLE
“What is the two and two?”
- It is a question internal to the mathematical framework; and it is answerable using
the rules and concepts of the mathematical framework.

“What are numbers?”

“Are mathematical rules based on human agreement?”
- They are questions evaluating the mathematical framework; and they are external
questions for they are not answerable using the very rules and concepts of mathematics.
(External Questions)
 FRAMEWORK QUESTIONS (FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS)
EXAMPLE
“Is Pedro free to use public funds for his personal use?”
- Is a legal question, a question internal to the legal framework. (Internal
Questions)
- The first question asks whether Pedro is allowed by the legal system to perform
certain actions, whether certain rules of the legal framework apply and the legal
framework assumes that humans are free.
“Is Pedro free in his action of using public funds for his personal use?”
- Is a philosophical question, a question external to the legal framework. (External
Questions)
- The second question asks whether Pedro can freely to choose to perform certain
actions, whether humans are free in their choices and actions and if the legal framework
is correct.
FRAMEWORK QUESTIONS (FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS)
A historian may ask what happened at some time in the past,
but a philosopher will ask, “What is time?”
A mathematician may investigate the relations among numbers,
but a philosopher will ask, “What is a number?”
A physicist will ask what atoms are made of or what explains gravity,
but a philosopher will ask how can we know there is anything outside of our
minds.
A psychologist may investigate how children learn language,
but a philosopher will ask, “What makes a word mean anything?”
Anyone can ask whether it’s wrong to sneak into movie without paying,
but philosopher will ask, ‘What makes an action right or wrong?”
 FRAMEWORK QUESTIONS (FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS)
Multiplication Tables
 What sort of thing is a number, if they need numerals to represent them?
 Do we invent, or do we discover, mathematical principles?
We came from our parents
 Where did our parents come from?
 Where did their parents come from?
 Is their an unending series of parents?
Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell
 Am I only a collection of cells? If my cells die and get replenished, do I also
die and get renewed?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Do you think asking framework questions are
important? Why or why not?
2. What philosophical question/s have you asked in
the past or is asking right now? What makes your
question/s personally significant?
3. Do children also ask philosophical questions?
Elaborate your answer.
PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTIONS
 It is not about a specific question that is triggered by certain situations but contains
a bigger problem
SCIENTIFIC QUESTION PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTION
1. Always confined to the particular 1. Leads into the “totality of beings”
2. Partial point of view 2. Universal/ holistic point of view

1. Looks at only a limited number of aspects of the 1. Look at all aspects of the given problem or
given problem or situation. solution.
2. Conclusions are made based on considering 2. All aspects are given importance when making
some, but not all, sides of the problem or conclusions.
situation. 3. All aspects are tied in together to form a
general overview of the problem or situation.
PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTIONS
Learning philosophy requires learning to look into all available perspectives
and work on their relationship to come up with sound, logical, and valid
conclusions.
So How Do We Guard Against Deceptions?
God did not give us a life manual, but he gifted us with intellect or mind
(faculty of reason) to figure things out on our own. In doing so, we are given
dignity and autonomy.
This faculty of reason or rational capacity allows us to pursue our questions so
we can come nearer to the truth.
Our mind goes beyond our instincts and pays attention to our emotions so we
can effectively pursue meaning and truth.
TRUTH AND DIALECTICS
DIALECTICS
It is an art of refutation that dates back to the
ancient Greeks.
It is an effective means of examining and
evaluating truth claims.
Philosophical discovery is seen as the result of
collaboration with partners in dialogue or
conversation.
SOCRATES
Socratic Method
- Dialectics
- Series of questioning and answering
- One has to give good reasons as basis for any claim and the claim must
be able to withstand further scrutiny and examination.
- It is when our views are challenged that we feel compelled to defend
those very views. This activity teaches us to hold on only to those belief we can
defend, and to remain open so we can revise our views through time and in
collaboration with others
- In the process, we learn about our position or view – what assumes,
what it truly means, and what it entails.
SOCRATES
“One thing I know is I know nothing”
“Know thyself”
“The unexamined life is not worth
living”
“Virtue is knowledge of good and bad”