CHAPTER 1 -

LESSON - Doing Philosophy,Nature and Functions of Philosophy, Core Branches of

Philosophy, Development of Philosophy.
INTRODUCTION
1.Definition of Philosophy
Etymologically speaking, the term philosophy came from two Greek
words:philos(love) and sophia (wisdom). Thus, philosophy is defined as the “love of
wisdom.”
According to several accounts and testimonies, the discovery of philosophy may be
attributed to Pythagoras of Samos who was the first to use the term “philosopher.”
There is a big difference between being a lover of wisdom and a mere receiver of
knowledge. For philosophers, they aim to be wise in almost all aspects of human
discipline, inquiring and investigating all forms of human phenomena. They seek to
answer the questions of the world, not because they are forced to do so, but because
they are passionate in their quest for wisdom. This the reason why philosophers are
known to be entities or beings of wisdom, for their teachings helped shed light to the
many questions of humankind. Their wisdom stood the test of time were even
immortalized that up to this day, they become the bases of the people’s judgements and
decisions.
Over the years, philosophy went beyond its etymological definition. It became a
discipline and a field of study that desires to understand and comprehend the mysteries
of reality, to unveil the nature of truth, and examine the significant of life. It also
encompasses the examination of the relationships between the individual person and
his/her society. Philosophy also became the story of people who never cease to wonder,
inquire, and investigate about everything under the sun.

In The Symposium, the philosopher Plato has Socrates speak with his companions about the
origin and meaning of "love" (the Greek word eros). Despite his companions' high praise of the
"goddess Love," Socrates maintains that Love is no deity at all, but rather the offspring of Poverty
and Plenty. Love, he maintains, is between having and lacking. In a similar way, Philosophy --
the love of wisdom -- is more quest than possession, more process than completion. The lover of
wisdom is one who seeks what he does not have, yet glimpses at times and reveres nonetheless
the object of his search. The position of Philosophy is a posture of wonder and humility.
Socrates believed that anyone who thought himself wise, who thought he already knew what there
was to know, was more self-deluded fool than philosopher. One who thinks himself wise is far
from wise. In Socrates' view, God alone is wise. Human wisdom consists in realizing our
humanity, of understanding ourselves as limited seekers, and in appreciating the distance between
limited human knowledge and perfect divine wisdom (complete knowledge of all things).
Socratic ignorance is self-understanding that defines the boundaries between what is known and
what is not yet known and therefore still sought.

But what is wisdom? If wisdom is the perfect knowledge of all things, a super-genius grasp of
reality, then wisdom must be thought to be superhuman. On the other hand, if wisdom is an
approach, an attitude, a way of seeing things rather than expertise or scientific knowledge, then the
attainment of a fragile measure of wisdom is possible for humans. Philosophy -- which in the end is
a highly individualized affair, tailored to the intellect and temper-ament of individual people -- is a
quest for a view of the world as a whole and the place of human beings (including oneself within
that whole. In this quest, this journey, there is both movement and rest, seeking and stopping for a
while. After much experience and thinking, we come to a temporary way-station, a world-view, a
perspective, a "philosophy." If we are honest with ourselves, self-critical, and open-minded, we do
not make any such way-station a permanent home. That would imply superhuman wisdom. Rather,
after a short stay with opinions that seem valid and fruitful at the time, we once again take to the
road -- think things over again, revise our opinions, come to new conclusions. New experiences
challenge old answers; new suffering revokes old generalizations.

Thus, Philosophy is both result and process. As a view of things, it includes opinions or
beliefs, which may or may not be coherent and organized. A system is an organized collection of
opinions. In a system, opinions do not contradict or war against one another. Ordinarily, our
"philosophy" is full of opinions that are strange bedfellows, opinions that do not belong together.
Thinking attempts to resolve these differences -- as well as the differences between opinions and
facts. Thus, to be human is to have opinions. To philosophize is to evaluate, to scrutinize, to revise
opinions.

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 "Professional" philosophers just do what other people naturally do -- except they spend more
time doing it. They emphasize and enlarge that aspect of human nature that is found in all of us --
the tendency to investigate, to think, to generalize, to understand. They often do this at the expense
of other human activities -- perhaps more "practical." It is
thus that Thales was laughed at by the servant girl when he, lost in thought about the movement
of the heavens, fell into a well. Or so the story goes.

Philosophy is both result (set of opinions about reality) and process (activity of thinking and
investigating. Some traditional philosophers have emphasized the result side of philosophy. We call
them "system-builders." Brick by brick -- or rather, proposition by proposition -- these scholars
endeavor to put together an awesome and complete picture of reality. Among these system-builders
were Thomas Aquinas, Spinoza, and -- the most ambitious perhaps -- Hegel. Hegel attempted in
words to weave the final and absolute world-view, one that would forever settle all disputes and
bring an end to controversy. The trouble with Philosophy as finished result (system) is that it tends
to endanger and suppress Philosophy as process (thinking). System-builders often claim that their
answers to the basic problems of existence are certain, true, and indubitable -- or could be, with
some revision and modification. The problem with believing you have the right answer is that you
are likely to stop asking the question and even more likely to stop listening to opposing points of
view. Systems can become rigid, even dictatorial.

Philosophy as process is the activity of thinking that arrives at, weighs, and revises opinions
about ourselves, our world, and our relation with that world. More precisely, philosophy is the
acquired habit or tendency or disposition to think about what we are about -- what we believe, what
we do, what we hope, what we make, what we feel, what we are, where we belong, what we are for
others and what they are for us.

Thinking is a habit. That means we are not born thinkers. We become thoughtful or
philosophical by practicing thinking, as one must practice playing the piano. There are, of course,
certain situations that make anybody stop and think, even one who normally doesn't think or
question very much at all. A death of a loved one, unemployment, home-lessness, divorce, etc. will
often evoke thought. But it is preferable to develop a habit of thinking that operates in even less
critical situations. If we practice thinking in even small situations, not only will our lives make
more sense (have more meaning), but we will do what we do a whole lot better, handle social
relations a whole lot better, and be more prepared and less prone to collapse in the big situations.

Philosophy is the quest for wisdom. The motive or desire that stimulates thinking is the desire
to know, the itch to find out. We are frankly puzzled about our situation. But no answer brings
thinking to an end; rather, every answer stimulates new thinking, breeds new questions. Thinking
and its results whet our appetite for more thinking. Thus, we have the cliche, "the more you know,
the more you know you don't know." Every answer is both an end to one process of thinking and a
fresh beginning of new thinking. From one perspective, thinking is a means and a settled opinion is
an end. From another point of view, every opinion is a means, a basis, an instrument, a tool for new
thinking.
Nature and Functions of Philosophy
One cannot simply divorce himself/herself from philosophy. The moment someone starts
asking anything about his/her environment, himself/herself, and his/her society, this person is
already philosophizing.
It is in the nature of philosophy that a person inquires for the meaning of himself/herself and
the world around him/her. It inquires about the entire breadth of reality, and gives a purely rational
explanation of its totality. Moreover, philosophy also has an exclusively speculative end.
While some philosophers may not always agree when it comes to the true nature and function
of philosophy, there are three general statements that attempt to explain what philosophy is all
about.

1. Philosophy integrates itself with other disciplines to achieve a comprehensive and

coherent world view.
Philosophy as a discipline is encompassing. It never confines itself to a portion of human
experience or to a certain aspect of human phenomenon. Philosophy enables a person to
understand the various intricacies of all disciplines and paves the way for his/her understanding
reality.
For example, most people’s concept of humans is not only limited to the kind of society,

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 culture, or tradition that they have at the moment. For a consistent and coherent world view of
humans. One has to consider the various disciplines and sciences that effect a person’s
existence in the world.

2. Philosophy analyzes the very foundations of other disciplines.

Philosophy concerns itself with roots of disciplines such as art, science, and even religion.
It explores and examines all their underpinnings.
For example, philosophers do not ask if the conduct or the administration of euthanasia is
correct. Instead, they question the morality of the act and the ethical standard from which such
act was based.

3. Philosophy analyzes and criticizes treasured beliefs and traditions.

Philosophy is always on the lookout in putting things to their proper perspectives. It always
has this gift of logical consistencies where it forces to see the importance of one’s beliefs,
attitudes, and traditions. It weeds out all of the insignificant traces of inconsistency,
superstition, and irrationality.

2. BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY
4 Major Branches of Philosophy
1. Metaphysics 2. Epistemology 3. Logic 4. Ethics

1. Metaphysics - Foundation of Philosophy.

- First Philosophy (Aristotle)
Meta - Beyond Physics - physical/nature
Metaphysical - Study of things beyond physical
- study of concepts or things that cannot be experienced.

2 kinds of Metaphysics
1. General Metaphysics/Ontology
2. Special Metaphysics
 Cosmology
 Psychology or Anthropology
 Natural Theology or Theodicy

A. ONTOLOGY or General Metaphysics

Ontology - Study of Being
= Studies beings in their ultimate causes, reasons and
principles through the aid of reason alone.
Logos is reason or the underlying principles of all that is.
(Heraclitus)

Basic Questions in Ontology

- What is being?
- why do things exist rather than not exist at all?
- What is the meaning and nature of reality?
- What is the underlying principle of all that exist?
- is there nothing?
SPECIAL METAPHYSICS
A. Cosmology - studies the world (or universe) including its origin, dynamics, and
characteristics, as well as the laws that govern its order.
Basic questions in cosmology
 What is the origin of the world?
 What is the basic material of which the world is formed?
 How do things arise?
 In what consists its fundamental form or principles of order?
 Is the world or universe infinite?

B. PSYCHOLOGY - Study of the nature and dynamics of the human person as a

whole with emphasis on the way the person’s mind functions and the way she
behave.
Basic questions in Psychology

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  What is the nature of the human person?
 Is there such thing as human nature?
 What is the meaning and purpose, if any, of life?
 Is there life after death?
 How do we account for the existence of sufferings in the world?

C.THEODICY OR Natural Theology

- Study of God
-Justification of the goodness of God in the face of the existence of evil.

BASIC QUESTIONS IN THEODICY

 Is there God?
 What and who is God if He exists at all?
 How do we prove the existence of God?
 If God exists how do we justify the existence of evil and suffering in
the world?
 Does a belief in God really necessary?

2.EPISTEMOLOGY - Study of the nature and scope of knowledge and

justified belief.

BASIC QUESTIONS
 What is knowledge?
 What do we know?
 How is knowledge acquired?
 What are the structures and limits of knowledge?
 What makes justified beliefs justified?

3. LOGIC - science of correct thinking

- Study of the principles and criteria of a valid argument.
- Distinguish sound or good reasoning from unsound or bad
reasoning.

BASIC QUESTIONS IN LOGIC

 What is correct reasoning?
 What distinguishes a good argument from a bad one?
 How can we detect a fallacy in argument?
 What are the criteria in determining the validity of an argument?
 What are the types of logic?

4. ETHICS - Morality of human actions

- How human persons ought to act, and the search for a
definition of a right conduct, and good life.

BASIC QUESTIONS IN ETHICS

 What is a right conduct that which causes the realization of the
greatest good?
 How do we determine a right conduct? In other words what makes a
right conduct rights?
 What is a good life and can we attain it?
 What is the difference between human act and act of ma?
 What do people think is right?

OTHER BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY

Aesthetics, Semantics, Axiology, Political Philosophy, Social Philosophy,
Philosophy of History, Philosophy of Law, Philosophy of Education, and many others.

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 DEVELOPMENT OF PHILOSOPHY
1. Pre - Socratic Philosophy
The Ionians
The birthplace of philosophy was believed to be in Miletus, a province of Ionia
which is a Greek colony in Asia Minor. The Ionian philosophers were the first to
employ a rational explanation on the origin of the world and other physical phenomena,
divorcing from the realm of mythology and fables as means to explain the origin of
things. While pre - Ionian philosophy explained the nature and origin of the physical
world through myths and gods, the Ionians established a more naturalistic (material
substance as the first principle of things) explanation on the origin of things. It was this
Ionian’ rational approach to reality that earned them the title, “philosophers.” Well -
known philosophers of this period were Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes, and
Heraclitus.
Although the Ionians agreed that there was only one material principle considered as
the origin of things, they differed in their versions of the first absolute principle of
things.
Considered as the first philosopher, Thales of Miletus, contented that the cosmos
(universe) was made up of water, and firmly believed that it was the principle from
which all things came to be.
Anaximander, on the other hand, believed that the first principle was apeiron or
infinite and limitless; while for Anaximenes, air was the first principle of things,
contrary to the belief of Heraclitus, who believed that fire was the first principle.
Heraclitus affirmed that everything was in a constant flux and becoming was the only
thing that remain constant. This doctrine of universal change was considered as one of
Heraclitus’ primary contributions to pre - Socratic thought.