Pythagoras (570 BCE to 495 BCE) – Pythagorean Theorem.

Heraclitus (535 BCE to 475 BCE) – Logos or higher order.

“No man ever steps in the same river twice.”

Democritus (460 BCE to 370 BCE) – Natural Phenomena, matter is made up of tiny particles called
atoms.

Diogenes of Sinope (412 BCE to 323 BCE) – Cynicism and Stoicism.

Epicurus (341 BCE to 270 BCE) – Epicureanism which means school of philosophy which believes that
wisdom will result in a life of free of ear and pain.

Socrates (470 BCE to 399 BCE) – “midwife”,

Socratic Method which means examining a topic by devising series of questions.

Plato (427 BCE to 347 BCE) – Student of Socrates.

Theory of Forms, which means purposes that everything is based on idea or template.

Model of Government and Societies.

Dialectic – method of inquiry where two opposing ideas are discussed in an attempt to
arrive at new knowledge.

Academy – higher learning institution which was the first of its kind in the Western
World.

Aristotle (384 BCE to 322 BCE) – Student of Plato.

Classification of Plants and Animals

Zoology, Psychology, Ethics, Politics

Deductive Reasoning – the process by which specific statements are analyzed to reach
a conclusion of generalization.

Why is there need to philosophize?

Plato – man’s sense of wonder, driven by curiosity

Rene Descartes – to doubt, need to present as “truths”

Karl Jaspers – because of experience, called experience as limit situations

Socrates – love for wisdom. “Unexamined life is not worth living.”

One way of analyzing philosophy is to consider it as a way of analyzing frameworks.

Framework – defined as a way of thinking about the world and is composed of the views and beliefs
of a person.

Internal Questions – questions dealing with our own correctness and values.

External Questions – questions that seek to question the frameworks upon which people base their own
beliefs and views.

Philosophy can also be thought as an examination of a particular area of knowledge.

- A distinct area of knowledge with its own goals, concerns, and ways of doing things.

Aesthetics – philosophy which deals with beauty what makes things “beautiful.”

Logic – branch of philosophy which deals with correct reasoning.

Epistemology – discusses the nature of knowledge and knowing.

Ethics – is the branch which deals with moral questions and dilemmas.

Political Philosophy - studies governments and deals with questions of justice power and the rights and
obligations of citizens.

Metaphysics – is a branch of philosophy which deals with questions regarding reality and existence.

Philosophy of the Human Person – is an area in philosophy that understands the human person from a
philosophical perspective.

2 IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT PHILOSOPHIZING

Philosophy is a reflective and meditative activity.

It is also a method of mental exercise.

2 TYPES OF THINKING

1. Holistic Thinking – refers to a perspective that considers large-scale patterns in systems. Often
described as looking at the “Big picture” when describing and analyzing a situation or problem.
It requires individual to have an open mindset and an ability to get the general sense or
impression regarding a situation.
2. Partial Thinking – focuses on specific aspects of situation. Important component of analytical
thinking, as an individual focuses on certain areas or aspects of a problem in order to
understand. Though partial thinking is useful, philosophy utilizes holistic thinking in making
sense of problems and issues related to human experience.

Reflection – requires a person to be willing to examines one’s thoughts, feelings, and actions and to
learn more about one’s life and experiences.