PHILOSOPHY IN THE ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS

BEGINNINGS OF PHILOSOPHY

man
tao
hombre
人
BEGINNINGS OF PHILOSOPHY

“Philosophy
begins and ends
with man.”

-Alfredo Co
Filipino philosopher, Sinologist
PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTIONS IN CONTEXT
These kinds of
questions are
penetratingly powerful
and reflective, as it
gave man the ability
to understand the
world.
ANCIENT GREECE
THE PRESOCRATICS
WHERE AM I?
Fundamental Question
WHERE AM I?
• Questions on the cosmos (cosmocentric)
• Time and space
• What the world was made of?
• Matter, shapes, sizes, locations
• Philosophers: Thales, Anaxagoras,
Anaximander, Euclid

GOAL: Sophia (σοφία)

Discursive and logical wisdom
ANCIENT INDIA
ORTHODOX AND HETERODOX SCHOOLS
WHO AM I?
Fundamental Question
WHO AM I?
• Questions on the soul/psyche
(psychocentric)
• How the individual self (atman) relates with
the universal self (brahman)
• Types of self, spiritual meditation and
guidance
• Philosophers: Mahavira, Patanjali,
Siddhartha, Kanada
GOAL: darsana (दर्शन)
Term that espouses the individual’s one-ness with the
universe (relating to spiritual liberation or “moksha”)
ANCIENT CHINA
PRE-QIN PHILOSOPHERS
WHAT AM I?
Fundamental Question
WHAT AM I?
• Questions on human societies (society,
politics, ethics)
• Is man naturally good or evil?
• What are the strategies of war?
• How to govern?
• Philosophers: Confucius 孔子, Mencius 孟子,
Lao Tzu 老子, Zhuang Zi 庄子

GOAL: zhi (智)

Human knowledge; communicable knowledge
RETHINKING THINKING
Are these questions by the sages still relevant today?
WHAT COULD PHILOSOPHY PROVIDE IN THIS TIME?
IN THE PANDEMIC UNIVERSE
SUM UP
• The ancient philosophers’ mode of
questioning was responsive to the needs
of their time and their societies.
• Perhaps not reaching the “actual truth,”
philosophy provides us insight into the
world we live in, maybe even making it
a less terrible place to live in.