Philosophy Reviewer wisdom but to use that knowledge and wisdom for
practical purposes (Ardales, 1998)
Philosophy
Philosophia - Philo(love) + Sophia(wisdom)
Philosophy - The ancient Greeks used this term to
refer to “love of wisdom” and they soon applied it to
the study or discipline that uses human reason to
investigate the ultimate causes, reasons, and
principles which govern all things.
Purpose of Studying Philosophy:
1. Problem Solving
- Scientific Method - Has technology of
providing definite/concrete answers.
- Philosophical Method - Answers questions
that science can't. Questions about
morality, spirituality, religion etc.
2. Sense of Direction
- Beliefs or isms are discussed and examined,
for which among them is relevant on
everyday living and addresses pressing
problems regarding existence.
3. Tolerance and Understanding
- The ability or willingness to tolerate
something, in particular the existence of
opinions or behavior that one does not
necessarily agree with.
As Academic Discipline
- The study of the fundamental nature of
knowledge, reality and existence.
As An Art
- Creative method of determining the
truth/answering problems.
Branches of Philosophy
Practical Philosophy - Composed of philosophical
fields which study not only to obtain knowledge and
- Logic - Questions related to Reasonings
- Ethics - Questions related to Morality
- Axiology - Questions related to Values
- Aesthetics - Questions related to Beauty
and Taste
- Semantics - Questions related to Meaning
Speculative Philosophy - Made up of philosophical
fields whose main concern is the acquisition of
knowledge without any thought of applying it for any
practical use (Ardales, 1998)
- Epistemology - Questions related to Truth
and Knowledge
- Theodicy - Questions related to God
- Cosmology - Questions related to Universe
- Psychology - Questions related to Soul
- Metaphysics - Questions related to Being
and Existence
Greek Philosophers
Pythagoras
- Believed that anything could be explained
through numbers.
- Invented the Pythagorean Theorem
Heraclitus
- The only permanent thing in this world is
change. (you never step at same river twice)
- Everything that exists based on a higher
order or plan is called logos.
Diogenes of Sinope
- Advocate of living a simple and virtuous life.
Democritus
- 2 fundamental kinds of realities composing
the natural world - atoms and void.
- Created the theory of Atomism where all
material bodies are made up of indivisibly
small atoms.
Epicurus
- famous for advocating the theory of
Hedonism, which holds that pleasure is the
only intrinsic value.
Socrates
- The Socratic method means examining a
topic by devising a series of questions that
let the learner examine and analyze his
knowledge and views regarding the topic.
Plato
- Known for the Theory of Forms where
everything that exists is based on an idea or
template that can only be perceived in the
mind.
- Also known for his Dialectic, a method of
inquiry where two opposing ideas are
discussed in an attempt to arrive at new
knowledge.
Aristotle
- Believes that all ideas and views are based
on perception and our reality is based on
what we can sense and perceive.
- His studies in logic led to the formulation of
a formal process of analyzing reasoning
which gave rise to deductive reasoning.
Holistic Perspective (Holism)
- Holism comes from the Greek “holos” which
means “all” or “total.”
- The system as a whole entity decides how
the individual parts behave
- The properties of can only fully understand
through the dynamics of the whole
- HOLISM leans on the relationships between
the parts
Partial Point of View (Reductionism)
- Understanding complex ideas by reducing
them to their parts or individual
constituents
- REDUCTIONISM focuses on the properties
of the parts
- The partial view is an important component
of analytical thinking, as an individual
focuses on certain areas or aspects of a
problem in order to understand it.
Allegory of the Cave
Meaning
- It contrasts our interpretation of the world
to the reality where it promotes to view the
world in a whole rather than looking at your
own perspectives.
Symbols
- Cave - The comfort zone
- Chains - The things that is keeping you from
exploring and not just by staying on your
comfort zone
- Prisoners - Humans that are scared to go
beyond the norms
- Fire - Limitation of Knowledge
- Shadows - Fake Realities
- Light - People who will help you to go
beyond the norms
 Socratic Method Facts - propositions or statements which are
observed to be real or truthful.
Socrates
Claim - a statement that is not evidently or
- Socrates himself wrote nothing, he is immediately known to be true. This means that any
depicted in conversation in compositions by claim can be proven by verification and
a small circle of his Admirers Plato and experimentation.
Xenophon first among them.
Opinion - It's a view formed in the mind of a person
- He is portrayed in these works as a man of about a particular issue.
great insight, integrity, self-mastery, and
argumentative skill.
- The impact of his life was all the greater
because of the way in which it ended: at age
70, he was brought to trial on a charge of
impiety and sentenced to death by
poisoning by a jury of his fellow citizens.

Socratic Method

- The Socratic method is a form of

cooperative dialogue whereby participants
make assertions about a particular topic,
investigate those assertions with questions
designed to uncover presuppositions and
stimulate critical thinking, and finally come
to mutual agreement and understanding
about the topic under discussion.

- Elenchus - refutation of an argument by

proving the contrary of its conclusion.
- Dialectic - a method of inquiry where two
opposing ideas are discussed to arrive at
new knowledge.

Thesis vs Antithesis → Synthesis, New Thesis

Fact vs Opinion

Propositions - statements about the world or reality.

Propositions may or may not carry truth.

Knowledge - the clear awareness and understanding

of something. It is the product of questions that
allow for clear answers provided by facts