ACLC COLLEGE TACLOBAN

Tacloban City
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person

INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?
The word philosophy comes from two Greek words: philos (love) and sophia (wisdom).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.

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values,
reason, mind, and language.

Philosophy in simple words is a way of thinking about the world, the universe, and society. It works
by asking very basic questions about the nature of human thought, the nature of the universe, and the
connections between them. The ideas in philosophy are often general and abstract.

Philosophy is the study of humans and the world by thinking and asking questions. It is a science
and an art. Philosophy tries to answer important questions by coming up with answers about real things
and asking "why?”

Philosophy, therefore, may be understood as an activity in pursuit of wisdom—wisdom we attribute

to people who truly know. We admire them because they are far above the usual people we encounter
daily—they are not swayed by popular views and are not easily deceived. They know truths ordinary
people do not know.

Philosophy is carried out through the use of reasons. The proper exercise of our faculty allows us
to answer our questions and overcome our ignorance. The discipline itself does not offer definite answers
to philosophical questions because it is in the nature of such questions that they do not have a definite
answer. However, in doing philosophy, in becoming actively engaged in the intellectual pursuit of truth,
our knowledge of the world can be improved, our mind can be freed from narrow views, and we can get
to experience the best sort of existence. Our attempts to answer philosophical questions provide us with
opportunities to arrive at good answers—answers that make us understand great things or enable us to
see our life as meaningful. It becomes a search for knowledge that compels us to seek the truth because
it matters to us personally. The answer we find greatly influence our life.
 PHILOSOPHERS
- are people who engage in philosophy.
The most notable ancient Greek philosophers are:

Pythagoras (570 BCE to 495 BCE)- A mathematician and scientist, he was credited
with formulating the Pythagorean theorem-prescribed a highly structured way of life
and espoused the doctrine of metempsychosis (transmigration of the soul after death
into a new body, human or animal).

Heraclitus (535 BCe to 475 BCE)- He proposed that everything that exists is based
on a higher order or plan which he called logos.- He claims to announce an
everlasting Word (Logos) according to which all things are one, in some sense.

Democritus (460 BCE to 370 BCE)- He devoted himself to the study of the causes
of natural phenomena.

Diogenes of Sinope (412 BCE to 323 BCE)- He was a known advocate of living a
simple andvirtuous life.
To live virtuously means exercising the part of the mind that practices
reason and excellence; this life of excellence is what should be attained in
accordance with reason.

Epicurus (341 BCE to 270 BCE)- He believed that philosophy could enable man to
live a lifeof happiness. As we shall see, however, his view of pleasure is far from the
stereotypical one. For Epicurus, the most pleasant life is one where we abstain from
unnecessary desires and achieve an inner tranquility (ataraxia) by being content with
simple things, and by choosing the pleasure of philosophical conversation with
friends over the pursuit of physical pleasures like food, drink, and sex.
 Socrates (470 BCE to 399 BCE)- He was considered the foremost
philosophers of ancient times. He was credited with formulating the Socratic
method- means of examining a topic by devising a series of questions that let
the learner examine and analyze his knowledge and views regarding the
topic.

Plato (427 BCE to 347 BCE)- A student of Socrates. Plato’s most significant
ideas included his Theory of Forms, which proposes that everything that exist
is basedon an idea or template than can only be perceived in the mind. Plato
is also known for his dialectic- a method of inquiry where two opposing ideas
are discussed in an attempt to arrive at new knowledge.

Aristotle (384 BCE to 322 BCE)- Was the prominent student of Plato. For
him, 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 give rise to deductive
reasoning-the process by which specific statements are analyzed to reach a
conclusion or generalization.

IMPORTANCE OF PHILOSOPHIZING
The following are some of the reasons on why it is important for people to practice philosophizing

1. Philosophizing opens an endless well of possibilities - the more people think, the more ideas
would blossom and help in developing various things.
2. It answers some of the questions we have in life - when people proposes theories or philosophies,
it helps answers some of the questions we have since it opens up discussions.
3. It becomes a platform for discussion - people like discussing things and theories and philosophies
included. We could discuss the cure for various illnesses or the ways on how the government should
work.
4. It helps us with our daily life - whenever we wake up in the morning, we ask ourselves the reason
on why we do so. Thinking about it or philosophizing about it helps us to get things done.
5. It answers some of life's greatest questions - this might include our purpose in Earth, the origin of
Earth, and others.

The Difference Between Holistic Perspective from a

Partial Point of View
✓ Holistic thinking refers to a perspective that considers large-scale patterns in
systems. A holistic perspective requires an individual to have an open mindset and
ability to get the general sense or impression regarding a situation.
• Looks at all aspects of the given problem or situation.
• All aspects are given importance when making conclusions.
• All aspects are tied in together to form a general overview of the problem
or situation.

✓ Partial thinking focuses on specific aspects of a situation. The partial view is an

important component of analytical thinking, as an individual focused on certain
areas or aspects of a problem in order to understand it.
• Looks at only limited number of aspects of the given problem or situation.
• Conclusion are made based on considering some, but not all, sides of the
problem or situation

The term "holistic thinking" refers to a big picture mentality in which a person recognizes the
interconnectedness of various elements that form larger systems, patterns and objects.
Thinking holistically is the opposite of analyzing something, which involves breaking down a
larger system into its details.

Partial Point of View/Thinking looks at only limited number aspects of the given problem or
situation. The conclusions are made based on considering some, but not all sides of the
problem or situation. On the other hand, Holistic Perspective/Thinking looks at all aspects of
the given problem or situation. All aspects are given importance when making conclusions. All
aspects are tied in together to form a general overview of the problem or situation.

In philosophy, point of view describes the perception of an event or phenomenon and how
exactly it is viewed. Point of view often is shaped by an individual's beliefs or experiences.
Though partial thinking is useful, philosophy utilizes holistic thinking in making sense of
problems and issues related to the human experience.
People tend to apply an analytical perspective when looking at problems or situations. A
holistic view gives rise to a more appreciative perspective about life, as we are able to look at
life in its totality.

BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY
The following are the branches of philosophy that deals with a particular aspect of life or
phenomena.

Aesthetics is the branch of Philosophy which deals with beauty and what makes things
“beautiful”.

• The word "aesthetics" derives from the Greek "aisthetikos", meaning "of sense
perception".
• Concerned with the analysis of the aesthetic experience and the idea of what is
beautiful.

Logic is branch of philosophy which deals with correct reasoning.

• Attempts to distinguish good reasoning from bad reasoning.

• It asks questions like "What is correct reasoning?", "What distinguishes a good
argument from a bad one?", "How can we detect a fallacy in reasoning?"

Epistemology discusses the nature of knowledge and knowing.

• Epistemological Questions include, what does knowledge mean? How does a person
get to know something? What is the basis for true knowledge?
• Knowledge is justified, true belief (Possible to justify the claim, a fact and the person
must believe in it)

Ethics is the branch which deals with moral questions and dilemmas.
• Concerned with questions of how human persons ought to act, in the search of
definition of right conduct and a good life.
Ethics vs Morality
• Ethics "theory" of the rightness and wrongness of a human action and a science of
morals.
• Morality is the "practice" of the rightness and wrongness of a human action

Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy which deals with questions regarding reality and
existence.
• The word has its etymology in Aristotle’s book in Greek, ta meta physika, meaning
beyond (meta) the physical (physika) things.
• Concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world.