Ezekiel Espinosa

BSIT 1-C

2nd Activity: History of Philosophy

1. What is Philosophy?

Answer:

A definition of philosophy is notoriously difficult. However, it is important,

for anyone writing or training about doing philosophy, first of all to spell out what
they mean by it so that the reader has some idea about what kind of philosophy
they will encounter and, when training people to facilitate philosophy, to provide
criteria.

The Philosophy Foundation’s account attempts to capture something of its spirit,

structure, content, method, aims and hopes, but our account is inextricably
personal to us and culturally specific. So, consistent with the philosophical spirit
we’ve tried to illustrate here, one might wonder whether philosophy is – at least in
addition to what we have said it is – something other than what we have said it is;
to accept our account uncritically would not be very philosophical, after all.

Philosophy is a way of thinking about certain subjects such as ethics, thought,

existence, time, meaning and value. That 'way of thinking' involves 4 Rs:
responsiveness, reflection, reason and re-evaluation. The aim is to deepen
understanding. The hope is that by doing philosophy we learn to think better, to
act more wisely, and thereby help to improve the quality of all our lives.

2. What is your Philosophy in Life?

Answer:

Mine is very simple; to be a happy go lucky guy, meaning to live in the moment.
No worries about what will happen later or tomorrow. Not saying that I don't have
any holy grail for my future rather be happy with what I have as of the moment.

Also, trust no one but yourself. It's hard to stay yourself. It's going to get harder
as you move along. But remember, at the end of the day, it's the easiest way to
be. I am not saying I don’t want to make any friends along my journey; I am just
emphasizing to be vigilant on the people that you interact with because all of your
friends now were strangers before you became friends.

3. Differentiate Western Philosophy from Eastern Philosophy.

Answers:

● Western philosophy is mainly used in the Western parts of the world, such
as in European countries, while the Eastern philosophy is prevalent in
Asian countries.
● Western philosophy deals with Individualism while Eastern Philosophy is
related to Collectivism.
● Both philosophies center on virtues.
● Eastern philosophy takes more of a spiritual approach while Western
philosophy is more hands-on.

4. Periods of Philosophy

Answers:

● Renaissance Philosophy Period - Renaissance philosophy can be seen

as a rebirth, for it encompasses the rediscovery of Plato and
Neoplatonism , the revival of such ancient systems as Stoicism and
scepticism, and a renewed interest in magic and the occult. Continuity with
the Middle Ages is equally important. Despite the attacks of humanists
and Platonists, Aristotelianism predominated throughout the Renaissance,
and many philosophers continued to work within the scholastic tradition .

● Enlightenment Philosophy Period - the Enlightenment is conceived

broadly. D’Alembert, a leading figure of the French Enlightenment,
characterizes his eighteenth century, in the midst of it, as “the century of
philosophy par excellence”, because of the tremendous intellectual and
scientific progress of the age, but also because of the expectation of the
age that philosophy (in the broad sense of the time, which includes the
natural and social sciences) would dramatically improve human life.
Guided by D’Alembert’s characterization of his century, the Enlightenment
is conceived here as having its primary origin in the scientific revolution of
the 16th and 17th centuries. The rise of the new science progressively
undermines not only the ancient geocentric conception of the cosmos, but
also the set of presuppositions that had served to constrain and guide
philosophical inquiry in the earlier times. The dramatic success of the new
science in explaining the natural world promotes philosophy from a
handmaiden of theology, constrained by its purposes and methods, to an
independent force with the power and authority to challenge the old and
construct the new, in the realms both of theory and practice, on the basis
of its own principles. Taking as the core of the Enlightenment the
aspiration for intellectual progress, and the belief in the power of such
progress to improve human society and individual lives, this entry includes
 descriptions of relevant aspects of the thought of earlier thinkers, such as
Hobbes, Locke, Descartes, Bayle, Leibniz, and Spinoza, thinkers whose
contributions are indispensable to understanding the eighteenth century
as “the century of philosophy par excellence”.

● 19th Century philosophy Period - the struggle for recognition,

voluntarism versus determinism, theory and praxis, fear and anxiety,
liberty and power. You will also be introduced to some of the most
important philosophical movements of thought: Marxism, liberalism,
existentialism and nihilism.

● 20th Century/ the contemporary period - twentieth-century philosophy

has a number of broadly characteristic and widely shared concerns. These
include the ambition to clarify the nature and foundations of scientific
knowledge; a concern with questions of meaning or sense in abeyance of
assured theological or metaphysical foundations; questions about the role
of mind, meaning, and value in the physical world; questions about the
possibility and nature of an absolute or objective description of the world
as a whole; questions about the relationship of language to thought and
consciousness; and questions about the relationship of individual
experience and freedom to broader systems of abstract rationality and
collective practice. Much, though by no means all, of twentieth-century
philosophy can be understood as taking or following the “linguistic turn.”

5. Branches of Philosophy

Answers:

● Metaphysics

Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that considers the physical universe and
the nature of ultimate reality. It asks questions like, What is real? What is the
origin of the world? What is beyond the stars? Your consideration of reality as an
external creation or an internal construct can influence your metaphysical beliefs
and perspectives and your teaching. Regardless of your definition of reality, the
exploration and categorization of the physical universe form the foundation of
several school subjects.

● Epistemology
 Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that considers how people come to
learn what they know.

Derived from the Greek word episteme, meaning knowledge or understanding,

epistemology refers to the nature and origin of knowledge and truth.
Epistemology proposes that there are four main bases of knowledge: divine
revelation, experience, logic and reason, and intuition. These influence how
teaching, learning, and understanding come about in the classroom.

● Axiology

Axiology is the branch of philosophy that considers the study of principles and
values. These values are divided into two main kinds: ethics and aesthetics.
Ethics is the questioning of morals and personal values. Aesthetics is the
examination of what is beautiful, enjoyable, or tasteful. In axiology education is
more than just about knowledge but also quality of life.

● Logic

Logic is the branch of philosophy that seeks to organize reasoning. Students of

logic learn how to think in a structurally sound manner. Logic has two types:
deductive and inductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning involves examining a
general case, deducing a general set of rules or principles, and then applying
these rules to specific cases. Inductive reasoning involves taking specific
examples and considering the general principles, rules, or cases that caused
them.
 References:
What is Philosophy?(n.d). The Philosophy Foundation. Retrieved 11 Nov. 2022,
from https://www.philosophy-foundation.org/what-is-philosophy.

Celine,(n.d). Differences between Eastern and Western Philosophy. Retrieved 11

Nov. 2022, from http://www.differencebetween.net/science/differences-between-
eastern-and-western-philosophy/#:~:text=Western%20philosophy%20deals
%20with%20Individualism,philosophy%20is%20more%20hands%2Don.

Ashworth, E.(1998). Renaissance philosophy. In The Routledge Encyclopedia of

Philosophy. Taylor and Francis. Retrieved 11 Nov. 2022, from
https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/overview/renaissance-philosophy/v-1.

Bristow, W. (2010, Aug.). Enlightenment. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Revised 29 Aug. 2017. Retrieved 11 Nov. 2022, from
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/enlightenment/.

Livingston, P.(2017). Twentieth-century philosophy. In The Routledge

Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Taylor and Francis. Retrieved 11 Nov. 2022, from
https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/overview/twentieth-century-philosophy/v-1
Lynch, M. (2016) What you need to know as an Educator: Understanding the 4
Main Branches of Philosophy. In The Advocate. Retrieved 11 Nov. 2022, from
https://www.theedadvocate.org/need-know-education-understanding-4-main-
branches-philosophy/.