Lesson 1: Doing Philosophy
He went on to
Philosophy as defined by The Editors of Encyclopaedia
Britannica (2020) (comes from Greek, by way of Latin,
philosophia, “love of wisdom”) the rational, abstract,
and methodical consideration of reality as a whole or of
fundamental dimensions of human existence and
experience.
Origin of Philosophy
Greece is the birthplace of philosophy in the West. To
be more precise it is the ancient Greek city of Miletus in
the Western coast of what is now Turkey that gave
birth to philosophy. It is in this city that the first
philosopher in the West, Thales, lived. Thales is the
Father of Philosophy in the Western civilization.
Thales approach highlights the difference between
religion and philosophy. Religion rests on faith while
philosophy rests on reason.
SOCRATES, PLATO, AND ARISTOTLE: THE BIG THREE IN
GREEK PHILOSOPHY
Socrates Athens’ Street – Corner Philosopher
Socrates was the big-city philosopher in ancient Athens.
Accused and convicted of corrupting the youth,
Socrates didn't write books; he just liked to ask probing
and sometimes humiliating questions, which gave rise to
the famous Socratic Method of Teaching. This
Socrates did not write philosophical texts, the
knowledge of the mass, his life, and his philosophy is
entirely based on writings by his students and
contemporaries
Plato The philosopher who would be king
Plato original is Aristocles; Plato was just a nickname
given to him by his friends made to his broad shoulders.
Plato became an enthusiastic and talented student of
Socrates and wrote famous dialogues featuring his
teacher verbally grappling with opponents. Our wrestler
believed in the pre - existence and immortality of the
soul, holding that life is nothing more than the
imprisonment of the soul in a body.
Plato founded a school name Academia and Aristotle
founded a school name Lyceum
Aristotle A long walk to the Golden Mean
Aristotle was Plato's best student.
become the very well- paid tutor of Alexander the Great
He was called a peripatetic philosopher (peripateo = “to
walk around”) because he liked to lecture to his
students while taking a walk.
Aristotle’s thought is that happiness is the goal of life.
The founder of logical theory, Aristotle believed that the
greatest human endeavor is the use of reason in
theoretical activity. One of his best known ideas was his
conception of “The Golden Mean” – “Avoid extremes”
the counsel of moderation in all things.
Major branches of Philosophy
Ethics – Greek term “Ethos” which means moral
philosophy (human conduct). Deals with norms or
standard of right and wrong. Considered “prescriptive”
prescribe what people ought to do rather than describes
what people do
Aesthetics – Greek word “Aisthetikos” which means
Sensitive or Perspective. Concerned with analysis of
aesthetic experience and the idea of what is beautiful.
Epistemology – Greek word “Episteme” which means
knowledge major concern empiricism (given by
experience)
Logic – Rules or principles that govern reasoning
(deduction and induction)
Metaphysics – After Physics (Nature of Reality).
Metaphysicians reflect on the subject of appearance
(how something looks by how it appears) and reality
(that which actually is)
Holistic Perspective According to Mirza Iqbal Ashraf
(2012), the concept of “whole as greater than the sum
of its parts” has ancient roots. But the term “holism”
(more reasonably but less often spelled „wholism‟) as
fully developed rarely appears in anyone‟s conversation
except somewhat narrowly in that of the philosophers
or sociologists.
Looks at all aspects of the given problem or situation
Smuts, arguing in the Holism and Evolution (1926) says:
“This factor, called Holism in the sequel, underlies the
synthetic tendency in the universe, and is the principle
which makes for the origin and progress of ‘wholes’ in
the universe. . . this whole- making or holistic tendency
is fundamental in nature, that it has a well-marked
ascertainable character, and that Evolution is nothing
but the gradual development of progressive series of
wholes, stretching from inorganic beginnings to the
highest levels of spiritual creation.”
Partial Point of View As cited by Rogationist College,
Cavite (2020), It is a perspective that is based on one of
the component parts of a whole. A partial point of view
is a perspective that looks at reality based on a single or
partial component of a system whereas the holistic
perspective tries to broaden the understanding of
reality by taking considerations of other possible causal
agents or factors
Looks at only a limited number of aspects of the given
problem or situation
Wisdom, sapience, or sagacity is the ability to
contemplate and act productively using knowledge,
experience, understanding, common sense, and insight.
Reason, in philosophy, the faculty or process of drawing
logical inferences. The term “reason” is also used in
several other, narrower senses.
Idealism is the metaphysical view that associate’s reality
to ideas in the mind rather than to material objects. It
lays emphasis on the mental or spiritual components of
experience, and renounces the notion of material
existence.
There are three (3) reasons why the human person
relates himself to society.
Survival-the state of continuing to live or to exist
Gregariousness- the quality of enjoying the company of
other people
The third reason of relating oneself with society is for
specialization. It is not unusual to find among Ilocanos,
Bicolanos, Cebuanos, Tagalogs, Pangasinenses, Muslim
students and other cultural group the desire to form
themselves into one association, organization, club,
varsitarian or society.
There are five (5) determinants on how the human
person relates himself to the world.
1. Genetics play only a small role in the human
person's relationship with the world. There are
good qualities and characteristics as well as
things he doesn't like that were inherited.
2. Self-image- A human person finds his own level.
A human person with a negative self-image will
expect the worst, damage relationship and find
others similarly negative. On the other hand,
those with positive self-image will expect the
best for themselves. And those who have both
positive and negative self-image are likely to be
highly successful see others, the society and the
world is potentially successful.
3. Life-experiences - Life experiences affect his
relationships with the world. The human person
responds to what he is prepared to believe. The
human person may choose the experience he
has now. He chooses his careers. He chooses
when to take a vacation or work' abroad. He
chooses when to marry. The human person
cannot undo his past experience, but he can
reprogram
himself using new ones.
4. Attitudes and Choices - The human person has
a limited control over his experiences but he has
complete control over his attitudes. His
attitudes will make or unmake a human person.
It's all his choice. There is a saying "I may not be
able to change the world I see around me, but I
can change what I see within me".
5. Friends and Associates - The human person's
friends and associates affect his relationships
with the world. Friends shape the human
person. The people he chooses to spend time
with will change the human person. The way he
views the world is determined by who the
person is, no one can get away from this truth.
If the human person change himself and
become the kind of person he desires to be, he
will begin to view others in totality and that will
change the way the person interact in all his
relationships to the world.
Methods of Philosophizing
Truth- The quality of words, statements, beliefs, ideas,
or propositions that are stated, in everyday
conversation, to concur with the facts or to state the
case is known as truth in metaphysics and in the
philosophy of language. Most frequently, it refers to
faithfulness to an original or standard as well as being in
line with fact or reality. In contemporary situations, the
concept of "truth to self" or authenticity is often used to
describe truth.
Propositions is a statement about the world or reality.
Propositions may or may not carry truth.

Knowledge is the clear awareness and understanding of

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

Facts are propositions or statement which are observe

to be real or truthful.

Claim is a statement that is not evidently or

immediately known to be true. This means that any
claim can be proven by verification and
experimentation.

Fallacies

Ad hominem - attacking the person presenting the

argument instead of the argument itself

Appeal to force - using the threat of force or an

undesirable event to advance an argument.

Appeal to emotion - using emotions such as pity or

sympathy

Appeal to the popular - the idea is presented as

acceptable because a lot of people accept it.
Transcendence - Existence or experience beyond the
Appeal to tradition - the idea is acceptable because it
has been true for a long time. normal or physical level

Begging the question - assuming the thing or idea to be
proven is true; also known as circular argument.
Cause-and- effect - assuming “cause-and- effect”
relationship between unrelated events
Transcendence often refers to an experience with the
divine or God, which is conceived as absolute, eternal,
and infinite.
The Eightfold Path” of buddhism shown below:

Fallacy of composition - assuming that what is true of a 1. Right view- a correct understanding of the nature of
part is true for the whole things, specifically the Four Noble Truths;

Fallacy of division - assuming that what is true for the 2. Right intention, eliminating thoughts of attachment,
whole is true for its parts. detestation, and harmful intent,

Lesson 3: Human Person as Embodies Spirit 3. Right speech, abstaining from verbal offenses such as
lying, divisive speech, unforgiving speech, and irrational
speech,

4. Right action, refraining from physical offenses such as

murdering, thieving, and sexual misbehavior,

5. Right livelihood, evading trades that directly or

indirectly damage others, such as trading slaves,
weapons, animals for butchery, intoxicants, or poisons,

6. Right effort, forsaking undesirable states of mind that

have already arisen, preventing undesirable states that
have yet to arise, and sustaining positive states that with our faculties guides us toward a deeper
have already arisen. religious perspective’.

7. Right concentration, single-mindedness. Herbert Marcuse- said about the power of humans
over nature, while George Herbert Mead tackled
8. Right mindfulness, consciousness of body, feelings,
about our duties and responsibilities.
thought, and phenomena.
Deep Ecology
Lesson 4: The Human Person in Their Environment
Is an ecological philosophy developed by Norwegian
1. Anthropocentric Model. Based on the
philosopher Arne Naess in the early 1970’s asserting
anthropocentric model, humans are superior
that all life forms have equal right to exist, and
and central to the universe, thus, it is human
human needs and desires have no priority over
centered.
those other organisms. Believes that the living
2. Ecocentric Model. It is the ecological or
environment should be respected and regarded as
relational integrity of the humans that provides
having rights to flourish, independents of its utility
meaning of our morals and values and it is
to humans.
nature centered. Devoted to preserving the
totality of Earth’s biodiversity and the Social Ecology
functioning of its life –supporting system
It is critical theory founded by American Anarchist
3. Biocentrism refers to all environmental ethics
and libertarian socialist author Murray Bookchin.
that extend the status of moral object from
Conceptualized as a critique of current social,
human beings to all other living things in nature.
political, and anti-ecological trends, it espouses a
In a narrow sense, it emphasizes the value and
reconstructive, ecological, communitarian, and
rights of organic individuals, believing that
ethical approach to society.
moral priority should be given to the survival of
individual living beings. Ecofeminism
Environmental Disorder- occurs when the order of It is also called ecological feminism, branch of
things is disrupted. In order to for us to help maintain its feminism that examines the connections between
order of things we have to apply environmental women and nature. Its name was coined by French
aesthetics (the field of Philosophy that studies ways in feminist Francoise d’Eaubonne in 1974. A
which humans experience the world through their philosophical idea that combines feminism and
senses) ecology concerns,
A. Ancient Thinker emphasizing that both suffer from their treatment
by male dominant society. Comes from the idea that
Anaximander- a pre-Socratic philosopher and
women and nature have significant connections,
scientist said about the creation-Destruction. According
since women most often have a close association
to him, the sketch of the genesis of the world
with nature in many societies due to the nature of
(cosmology), the evolution of the world begins with the
their traditional roles.
generation of opposites in certain region Nature. Nature
is indeterminate-boundless in the sense that no Prudence is defined as the ability to have good
boundaries between the warm and or the moist and dry judgment that allows avoidance of dangers and
regions are originally present within. risks. Meanwhile, frugality is the act of using money
or other resources wisely and practically.
Pythagoras- “universe is a living embodiment of
nature’s order, harmony and beauty. Prudence covers good judgment, considering the
consequences of an action, using common sense
A. Modern Thinker
and discretion, exercising caution, and conforming
Immanuel Kant- ‘beauty is ultimately a symbol of to reason and decency
morality (goodness). He believes that the
orderliness of nature and the harmony of nature
Frugality The quality of being thrifty, sparing or
economical in the consumption of resources and
avoiding waste, lavishness, or extravagance

• WASH - promote hygiene, improve access to

water and sanitation
• Natural Gas - belongs to renewable resources
• Coal - Do not belong to the renewable resources
• Soil conservation and restoration techniques-
Solution to soil degradation
• Reforestation (replanting native trees) - Solution
to cover forest
• Protecting and restoring habitats - Solution to
species extinction