Objectives

• Discuss philosophy as science

• Identify and discuss of the branches of philosophy
• Discuss the origins of philosophy
• Enumerate and discuss the characteristics of philosophy
• Enumerate and discuss the development that brought about the emergence of
Western philosophy
• Identify notable ancient philosophers and discuss their significant ideas and
achievements
• Discuss how ancient philosophy developed into modern science
• Discuss significant aspects of Eastern Philosophy and discuss its related schools
of thought and belief system
• Compare Eastern and Western philosophy
• Discuss their thoughts regarding the importance of philosophy in their lives
What is Philosophy?

Read and analyze the following conversation between a high school

teacher and her student in class:

Teacher: “John what would you like to be when you grow up?”
John: “Ma’am, I want to be happy!”
Teacher: “John, you did not understand my question”
John: “Ma’am, you do not understand what life is all about”
1. Do you think John answered his Teacher’s question correctly?
2. What do you think was John’s interpretation of his teacher’s
question?
3. Based on his responses, what kind of student do you imagine John
to be?
4. How is Philosophy related to this situation?
 truth

understanding knowledge

PHILOSOPHY

reasoning wisdom
logic
 Philosophy: What is it and where did it originate?

Philosophy – comes from the two Greek word: philos (love) and Sophia
(wisdom). The ancient Greeks used this term to refer to a “love of
wisdom” and was soon applied to a science and discipline which uses
human reason to investigate the ultimate causes, reasons, and
principles which govern all things. The Mathematician Pythagoras was
the first to call himself a philosopho, a term which means “ a lover of
wisdom”.
what developments brought about the emergence of Western Philosophy?

Western Philosophy – primarily concerned with uncovering truth through

systematic argumentation and theory. There is greater emphasis on the use of
reason rather than faith, and increased focus on man as an individual .

Greece was home to one of the great civilizations during the Ancient period.
Among the most notable characteristics of ancient Greek civilization was their
love of learning.
The first philosophers are called the Pre-Socratics since they came before the
time of Socrates. Thales was the earliest philosopher to inquire about the
world and explain the composition of things and the changes in the physical
reality. This is why Thales is considered to be the father of Western
Philosophy.

Sophists - emerged and they influenced learning in Ancient Greece. They

taught a way of argumentation called eristic, which aimed to win arguments
rather than arrive at the truth.
Greek Philosophers

Thales (624 BCE-546 BCE) – he believed

that the ultimate composition of all things
is water. Thales believed that all things
take nourishment from water and he
considered heat as being generated and
maintained by the amount of moisture in
an object.
Greek Philosophers

Anaximander (610 BCE-546 BCE) – a student

of Thales, Anaximander agreed with his
teacher that everything comes from a single,
basic material. He argued, however, that
matter is not composed of water or any
other element. Its is his view that all things
are created and emerged from indefinite
and boundless realm called apeiron.
 Greek Philosophers

Anaximenes (589 BCE-528 BCE) – he was a

young associate of Anaximander who
followed Thale’s view of matter of being
created from a single element. He believed
that it is air that makes up all things and that
different elements and substances are
merely different phases of air and he
considered air as the source of all life.
Greek Philosophers

Pythagoras (570 BCE-495 BCE) – a

mathematician and scientist, he was
credited with the formulation of the
Pythagorean theorem. His work earned
him many followers, and he established a
community of learners who were
devoted to the study of religion and
 Greek Philosophers

Heraclitus (535 BCE-475 BCE) – he

proposed that everything that exist is based
on a higher order or plan which he called
logos. For him, change is a permanent
aspect of the human condition. He is
credited with the saying “You cannot step
twice into the same river, for fresh water
are ever flowing upon you.”
Greek Philosophers

Democritus (460 BCE-370 BCE) – he

devoted himself to studying the causes of
natural phenomena. He was among the
first to propose that matter is composed
of tiny particles called atoms.
 Greek Philosophers

Diogenes of Sinope (412 BCE-323 BCE) –

he was known advocate of a simple and
virtuous life. For him, one should not talk
of virtue but should show it in words and
action. His teaching and views were later
developed by his followers and
influenced the development of Cynicism.
 Greek Philosophers
Epicurus (341 BCE-270 BCE) – he was a practical
philosopher and believed that philosophy could
enable man to live a life of happiness. He
denounced certain pleasures of the body that
were unnatural and stated that continuous
indulgence in bodily pleasures of the mind instead
of the body. His views gave rise to Epicureanism –
a school of philosophy which believes that wisdom
and simple living will result in a life free from fear
and pain.
 Greek Philosophers

Socrates (470 BCE-399 BCE) – he was

considered the foremost philosophers of
ancient times and made great
contributions to the field of ethics.

Socratic Method – a means of examining

a topic by devising a series of questions
that lets learner examine and analyze his
knowledge and views regarding the topic.
 Greek Philosophers

Plato (427 BCE-347 BCE) – a student of

Socrates, he wrote down his teacher’s
writings and incorporated some of his own
ideas into them.

Theory of forms-proposes that everything

that exist is based on an idea or template that
can only be perceived in the mind; these
nonphysical ideas are eternal and unchanging.
 Greek Philosophers

Plato (427 BCE-347 BCE) – 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. Plato’s lasting contribution to
learning was his founding of the Academy,
an institution of higher learning which was
the first of its kind in the West.
 Greek Philosophers
Aristotle (384 BCE-322 BCE) – He attended the
Academy, and was a prominent student of Plato.
Aristotle, however, disagreed with Plato’s theory of
forms and took a different view in interpreting
reality. For him, all ideas and views are based on
perception and our reality.

Deductive Reasoning – the process by which

specific statements are analyzed to reach a
conclusion or generalization. He founded his own
school called the Lyceum.
 Greek Philosophers
Archimedes (287 BCE-212 BCE) – He is
known for the practical aspects of his
philosophical inquiries and was
considered a leading scientist in ancient
times. A mathematician, physicist,
engineer, inventor, and astronomer.
Archimedes' inquiries into mathematics
led to earlier developments which gave
rise to analyze natural phenomena.