PERFORMANCE

TASK
IN
PHILOSOPHY

Submitted to: Fr. Edwin Semilla

Submitted by: Kyla Nicole Rosuelo
PHILOSOPHERS
Ancient Time

Aristotle
Contribution to the world
He invented the Logic of the Categorical Syllogism. Syllogism is a certain form of
reasoning where a conclusion is made based on two premises. These premises always have a
common or middle term to associate them, but this binding term is absent in the conclusion. This
process of logical deduction was invented by Aristotle, and perhaps lies at the heart of all his
famous achievements. He was the first person to come up with an authentic and logical procedure
to conclude a statement based on the propositions that were at hand. These propositions or premises
were either provided as facts or simply taken as assumptions. For instance: Socrates is a man. All
men are mortal. These two premises can be concluded as “Socrates is mortal.” In addition, he also
influences in the History of Psychology. Aristotle was the first to write a book that dealt with the
specifics of psychology: De Anima or On the Soul. In this book, he proposes the idea of abstraction
that reigns over the body and mind of a human being. The body and mind exist within the same
being and are intertwined in such a way that the mind is one of the many basic functions of the
body. In a more detailed psychological analysis, he divides the human intellect into two essential
categories: the passive intellect and the active intellect. According to Aristotle, it is in human
nature to imitate something that, even if on a mere superficial level, provides us with a sense of
happiness and satisfaction. Perhaps the highlight of his psychological observations has been the
delicate connection that binds human psychology with human physiology. His contributions were
a giant leap forward from the pre-scientific era psychology that went before him and led us into an
age of far more precise qualitative and quantitative analysis. Lastly, Poetics, Many of the records
of Aristotle’s views on art and poetry, much like many other documents of his philosophical and
literary works, were composed around 330 BC. Most of these exist and survive to this day because
they were duly noted down and preserved by his pupils during his lectures. Aristotle’s insight into
poetics primarily revolves around drama. During a later period when Aristotelianism was gaining
more ground around the world, his original take on drama was divided into two separate segments.
The first part focused on tragedy and epic, and the second part discussed the various details of
comedy. According to Aristotle, a good tragedy should involve the audience and make them feel
katharsis (a sense of purification through pity and fear).
Why did you choose this philosopher?
I chose Aristotle because of his definition of happiness, according to him “Happiness
depends on ourselves”. His definition of happiness has a big impact for me because I observe
myself that I am looking for other people’s happiness and not our own happiness. In our lives, we
always try to make a good impression on others so that they will not speak badly about us. Then
suddenly I realized that happiness will come when we start valuing ourselves the way we deserve
and we will understand that happiness will only depends on ourselves. We have to believe in
ourselves and stop depending on their approval in order for us to be happy.
Thales of Miletus
Contribution to the world
He made important contribution to astronomy, mathematics and philosophy as Bertrand
Russell said “western philosophy begins with Thales”. Aristotle also described him as the first
philosopher among Greeks. He not only influenced the later philosophers but also played important
role in development of philosophy. He initiated a new tradition that is negation of previous
influence of mythology in providing an explanation of the natural phenomena or existence. This
altogether brought about revolution in philosophy. Instead of conventional ideas, he advanced
scientific method by setting forth hypothesis and then identified the underlying principles. He
influenced later Greek thinkers and philosophers such as Pythagoras and others. His essential
belief was as Laertius said “Water constituted the principles of all things”.

Why did you choose this philosopher?

I chose Thales of Miletus because according to him “The most difficult thing in life is to
know yourself”. It is really hard to find ourselves it has a very long process and I am willing to
wait until I finish processing myself because this process will make myself know the inner me so
that I will know my strengths and weaknesses and what kind of person I’m exactly are. I have to
give time for myself because at the end of the day I will only have myself.
Medieval Period

Thomas Aquinas
Contribution to the world
St. Thomas Aquinas was a great thinker and philosopher who contributed to humanity
through the development of his ideas. His theory was based on observation, experience and
academic study. In spite of having a Christian formation and of having dedicated his life to
Christianity, in general, his ideas could develop beyond that. With a logical and often objective
thought, he put aside his Christian essence to bring great knowledge to humanity in general.
Theology. About God, St. Thomas Aquinas developed the idea of what or who God is. And he did
it by means of positive ideas trying to discover his nature. In his deductive thinking, St. Thomas
Aquinas said that God is simple, perfect, infinite, immutable and unique. According to St. Thomas,
God is not composed of parts, that is, he has no body and soul, neither matter nor form. Philosophy.
Thomas Aquinas and Aristotle, from the philosophical point of view, Aquino was characterized
by being Aristotelian. He took the physical analysis of objects as a starting point. Taking the ideas
and research of Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas deepened his gaze on knowledge and managed to
convey a totally different and more intellectual perception of what had never been done.
Psychology. Thomas Aquinas and morality, another of the contributions of St. Thomas Aquinas
to our humanity lies within the area of psychology. At least, the reading of his documents allowed
to open extensive debates about his reflection. Punctually, he referred to free will provoking an
infinity of deductions and studies in this field. Metaphysics, the idea of the static, one of the fields
in which Saint Thomas Aquinas most innovated was in metaphysics. However, the whole line of
thought was closely related to their religious beliefs. The Supreme God is always at the top of the
pyramid.
Why did you choose this philosopher?
I choose this philosopher because of his quote “nothing in this world more to be prized that
friendship”. Because friends can help you to grow can help you in times of needs, and value us
the most.
John Duns Scotus
Contribution to the world
Scotus contributed to a more exact understanding of the relation between philosophy and
theology. He emphasized the practical and affective nature of theology, denying to it the rigorous
demonstrative quality of the Aristotelian sciences. Scotus, however, shared with St. Thomas
Aquinas the belief that truth was one and that theology and philosophy do not contradict each
other but represent two different approaches to the same truth. The relation of philosophy and
theology, for Scotus, was based on the nature of their respective sources: reason and revelation.
Scotus's formulation of this problem followed the pattern established by St. Thomas Aquinas,
although Scotus restricted the number of theological truths that could be established by natural
reason, unaided by revelation.
Why did you choose this philosopher?
I choose this philosopher because argued that it is better to construct a metaphysical argument
for the existence of God, rather than the more common physical argument from motion.
Modern Era

Karl Marx
Contribution to the world

He put forward the theory of alienation concerning the worker under capitalism. The notion
of Alienation is central to Marx’s early writings. He first expressed his theory of alienation in his
Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, which were unpublished in his lifetime. In the
work, Marx depicts the worker under capitalism as suffering from four types of alienated labor.
First, from the product, which is determined by the capitalist class and over which he had no
control; second, from the process of production, as he is controlled and told what to do and his
labor is not voluntary but due to wage compulsion; third, from himself, as during work he does not
belong to himself but to another person and as he cannot develop the many sides of his personality
but has to work as a cog in a gigantic production apparatus; and fourth, from other workers, as he
is pitted against them in a competition for “higher wages” and as he is part of a competitive labor-
market instead of a collective effort for the betterment of society. Marx’s theory of alienation is
one of the most influential concepts of his early work. He authored the famous marxist theory of
historical materialism. One of the most important contributions of Karl Marx is his theory of
historical materialism. It is stated most comprehensively in Die Deutsche Ideologie (The German
Ideology), a set of manuscripts co-authored by Marx and Friedrich Engels in 1846. Marx’s theory
of history sees human society as being fundamentally determined at any given time by its material
conditions, or the relationships which people have with each other for producing and reproducing
the means of human existence. Marx identified six successive stages of the development of these
material conditions in Western Europe: primitive communism; slave society; feudalism;
capitalism; socialism; and communism. He thoroughly analyzed capitalism as it was the stage he
lived in and he predicted that it would eventually be replaced by first socialism and then
communism. Marx’s theory of history is centered around the idea that forms of society rise and
fall as they further, and then impede the development of human productive power.
Why did you choose this philosopher?
I choose this philosopher because of his quote “follow your own path, no matter what
people say”. I will relate this to myself because I am starting to follow my own path because I
know I can even though there are people will bring me down, I will just let them do that until
they are tired and it is also a motivation for me to prove that they are wrong.
Immanuel Kant
Contribution to the world
His contributions to metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics have had a profound
impact on almost every philosophical movement that followed him. This article focuses on his
metaphysics and epistemology in one of his most important works, The Critique of Pure Reason.
A large part of Kant’s work addresses the question “What can we know?” The answer, if it can be
stated simply, is that our knowledge is constrained to mathematics and the science of the natural,
empirical world. It is impossible, Kant argues, to extend knowledge to the super sensible realm of
speculative metaphysics. The reason that knowledge has these constraints, Kant argues, is that the
mind plays an active role in constituting the features of experience and limiting the mind’s access
only to the empirical realm of space and time.
Why did you choose this philosopher?
I choose this philosopher because according to his quote “do the right thing because it is
right”. This quotes reminds me of how down I am to the point that I let other people control me
and dictate me. But I’ve realized that I should do what is right for myself because I’m done
tolerating what they are doing to me.
Contemporary

Karl Jasper
Contribution to the world
In Philosophy (3 vols, 1932), Jaspers gave his view of the history of philosophy and
introduced his major themes. Beginning with modern science and empiricism, Jaspers points out
that as we question reality, we confront borders that an empirical (or scientific) method simply
cannot transcend. At this point, the individual faces a choice: sink into despair and resignation, or
take a leap of faith toward what Jaspers calls Transcendence. In making this leap, individuals
confront their own limitless freedom, which Jaspers calls Existenz, and can finally experience
authentic existence. Transcendence (paired with the term The Encompassing in later works) is, for
Jaspers, that which exists beyond the world of time and space. Jaspers' formulation of
Transcendence as ultimate non-objectivity (or no-thing-ness) has led many philosophers to argue
that ultimately this indicated that Jaspers had become a monist, though Jaspers himself continually
stressed the necessity of recognizing the validity of the concepts both of subjectivity and of
objectivity. Although he rejected explicit religious doctrines, including the notion of a personal
God, Jaspers influenced contemporary theology through his philosophy of transcendence and the
limits of human experience. Mystic Christian traditions influenced Jaspers himself tremendously,
particularly those of Meister Eckhart and of Nicholas of Cusa. He also took an active interest in
Eastern philosophies, particularly Buddhism, and developed the theory of an Axial Age, a period
of substantial philosophical and religious development. Jaspers also entered public debates with
Rudolf Bultmann, wherein Jaspers roundly criticized Bultmann's "demythologizing" of
Christianity.
Why did you choose this philosopher?
I choose this philosopher because his quotes motivates me and his quotes have sense and it is all
about science.
Thomas Kuhn
Contribution to the world
Thomas Samuel Kuhn was one of the few philosophers of sciences who had influenced
scientists. Kuhn as one of the historically most significant philosophers of the twentieth century,
and his influence beyond the philosophy of the science. It is not only in the history of science but
also in the widely variety of areas in humanities and social sciences. The famous of his work was
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions in 1962. (Andersen, 2001) It is a foundation of the
contemporary scientific thinking research. Whether approved or criticism, the fact that the theory
of him was being applied in a wide range of areas of academic, intellectual, and social activity.
His contribution to the philosophy science was not only a break with several important positivist
doctrines but also inaugurated a new style of philosophy of science that brought it much closer to
the history of science. (Bird, 2000) This essay will explain Kuhn’s paradigm, critical of his
viewpoint and explanation of how science develops.
Why did you choose this philosopher?
I choose this philosopher because he is such a hardworking person and he grab all the
opportunities given to him.
 PERFORMANCE
TASK
IN
PHILOSOPHY

Submitted to: Fr. Edwin Semilla

Submitted by: Daisyline Osallo