Introductio

n to the
Philosophy
Lesson 1
of the
The Process of Doing Philosophy
Human
Objectives
Person
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

 differentiate the meaning of philosophy as a body of knowledge and as an intellectual activity,

 distinguish a holistic perspective from a partial point of view,
 recognize human activities that emanated from deliberate reflection,
 apply a philosophical reflection on a concrete situation from a holistic perspective, and
 realize the value of philosophy in obtaining a broad perspective in life.

In a few years, you will gain new experiences in life that you may have never dreamed of. Such experiences may
excite or challenge you, while some can make you rethink your life and decisions.

At your age, you may have already asked yourself important questions about your life that cannot be directly
answered through research or education, such as “What do I want?” or “What will make me happy?”

If you have already asked yourself those big questions, then you have already engaged in philosophy.

 What is Philosophy?
 Is it a way of life? Why or why not?
 How do you apply it in everyday life?

Learn about it!

Doing philosophy helps you think many things, including those that leave you confused or without an acceptable
answer. You can do philosophy by yourself, with a partner, or with a group.

The Meaning of Philosophy and Philosophy of the Human Person

Philosophy, meaning "love of wisdom," is a science where reason and logic are used to understand reality and
answer questions of knowledge, morality, and human nature. It can be described as either a body of knowledge or
an intellectual activity.

Philosophy as a body of knowledge provides methodologies and insights on how societal questions, such as moral
dilemmas of euthanasia or same-sex marriage, can be answered.

On the other hand, philosophy as an intellectual activity is an analytic procedure of addressing individual thought
processes such as resolving conflict and confusion, testing positions, and analyzing beliefs. In all instances, doing
philosophy is prescribed by logic, reason, and ethics leading to wisdom.

Philosophy applied to human experience or everyday life denotes the use of philosophy as an intellectual activity.
Also known as philosophy in life, this concept is important because it serves as the guiding principle on how one
ought to live life.

Importance of Philosophical Reflection

Philosophical reflection is the process by which a person undergoes a reflective state or evaluates his or her
experiences first before making any related action. The use of philosophical reflection is important as it enables
thought to be looked into using a deeper, holistic perspective. In effect, actions are directed towards greater sources
of wisdom and truth.

Human Activities Emanated from Deliberate Reflection

In the process, one can learn more about himself or herself, including personal beliefs, ideals, or values. Previous
experiences may be seen as important aspects of making reflections because they facilitate deeper thinking and
understanding of the self. Aside from knowing the self, many other activities also emanate from reflection.

Examples:

 learning from your previous mistakes and not repeating them again
  evaluating and knowing the best choice from a set of options

 gaining a holistic point of view first before making any conclusion

Meaning and Process of Doing Philosophy

Doing philosophy means engaging oneself in “matters of utility” and methodologies to eliminate any practical
problem or abstract idea.

In the process of doing philosophy, it is critical to have a holistic point of view—the perception of looking at all
aspects of a situation first before making a conclusion. Some other skills involved in doing philosophy are critical,
logical, and analytical thinking, observation, and communicative skills.

Holistic and Partial Points of View

Before engaging in philosophical inquiry, one must be able to distinguish between a holistic and partial point of view.
This is critical for anyone doing philosophy because it sets a limit in coming up with conclusions about a given
situation.

It is important to remember the following:

Looking at the characteristics of holistic and partial points of view, it can be concluded that using a holistic
perspective is more desirable in doing philosophy than using a partial perspective. Partial points of view only
promote limited knowledge on the situation. This leads to wrong conclusions.

Learning philosophy requires learning to look into all available perspectives and work on their relationship to come
up with sound, logical, and valid conclusions. In the process, doing philosophy helps one to develop the skill of
broadly looking at the situation first before concluding anything.

Importance of Doing Philosophy

Doing philosophy can be applied in day-to-day activities and life perspectives. Because it involves an evaluative
process, doing philosophy allows a person to make better decisions and act accordingly to situations with the help
of various philosophical skills.

Furthermore, on life perspectives, philosophy enables reflective thinking which greatly influences a person’s view of
life, challenges, and relationships. Doing philosophy directs how a person will perceive these factors in life and how
they will be faced.

In any setting, wisdom is always gained when philosophy is applied to formulate a conclusion about a certain
concern.

Explore!
Philosophy has opened doors for debates over many concerns such as the purpose of life, the existence of good
and evil, and the way to the truth. Even as a young student, you have already been introduced to philosophy as a
discipline. As you proceed to higher levels of your study, you will encounter more philosophical issues that are more
advanced and complicated to resolve. In your perspective, what other issues may be dealt with using philosophy?
Try it!
You may already know that philosophy as a discipline has been present in society for centuries. Different
perspectives on various issues rose and were given defense by various philosophers. As a student, think of a
relevant issue faced by society nowadays. Look for at least two philosophical theories that can explain your chosen
topic. After reading on these views, make your decision on which theory to side with based on the philosophical
concepts you have learned from your readings.

What do you think?

Is doing philosophy possible without engaging in philosophical reflection?

Tips
 In doing philosophy, a holistic perspective on the subject is always required. Failure to do so or only using a
partial point of view may lead to illogical or incorrect conclusions.

 In the process of doing philosophy, it is critical to have a holistic perspective—the perception of looking at all
aspects of a situation first before making a conclusion. This point of view is different from holistic thinking
which is a mental activity of recognizing the interconnectedness of systems and procedures to form a
general picture of an issue.

 The process of doing philosophy should not be mistaken for the Filipino activity of pamimilosopo or pedantry
where a person displays useless knowledge or minute observances of small details.

Keypoints
 Philosophy, meaning "love of wisdom," is a science where reason and logic are used to understand reality
and answer questions of knowledge, morality, and human nature.

 Philosophy may be a body of knowledge or an intellectual activity.

 A holistic point of view looks at all aspects of the given problem or situation. Meanwhile, a partial point of
view looks at only a limited number of aspects of the given problem or situation.

 Philosophical reflection allows a person to look back on previous experiences and evaluate the meaning
or significance of his or her life.
Lesson 2
Methods of Philosophizing: Socratic

Objectives
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

 define and explain the Socratic method of philosophizing,

 analyze expressions and statements that show the differences of opinion, fact, and truth, and

 justify the validity of the statement “The Socratic method of philosophizing leads to wisdom and truth.”

Your teacher asked you to give a concrete definition of love. You confidently answered the question: “Love is kind.
Love is patient.”

However, instead of accepting your answer, she responded to you with another question: “Yes, but what do you
mean by kindness and patience?”

Surprised, you answered her question again, this time giving some examples to raise your point. Your teacher
continued to ask you further questions as responses to your statements.

 Why did your teacher do that?

 What was she doing?
 What did she want to get from you in doing so?

Learn about it!

In the given scenario, the teacher kept on asking about your responses to the questions. What she did is
called Socratic questioning−a type of interrogative statement that clarifies points through understanding the
deeper meaning of a claim.
Methods of Philosophizing
A method of philosophizing is a process of determining the truth or drawing a conclusion from a statement using
various philosophical methods, such as:

 Socratic,
 dialectic,
 scientific, and
 historical.

Socratic Method of Philosophizing

The Socratic method, also known by the Greek term elenchus that means "to inquire or to cross-examine", is an
exchange of ideas using Socratic questioning.

 It was developed by Socrates, a Greek philosopher and teacher, who laid the groundwork for Western
systems of philosophy and logic.

 In this process, statements are deconstructed or questioned to come up with the actual truth that is believed
to rest on the roots of the argument.

 Conflicting ideas are seen as invalid sources of the truth, and probing questions are immediately derived
from the given statements.

 In a classroom setting, this method is used not to intimidate students, but to produce a deeper
understanding of thoughts and ideas through further questioning statements or claims.

 There is no particular end goal aside from reaching an absolute truth from probing statements and, in the
process, eliminating ideas that are questionable or contradicting.

Examples:
  A psychologist is trying to dig deeper into the story of his patient who only mentions vague and general
ideas.

 A lawyer is asking further questions about the suspect’s whereabouts during the crime because she is not
entirely convinced by his alibi.

 A mother is questioning her son’s real reason for his excessive absences from school.

Opinion, Fact, and Truth

In using the Socratic method, it is important to analyze expressions and statements that show the differences of
opinion, fact, and truth.

Opinion
An opinion is an expression of one’s feelings based on facts, emotions, beliefs, or views. It is not based on
evidence.

Examples:

 Filipinos are the most resilient and hospitable people in the world.

 Manny Pacquiao is the best Filipino boxer.

Fact
A fact is a statement that can be checked and backed up with evidence. It is often used in conjunction with research
and study.

Examples:

 Based on the Miss World Organization records, Megan Young was the first Filipina to be crowned as Miss
World. She won the title in 2013 in Bali, Indonesia.

 According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the country's total population is 92,337,852. It is based on
the recent May 2010 census.

Truth
A truth is something that has actual and proven existence scientifically and spiritually regardless of one’s opinion
and beliefs. It is undisputed, objective, universal, constant, exact, and factual.

Examples:

 All things that can be seen are temporal. (undisputed)

 Two plus two equals four (2 + 2 = 4). (exact)

 The Philippines, as proven in geographical and anthropological properties, is a country in Southeast Asia.
(factual)

Opinion is what someone believes or thinks. A fact is firmly planted in the material world, while truth extends to the
spiritual realm.
Socratic Method Leads to Wisdom and Truth
The Socratic method has been emphasized to use statement deconstructions and creative questioning to delve
deeper into an issue. It is a systematic process whereby random and ambiguous ideas are eliminated to reach a
sound conclusion. Reaching an endpoint, therefore, would only mean that truth has been realized, and new
knowledge has been acquired.

Explore!
Some students dread it when teachers involve the class in the discussion by asking them to explain a certain topic
or concept. Usually, students do not immediately answer in fear that they might be called upon to explain their
thoughts further—an activity they do not like or are not prepared to do. Still, teachers continue to do this method
despite the minimal responses they get from their students. Before this lesson, have you ever wondered why your
teachers do that technique? Do you now understand their goals in doing so?

Try it!
During a class discussion, try to engage in a Socratic questioning exercise with your teacher. You may be the one to
initiate the process by asking your teacher any relevant topic about the discussion. From there, you may further ask
questions related to your teacher's responses. Continue to clarify your the responses until you have fully grasped
the idea presented. This activity may also be done alternatively, with the teacher probing you for your answers.

Tip
Regardless of how deep the probing process has been, the primary area of focus during the Socratic method would
be the first statement. All succeeding statements are brought about to support or refute the claim of the initial
argument.

Keypoints
 A method of philosophizing is a process of determining a truth or conclusion from a statement through the
use of various philosophical methods such as Socratic, dialectic, historical, and scientific.

 Socrates was a Greek philosopher and teacher who laid the groundwork for Western systems of philosophy
and logic.

 Socratic questioning is a type of interrogative process that clarifies points through understanding the
deeper meaning of a claim.

 The process of deconstructing or questioning statements to come up with the actual truth is called
the Socratic Method.

 Opinion is what someone believes or thinks. A fact is firmly planted in the material world,
while truth extends to the spiritual realm.

 The Socratic method of philosophizing leads to wisdom and truth.

Lesson 3
Methods of Philosophizing: Dialectic

Objectives
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

 define and explain the dialectic method of philosophizing,

 compare the dialectic and Socratic methods of philosophizing;

 distinguish an opinion from truth by analyzing the given situations, and

 justify the validity of the statement "The dialectic method leads to wisdom and truth.”

While waiting for your teacher, you overhear your two classmates debating on which part of the day is better for
studying for an exam. One of them said that she prefers to study at night because it is quiet, while the other stated
that he likes to study in the morning because it is when he feels most active. After an exchange of factual knowledge
about their study habits, your classmates both agreed that studying during the morning is better than studying at
night.

 How did your two classmates come up with that conclusion?

 What do you call the process that led them to do so?

Learn about it!

Dialectic Method
In the previous example, your two classmates were able to conclude that it is better to study in the morning after
having analyzed the facts that they presented to each other. To come up with that, they used a process
called dialectics or the dialectic method.

 The term 'dialectic' comes from the Greek word dialektike which means 'the art of conversation.'

 It is the act of talking back and forth, disagreeing with one another, and arguing about contentious issues.

 In philosophy, it is a method of coming up with a conclusion from an exchange of contradicting logical

arguments.
  The aim of dialectics, as a process of the dialogue, is the clarification of controversial notions and arguments
with other people. In this process, personal and shared conceptions should be considered and corrected.

 Many philosophers, such as Hegel, Aristotle, and Socrates, had their own beliefs and explanations about
this approach; however, the basic concept remains to be the same.

Examples:

 discussing the pros and cons of a variety of human resource strategies as forms of managing employees in
the workplace, then choosing the best option

 evaluating two physical activities regarding their ability to increase work performance

Dialectic or Socratic
Both the Socratic method and the dialectic method are based on a dialogue between two or more people who may
hold differing views but wish to pursue the truth by seeking agreement with one another. To avoid confusions
between the two methods, study the chart of comparison below.

Now, how do you compare and contrast the dialectic method and Socratic method as methods of philosophizing?

Opinion and Truth

The dialectic method may involve both opinions and facts as long as they are logical and lead to the truth. It is
therefore important to distinguish opinion from truth.

 An opinion is a personal view formed about a particular matter, such as your perception of using e-books
rather than actual books.

 Truth is something that has real and proven existence regardless of one’s opinion, such as the fact that the
heart is a muscle.

Read the statements below, then distinguish the opinion from the truth.

Statement A is an opinion since there is no proof or evidence that the president is indeed the most intelligent person
in the country.

Statement B is a truth because the president is the head of the state and the chief officer of the country. Thus, he is
the most powerful leader of the country.

The Dialectic Method Leads to Wisdom and Truth

The dialectic method can easily be seen in the day-to-day interactions of people. It is much like a debate that poses
two clashing but valid arguments to determine an endpoint that is correct and true. In this sense, the truth of both
arguments is always expected to rise from each conversation.

Explore!
In recent years, technology has played a significant role in education. Electronic resources such as e-books have
begun to replace actual books as primary learning resources. Some academicians are arguing against the reliability
of this tool as an appropriate medium of instruction, while some are promoting it for practicality issues. Both sides
have valid points, but if you were to observe your fellow students, what type of resources would they prefer? What
other points did you realize that made you choose that decision?

Try it!
Engage your friend in a non-aggressive discussion about any topic that you disagree on. Before the start of your
conversation, explain to your friend the activity’s purpose and premises. Make sure that throughout the discussion,
both of you share logical points about your chosen topic. As you go through the discussion, you may try to
categorize all your statements as opinion or truth. In coming up with your conclusion, see to it that all points are
taken into consideration. You may do this activity for some time with different people.

What do you think?

Can the dialectic method be used to arrive at a conclusion for three or more conflicting points? Why? Why not?

Tips
 The dialectic method deals largely with logical ideas. Opinionated points are allowed as long as they are
logical and they help in coming up with the truth; however, the endpoint should always be the truth.

 Dialectics, as a philosophical method, should not be mistaken for dialectical materialism. Although both
concepts fall under philosophy, dialectical materialism is a Marxian topic that caters to a more liberal
readership.

Keypoints
 Dialectics is a method of coming up with a true conclusion based on contradicting logical ideas.

 The dialectic method may involve both opinions and facts as long as they are logical and lead to the truth.

 An opinion is an expression of a person’s feelings based on facts, emotions, and beliefs, while the truth is
something that has actual and proven existence scientifically and historically regardless of one’s opinion and
beliefs.

 Hegel, Aristotle, and Socrates were so convinced in the validity of the dialectic method that they postulated
their own versions and explanations of the whole process.
 The dialectic method of philosophizing leads to wisdom and truth.