MODULE 1

Social Science and Philosophy

Atty. Juniven Rey S. Umadhay, LPT
A. Discussion
I. Introduction of Philosophy
Philia – love
Sophia – wisdom
Philosophers are considered sages or wisemen

Western philosophers
Philosophy is the science that studies beings in their ultimate causes reasons and principles
through the aid of human reasoning.
-Beings are all things that exist, living or non living, God and soul.
Philosophy accounts for the reason of everything that exist

Basic Questions of Philosophy?

1. Why do we exist?
2. What is our purpose? Are we destined to be something or for someone?
3. Is there God?
4. Why do we justify the goodness of God in times of hardship or difficulty?
5. Why do we suffer?

Philosophy uses reason to answer this questions. Because in philosopy we reflect and
analyze the causes of events. Philosophy attends to answer things in rational manner.

However, there is no single answer for every Philosopher.

4 Major Branches of philosophy

A. METAPHYSICS
B. EPISTEMOLOGY
C. LOGIC
D. ETHICS

A. METAPHYSICS
Meta – beyond
Pisika- physical

Study of things beyond the physical. It is the study of God, soul or things that we cannot
experienced. Aristotle said that Metaphysics is the first Philosophy.
a. General Metaphysics / ontology
Onto- being/everything that exist
Logos – study
Studies beings in their ultimate causes reasons and principles through the aid of
reason. Study of everything.
Why do things exist? What is the meaning of reality?
St. agustine – For God / Nietze

b. Special Metaphysics
3 sub branches
1. Cosmology studies the world or universe. What is the dynamic of the universe.
What law governs the universe.
What is the origin of the world?
Is the world infinite?

2. Psychology
Psyche - soul or mind
Logos – study

Study of the nature and dynamics of the human mind on how he or she
behaves.
What is the nature of the human person?
Is there really born criminal?

3. Theodicy
Theos – God
Study of God.

Justification that there is God in the face of the evil in the world.
Is there God?
What is God?
Does a belief God really necessary?

B. Task / Test
1. Is it God’s Will to introduce COVID 19 virus in our world? Why? Discuss it. (300
words)
Deadline September 18, 2020.
 II. Natural Philosophers
They believe that everything must have came from a single natural thing.

Thales
circa 500 BC

 Thales thought that the source of all things is water.

 All life came from water and everything at the end will dissolve in water

 He thought this because when he went to Egypt, he saw crops grew at the side of the River Nile.

 And that water can shift form, from liquid, to solid (ice) and vapor.

 He also said that everything that is alive is “god” because they formed from the barren earth.

Anaximander
 He thought that all things here on earth was created by “boundless”, it is not water nor anything
here on earth.

 Everything here on earth must originate by a thing not found here on earth.

Anaximenes
 Lived c. 570-526 bc

 He thought that everything here on earth originated from air or vapor because water he thought
came from a vapor.

 He thought that air is the source of water, earth and fire.

 Like, Thales he thought there must be something here on Earth that is the Source of all things.

Parmenides
 Lived 540-480 BC

 He said that there is no actual change

 Water that change to vapor is still water, water that changed into ice is water still.

 He said that our eyes or our sense are faulty and incorrect. What is correct he said is our reason.
This is what they call RATIONALISM. Reason over the things that we perceive or sense.

 So for him, seeing is not believing.

Heraclitus
 540-480 BC

 He said that everything flow

 He said that change is the most basic characteristic of nature.

 He said “I cannot step twice on the same river”

 He also said that the WORLD IS COMPOSED OF OPPOSITES, if we have not been famished, we
will never feel what it is like to be full; If we have never been to war, we will never really feel
what is like to be at peace”

 Both GOOD and BAD have a significant place here on earth.

 Without the constant interplay of these opposites, the world will come to an end.

 GOD for Heraclitus is REASON. Though we have different reason, there is a universal reason
among us and that is GOD.

 In the constant change of things, there is a universal or permanent thing that is REASON.

Empedocles
 490-430 BC

 The source of everything cannot be one single element or thing.

 Everything in nature originated from:

1. water

2. Fire

3. Air

4. earth

He said that all things are mixture or combination of the 4 elements

e.g. when the flower or an animal die, the 4 elements separate.

He combined the two theories, of that there is no change and there is constant change by explaining
that, there is no change in the 4 basic elements because they just combine and later on separate from
one another but they do not change as an element and explained that there is change in the make up of
things, such as the growth of a flower and its death or in the growth and death of animals.

He also said there are two forces in nature: Love and Strife

Love binds all things and strife divides them.

He also believed that our eyes is composed of the four elements; the earth in the eye can see the earth..
The water in the eye can see water.. So on..

Anaxagoras
 500-428 BC

 He believed that everything in nature is built by small particles or minute things that are invisible
to the eye.

 A thing can be characterized in its smallest part. The whole exist in each tiny part of the thing.

 E.g. the cell or DNA of a man can describe the whole persons characteristics.

 He said that “order’ creates the minute particles.

 He also was the first to discuss that the sun is not a God but a ball of fire in the sky.

 He also said that the materials on other heavenly bodies are same with the earth.

 That, the moon has no light of its own but reflects only the light of the sun.

Democritus
 460-370 BC

 He thought that everything was built up of small invisible blocks, each of which is eternal and
immutable. He called this units “atoms” (un-cuttable).

 When the object is destroyed or is dead, the atoms disintegrated and disperses in the
environment.

 He said that atoms cannot be broken into pieces because it is the basic of all objects.

 He is more or less correct, because scientist right now confirmed that all object is formed by
atoms, however this atoms can still be broken into protons, electrons and neutrons.

III. Task / Test

1. Among the natural philosophers, which idea do you think suits your view about
the origin of everything in nature? Discuss (300 words)
Deadline September 18, 2020.