The Process of Doing Philosophy: Visit Us at and

The Process of Doing Philosophy
Chapter 1
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Objectives
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?
Find out the answers in this lesson!
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.
the Human Person
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.
the Human Person
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.
the Human Person
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.
Human Activities Emanated from Deliberate
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.
Meaning and Process of Doing Philosophy
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.
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.
Importance of Doing Philosophy
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.
Tips
• 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.
Tips
• 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
Keypoints
• A holistic point of view looks at all aspects of the
given problem or situation. Meanwhile, a partial
point of viewlooks at only a limited number of
aspects of the given problem or situation.
Keypoints
• Philosophical reflection allows a person to look back
on previous experiences and evaluate the meaning or
significance of his or her life.
Question 1
What does the term philosophy mean?
• Select your answer.
a) "love of goodwill“
b) "love of critical thinking“
c) "love of wisdom“
d) "love of logic"
Question 2
What point of view looks at all aspects of a situation?
a) holistic
b) partial
c) holism
d) partition
Question 3
What is the process of engaging oneself in matters of
utility and methodologies to clear out any practical
problem or abstract idea?
a) doing philosophy
b) doing history
c) doing mathematics
d) doing pedantry
Question 4
Which of the following scenarios demonstrates a partial
point of view?
a) referring to only one source of information for your
position paper
b) participating in a class discussion
c) listening to both your teachers’ and parents’ advice
on how to improve your grades
d) watching videos over the internet
Question 5
Which of the following situations demonstrates pedantry?
a) answering “letter J” when asked, “What is the capital of
Japan?”
b) making a review of literature on the phenomenon of
bullying in the Philippines
c) reading about the history of one agricultural company
d) debating with a friend about the health impacts of
sleeping late
Question 6
Who among the following students may have already developed
a broader philosophical perspective?
a) Mara, who regularly monitors the emotional well-being of
her classmates
b) Julie, who always listens to all sides of the argument
before giving any advice
c) Kristia, who consistently chats with her classmates about
their interests and beliefs
d) Trish, who rarely talks with her classmates, but is always
observant of them
Question 7
What makes doing philosophy different from doing
other disciplines of science?
a) It always requires logical and critical thinking.
b) It always asks questions about life.
c) It always ends with a conclusion.
d) It always requires empirical proof.
Question 8
Which of the following statements is true?
1. Both partial and holistic points of view are good
contributors to doing philosophy.
2. Reflection is not required in doing philosophy.
a) Both statements 1 and 2 are false.
b) Statement 1 is false. Statement 2 is true.
c) Statement 1 is true. Statement 2 is false.
d) Both statements 1 and 2 are true.
Question 9
Which statement validly describes the process of doing
philosophy?
1. It may involve the use of different philosophical methods.
2. It may only tackle the meaning of life.
a) statement 2
b) neither statement 1 nor 2
c) statement 1
d) both statements 1 and 2
Question 10
Which statement about philosophy is correct?
1. Doing philosophy is also a way of engaging in scientific inquiry.
2. Points of view from different people are always contradicting.
3. Philosophical reflection does not develop evaluative skills.
a) statement 2
b) statement 3
c) statement 1
d) All statements are incorrect.

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