Name: CADAWAS, RHEYJHEN M.

Subject: Educ 405: Philosophy of Education

Activity: 1

WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?

It emphasizes our living desire to understand the world that surrounds us and the
world within us (Demetrio, 1997).

Scott, et.al, (1993), “Love of wisdom” is something in which all human nature in
some measures at least participates and which predisposes all toward sympathy for the
philosopher’s enterprise.

Defined from the book of Dr. Ramos (2004), Philosophy was defined as the
science that natural light of reason studies the first causes or highest principles of all
things. Four things are to be considered:
a. Science because the investigation is systematic.
b. Natural Light of Reason – it investigates things, not by using laboratory tools,
neither on the basis of supernatural revelation.
c. Study of All Things, this concern themselves with a particular object of
investigation.
d. First Cause and Highest Principles – from which something proceeds in any
manner whatsoever.
a. The First Principles
i. Principle of Identity ---states whatever is, everything is its own
being.
ii. Principle of Non-contradiction – states that it is impossible for a
thing to be.
iii. Principle of Excluded Middle- a thing either is or is not.
iv. Principle of Sufficient Reason – nothing exists without a sufficient
reason for its being and existence.
b. Cause – is defined from which in any whatsoever exerts a positive
influence in the production of the thing.
i. Material Cause – is that out of which is something is made.
ii. Formal Cause – is that through which is something is made.
iii. Efficient Cause – is that by which something is made.
iv. Final Cause – is that on the account of which something is made.

According to the Philosophy Foundation, Philosophy is a way of thinking about

certain subjects such as ethics, thought, existence, time, meaning and value. That 'way of
thinking' involves 4 Rs: responsiveness, reflection, reason and re-evaluation. The aim is to
deepen understanding. The hope is that by doing philosophy we learn to think better, to act
more wisely, and thereby help to improve the quality of all our lives.
 At its simplest, philosophy (from the Greek   or phílosophía, meaning ‘the
love of wisdom’) is the study of knowledge, or "thinking about thinking", although the
breadth of what it covers is perhaps best illustrated by a selection of other alternative
definitions:

 the discipline concerned with questions of how one should live (ethics); what sorts
of things exist and what are their essential natures (metaphysics); what counts as
genuine knowledge (epistemology); and what are the correct principles of reasoning
(logic) (Wikipedia)
 investigation of the nature, causes, or principles of reality, knowledge, or values,
based on logical reasoning rather than empirical methods (American Heritage
Dictionary)
 the study of the ultimate nature of existence, reality, knowledge and goodness, as
discoverable by human reasoning (Penguin English Dictionary)
 the rational investigation of questions about existence and knowledge and
ethics (WordNet)
 the search for knowledge and truth, especially about the nature of man and his
behavior and beliefs (Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary)
 the rational and critical inquiry into basic principles (Microsoft Encarta
Encyclopedia)
 the study of the most general and abstract features of the world and categories with
which we think: mind, matter, reason, proof, truth, etc. (Oxford Dictionary of
Philosophy)
 careful thought about the fundamental nature of the world, the grounds for human
knowledge, and the evaluation of human conduct (The Philosophy Pages)

As used originally by the ancient Greeks, the term "philosophy" meant the pursuit

of knowledge for its own sake, and comprised ALL areas of speculative thought,
including the arts, sciences and religion.

Philosophical questions (unlike those of the sciences) are

usually foundational and abstract in nature. Philosophy is done primarily
through reflection and does not tend to rely on experiment, although the methods used to
study it may be analogous to those used in the study of the natural sciences.

In common usage, it sometimes carries the sense of unproductive or frivolous

musings, but over the centuries it has produced some of the most important original
thought, and its contribution to politics, sociology, mathematics, science and
literature has been inestimable. Although the study of philosophy may not yield "the
meaning of life, the universe and everything", many philosophers believe that it
is important that each of us examines such questions and even that an unexamined
life is not worth living. It also provides a good way of learning to think more clearly
about a wide range of issues, and its methods of analyzing arguments can be useful in a
variety of situations in other areas of life.
WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION?

Philosophy of education is that branch of philosophy that addresses philosophical

questions concerning the nature, aims, and problems of education. As a branch of practical
philosophy, its practitioners look both inward to the parent discipline of philosophy and
outward to educational practice, as well as to developmental psychology, cognitive science
more generally, sociology, and other relevant disciplines (Siegel, H., 2009).

References:

Siegel, H. (2009). Introduction: Philosophy of education and philosophy. In The Oxford

handbook of philosophy of education.

Ramos, C. Introduction to Philosophy'2004 Ed.-Ramos. Rex Bookstore, Inc..

WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY? Retrieved: https://www.philosophy-foundation.org/what-is-

philosophy

Retrived from: https://www.philosophybasics.com/general_whatis.html