MODULE I READINGS

 1. Understanding Philosophy

Etymologically, the term “Philosophy” is derived from two Greek words; namely,
‘philos’ and ‘sophia’ which means love and wisdom, respectively. Literally, philosophy
means the “Love of Wisdom,” and so ‘philosophers’ are considered to be” lovers of wisdom.”

Philosophy, as a course, is quite different from other academic subjects. No brief

definition can express the richness and variety of philosophy. It is unique both in its methods
and in the nature and breadth of its subject matter. Philosophy delves into the questions
concerning every dimension of human affairs. Its techniques can be applied to problems in
any field of study or endeavor. There are various desirable descriptions of Philosophy: a)
Philosophy is a search for meaning or a quest for understanding; b) Philosophy is a reasoned
pursuit of fundamental truths; c) Philosophy is a study of principles of conduct; d) Philosophy
seeks to establish standards of evidence to provide rational methods of resolving conflicts,
and to create techniques for evaluating ideas and arguments; e) Philosophy develops the
capacity to see the world from the perspective of other individuals and other cultures; f)
Philosophy enhances one's ability to perceive the relationships among the various fields of
study; and, g) Philosophy deepens one's sense of meaning and variety of human experience.

Every aspect of human experience brings out questions to which its techniques and
theories apply, and its methods may be used in the study of any subject or the pursuit of any
vocation. Indeed, Philosophy is in a sense inescapable since life confronts every thoughtful
person with some philosophical questions, and nearly everyone is guided by philosophical
assumptions. To a large extent one can choose how reflective one will be in clarifying and
developing one's philosophical assumptions, and how well prepared one is for the
philosophical questions life presents. Philosophical training enhances our problem-solving
capacities, our abilities to understand and express ideas, and our persuasive powers. It also
develops understanding and enjoyment of things whose absence impoverishes many lives
such things as aesthetic experience, communication with many different kinds of people,
lively discussion of current issues, the discerning observation of human behavior, and
intellectual zest. In these and other ways, the study of philosophy contributes immeasurably in
both academic and other endeavors in life.

Philosophy, as a systematic study of ideas and issues, examines concepts and views
drawn from science, art, religion, politics, or any other endeavor. Philosophical appraisal of
ideas and issues takes many forms, but philosophical studies often focus on the meaning of an
idea and on its basis, coherence, and relations to other ideas. Philosophy, in general,
guarantees wisdom, leadership, and an excellent guide for our genuine existence. Philosophy
will never become obsolete as long as there is life.

2. Approaches in Doing Philosophy

Since time immemorial, people need morality that promotes unity, peace, harmony and
solidarity in community. The moral life is and will always be the concern of humanity and for
as long as people have been living together in groups, the moral regulation of behavior has
been necessary to the group's well-being. Although these morals were formalized and made
into arbitrary standards of conduct, they developed, sometimes irrationally, after religious
taboos were violated, or out of chance behavior that became habit and then custom, or from
laws imposed by chiefs to prevent disharmony in their tribes. Ancient Egyptian and Sumerian
civilizations developed no systematized ethics; yet, maxims and precepts set down by secular
leaders mixed with a strict religion that affected the Egyptian worldview. In ancient China,
the maxims of Confucius were accepted as a moral code. The Greek philosophers, beginning
about the 6th century BCE, theorized intensively about moral behavior, which led to the
further development of philosophical ethics.

From the Ionians to Socratic Greek world, it was always about the amazement and
wonder of how to live in relation to the environment. As such, these thinkers were then
cosmocentric because they were reflecting on the relation of man to nature. Medieval life was
focused on the relation of man to God thus were theocentric because they were proving God
as the beginning and end of man’s life. Modern thinkers were focused on the use of human
reasoning and human abilities thus from then on, the main concern of doing things was
anthropocentric because everything is centered on the human person. Contemporary life or
human endeavor today integrate the moral experience of cosmocentrism, theocentrism, and
anthropocentrism. In short, we cannot deny our human need for nature, interpretation of
human experience in relation to faith towards the Mystery, the Sacred or the Divine Being;
and, the need to bring back the glory of humanity as the center of all human experiences.
Practically, there is no denial of ethical life so that it is important to consider why are there
moral standards and how do they differ from rules of lives. What are moral dilemmas? Why is
freedom crucial in our ability to make moral decisions? What are the advantages of owning
moral standards over merely abiding by moral standards? Let us now look into the following
moral versus non-moral standards, moral dilemmas, three levels of moral dilemmas and,
foundation of morality.

 3. Importance of Philosophy in life

Generally, philosophy is important 1) For acquiring persuasive powers: Philosophy helps

develop one’s ability and charisma to be more convincing of himself and of others. 2) For
better communication skills: Philosophy helps one to express properly one's views, enhances
one's ability to explain difficult and challenging reading materials, and helps one to eliminate
ambiguities and vagueness from one's writing and speech; 3) For enhancing better writing
skills: Philosophy helps one to use his philosophical reasoning and imaginations, and express
his ideas through writing. Creativity and originality are also encouraged; 4) For problem
solving: Philosophy helps one to distinguish fine differences between views and to discover
common ground between opposing positions.

Specifically, philosophy is important in educational pursuits. It is very much beneficial in

the pursuit of education: 1) For better understanding of other academic disciplines:
Philosophy is helpful and useful in assessing the various standards of evidence used by other
academic disciplines; 2. For enhancing and developing sound methods of research and
analysis: Philosophy emphasizes clear formulation of ideas and problems, selection of
relevant data, and objective methods for assessing ideas and proposals, 3. For those
undergraduates who wants to pursue post- graduate studies: Philosophy, as a course, is a good
preparation for post-graduate degrees such as Law, Medicine, Master in Business
Administration, Master in Public Administration, Master in Educational Management, and
other master’s program.

Philosophy is also important in non-academic careers: 1) For personal development;

Philosophy helps one to gain better self-knowledge, better foresight, and a better sense of
direction in life; 2) For professional advancement and promotion: People trained in
philosophy are not only prepared to do many kinds of tasks; they can also easily cope with
change, or even move into new careers, more readily than others. A recent long-term study by
the Bell Telephone Company, determined that majors in liberal arts fields, in which
philosophy is a central discipline, "continue to make a strong showing in managerial skills
and have experienced considerable business success" (Career Patterns, by Robert E. Beck).