Branches of philosophy

Metaphysics

-philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality, the first principles of being, identity and
change, space and time, causality, necessity, and possibility.

Example: study of God versus the Big Bang theory.

EPISTEMOLOGY

-Epistemology, or the theory of knowledge, is the branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge.
Study of the nature, origin, and scope of knowledge, epistemic justification, the rationality of belief, and
various related issues.

Example: "What is knowledge?", "How is knowledge acquired?", "What do people know?", "How do we
know what we know?”

ETHICS

Ethics, also called moral philosophy, the discipline concerned with what is morally good and bad and
morally right and wrong. The term is also applied to any system or theory of moral values or principles

Example: the reasonable obligations to refrain from rape, stealing, murder, assault, slander, and fraud

Core of ethics

METAETHICS

-Meta-ethics refers to the nature of ethical terms and concepts and to the attempt to understand the
underlying assumptions behind moral theories

NORMATIVE ETHICS

-Moral philosophy concerned with the setting of certain standard of what is morally right and morally
wrong

APPLIED ETHICS

Moral philosophy that attempts to apply theories to situations in real life. It involves examining
controversial issues such as abortion, euthanasia, and etc.
METHODS OF DEFINING PHILOSOPHY

ETYMOLOGICAL

-Philosophy is a combination of two Greek words, philein sophia, meaning lover of wisdom. In ancient
times a lover of wisdom could be related to any area where intelligence was expressed.

SCIENCE

• INVESTIGATION IS SYSTEMATIC. It follows certain steps or it employs certain procedures. It is an

organized body of knowledge

NATURAL LIGHT OF REASON

• -INVESTIGATES THINGS,NOT BY USING ANY OTHER LABORATORY INSTRUMENT OR

INVESTIGATIVE TOOLS, NEITHER ON THE BASIS OF SUPERNATURAL REVELATION. THE
PHILOSOPHER USES HIS NATURAL CAPACITY TO THINK OR SIMPLY HUMAN REASON ALONE

STUDY OF ALL THINGS

• Philosophy is not one dimensional or partial. A philosopher does not limit himself to a particular
object of inquiry. He questions almost anything,if not everything.It is multidimensional or
holistic.

PRINCIPLE OF IDENTITY

• -Whatever is is,and whatever is not is not; everything is what it is.Everything is its own being,
and not being is not being

PRINCIPLE OF NON-CONTRADICTION

• -IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A THING TO BE AND NOT TO BE AT THE SAME TIME,AND AT THE SAME
RESPECT.

PRINCIPLE OF EXCLUDED MIDDLE

• -A THING IS EITHER IS OR IS NOT; EVERYTHING MUST BE EITHER BE OR NOT BE; BETWEEN BEING
AND NOT-BEING, THERE IS NO MIDDLE GROUND POSSIBLE.

PRINCIPLE OF SUFFICIENT REASON

• NOTHING EXISTS WITHOUT A SUFFICIENT REASON FOR ITS BEING AND EXISTENCE.

Truth, Fact and Opinion

Fact- is a piece of information having objective reality which is acknowledged by the greater whole.
Facts are proven through calculations and experience

Truth- truth is a proposition believed to be the absolute reality. Truth may include fast, but it can also
include belief.
Opinion- it is a judgment based on personal convictions which way or way not be factual, truth or false.
Regardless of factuality, one’s opinion can be free from another’s opinion. An opinion are on peoples
viewpoint or statement, statement that is not conclusive or convincing.

Theories of truth

1. The Correspondence theory

The correspondence theory is an ancient concept that dates back even to the time of Plato. It is the
most popular theory which states that the truth of a proposition is determined by its relationship
(correspondence) to the way things actually are in the world (reality). Hence, for this realist
theory, a proposition true if, and only if, what it contends relate to what is real truth, therefore,
correspondence to facts, hence truth is absolute

For example, propositions “birds can fly” is true because in reality, birds can really fly. The
proposition “cats can bark” however, is false because cats do not bark

2. The Coherence Theory

The Coherence Theory of truth contends that a proposition is true if it is consistent with a system
of another proposition considered is true. The truthfulness, therefore. Of a person’s judgment
(proposition) is based on his/her statements coherence to a certain set of established beliefs

For example, the proposition “pigs are unclean animals” I true to the Muslim community
however, such truth for the Muslims is not shared by the Catholicism

3. The Pragmatic Theory

The Pragmatic Theory holds that a proposition is true if it is useful pragmatics linked the nature
of truth with the principle of action and the concept of ability. The theory also contends that close
encounter and interactions with the world

For example, the belief I the power of prayers is said to be true as it is

Fallacy – argument that is prove nothing but somehow could be convincing

1. Abusive fallacy- someone character noticed of arguments

2. Appeal to force – forcing someone to believe/accept the arguments
3. Appeal to pity – uses emotion to make someone accept the argument
4. Appeal to people(bandwagon fallacy) – accept position because majority agree
5. Appeal to tradition – accept something because it is being practiced for a long time
6. Begging the question – conclusion is assumed to be true in the argument premises
7. Fallacy of composition – assuming that what is true in the part is also true to the whole
8. Fallacy of division- assuming that what is true of the whole Is also true for each part
9. Fallacy of equivocation – uses one term in more than one term resulting in misleading
arguments
10. False dilemma- number of choice are represented when in fact more other exist
11. Slippery slope – one step event will inevitably lead to second step event
12. Accident fallacy – applying on general rule to group where the rules does not really
applicable for are.