 Knowledge. A vast word, but what does it really means?

For me, everything you learn every

seconds is just a dust of the true knowledge. World is too big for you to know everything, what
you learned right now is just nothing compared to the whole picture.
 The main point is to understand what is meant by Knowing . One must discern the terms
Knowing ( verb) vs Knowledge ( noun).
 Knowledge is accumulated information , data, to know about something, any encyclopedia or
any computer can have all knowledge in the world.
 If you know nothing, and can think; you do have knowledge that there is such a thing as a thing.
The basics of metaphysics is essentially laws of reason, rules and logic together with
space(nothing) and things. Because without space, or without things, no being can exist with
reason to think about the semantics of the whole thing.
 Knowledge begins in inquiry, which implies initial ignorance of the subject matter. Recognizing
this is crucial for any inquiry to begin at all.
 the more you know about things, the more you realize that you know nothing
 My understanding is that it was meant as an overstatement. “I know nothing” is an artful way of
showing that we have such little knowledge in comparison to all there is to know.
 However, I don’t think that there is absolute knowledge. One could also interpret it as “I don’t
know anything beyond doubt.” I view knowledge as a series of confirmations based on axioms.
Though seemingly obvious, we have no indisputable method for verifying the axioms to be true.
Thus, what we know can only be known to the extent that we all accept our basic observations
to be true.
 Knowledge could take you very far to the edge but then you will realize, you cannot pass that
gate with knowledge of the brain, that barrier could not be reached with practical knowledge,
once we realize that we could know how far behind human intelligence is regarding TRUTH
 This quote refers to Socrates’ feeling that actual truth is unachievable & mankind is pre-destined
by it’s language capacities to never be God & so all we have is rhetoric to make sense of the
world. What he’s actually saying: “give up and learn what it means to be complacent”.
 nothing precedes n succeeds everything .
 nothing is the beginning n the end .
 nothing is everywhere, pervasive, only hidden under something . remove anything , n there u
find glaring nothing . eventually everything becomes nothing , the original state .

Pag wala kang alam, yun yung magiging inner drive mo para mag-acquire ka ng knowledge???

https://www.insightsonindia.com/2015/08/13/8-the-only-true-wisdom-is-in-knowing-you-know-
nothing-socrates-examine-the-meaning-of-quote-and-its-significance-for-an-administrator/

https://www.quora.com/What-is-your-understanding-of-the-saying-I-am-intelligent-because-I-know-
that-I-know-nothing

http://fallingsidewaysblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/true-knowledge-exists-in-knowing-that.html
https://reasonandmeaning.com/2019/11/03/socrates-i-know-that-i-know-nothing/

Knowledge, a one big island with an endless shoreline of wonders and thousands of lost
wanderers. Ever since the beginning of time, knowledge has been one of the most crucial factors that
decide the course of a man’s future. Furthermore, it is also deemed to equate power for it is capable of
altering a person’s life.

Venturing way back to the ancient and medieval times, knowledge has been known to be one of
the qualities that depicts a man’s worth. Which is why knowledgeable, intelligent, or wise individuals are
given more value or importance during this period of time. Some of them become kings, advisers, or
simply people who can easily influence others and are believed in by many.

For these very reasons, mankind has been in an endless pursuit of knowledge ever since the
ancient era up to present timeline. From this unstoppable pursuit of knowledge, seeds of mankind’s
development have sprouted and flourished. Seeds in the form inventions, innovation, and especially
education.

Education is one of the most, if not, the greatest source of knowledge. The knowledge deemed
powerful and constantly searched by every human being. If such a thing as powerful as knowledge really
existed, then what is it that it truly stands for? As other people would simply say, knowledge is none
other than simply knowing each and everything there is in this world. Yet, what they do not think deeply
about, is the fact that knowledge equates knowing nothing.

As a worldly renowned philosopher named Socrates once stated, “knowledge exists in knowing
that you know nothing.” This simply implies that the highest form of knowledge is knowing nothing
itself. Through knowing nothing, a man learns how to seek knowledge, ask questions, find answers, and
explore the wonders of his own mind. These reflect how knowing nothing at all, sparks up one’s
curiosity which is the most essential factor in order to gain the true knowledge each and every person
seeks.

To add things up, it is through knowing nothing that one is able to gain curiosity. Curiosity that
pushes him to continuously ask questions, seek answers, and find the real and genuine knowledge he is
looking for. These helped me improve my perspective towards life and made me realize that the amount
of things or lessons you know do not always measure the level of your knowledge and intelligence.
Instead, it simply enlightened my mind that despite not having the capabilities of other people’s mind,
as long as I am curios and willing to explore or learn, then I would be able to gain the knowledge and
wisdom I endlessly seek. Therefore, I must stay hungry and curious for knowledge for it is the awareness
that I know nothing will push me to learn and pursue my search for knowledge. Besides, education was
created for the pursuit of knowledge and the elimination of ignorance, hence, a curious man who knows
nothing at all, shall always stand atop an ignorant genius.
 KNOWLEDGE – a simple nine-letter word but if we try to dig deeper into it, is, indeed, a very vast
term. Everything we learn every second is just a dust of the entire true knowledge there is. Ever since
the beginning of all things, people are being devoured by numerous questions concerning matters of
their existence and the world, in general. As we go back to the ancient and medieval times, knowledge
has been one of their powerful weapons as they strive for constant progress and growth, as a whole. In
this modern day and age, we, people, also firmly believe that knowledge is power; knowledge is
everything. However, as the worldly renowned philosopher named Socrates acclaimed, “True
knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing.” Hence, that thing we consider as ‘everything’
began as ‘nothing’ in the first place.

Knowledge is a very broad concept with no possible ending. Boundless. Limitless. Endless. When
we try to dive in a sea of knowledge, there is a huge tendency that we will get drown at its core. That
being said, the world is too big for us to know everything. What we learned right now is just nothing
compared to the whole picture of knowledge. “I know nothing” is an artful way of showing that we have
such little knowledge in comparison to all there is to know. For that very reason, people have been in a
never-ending quest for knowledge ever since the past times, up until now, and even in the future.
However, as the quote suggests, knowledge equates in knowing nothing, which most of us, if not, all of
us have not realized since then.

Nothing precedes and succeeds everything. Nothing is the beginning and the end. Nothing is
everywhere and only hidden under something. Hence, if we remove anything, we would, then, find
glaring nothing. Eventually, everything becomes nothing; everything turns into nothing. That particular
excerpt from the world’s wisest philosopher only depicts that we could just gain the highest form of
knowledge if we knew nothing at the very first place. When we try to think and put ourselves in a full
void, we would immediately feel the eagerness to seek knowledge, ask questions, find answers, and
explore the wonders of our own minds. Mostly, prominent intellectuals, especially scientists and
scholars, would say that intelligence is that thing which paved the way in their respective fields.
However, at the first place, without curiosity or the willingness and drive to want to explore more and
experience new things, the knowledge or discoveries they have made would be nothing. Putting it in a
nutshell, our curiosity of things will eventually kill us, pushing us to look for the things that will satisfy
the needs of our minds. In other words, curiosity can be sparked by a situation in which we don’t know
enough yet and simultaneously want to know more. In that way, we would gain the true knowledge that
we all seek for as we continue to strive for more.

At some point, I have realized that this quote is, somewhat, interrelated with the things/tasks
that we commonly encounter in school. For example, as we all know, conducting a research always
starts with a question and that question could be something that strikes the curiosity of many. In the
same way, knowledge begins with inquiry, which implies initial ignorance of the subject matter itself.
Recognizing this is crucial for any inquiry to begin at all which is just like what we usually do whenever
we want to learn something. Moreover, in a corporate community, most remarkable businessmen will
tell people that curiosity is one of the best qualities a person can possess because asking questions is
both a way to learn and a way to endear yourself to the people you work with. In addition, its another
great byproduct is that in the process of asking, you increase your knowledge.

To sum things up, as a student, I have realized that the amount of knowledge I have gained, so
far, will never generate the certainty of how successful or how far I would be in this journey of mine
since knowledge is an endless pursuit. I may not possess the same thinking or the level of intelligence
others have, the more important thing is that I am willing to learn each day of my life because I believe
that I still know nothing from the vagueness of everything. This puzzling quote by Socrates, somehow,
motivated and inspired me to continue exploring and learning because there’s more to it that the life
can offer. We should never shut our doors for the endless gifts of knowledge. With that, I believe that I
am still not at the middle of my quest for knowledge, nor halfway of it. For now, I still know nothing
because I want to gain something. To end, we should never stop learning because life never stops
teaching. We may not be at the peek of the true knowledge that we constantly yearn for, at least, in
every foot step that we take, we come closer and closer into it and every bit of knowledge we have
brought in our journey would, then, create a great impact on how we perceive things. Precisely
speaking, life is more interesting for those who are interested because it all starts with knowing nothing.
  Explain the development of ideas/concepts in sciences through the concept of universal,
particular, and specific.
 Identify the focus of the question in each period and the transition that adapt it.
 Difference between capitalism and communism.

Mainly, philosophy is often regarded as the mother of all sciences as it gives birth to new disciplines of
science. Certainly, philosophy is a very general and broad concept so it has to be scaled down into pieces
to attain the answer or the truth we are searching for. From being a universal question, we have to trim
it down into particular questions in accordance with the question that we are trying to go over about.
From the particular questions that we have accumulated previously, we still have to cut it down from its
tiniest details which is referred to as specific questions to understand it more profoundly. From those,
we can now obtain the specific answers and as we collect those answers, it will then lead us to a variety
of fields in sciences like psychology, sociology, politics, etc. In simple terms, universal questions must be
reduced to specific questions and answers from those would also be specific disciplines.

Being a broad concept on its nature, philosophy had been through a series of periods back then which
still continues to progress and evolve up until now. To begin with, back to the ancient times, people had
been stricken by the thought of the origin of the world which then draws to the cosmocentric period.
During this period, most philosophers have proposed their respective theories regarding the question,
“What is the urstoff or the principle of all things?” Unfortunately, they weren’t able to establish a
consistency with their answers but they all agreed that all things have their origins which then draws to
the period of theocentrism. In the theocentric period, people’s main focus was the existence of the
Supreme Being as they have dealt with the question, “Is that higher existence or the principle of all
things really exists?” From that era, people have settled with the idea that there was really a higher
existence but they wanted to be certain on how they were able to come up with this argument which
could only be done by forming ideas. That formation of ideas goes to the modern era or the ideocentric
period – from the word itself, “ideo” – having the question “How can we ensure that the theory
formulation of God’s existence is true?” Many philosophers have given their ideas and they even
diverted as rationalists and empiricists with the common goal of the validation of their arguments
through forming indubitable ideas. Since almost all people back then are thinking, there goes the
contemporary period with the questions “What is man?” “Who is man?” as they attempt to know the
one who is questioning these things.
Each man had a different idea of what an elephant is like based off of what they had heard and gathered
from discussions between other villagers and travelers. Having heard varying discussions, all of the men
had their own perception of the characteristics of an elephant.

The point of the story is that while each blind man is proclaiming what they believe to be is an absolute
truth, in fact all of their truths are just relative based on their experience of the elephant. No one has
the Truth, in its entirety.

This story depicts how an objective truth could be very difficult to decipher as different people may have
contradicting preconceived notions about something. Just like the blind men in the context, they went
to a complete disagreement with each other as they all had their own perception of the characteristics
of the elephant claiming that their opinion is the only truth. In that context, our personal experiences
and individual interpretations could not be the basis to achieve the absolute truth because no one can
claim to have the truth in its entirety. We all have personal views of reality, but there is an objective
reality and ultimate truth whereas an individual truth is just considered as partially true just like what
was exemplified by the perceptions of the men in the story. With that, given the fact that people have
different viewpoints, we should always respect each other’s opinions because the truth does not lie in
you alone nor the other person as truth lies in truth itself.

1. Philosophy came from the Greek words, "Philein" which means love, and "Sophia" which means
wisdom. Putting them together, the etymological definition of philosophy is "love for wisdom".

2. At first, Heraclitus believed that fire is the principle of all things because fire is superior to life.
However, he realized that the origin of a thing should not be another thing as well because that thing
should have another origin of itself. Therefore, the origin of the world should be a non-physical object
but present everywhere. With that, he believed that change is the urstoff or the principle of all things.
"Everything is in constant flux," as he stated.

3. During the cosmocentric period, many philosophers have proposed their respective theories
regarding the origin of the world. They all have contradicting notions so they weren't able to establish a
consistency with their answers. However, they all agreed that there is, indeed, an origin of all things
which then shifts to the period of theocentrism. In the theocentric period, they have dealt with the
question, "Is that higher existence really exists?" which then draws to existence of the Supreme Being -
God, Himself.

4. Wisdom refers to a person's ability to discern and judge what part of their knowledge is true, moral,
lasting, and applicable to their lives in accordance with their experiences, reasoning, and logic. Hence,
having wisdom or being wise is often regarded as the highest form of comprehension because you did
not just know what is good and bad; instead, you put it into actions as you do what is good and avoid
what is bad.

5. Epistemology – Etymologically speaking, epistemology came from the words "Episteme" which means
knowledge and “Logos” meaning the study of a particular concept. If we put them together,
epistemology is referred to as the study of knowledge or the theory of knowledge. By that definition,
epistemology is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of knowledge, its scope, possibilities,
and general basis.

6. Theory of Divine Illumination - a theory which states that the truth about God is already in our minds
but it has to be illumined by His revelation to the mankind and also through our acceptance and faith in
Him.

7. Quinque Viae – This refers to the five arguments or points which St. Thomas of Aquinas have
established to prove the existence of God. He created these reasons because he believes that
disagreeing to a certain point of view wouldn’t be enough; rather, one must come up with something
better which is backed up with evidences. Quinque Viae is composed of the following:

1. Argument from Motion – Everything is in motion whereas there is something or someone who have
started the motion and it is none other than God, Himself.

2. Argument from Causation – Everything started from a certain cause since nothing causes itself and
that uncaused first causer is God, as well.

3. Argument from Contingency – The existence of everything is contingent to other things. According to
Aquinas, God is that being who has always existed and will always exist.

4. Argument from Degrees – Everything is measured by degrees. There is something or someone that
defines the value of being superior or being perfect, in particular, which is God, Himself.

5. Teleological Argument

Note: First four arguments are referred to as cosmological arguments which comprise the essential facts
about the world in proving God’s existence. Aquinas believed that everything must have a certain
starting point. All of these deal with the prevention of infinite regress according to St. Thomas Aquinas.

Part 2

1. During the ideocentric period, both rationalists and empiricists attempt to discover and form ideas
and knowledge and that knowledge should not be opinionated, should not establish any point of
uncertainty, and it should not be subject to doubt. With that, many philosophers have diverted ways –
one from rationalism who believed that reality can be found in the minds of people and empiricism, on
the contrary, who believed that reality is in the world and the reality itself. The primary goal of
rationalism is to form an idea or knowledge through the use of our intellect while empiricism, on the
contrary, believes more that our senses should be the primary source of knowledge. According to
rationalists, senses cannot be a good source of knowledge because it can deceive us while empiricists
acclaimed that there is nothing in the intellect that did not pass the senses.

2. Primarily, philosophy pertains to the study of man in general which includes man’s existence, values,
ethics, knowledge, language, and the likes. It also refers to our constant search for truth which can be
done through questioning, critical discussions, and rational arguments with people having different
point of views. It gives a deeper and wider picture of the world behind what we just know and see
because it attempts to discover the truth which is true, justified, and belief.
do a self-introspection of yourself, make a list of the things that you need to improve and you need to
change. After making a list of your goods and bads, make a narrative of your progress or development
throughout the 3 given days.

(format is attached below)

 As the Super Typhoon Rolly battered our homeland, I humbly prayed and asked for His
protection and guidance, not just for my family, but also for my fellow countrymen to help us
surpass this devastating dilemma.
 I helped my family in preparing our essentials for the coming super typhoon.
 I ensured that all our pets would be safe and sound, as well, by giving them enough food and a
well-warmed place.
 I gave myself a break from all the distractions I have in my mind to preserve my mental and
physical health.
 I helped my siblings with their school works by giving them some tips and ideas to further
develop their respective tasks.
 I solemnly prayed for the souls of those people who had already been departed, especially for
my deceased relatives.
 I posted/shared updates in my social media accounts to disseminate some necessary
information to the public (e.g. emergency hotlines).
 I guided my groupmates in our research by providing them some guidelines or suggestions on
how they would be able to accomplish their assigned tasks.
 I strived to fix my sleeping schedule because I realized that having enough rest is essential for
my overall health and well-being.
 I tried to resolve the argument that I had with my brother by offering him an indirect peace
offering.
 I made a to-do-list so that I won’t be baffled by the tasks that I have to accomplish for the day.
 I set an alarm so I would be able to wake up early on the next day to do some household chores.
 I whole-heartedly helped my friend who is having a hard time with her school works.
 I signed up on several environmental-friendly petitions as my own little way of protecting our
mother earth.
 I set a specific time when I can solely read and appreciate the message of the gospel reading for
the day.
 Before posting something, I first ensured that the statement or information that I will be sharing
is true, moral, and beneficial for mankind by checking its credibility and validity.
 I spread positivity and good vibes on my social media account through posting some
motivational and inspirational quotes to, somehow, ease the situation that we are experiencing
right now.
  Instead of pushing away all the negativities in my life, I let them sit within me and take it as a
challenge or a driving spirit because I realized that the more I try to resist them, the stronger
they get.
 I took a deep breath and purged myself from the toxicity of the society.
 A good friend of mine suddenly opened up to me about the troubles and burdens that he is
facing right now. I willingly listened to his problems and I also tried to give him some friendly
advice which, I think, would help him overcome his worries.
 I closed my eyes and talked to myself to determine the areas in which I doubt myself and strive
to remove those barriers.
 I tried to deal with my inner critic of self-doubt that constantly tells me that I am not good
enough.

 Due to the tasks piled up, I worked aggressively and overworked myself without checking on my
inner well-being.
 I slept late at night because I had to finish a k-drama series.
 As a result of my previous deed, I woke up late, as well, and I failed to do my scheduled tasks.
 My younger brother and I went on a heated argument over a simple thing.
 This day, I procrastinated too much because I was being lured a lot by social media.
 I pretended that I did not hear my mother’s command as I was doing something else that time.
 I failed to attend the online mass this Sunday.
 I reluctantly accused my cousin of doing something terrible without understanding first what
really had happened.
 I instantly judged a person I have seen on the social media based merely on the comments
posted by other people about her.
 I explicitly displayed my loath against the government by ranting and retweeting some hate
tweets on my social media account.
 I let my emotions took over me which I fully regretted, thereafter.
 I did not respond to some of my friends’ messages on purpose because I was not in the mood to
do so.
 I was afraid of trying and taking the risk on something that I really desire.
 As oftentimes, I tend to doubt my abilities and question almost everything that I do if I would be
good enough on something or I am just trying hard to be.
 Whenever I want to post a picture or anything about myself, I was being worried by what other
people might think or say about it because I valued the opinions of others too much.
 Because of my anxiety, I was constantly being bombarded by my ‘what if’ thoughts which in the
end, puts me in a deep regret.
 No matter how eager I am to avoid them, my intrusive thoughts always bother my inner peace
which causes me a huge distress.

If you don’t believe in yourself, how do you expect anybody else to? Start today.
DAY 1 – November 1, 2020

 Positive Self
1. As the Super Typhoon Rolly battered our homeland, I humbly prayed and asked for
His protection and guidance, not just for my family, but also for my fellow
countrymen to help us surpass this devastating dilemma.
2. I helped my family in preparing our essentials for the coming super typhoon.
3. I ensured that all our pets would be safe and sound, as well, by giving them enough
food and a well-warmed place.
4. I posted/shared updates in my social media accounts to disseminate some
necessary information to the public (e.g. emergency hotlines).
5. I solemnly prayed for the souls of those people who had already been departed,
especially for my deceased relatives.
6. I made a to-do-list so that I won’t be baffled by the tasks that I have to accomplish
for the following days.
7. I signed up on several environmental-friendly petitions as my own little way of
protecting our mother earth.

 Negative Self
1. I slept late at night because I had to finish a k-drama series
2. As a result of my previous deed, I woke up late, as well, and I failed to do my
scheduled tasks.
3. Due to the tasks piled up, I worked aggressively later that day and overworked
myself without checking on my inner well-being.
4. My younger brother and I went on a heated argument over a simple thing.
5. I pretended that I did not hear my mother’s command as I was doing something else
that time.
6. I did not respond to some of my friends’ messages on purpose because I was just
not in the mood to do so.

DAY 2 – November 2, 2020

 Positive Self
1. I strived to fix my sleeping schedule because I realized that having enough rest is
essential for my overall health and well-being.
2. I set an alarm so I would be able to wake up early on the next day to do some
household chores.
3. I voluntarily helped my friend who is having a hard time with her school works.
4. I tried to resolve the argument that I had with my brother by offering him an
indirect peace offering.
 5. I helped my siblings with their school works by giving them some tips and ideas to
further develop their respective tasks.
6. I guided my groupmates in our research by providing them some guidelines or
suggestions on how they would be able to accomplish their assigned tasks.

7. A good friend of mine suddenly opened up to me about the troubles and burdens
that he is facing right now. I attentively listened to his problems and I also tried to
give him some friendly advice which, I think, would help him overcome his worries.

 Negative Self
1. I reluctantly accused my cousin of doing something terrible without understanding
first what really had happened.
2. I instantly judged a person I have seen on the social media based merely on the
comments posted by other people about her.
3. I explicitly displayed my loath against the government by ranting and retweeting
some hate tweets on my social media account.
4. I let my emotions took over me which I fully regretted, thereafter.

DAY 3 – November 3, 2020

 Positive Self
1. I gave myself a break from all the distractions I have in my mind to preserve my
mental and physical health.
2. I closed my eyes for a moment and talked to myself to determine the areas in which
I doubt myself and strive to remove those barriers.
3. I tried to deal with my inner critic of self-doubt that constantly tells me that I am not
good enough.
4. Before posting something, I first ensured that the statement or information that I
will be sharing is true, moral, and beneficial for mankind by checking its credibility
and validity.
5. I spread positivity and good vibes on my social media account through posting some
motivational and inspirational quotes to, somehow, ease the situation that we are
experiencing right now.
6. Instead of pushing away all the negativities in my life, I let them sit within me and
take it as a challenge or a driving spirit because I realized that the more I try to resist
them, the stronger they get.
7. I took a deep breath and purged myself from the toxicity of the society.

 Negative Self
1. I was afraid of trying and taking the risk on something that I really desire.
2. As oftentimes, I tend to doubt my abilities and question almost everything that I do
if I would be good enough on something or I am just trying hard to be.
 3. Whenever I want to post a picture or anything about myself, I was being worried by
what other people might think or say about it because I valued the opinions of
others too much.
4. Because of my anxiety, I was constantly being bombarded by my ‘what if’ thoughts
which in the end, puts me in a deep regret.
5. No matter how eager I am to avoid them, my intrusive thoughts always bother my
inner peace which causes me a huge distress.

Development Narrative

They say, life always offers a second chance; it’s called tomorrow. Every time you fall, there’s always a
way to get back up once again. Likewise, there is always something positive in every negative times. As I
was trying to examine myself for three days, I really had a hard time deciding whether I will share a
certain deed which I felt uneasy with or not. However, I have realized that that’s what self-
introspection’s main objective is – to be able to know myself more through the deeds that I have done,
both positively and negatively, and hereby find a way to develop it the next day. As what can be
observed, every time I tend to do something that is perceived to be immoral or negative according to
norms, I always ensure that I would be able to reflect on it earnestly, recover and learn from it, make
the necessary amendments to improve the situation I was involved in, and most especially, to develop
myself even more. Most of my deeds, desires, and how I act in every circumstance reveal a particular
personality of mine which contributes to my well-being, as a whole. Whenever I did something awful to
myself and to other people, my conscience ceaselessly makes me feel guilty which distresses my mind
vastly. That said, I always seek a way to attain a peace of mind by thinking of something good out of it. In
that way, I was able to shed a light on my self-development by consciously becoming more self-aware of
my actions, observing my thoughts, emotions and responses towards something. Apparently, I have
listed more of my positive sides than those of the negative ones but that doesn’t mean that this, solely,
serves as the standard measure of my whole personality. As what was acclaimed by Karl Jaspers, “Man is
always more than what he knows about himself.” Just the way learning should never stop, the same
applies for self-improvement. Hence, self-introspection is an endless process – neither I am near nor
halfway from it. Each day, there would always be something that adds up to my entire being just like
what was depicted in this activity. Michelle Sandlin once stated, “There is no greater journey than the
one that you must take to discover all of the mysteries that lie within you.” In your constant search for
yourself, there is a great possibility that you will get lost along the way. However, if you don’t get lost,
there is also a chance that you may never be found. Hence, the key is not to get demotivated along the
way and lose hope.
Sensus communis – receptive faculty of per se sensibles

Imagination – retentative faculty of per se sensibles

Estimative – receptive faculty of intentions, i.e., per accidens sensibles

Memory – retentative faculty of intentions

Compositive Imagination – conjuring power of per se sensibles

Cogitative Power – when the compositive imagination is under the direction of reason

1. Imaginative Sense
- Referred to as the artistic ability of a man’s internal sense, imaginative sense is defined as
the mental capacity that allows a person to visualize a mental image of a scene, object, or
event that is not perceived by the external senses. Imagination is commonly used by people
to represent possibilities and perspectives by putting a certain image of an object or
scenario in their minds. As oftentimes, our imaginative sense is often inclined with fantasy
since it exceeds the limitations of reality whereas it tends to form images which are unreal
or did not even exist at the present, or have happened in the past.

2. Estimative Sense
- From the name itself, estimative sense, is the act of ‘estimating’ or perceiving the probable
conclusion of things by chance and by reason through the use of one’s natural instinct. With
the existence of one’s sensory cognition, estimative sense is identified as the power
between pure sensation and intellect as it takes place when the compositive imagination is
under the direction of reason. Hence, it allows people to avoid what is bad and to direct
towards what is good through immediate intuition of things.

3. Memorative Sense
- Memorative sense mostly involves our capacity to retain information over time and
remember things or perceptions that we have accumulated through our estimative sense.
Through reminiscing and recollection of our past experiences, we would be able to associate
what happened before and what is currently happening by retrieving our memories and
getting information out of its storage. Hence, our memorative sense allows us to operate in
the present, think about the future, and learn something from it.

4. Common Sense
- Our common sense is probably the most familiar among all internal senses since it is defined
as the central sense which is responsible in summarizing all perceptions of external and
internal sense to know all the sensations of the external sense. It is defined as our ability to
distinguish between reality and fantasy in order to produce a practical judgement that is not
necessarily based on specialized knowledge, but on sound reasoning. Moreover, it is also
 described as a sense that is common to others which helps people to be aware of the
objects and happenings in their surroundings that is mainly perceived by the external sense.

You are tasked to

Undeniably, for me, philosophy was, indeed, fun and interesting yet mind-stimulating as it has
challenged my inner perspectives and views in life and made me understand myself even more in light
of the absolute truth. Overall, every lesson in philosophy has engaged me in asking, answering,
evaluating, and reasoning about some of life’s most basic, meaningful, and difficult questions wherein
the most striking and relevant one for me, perhaps, is the question about my existence as a being.
Mainly, existentialism deals with one’s search for meaning of his/her life in which Jean Paul Sartre had
stressed out that existence always precedes essence. On that note, I have realized that we are all
condemned to be free and make choices in our lives wherein we create who we want to be through our
actions and decisions. Consequently, this lesson has also touched the idea of discovering the self which
accentuates that what makes a man a ‘man’ is his inner self being wherein once you discovered yourself,
you have to improve yourself that draws to the essence of your life. Hence, in life, it is inevitable that we
have to make choices and that choice should not be determined by consequences but rather, our inner
selves.

Undeniably, for me, philosophy was, indeed, fun and interesting yet mind-stimulating as it has
challenged my inner perspectives and views in life and made me understand myself even more in light
of the absolute truth. Every lesson in philosophy has engaged me in simultaneous asking, answering,
evaluating, and reasoning about some of life’s most basic, meaningful, and difficult questions which has
contributed to the realm of my existence. It has deepened my sense of reason and purpose as I come to
understand different perspectives and dig deeper to my overall being from interior to exterior aspects.
More so, in my endless search for truth and pursuit of wisdom, philosophy has never failed to satisfy my
thirst for knowledge which opened my mind to the truth and reality that I never knew before. As
Socrates once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living,” thus, it has helped me to discover the
meaning of my life each day which accentuates that what makes a man a ‘man’ is his inner self being
wherein once you discovered yourself, you have to improve yourself that draws to the essence of your
life. Needless to say, philosophy has been a powerful tool to uncover and to create the roots of
everything possible in my life and the world we live in, in general.