Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Foundation of
Education
LET Review
Prof. Arthur S. Abulencia
Lecturer
PART I: KNOWLEDGE
UPDATE
BASIC CONCEPTS
Concepts from General
Philosophy
Philosophy (from the Greek words,
"Philia" and "Sophia," meaning "love of
wisdom") - is defined technically as the
science of beings in their ultimate
reasons, causes and principles,
acquired by human reason alone.
In brief, it is the field of reason.
Branches of Philosophy
I. Metaphysics. It is the theories of
reality. It covers such sub-
branches as
A. Cosmology (origin and
development of the cosmos)
Views in Cosmology
Evolutionism – universe evolved
of itself
Creationism – universe came to be
as the result of the working of a
Creative Personality or God
World of Ideas-mind, soul, spirit
Universal truth, absolute, perfect, eternal,
fixed, foundation, constant, unchanging
Idealism
World of Matter-material/atom
Relative, change, contingent, subjective
Materialism/Realism
Metaphysics
B. Nature of Man as an important aspect
of reality
• Nature of the Self
a. The self is a soul, a spiritual being. (idealism)
b. The self is essentially the same as the body.
(realism and naturalism)
c. The self is a social-vocal phenomenon.
(experimentalism)
d. The self is a sheer fact where it is. It is
thrown into some place or situation which is
locus of its being (existentialist)
Metaphysics
C. Problem of freedom
determinism (cosmos is governed by
forces or laws beyond the control of man);
man is not free
free will (man has the power of choice and
is capable of genuine initiative)
Man is neither free or determined. Man
can and does delay some of his responses
long enough to reconstruct a total
response, not completely automatic but
not free, which give a new direction to
subsequent activity
Metaphysics
D. Conceptions about God
Atheism – there is no ultimate reality or God
Theism – ultimate reality is a Personal God who is
more than the cosmos but within whom and
through whom the cosmos exists
Monotheism – belief in one God
Polytheism – spiritual reality is plural. There is
more than one God.
Pantheism – all is God and God is all. The
cosmos and God are identical
Deism – God exists quite apart from, and
disinterested in, the physical universe and human
beings. But he created all natural and moral laws.
Metaphysics
D. Teleology (meaning or purpose of
life)
Philosophies holding that the world is
what it is because of chance, accident, or
blind mechanism are non-teleological
Philosophies holding that there has been
purpose in the universe from its
beginning, and purpose can be discerned
in history are teleological
Metaphysics
E. Constancy or Lack of Constancy
absolutism (constancy) –
fundamental reality is constant,
unchanging, fixed, permanent,
dependable, universal
relativism (lack of constancy) –
reality is changing, subjective,
contingent
Metaphysics
F. Problems of Quantity ( number of realities)
monism – reality is unified. It is mind or
matter or energy or will ---but only of these
dualism – reality is two. Usually these
realities are antithetical like spirit and matter,
good and evil. One is more important than
the other.
pluralism (many realities) – minds, things,
materials, energies, laws, processes etc. All
maybe considered as equally important and
to some degree they are independent with
each other
Metaphysics
G. Ontology (the meaning of existence as such. To
exist, to have being is what)
Space-time or nature as identical with
existence. To exist means to occupy time and
space, to be matter of physical energy (realism
and naturalism)
Spirit or God as identical with existence. To
exist means to be Mind or Spirit, or to be
dependent upon Mind or Spirit (idealism)
For pragmatists, they insist that everything is in
flux or change and there is nothing which fits
into the category of existence in any ultimate
sense.
Branches of Philosophy
II. Epistemology. It is the theory of
knowledge. Its major concerns are the
nature of knowledge itself and the
grounds for its validity.
The possibility of knowledge
a. Agnosticism - coined a/by Thomas
Huxley which means "not being able to
know" or belief in the impossibility of
knowledge.
b. Skepticism is the doubting or
questioning attitude towards
knowledge (also known as the
scientific attitude).
c. Affirmation of knowledge. It is the
possibility of knowledge.
Two kinds of knowledge
a. A priori - knowledge not requiring
observation; literally means "before" or
"prior to“. Knowledge is self-evident.
Principles which, when once understood, are
recognized to be true and don’t require proof
of observation
b. A posteriori - knowledge based on
observation; literally means "after" or
"posterior to”.
c. Experimental – knowledge that is something
to be put to work in experience as a function
which carries experience forward
satisfactorily
Types of knowledge according to
means / instruments
a. Empirical - knowledge acquired
through sense perception (equivalent
to scientific knowledge). The school of
thought is known as empiricism.
b. Rational - knowledge acquired
primarily through reason and belief is
called rationalism.
c. Intuitive - knowledge acquired
primarily through intuition (sudden
flash of insight) and the belief is known
as intuitionism.
Types of knowledge according to
means / instruments
Soren Kierkegaard
Existentialism