ETHICS

What is Philosophy?
Two Greeks words
‘philo’ - love
‘sophia’ – wisdom
philosophia – love of wisdom, coined by
Pythagoras (one of the sages of ancient
Greece, born about the year 584 B.C.)

Philosopher - lover of
wisdom
Philosophy
is the search for wisdom
is search for meaning.

Wisdom means learning the

principle of things, the first
cause of all things, and the
meaning and purpose of
understanding such things.
Wisdom deals with an
understanding of the meaning
of one’s existence and the
importance of the things
around the human person.
Who is the wise person?

* a wise person is one who

is aware of what he knows
and what he does not know
* a wise person holds beliefs
that are not only true but
which can also justify.

* a wise person knows a lot

about things that are valuable
in life.
* a wise person can put his
knowledge to practical use.

* a wise person does not only

know what is true, but also
knows what is good or what
ought to be done in a given
situation and acts
accordingly.
Thus, wisdom consists in:

a) knowing what one knows

and does not know

b) having justified true

beliefs
 c) knowing things that are
valuable in life

d) having the ability to put

knowledge into practice

e) knowing what should be

done and acting accordingly.
 Question:

What is the advantage of one

who knows that he/she does
not know over another who
does not know that he/she
does not know?
Philosophy is the science of
beings (things) in their
ultimate reason, causes, and
principles acquired by the aid
of human reason alone.
 Philosophy is a search for
meaning. Philosophy is
engaged in the search of the
meaning of life.
Philosophy is an important
part of the human person’s
life whether he knows it or
not because a human
person is, by nature, a
rational being, as such his
nature is to search for the
source of his own fulfillment
and happiness.
Importance of Philosophy
Why should we philosophize
or study philosophy?
What good will philosophizing
do considering that we are in
a world where life is hard and
largely dictated by scientific
and technological advances?
What is the point of doing
philosophy?
*Philosophy supplements
scientific explanations to
come up with holistic
explanations.
*Contributes to the
development of some
disciplines
*Provides ethical guidelines
for the use of modern
technology
*Contributes to social
transformation
* Expands the boundaries of
knowledge
Philosophy concerns itself with the
acquisition of truth. Because it focuses on
truth, Philosophy, therefore, involves
critical thinking. Philosophy deals
basically with the systematic search for
the origin and nature of the world, the
explanation of one’s knowledge and
belief, and the explanation regarding the
manner of life.