Teacher: Ms. Justine Maye M.

Escamillas
Subject: Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
Topic: Lesson 1 – Doing Philosophy

Learning Target: The learners define the concept of philosophy.

Activity number: 1

Objectives:
1. The learner must understand the meaning and process of doing philosophy.
2. The learner must reflect on a concrete experience in a philosophical way.

CONCEPT NOTES:

The Meaning of Philosophy

● Etymologically, the word “philosophy” comes from two Greek words which are: “philein” means
“to love” and “sophia” meaning “wisdom”.
● Wisdom is still the goal of philosophy. Under this definition, four things are to be considered:
1. Science – It is called science because the investigation is systematic. It follows certain steps or it
employs certain procedures. It is an organized body of knowledge just like any other sciences.
2. Natural light of Reasons – Philosophy investigates things, not by using any laboratory
instruments or investigative tools, neither on the basis of supernatural revelation, otherwise it
becomes theology; instead, the philosopher uses his natural capacity to think it simply, human
reason alone or the so-called unaided reason.
3. Study of All Things – All other sciences concern themselves with a particular object of
investigation whereas, a philosopher studies human beings, society, religion, language, God and
plants among other concerns. Philosophy is not one dimensional rather multidimensional or
holistic.
4. First Cause or Highest Principle:
a. Principle of Identity – whatever is; and whatever is not is not.
b. Principle of Noncontradiction – it is impossible dfor a thing to be and not to be at the same
time, and at the same respect.
c. Principle of Excluded Middle – a thing is either is or is not; everything must be or either be or
not be; between being and not being, there is no middle ground possible.
d. Principle of Sufficient Reason – nothing exists without a sufficient reason for its being and
existence.
● In attaining wisdom, there is a need for emptying. Emptying can be intellectual or physical. Without
the virtue of emptying, students will only learn partial philosophy that is knowledge-based, without
becoming holistic.

The Major Branches of Philosophy

A. Metaphysics – is really only an extension of a fundamental and necessary drive in every human
being to know what is real. The question is how to account for this unreal thing in terms of what
you can accept as real.
B. Ethics – Ethics is the branch of philosophy that explores the nature of moral virtue and evaluates
human actions. It is a general study of the nature of moral judgments.
C. Epistemology – Epistemology deals with nature, sources, limitations and validity of knowledge.
Human knowledge may be regarded as having two parts:
a. Induction – believes that the general ideas are formed from the examination of particular facts.
Philosophers who feel that knowledge is acquired in this way are called empiricists.
1. Empiricism – views that the knowledge can be attained only through sense experience.
Real knowledge is based on what our senses tell us, not what people make up in their
heads.
b. Deduction – believes that it is more important to find a general law according to which
particular facts can be understood or judged. Philosophers who feel the knowledge is acquired
in this way are called rationalists.
2. Rationalism – believes that what distinguishes real knowledge from mere opinion is that
real knowledge is based on logic, the laws, and the methods that reason develops.
 D. Logic – Reasoning is the concern of logicians. Logic comes from the Greek word “logike” it
means a treatise on matters pertaining to human thought. Logic does not provide us knowledge
rather it is a tool and does not contribute directly to the content of our thoughts.
E. Aesthetics – is the science of the beautiful in its various manifestations – including the sublime,
comic, tragic, pathetic, and ugly.

Importance of aesthetics because of the following:

a. It vitalizes our knowledge.
b. It helps us to live more deeply and richly.
c. It brings us in touch with our culture.

Philosophical Reflection
● Philosophical Reflection – Refers to the careful examination of life situations. This involves the
weighing of alternatives and using specific standards to evaluate one’s action.
● Reflection – It requires a person to be willing to examine one’s thoughts, feelings and actions and
learn more about one’s life and experiences. One can reflect on almost any subject.

Is holistic and partial thinking the same?

1. Partial thinking – A way of thinking that focuses on the specific aspects of the situation. The partial
view is an important component of analytical thinking, on certain areas or aspects of the problem in
order to understand it.
2. Holistic thinking – Refers to a perspective that considers large-scale patterns in systems. This is often
described as looking at the “big picture” when describing and analyzing a situation or a problem. A
holistic perspective requires an individual to have an open mindset and an ability to get a general
sense or impression regarding a situation.

PHILOSOPHIZING

 To think or express oneself in a philosophical manner. It considers or discusses a (matter) from a

philosophical standpoint.

OPINION

 A view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.
 Are statements that reflect the views or ideas that people have about subjects and topics.

TRUTH

 The quality or state of being true.

 Something that has been proven by facts or sincerity.

WISDOM

 The quality of having experience, knowledge and good judgment; the quality of being wise.
 The ability to know what is true or right, common sense or the collection of one’s knowledge.
 Understanding of opinion and facts and the means to distinguish one from the other can further
improve our understanding and appreciation of varied views and ideas.
 An individual cannot live his or her life just agreeing with everybody he or she meets.
 Through Philosophy, it can help us to determine ideas that are truthful and acceptable which we can
then use to form our own views regarding certain matters.
 It can help us examine various views on relevant issues and our lives.

PHENOMENOLOGY: ON CONSCIOUS

 An essentially philosophical method that focuses on careful inspection and description of

phenomenon or appearances defined as any object of conscious experience, that which we are
conscious of. (Johnston, 2006)
 The phenomenon comes from the Greek word “phainomenon” meaning appearance.

EXISTENTIALISM: ON FREEDOM
  Existentialism emphasizes the importance of free individual choice, regardless of the power of other
people to influence and coerce our desires, beliefs and decisions.
 It is not primarily a philosophical method but an outlook or attitude supported by diverse doctrines
centered on certain common themes.

POST-MODERNISM: ON CULTURES

 It aims to rejects, challenges or aims to supersede “modernity”, the convictions, aspirations and
pretensions of modern western thought and culture since the Enlightenment.
 Post-modernists consider that to arrive at truth, humanity should realize the limits of reason and
objectivism.

ANALYTICAL TRADITIONS

 The conviction that to some significant degree, philosophical problems, puzzles and errors, are rooted
in language and can be solved or avoided by a sound understating of language and careful attentions
to its workings.

LOGIC AND CRITICAL THINKING

 Tools in reasoning; it serves as paths to freedom from half-truths and deceptions.

 In making rational choices, we suspend beliefs and judgments until facts have been gathered and
considered.
 Critical thinking also takes into consideration cultural systems, values and beliefs.

FALLACIES

 It is a defect in an argument other than its having false premises.

 To detect fallacies, it is required to examine the argument’s content.

APPEAL TO PITY (ARGUMENTUM AD MISERICORDIAM)

 Appeal to emotion, someone tries to win support an argument or idea by exploiting his/her opponents
feelings of pity or guilt.

APPEAL TO IGNORANCE (ARGUMENTUM AD IGNORANTIAM)

 Whatever has not been proven false must be true, and vice versa.

EQUIVOCATION

 A logical chain of reasoning of a term or a word several times, but giving the particular word a
different meaning each time.

COMPOSITION

 Infers that something is true of the whole from the fact that it is true of some part of the whole.

DIVISION

 One reasons logically that something true of a thing must also be true of all or some of its parts.

AGAINST THE PERSON (ARGUMENTUM AD HOMINEM)

 Attempts to link a validity of a premise to a characteristic or belief of the person advocating the
premise.

APPEAL TO FORCE (ARGUMENTUM AD BACULUM)

 An argument where force, coercion, or the threat of force, is given as a justification for conclusion.
APPEAL TO PEOPLE (ARGUMENTUM AD POPULUM)

 An argument that appears or exploits people’s vanities, desire for esteem and anchoring on
popularity.

FALSE CAUSE (POST HOC)

 Since that event followed this one, that even must have been caused by this one.
 This fallacy is also referred to as coincidental, correlation or correlation not causation.

HASTY GENERALIZATION

 One commits errors if one reaches an inductive generalization based on sufficient evidence.

BEGGING THE QUESTION (PEITION PRINCIPIA)

 A type of fallacy in which the proposition to be proven is assumed implicitly or explicitly in the
premise.

THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED SPIRIT

DEFINITION OF TERMS:
● Man – the general term commonly used to refer to the entire human race.

● Human – refer to man as a species.

● Human Being – used to distinguish man from other animals.

● Person – refers to a human being granted recognition of certain rights, protection, responsibilities and
dignity above all.
● Personhood – refers to the state of being a person.

● Human nature – refers to the characteristics (like thinking, feeling and acting) that distinguish
humans from all other creatures.
● Transcendence – is the basic ground concept from the words’ literal meaning (from Latin), of
climbing or going beyond, albeit with varying connotations in its different historical and cultural
stages.
MAN ACCORDING TO SOME WESTERN PHILOSOPHERS
● Thales – “Man born from other animals-quickly finds nourishment for themselves.”

● Socrates – “Man’s body comes from his world of matter.”

● Plato – “Man is knower and possessor of an immortal soul.”

● Aristotle – “Man as a rational and social animal.”

● St. Augustine – “Man as a great mystery.”

● St. Thomas Aquinas – “Man is a creature of God.”

● Theilhard de Chardin – “Man is the significant link between the physical order and the spiritual
one.”
● Jean Sartre and Gabriel Marcel – “Man is a being-in-the-world.”

● Martin Heidegger – “Man is being there, part of this world and part of the next.”

● Martin Buber – “Man is the subject as well as the object of knowledge.”

MAN ACCORDING TO THE ORIENTAL PHILOSOPHERS

● Hinduism
- Man possesses the atman or soul, the highest aspect of what is understood as the principle of
life.
- It is the innermost essence of man.
● Buddhism
- Man is subject to the law of all things rise, decay and fall. There is no soul. There is no
permanence.
- Man is just given for the totality of the five aggregates that compose the individual; matter,
sensation, perception, mental constructs, and consciousness.
● Confucianism
- Man is regarded as a moral being as a social being. A true man is noble man.
- Man is expected to possess four virtues:
▪ Human-heartedness

▪ Righteousness

▪ Ritual
Propriety and Wisdom

● TAOISM
- Every man can be sage, one with the “Tao”, the perfect man, the happy man.
● CHRISTIANITY OF MAN
- The power of change, cannot be done by human beings along, but is achieved with
cooperation with God.

● HUMAN BODY IMPOSES LIMITS AND POSSIBILITIES FOR

TRANSCENDENCE
o Hinduism – Reincarnation and Karma
o Buddhism – Nirvana
o St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas – Will and Love

MAN ACCORDING TO FILIPINO PHILOSOPHY

1. Man is understood according to the “concept of loob” which is an expression of holistic – Filipino
personhood.
a. Physical
b. Intellectual
c. Spiritual
d. Moral
e. Social
2. A Filipino is a people-oriented individual.
a. A being for others
b. A being of others
c. A being with others
d. A being by others
e. A being to others
A Filipino is a product of various races.