Philosophy Reviewer
Week 1
Socrates
- Socrates believed that philosophy is the eternal quest
for the truth.
- He famously stated, "For me, the only true knowing is
docta ignorantia," which means that true knowledge is
knowing that you do not know
- It is only when you realize your ignorance that you
become open to genuine learning.
- Socrates believed that the fundamental question "Who
am I?" is something that troubles every person.
- He asserted that no meaningful life journey can
commence without asking this question, as it marks the
beginning of a true exploration of oneself.
What is philosophy?
- The term "philosophy" is derived from two Greek
words: "philo" (to love) and "sophia" (wisdom),
resulting in "philosophia," which means the love of
wisdom.
- Philosophy involves the study of general and
fundamental questions about everything, including the
nature of reality, knowledge, ethics, and the principles
of reasoning.
Pythagoras
- Pythagoras is credited with coining the word
"philosophy," which translates to "lover of wisdom."
Philosophy
- Philosophy differs from other disciplines because it
relies on the natural light of reasoning, or human
reason, without the need for external tools or aids.
- Philosophers engage in the study of all things and do
not limit themselves to specific subjects.
Philosophy explores fundamental principles.
- Principle of Identity: Everything is what it is;
whatever is not is not.
- Principle of Noncontradiction: It is impossible for
something to both be and not be at the same time and
in the same respect.
- Principle of Excluded Middle: Something is either is
or is not; there is no middle ground between being and
not being.
Branches of Philosophy
- Ethics: Concerned with moral principles, what is
good and bad, and the exercise of moral duties and
obligations.
- Epistemology: Focuses on the nature and
foundations of knowledge, including its limits and
validity.
- Metaphysics: Examines the fundamental nature of
reality and the study of "ultimate reality."
- Logic: The science of the formal principles of
reasoning and the study of the rules of correct
reasoning.
Week 2
Insight
- An instance of apprehending the true nature of things,
often achieved through intuitive understanding.
- The ability to see into the inner character or underlying
truth of a situation.
- Understanding the relationships that shed light on or
help solve a problem.
Philosophy
- Philosophy involves giving meaning to certain
situations we encounter and determining how we
perceive these situations.
- It acknowledges that people may be dealing with the
same phenomenon but have different perspectives on
it.
Philosophical Reflection
- Philosophical reflection is the act of dedicating time to
contemplate the meaning and purpose of life.
Gabriel Marcel Types of Reflection
Primary Reflection
- Involves a partial point of view.
- Often characterized by selfish thinking and a "means-
end" kind of thinking.
Secondary Reflection
- Adopts a holistic perspective.
- Embraces unselfish thinking.
Week 3
Philosophizing
- Philosophizing involves thinking or expressing
oneself in a philosophical manner.
Philosophy Reviewer
Philosophical manner includes:
- Constructing knowledge collaboratively with
others.
- Tolerance in considering diverse perspectives.
- Self-correction in one's thinking.
- Sharing ideas and insights with others.
Methods of Philosophizing
Logic
- Logic is the pursuit of truth through reasoning and
critical thinking.
- It encompasses the analysis and construction of
arguments.
Existentialism
- Emphasizes the significance of free individual choice,
regardless of external influences.
Analytic Tradition
- Focuses on seeking a single truth through scientific
processes.
- Believes that a statement is meaningful only if it can
be proven true or false through experimentation.
Types of reasoning
Deductive Reasoning (Top-down Logic)
- Involves starting with a conclusion, followed by
main points, and then supporting data, facts,
examples, and evidence.
- General ideas precede specific or particular ideas.
Inductive (Bottom-Up Logic)
- Inverts the deductive process by starting with particular
ideas before forming general ideas.
- Reasoning involves drawing conclusions based on
specific instances.
Existentialism
- Emphasizes the importance of free individual choice
and decision-making, regardless of external influences.
Analytic Philosophy
- Focuses on seeking a single truth through scientific
processes and experiments.
- Holds that a statement is meaningful only if it can be
proven true or false through experimentation.
Phenomonology
- Further discussion on this topic is anticipated in a
subsequent lesson.
Week 4
The nature of Scientific Knowledge
Paradigm Shift
- A paradigm shift describes the nature of scientific
revolutions, which entail fundamental changes in the
basic concepts, experimental practices, and the overall
culture within a scientific field or discipline.
- It involves discarding previous understandings in favor
of new ones that are more comprehensive and
justifiable, often resulting from rigorous studies and
research.
Consciousness (Awareness)
- Defined by its intentionality.
- Exists within an "UMWELT" or environment that is
always/already there.
Unity in Oriental Thought
- Emphasizes the importance of the context of religion,
tradition, and culture in achieving a holistic approach
to understanding reality.
- In this perspective, truth cannot be confined to purely
rational conceptions, and the concept of being and
non-being being interconnected is acknowledged.
Week 5
Methods of Philosophizing: Phenomenology
Phenomenology
- Phenomenology is the investigation of the essence or
nature of material things or things that appear to us.
- The term "phenomenology" is derived from
"phainomenon" (to show) and "logos"
- (reason/study), and it can be understood as the study
of things as they appear to us.
Edmund Husserl
- Phenomenology is the science of consciousness and
the study of experience, focusing on how we
experience things.
Philosophy Reviewer

Realist Phenomenology (Realistic Phenomenology)
- It posits that the environment around us forms a
"world" of which we are conscious, and it assumes
this occurs in a real world.
Transcendental Phenomenology (Constitutive
Phenomenology)
- It focuses on collecting people's experiences,
examining and describing those experiences, and
determining the essence of their experiences.
- As spatial being, we are limited by our bodies to be
present in two or more places at the same time
The body as iternmediary
- intermediary means acting as a mediator
Experience of my
- You as a person cannot imitate the body of others. Thus
your actions defines what type of person you are to
yourself

Existential Phenomenology Transendence

- Seeks to develop an in-depth, embodied understanding
of human existence.
Week 6
The Human Person As Embodied Spirit
Material World
- The material world is seen as the foundation for human
evolution, and it is through its utilization that
individuals can reach their spiritual goals.
Spiritual World
- The spiritual world is characterized by a lack of
worldly desires or the pursuit of accumulating material
wealth.
- The essence of transcendence is to acknowledge our
limitations, identify possibilities for development and
change ourselves for the better
7 Common traits of self transcend people
- A will to find meaning in their lives.
- Creating something for the world.
- Receptive to the inherent beauty in the world.
- Focus shifts from selfhood to well-being of
others.
- Change for motivation of values
- A steady stream of elevated emotions
- morally concerned for others

Spirit
- Spirit refers to the part of a person that connects and
communicates with God.

Embodiment
- Embodiment refers to the biological and physical
presence of our bodies, which is necessary for
subjectivity, emotion, language, and personal and
social interaction.

Week 7

Limitation of the Human person as an embodied

spirit

Facticity
- Things in our life that are already given
- Ex: Environment, Relationship, Language, Death

Spatial temporal being