INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY
OF THE HUMAN PERSON which give rise to deductive reasoning.
PHILOSPHY – Greek words: PHILOS (love)
and SOPHIA (wisdom) “love of wisdom“
 Questions about existence,
knowledge, values, reason, mind
and language.
Philosophy, may be understood as an
activity in pursuit of wisdom-wisdom we
attribute to people who truly know.
Philosophy is carried out through the use of
reasons.
THE MOST NOTABLE ANCIENT
GREEK PHOLOSOPHERS
(341 BCE to 270 BCE) “EPICURUS”
He believed that philosophy could enable
man to live a life of happiness.
The most pleasant life is one where we
abstain from unnecessary desires and
achieve an inner tranquility by being content
with simple things, and by choosing the
pleasure of philosophical conversation with
friends over the pursuit of physical pleasure
like food, drink, and sex.
(470 BCE to 399 BCE) “SOCRATES”
He was created with formulating the
Socratic Method.
Means of examining a topic by devising a
series of questions that let the learner
examine and analyze his knowledge and
views regarding the topic.
(427 BCE to 347 BCE) “PLATO”
His most significant ideas included his
dialectic- a method of inquiry.
DIALECTIC – a method of inquiry where
two opposing ideas are discussed in an
attempt to arrive a new knowledge.
(384 BCE to 322 BCE) “ARISTOTLE”
His studies in logic led to the formulation of
a formal process of analyzing reasoning
DEDUCTIVE REASONING – the process
by which specific statements are analyzed
to reach a conclusion or generalization.
MAJOR BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY
ETHICS – derived from the Greek term
ethos meaning “custom,” is concerned
about human conduct. As normative study,
it deals with norms or standards of right and
wrong applicable to human behavior.
Examining Moral: Ethics
 If we choose happiness, will it be our
own or the happiness of all?
AESTHETICS – which means “sensitive”
or “perceptive”. The philosopher is
concerned with the analysis of aesthetic
experience and the idea of what is beautiful.
Examining Beauty: aesthetics
 Can nature be considered art, or art
is only for artificial? (man-made
pieces that represent art)
EPISTEMOLOGY – Greek word episteme,
which means “knowledge”.
 Origin of knowledge- whether
empiricism (given by experience) or
rationalism (given by the mind prior
to experience) - and the verification
or conformation of knowledge.
Examining Knowledge: Epistemology
Rationalism – that sees human reason, the
“ratio,” as the source of all knowledge and
as the ultimate instrument we use when
acquiring knowledge. _PLATO
Empiricism – claims that all knowledge is
acquired through experience, and sees
experience as the source of all our
knowledge.
_JOHN LOCKE and DAVID HUME
LOGIC – looks into whether there are rules
or principles that govern reasoning.
Knowing the rules at logic gives a person
the techniques to create sound arguments
and avoid fallacious reasoning.
Examining Reason: Logic
Tanya is older than Eric.
Cliff is older than Tanya.
Eric is older than Cliff.
If the two statements are true, the third
statement is
 True
 False
 Uncertain
METAPHYSICS – “after physics.”
Early Greek philosophers claimed that it is
the study of the nature of reality.
Examining the Universe: Metaphysics
 What is the meaning of life?
 What is the purpose of life?
 Does god exist?
LESSON 2: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
HOLISTIC POINT OF VIEW FROM A
PARTIAL POINT OF VIEW
PARTIAL POINT OF VIEW
 Looks at only limited number of
aspects of the given problem or
situation.
 Conclusion are made based on
considering some, but not all, sides
of the problem or situation.
HOLISTIC POINT OF VIEW
 Looks at all aspects of the given
problem or situation.
 All aspects are given importance
when making conclusions.
 All aspects are tied in together to
form a general overview of the
problem or situation.
SOME OF THE PROBLEMS IN
PHOLOSOPHY
VALUES OF PHOLOSOPHY
The Values of doing Philosophy
The value of philosophy is in this
uncertainty, every time one
philosophizes and seeks answers, it
opens the person to wider perspective of
the possible answers that are devoid of
dogmatism and are results of deliberate
activity involving reason.
Philosophy has value in terms of what it
contributes to the quality of knowledge
acquired by people and how such
knowledge enhances the mind’s ability
to reason.
Engaging philosophy means engaging in
contemplation. This reflective activity is
suspending who you are, what you
believe, and what you value. Remaining
the belief that you hold what is certain
and definite means closing yourself to
other possibilities that may broaden your
perspectives.
PLATO – Plato traced man’s need to
philosophize to his sense of wonder.
Whenever we are confronted with an
experience, we always wonder how it
came about.
RENE DESCARTES – He traced the
need to philosophize to doubt. In life, we
will be faced with several ideas and
arguments which present themselves as
“truths”. A critical and questioning
perspective is necessary to determine if
indeed these ideas or views are correct
or true.
THE METHODS OF PHILOSOPHIZING
I. Philosophy as Speculation or
Speculative Thinking
 Speculation is derived from the Latin
word specula, which means “watch
tower”. It implies a vision above that
of an ordinary person.
 Speculation is sometimes
considered as detached because it
is an activity best done alone and
isolation. It is often a result of
contemplation, which you can do on
your own.
II. Philosophy as Critical Thinking or
Analysis
 To criticize means to “judge”
and/or to “analyze”. Philosophy, as
critical thinking or analysis,
questions, judges, and evaluates
any and all principles and premises
that may be gained through
speculation.
III. Philosophy as Reflective Inquiry
 This kind of reflection is seen as a
“meaning-making” process that
moves a learner from one
experience into the next with a
deeper understanding of its
relationship with connections to
other experiences and ideas.
TRUTH, FACT and OPINION
TRUTH
 is created by people to describe
how things really are
 As a state of belief that is thought to
represent a universal reality.
 Truths don’t have to be logical or
verifiable. They simply have to be
shared. They can arise from faith,
commitment, or experience.
 It is what a person has come to
believe. If he believes that
something is true, then it is true.
FACT
 Indisputable
 Can be objectively verified and
proven through evidence
 Basically something that exists, or is
present in reality. Hence, these are
things that can be seen visually, and
these are the things that can actually
verified.
OPINION
 Are value judgments that expresses
a feeling or view
 Rely on assumptions and are
exceedingly dependent on the
perspective of those holding them
 Highly temporal and can change
quickly when new information or
facts become available
NATURE OF TRUTH
THE CORRESPONDENCE THEORY OF
TRUTH
 A belief is true, and only if, it
corresponds with something that
exists in the world.
 “A belief is true if there exists an
appropriate entity-a-fact-to which it
corresponds. If there is no such
entity, the belief is false.”
CRITICISM OF CORRESPONDENCE
THEORY
 It seems fair to say that
correspondence theory applies to
truths in the domain of science and
 ordinary experience but fails in
others.
THE COHERENCE THEORY OF TRUTH
 A belief is true if it coheres with a
body of other statements that we
take to be true.
 In simpler, the coherence theory of
truth insists that a belief is true if
only if it is part of a coherent system
of beliefs.
CRITICISM OF COHERENCE THEORY
 Many criticize coherence theory in
various fronts. Some have argued
that it is possible that a system of
statements or beliefs can be
coherent but not true. The denial of
an entire system of true beliefs can
still form a coherent system but will
yield only false statements and
beliefs. An argument can be valid
(coherent) yet have false premises
and false conclusions.
THE PRAGMATIC THEORY OF TRUTH
 The pragmatic theory of truth holds
that a proposition is true if it is
useful to believe it. Thus, utility is
the essential mark of truth. Truth is
arrived at based on beliefs that lead
to the best pay off, give the ultimate
benefit or advantage, or promote
success.
CRITICISM OF PRAGMATIC THEORY
 Russell (1945) argued that true
beliefs work because they are true;
they are true not because they work,
but work because they are true to
the facts. In short, we cannot equate
the truth of a particular belief with its
usefulness. They simply come apart.
FALLACIES
FALLACY – is a misconception resulting
from incorrect reasoning.
From the Latin word fallacia which means
“for deceit”
9 COMMON FALLACIES
AD HOMINEM – attacking the person
presenting the argument instead of the
argument itself
APPEAL TO FORCE / ARGUMENTUM AD
BACULUM - using the threat of force or an
undesirable event to advance an argument
APPEAL TO EMOTION / FALLACY OF AD
MISERICORDIAM – using emotion such as
pity or sympathy
APPEAL TO POPULAR – the idea is
presented as acceptable because a lot of
people accept it
APPEAL TO TRADITION – the idea is
acceptable because it has been true for a
long time.
BEGGING THE QUESTION – assuming the
thing or idea to be proven is true; also
known as circular argument.
CAUSE-AND-EFFECT / FALLACY OF
POST HOC – assuming “cause-and-effect”
relationship between unrelated events
FALLACY OF COMPOSITION / FALLACY
OF HASTY GENERALIZATION – assuming
that what is true of a part is true for the
whole
FALLACY OF DIVISION / FALLACY OF
DICTO SIMPLICITER – assuming that what
is true for the whole is true for its parts.