The Nature of

Philosophy:
Philosophy as the
mother discipline
PHILO+SOPHIA
1. Do guns protect people or
kill people?
2. What is the meaning of true
love?
3. What is happiness?
 Questions:
1. Why do you think philosophy is the mother of all
discipline?
2. How do you explain now philosophy as the
2nd order inquiry?
3. What now is the difference
between a scientist and a
philosopher?
According to Isiah Berlin, three
characteristics of a Philosophic
question or problem:
1. These questions are often
very broad or general.
2. There is no single
methodology for answering
these questions.
3. These questions seem to
have no practical utility.
Philosophy as a
Second-order
Inquiry
Philosophers
vs Scientist
 Philosophers
-a person engaged or
learned in philosophy,
especially as an
academic discipline.
 Scientist
-a person who is
studying or has expert
knowledge of one or
more of the natural or
physical sciences.
Physicist vs
Philosopher
Physicist Philosopher
Follow the method of Take it upon himself
science strictly
Will not dare The question
question his criticize the
scientific method or assumptions of
the practice and scientist
protocol of his
discipline
Considered as doing They are doing a
his science as first- second-order inquiry
order inquiry
 Physics
- Queen of Sciences.
Friedrich Waismann
 Friedrich Waismann
- An Austrian philosopher,
mathematician, and physicist
- He said that “Philosophy is
vision”
- He is best known for being a
member of the Vienna Circle
- one of the key theorists in logical
positivism.
Philosophers

Scientist
Physicist Philosopher
 The 2nd order inquiry is for
philosophers who never settle
for a single question – there
must be a series of questions
to arrive at the truth.
We don’t settle for less in life
– we shall always seek for
what is best for us. If we want
answers, we shall never cease
to ask questions
QUIZ
1-2. Philosophy comes from the greek word
Philo and Sophia which means?
3. Scientists’ thinking is manifested through-
4. Philosophers’ thinking is seen through
what kind of inquiry?
5. Who says the unexamined life is not worth
living?