LESSON 1

What is
Philosophy
What are some common
meanings of philosophy?
Philosophy refers to:
(1) ideas, views, principles,
perspectives, or beliefs
(2) the activity of reasoning
(3) an academic course or
degree
The first common meaning of philosophy
refers to ideas, views, principles,
perspectives, or beliefs held by individuals
or group of individuals.
These are often conveniently
referred to as a forming a

philosophy
person’s “

of life” or “philosophy of
The second common meaning of
philosophy relates to the way we,
Filipinos, ordinarily use or
understand the meaning of the

word “ pilosopo” – the

literal Filipino translation of the
term “philosopher”.
If philosophy is the activity of the
philosopher, then philosophy is the
activity of the pilosopo.

Who is the pilosopo?

What does a person
called “pilosopo” do?
A pilosopo is one who engages

inreasoning
(pamimilosopo) for the purposes
of covering up an obvious truth,
annoying someone, and
engaging someone in an
unwelcome argumentation.
The third common meaning
of philosophy is that it
refers to an
academic
subject
or course that is taught
In this course, one usually
studies reasoning skills and
different theories about the
nature of reality, morality,
society and justice, religious
beliefs, and knowledge,
among others.
Consequently, an academic degree in
philosophy can be pursued either on
the bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral
level.
Those who pursue this degree are
often perceived as having the
intention of becoming a
lawyer, a priest, or a
teacher of philosophy.
Think about the
character of
Pilosopong Tasyo
in Jose Rizal’s
Noli Me Tangere.
Why do you think
he was called a
“pilosopo”?
 LESSON 1

Love of
Wisdom
What does “love of wisdom”
mean?
The term philosophy is an
English translation of the
Greek word philosophia,
which is a combination of two
Greek words, namely, philo,
which means “love”, and
sophia, which means “wisdom.”
A philosopher, consequently, is a

lover of
“

wisdom”,
The term philosopher was first
or one
used by who loves wisdom.

Pythagoras,
the Ancient Greek thinker known
for his mathematical formula, the
Pythagorean theorem.
Pythagoras preferred to be called
a “philosopher” rather than a

“ sophist ” – which
literally means a “wise man” or
“one who knows.”
The sophists were
a group of
intellectuals
who taught oratory
(the art of public
speaking) for a fee
to individuals
aspiring to have a
successful career in
politics.
The Sophists believed that all truths are relative in
that all truths are determined by or are based on
human interests.
Because human interests vary from one
person to another, or from one group of
persons to another, there is no truth that
holds for all humans.
Pythagoras,

Socrates,
and Plato
called themselves
“philosophers”
partly because
they did not agree
with the views of
the Sophists.
For the philosophers then, our reason
will show us that certain truths are

universal (true for all

humans) and objective
(independent of human interests).
Pythagoras showed this in area of Math and
Socrates and Plato demonstrated this through a
series of debates with the Sophists.
How can you
consider a person a
“wise person”?
Traits of a Wise Person
1. knows one’s ignorance
2. has justified true beliefs
3. knows what is valuable in life
4. puts knowledge into actions
5. knows what should be done
and acts accordingly
 LESSON 2

Kinds of
Philosophy
How can we orderly present the scope of
philosophy given that there are so many
kinds of philosophy?
The branches of
philosophy are
classified according to
the major topics of
philosophical
investigations .
Logic
LOGIC
-distinguishing
between correct
and incorrect
forms of reasoning
Epistemo
EPISTEMOLOGY
-determining the
kinds, sources,
and conditions of
knowledge
METAPHYSICS
-establishing whether
reality consists of
physical objects
only, of nonphysical
objects only, or both
ETHICS
-identifying the
standards for making
moral judgments,
clarifying the meaning
of moral judgments
Aesth
etics
AESTHETICS
-determining the
criteria for
judgments about
beauty
Social and Political
Philosophy
SOCIAL & POLITICAL
PHILO
-legitimizing the
existence of the state,
determining the limits of
the state’s political
power, defining social
and distributive justice
PHILO OF SCIENCE
-distinguishing
between scientific and
nonscientific
statements, justifying
the process of
induction
PHILO OF RELIGION
-clarifying the meaning of
religious statements,
proving the existence of
God, reconciling the
occurrence of evil with
God’s goodness and power
Philosophy of
Language
PHILO OF
LANGUAGE
-determining the meaning
of proper names, definite
descriptions, and
psychological statements
Philosophy of
Mind
PHILO OF MIND
-establishing whether the
mind is physical or not,
identifying the properties
of the mind, determining
the possibility of
artificial/machine
intelligence
What are the
practical uses
of philosophy
in our lives?
1. Philosophy enables a
person to engage in critical
analysis and interpretation
of concepts,
definitions,
arguments, and
problems.
2. Philosophy improves
problem-solving and
decision making.
3. A philosopher is a good
communicator who can
clearly and adequately
present his or her ideas.
4. Wisdom is one intended
product of philosophizing,
and this refers to a
person’s ability to
apply knowledge to
daily life particularly
in making sound
choices and judgment.
5. Knowledge of
philosophy can
contribute to
self-development.
Quotes from
Famous
Philosoph
Reflection is an
important aspect of philosophy.
One can engage in reflection
by examining one’s
thoughts, feelings, and
actions and learning from
experience.
Reflecting on situations,
activities, actions, and
decisions enables a person
to gain insights that will help
in effective decision-making.
 How can
reflection help
you solve
each problem?
Form groups and conduct a
1. You heard that one of your
friends was hurt in a fight with
some students from a nearby
school. Your other friends
approach you saying that they
want you to go with them after
class to look for the students
who hurt your friend.
2. Your family has already made
plans to go on vacation but two
days before your trip, your
father had an accident and your
planned vacation had to be
cancelled. Your younger sister
was really looking forward to
the trip and was upset with
your father for ruining it.
3. You have been saving your
extra allowance in order to buy
a new pair of rubber shoes.
Your mother, however, is asking
you to give your money to your
sister so she can buy a new bag
for school.
4. One of your friends has
uploaded embarrassing pictures
of another friend on Facebook.
It was supposed to be a joke,
but your other friends are angry
at her for doing it and are telling
you not to talk to her.
5. Your class is taking an exam.
You suddenly noticed one of
your classmates bringing out a
piece of paper, copying
something. After a while, he
passed it to one of your
classmates secretly. He looked
at you as if saying you should
just ignore what you saw.
CREATIVE OUTPUT
Make a mini poster showing
a holistic view of your life.
Come up with a creative
visualization that will show
your life in its totality and how
your various experiences
contributed to give meaning to
your life.
Journal Entry
What are your
realizations and insights
gained after studying the
introductory concepts on
Philosophy?