Lesson 2-

Philosophical
Tools and
Processes
▫ Philosophy uses reason to arrive at a certain
knowledge or truth.
▫ Greek philosophers gave us how to use our intellect
to understand realities around us. The tools that
they frequently utilized are the following:
1. Philosophical Questions. Philosophy was
born because of ignorance. If one is ignorant, he asks
questions and if he keeps on questioning the more
knowledge he acquires.
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▫ In our daily struggles, one needs to ask

questions
simple, serious and deep questions that we have
to
cope with. A philosopher is like a child who has
an inquisitive mind who never stops asking
questions and finding answers.
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▫ Simple Questions (influenced by curiosity and

sense
of wonder):
1.What is this?
2.What does this do?
3.Why are trees tall?
4. Why is the sky so far
away?
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▫ Serious Questions (influenced by our experiences

and
circumstances):
1.Why do I have to study?
2.What do I need to get better grades?
3.What should I do to achieve my goals in
life?
4. What can I do to be better?
5.How do I deal with difficult people?
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▫ Deep Questions (influenced to search for

meaningful
answers):
1.Where can one find true happiness?
2.Why do good people suffer?
3.What can we do to make the world a better
place?
4. Why do I have to be a good person?
5.Is love worth giving up everything?
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▫ Socrates is considered the

foremost
▫ philosopher
He is known offorancient
Socratictimes.
Method, a
form
of cooperative
between individuals,
argumentative
based ondialogue
asking
and answering questions to stimulate
critical thinkingand to draw out
and underlying assumptions.
ideas
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Dialectic -term used to describe

s
method ofaphilosophical argument that
involves some sort of contradictory
process between opposing sides.
(Example: extension of MECQ or
imposing GCQ; life imprisonment or
death penalty)
As a dialectical method, it is discourse
a
between two or more people holding
different points of view about a subject
but wishing to establish the truth
Karl Marx known for his
through reasoned arguments. Dialectical Method
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▫ 2. Logical Reasoning. In philosophy reasoning is

theprocess of thinking about something in a logical way in
order to form a conclusion or judgement.
Reasoning is the method we use in doing philosophy
All branches of philosophy employ reasoning
in
explaining their arguments.
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▫ One type of logical reasoning is the deductive

reasoning:
Example:
Premise 1: All human beings are mortal
Premise 2: But the President of the
Philippines is a
human being
Conclusion: Therefore, the President of the
Philippines is mortal.
DEDUCTIVE- General/
Particular argument- Universal argument to
Conclusion
Specific/
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1

Inductive reasoning: begins with a particular/

statement to universal/general argument
specific
Example:
Premise: Student A, B, C, D, E, F….. are wearing School
ID. Conclusion: Therefore, All students are wearing ID

INDUCTIVE- Particular/ Specific argument to

Universal argument- Conclusion
General/
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