INTRODUCTION TO THE

PHILOSOPHY OF A
HUMAN PERSON

Joelyn Zane S. Dupol

Subject Teacher
 CLASSROOM RULES

1. Listen attentively.
2. When called, kindly participate so the
discussion will continue.
3. Don’t make distractions.
4. Strictly no use of cellphones during the
class.
 OBJECTIVES
1. discuss philosophy and its importance
as discipline and a means for
understanding life;
2. appreciate the value of philosophy in
daily life; and
3. become philosophical in dealing with
life and situations.
A murderer is sentenced
into death. He has to choose
between three rooms. The
first room is full of furious
flames. The second is full of
murderers with loaded guns.
And there are three lions in
the third room who had not
been fed for years. Which
room is the safest?
What questions
about your life are
you struggling to find
answers to?
Teacher: Juan, what would
you like to be when you
grow up?
Juan: Ma’am, I want to be
happy!
Teacher: Juan, you did not
understand my question.
Juan: Ma’am, you do not
understand what life is all
about.
1. Do you think that Juan’s answer was
appropriate for his teacher’s question?
2. What do you think was Juan’s
interpretation of his teacher’s question?
3. Based on his responses, what kind of
student do you imagine Juan to be?
4. If you were Juan’s teacher, how would
you respond to him?

5. How is philosophy related to this

situation?
 What is philosophy?
 came from Greek words: philos (love) and
Sophia (wisdom)
 Applied it to the study or discipline that uses
human reason to investigate the ultimate
causes, reasons, and principles that govern all
things.
 Philosophers are people who engage in
philosophy or “lovers of wisdom”.
 Great philosophers
 Proposed that everything that
exist is based on a higher order
or plan which he called “logos”.

 Change is permanent aspect of

the human condition; “No man
never steps in the same river
Heraclitus twice.”
 Great philosophers
 A known advocate of living a
simple and virtuous life.
 One should not only talk of
virtue but should show it in
words and actions.

Diogenes of Sinope
 Great philosophers
 Philosophy could enable man to
live a life of happiness.
 His views gave rise to
Epicureanism – a school of
philosophy which believes that
wisdom and simple living will
result in a life free of fear and
Epicurus pain.
 Great philosophers
 Considered the foremost
philosopher of ancient times.
 Believes that philosophy could
enable a man to live a life of virtue.
 Formulated the Socratic Method –
a means of examining a topic by
devising a series of questions that
let the learner examine and
Socrates analyze his knowledge.
 Great philosophers
 Sense of wonder
 Whenever we are confronted with
experience, we always wonder
how it came about. Some have no
definite answers.
 Where did we come from? Why do
we exist?
Plato  Small child curiosity
 Great philosophers
 He attended the academy and
prominent student of Plato.
 All ideas and views are based on
perception and our reality is based
on what we can sense and
perceive.
Aristotle
 Great philosophers
 Studied logic that led to the
formulation of a formal process
analyzing reasoning which gave
rise to deductive reasoning – the
process of which specific
statements are analyzed to reach a
Aristotle conclusion or generalization.
 Examples of deductive reasoning

 It’s dangerous to drive on icy streets. The streets are

icy now, so it would be dangerous to drive on streets.
 Don’t drive when you are drunk. My father is drunk,
so he should not drive.
 When it’s cloudy, it will rain. It’s cloudy now, so it
might rain.
 Mammals have a mammary gland. Women have a
mammary gland, therefore, they are mammals.
 We all have the potential to philosophize
since we gave the tendency to wonder
and doubt.
 We possess the capacity to reflect on our
experiences, and we have a never-ending
need to learn and discover.
 The need to philosophize is traced to a
person’s sense of wonder (Plato) and
doubt (Rene Descartes), the need to make
sense of challenging experiences (Karl
Jaspers), and the love for wisdom.
 The study of philosophy can be considered
as a way of analyzing ideas and
frameworks.
 It also makes use of information gathered
from other field of knowledge and not just
its own conclusion.
 Finally, philosophy
can be considered a
reflective and
meditative activity.
 Branches of philosophy

1. Aesthetics – deals with beauty and

what make things beautiful.
2. Logic – deals with correct reasoning.
 Branches of philosophy

3. Epistemology – discusses the nature

of knowledge and knowing.
- investigation of what distinguishes
justified belief from opinion
Knowledge as justified true belief

 We have knowledge only when a

proposition is believed to be true.
 We have knowledge only when the
believed proposition is in fact true.
 We have knowledge only when we
have justification for our belief.
 Branches of philosophy
4. Ethics – deals with moral questions
and dilemmas.
5. Metaphysics – deals with questions
regarding reality and existence.
- anything which is beyond the
physical.
 Metaphysical questions
 Is there a God?
 How can we know what is true?
 What is truth?
 How was the universe created?
 Why do we exist?
 Branches of philosophy
6. Philosophy of Religion - examines a
wide array of topics related to the
meaning and nature of religion.
7. Political Philosophy – studies
governments and deals with questions
of justice and the rights and
obligations of citizens.
 Branches of philosophy
8. Philosophy of Science - concerns the
concepts and methods of science,
including principles such as causality
that are fundamental to science.
Practical uses of philosophy in our lives

 enables a person to engage in critical

analysis and interpretation of concepts,
definitions, arguments and problems.
 improves problem-solving and decision
making.
 Practical uses of philosophy in our lives

 Wisdom is one intended product of

philosophizing that refers to a person’s
ability to apply knowledge to daily life in
making choices and judgement.
 generalization

 How can a person benefit from

philosophizing?
 Is it possible for any person to engage in
philosophical discussion? Why or why not?
What philosophical questions do you wish to
be answered as you study this course? List
down five.
 quiz

1. What is the study or discipline that uses

human reason to investigate the ultimate
causes, reasons, and principles which govern
all things?
 quiz

2. In Greek term, what does Philosophy

mean?
3. The Greek philosopher Plato, believes that
philosophy is brought by man’s sense of
__________.
 quiz
4. Who was considered the foremost
philosopher of ancient times?
5. What is the branch of Philosophy which
deals with moral questions and dilemmas?
6. It deals with questions regarding reality
and existence.
 Group activity
 Describe (through poster, slogan, essay,
song, poem, drawing, etc.) a situation in
your life as a student when you were able
to engage in philosophy.
 How did philosophy help you address it?