Philosophy

• Philosophy is derived from the greek word "philos" which means "wisdom" and "sophia" means "love".
• Greece was the originating place of Philosophy. Specifically the city of Miletus.
• Thales was known as the First Philosopher in the West. He desired to know the "ultimate one of the many".
• Thales divided his philosophy from the mythological and religious perspectives.
• His explanation of natural phenomena is completely rational.
• He differentiates religion (faith) from philosophy (reason)
• Philosophers concern themselves on obtaining the truth of all things and the nature of knowledge.
• Fundamentals are the roots of the explanation of almost every given context.
• Branches of Philosophy

  1. Cognitive Branches
  2. Normative Branches
• Cognitive Branches - these are the branches that focus on the concept of "being" (existence) and knowing.

  These are the basic foundations of philosophical thinking:

  1. Metaphysics
  2. Epistemology
• Metaphysics answers the question "what is real?"
• meta which means "after" or "beyond" and physika which means "physical nature"
• Metaphysics aims to understand what is perceived as real beyond appearance. Understanding between mind and matter.
• Epistemology answers the question "how did I learn?"
• Epistemology questions the nature of human knowledge and how it was obtained. Do we obtain knowledge through revelation, intuition, instinct, or reason? Is knowledge based on how we perceive things?
• Normative branches - these are the standards based on what is "good" and focus on the "what should's" of life.

  These branches include:

  1. Ethics
  2. Politics
  3. Aesthetics
• Ethics answer the question "what should I do?"
• Ethics tells us how humans should function as human.
• Ethics follow a "code of values". It pursues virtue, which is the quality of doing what is good and avoiding bad acts.
• Politics answers the question "what is proper?". It branches itself from ethics.
• Politics defines "the principles of a proper system". What is proper for a human being?"
• Aesthetics concerns judgments on the objective nature of beauty.
• Aesthetics makes knowledge alive.
• Aesthetics makes us live a more deep and rich life.
• Aesthetics brings us in touch with our culture.
• Philosophers basically ask questions and answer questions. Reasoning is the method used in doing philosophy. All branches employ reasoning in their arguments.

  2 types:

  1. Deductive
  2. Inductive
• Deductive reasoning - this method of reasoning requires the individual to base a theory on a supporting theory or guess to reach a conclusion.

  Ex.

  Idea A: The weather is cool.

  Idea B: Rainy weather is cool.

  Therefore, today's weather will be rainy.
• Inductive Reasoning - follows a pattern that may lead to truth or may possibly be false.

  Ex. The first bill in my pocket is 1,000 PHP. The next bill is 1,000 PHP. Therefore, all my bills are 1,000 PHP.
• Plato's allegory of the cave : "what you see, isn't always the truth."
• Coherence - Acquiring truth within clear and exact formulas. Popular among Mathematics and the Sciences.

  Ex. 2+2=4

  Truth is "structured"
• Coherence requires a technical approach that guarantees a consistent or factual declaration of what is true
• Correspondence, according to Alfred Jules Ayer, The given reality of the world is sense data. Truth is verified through material and physical.
• Correspondence, according to Bertrand Russel, the meaning of the word is defined by the object denoted by it. The source of knowledge is sense

  experience.
• PRAGMATIC - Truth based on the good or practical consequences of an idea.
• Pragmatic, according to William James, the nature of truth as having a practical application to the world and one's life.

  Ex. Santa Claus to little kids and Religion
• Socrates is the teacher of Plato. A pillar in Philosophy. The "Socratic Method".
• According to Socrates, the quest for truths starts in one's self. "An unexamined life is not worth living."
• SOPHISTS - Masters of the art of persuasion through speech. Words can be tools of deception and manipulation, according to the speaker.
• Socratic method - a method of inquiry that involves asking questions to clarify the meaning of a topic. Asking critical questions to

  challenge the Sophists. Truth is not fixed or static. It is more of a dialogue than a debate. Its about being aware of the truth.
• According to Plato, Reality is divided into two (2): The World of Forms and The World of Objects. "Everything is a copy of the real

  essence in the world of forms."

  Forms: Shapeless, eternal, non-material