Philosophy

• Philosophy is an inquiry into the nature of the world we live in and our place in it
• Philosophy doesn't have to be complicated and mysterious, it can be practiced in daily life
• Philosophy allows individuals to understand their values, where they came from, and what to do next
• Philosophy begins with a sense of wonder and curiosity
• Philosophy can be traced back to Ancient Greece around 600 BCE
• The word "philosophy" is derived from the Greek words philo (love) and Sophia (wisdom), meaning the love of/for wisdom
• Philosophy is known as "The Mother of Sciences" because it involves a love for wisdom and learning
• Philosophy focuses on asking questions rather than just finding answers
• Philosophy has three main branches: Metaphysics, Epistemology, and Value Theory
• Metaphysics deals with the nature of the world and everything that exists
• Epistemology deals with knowledge and knowing
• Value Theory focuses on how we live, act, and place value on things
• Success in philosophy is based on how well one can think, not just on knowledge
• Man started philosophizing when he no longer had to worry about day-to-day survival
• Man had the time to ask deep questions about the world and his place in it
• Philosophy allows individuals to obtain knowledge about themselves and their surroundings
• Philosophical questions focus on thinking about questions, while scientific questions focus on finding answers
• Philosophy deals with questions that don't have clear-cut answers
• Metaphysics deals with the study of religion because it focuses on the nature of the world and everything that exists
• Deductive arguments:

  • Not all valid arguments are necessarily true
  • Valid deductive arguments are true if all premises are true and factual
  • Example: All birds can fly, an ostrich is a bird, conclusion: an ostrich can fly
  • Error in reasoning can stem from false premises
• Inductive arguments:

  • Characterized by predictive power, dealing with probabilities and likelihood
  • Example: Most Filipinos have black hair, Pedro is Filipino, conclusion: Pedro has black hair
  • Inductive arguments can be strong or weak based on the likelihood of the conclusion
• Plato's Allegory of the Cave:

  • Describes man as a prisoner in a cave, chained and only seeing shadows
  • Represents the idea of a World of Pure Forms beyond man's knowledge
  • One prisoner escapes and sees the truth, but others don't believe him
• Logic in philosophy:

  • Logic is the philosopher's toolbox for entering into discourse
  • Discourse aims to know the truth through deductive or inductive arguments
  • Philosophy challenges individuals to think beyond their current understanding
• Philosophy is an inquiry into the nature of the world we live in and our place in it
• Philosophy doesn't have to be complicated and mysterious, it can be practiced in daily life
• Philosophy allows individuals to understand their values, where they came from, and what to do next
• Philosophy begins with wonder and involves asking deep questions about life and existence
• Philosophy is derived from the Greek words philo (love) and Sophia (wisdom), meaning the love of/for wisdom
• Philosophy is known as "The Mother of Sciences" because early philosophers studied everything out of a love for wisdom and learning
• Philosophy focuses on thinking about questions rather than just finding answers
• Philosophy has three main branches: Metaphysics, Epistemology, and Value Theory
• Metaphysics deals with the nature of the world and everything that exists
• Epistemology deals with knowledge and knowing, questioning the possibility of knowing what is true
• Value Theory focuses on how we live, act, and place value on certain things, including Ethics and Aesthetics
• Success in philosophy is based on how well one can think, not just on knowledge about a topic
• Philosophy involves logic and argumentation to arrive at the truth
• Deductive arguments start from the general and end with the specific, providing premises that lead to a conclusion
• If all premises in a deductive argument are true, the conclusion will also be true, making the argument valid
• Not all valid arguments are necessarily true, as they may make sense argumentatively but still have flaws
• Deductive arguments:

  • Not all valid arguments are necessarily true
  • Valid deductive arguments are true if all premises are true and factual
  • Example: Premise 1: All birds can fly. Premise 2: An ostrich is a bird. Conclusion: An ostrich can fly
  • The error in reasoning can stem from a false premise