CAL midterms

• William Gladstone: '"Man himself is the crowning wonder of creation, and the study of his nature is the noblest study the world affords."'
• Necessity and importance of understanding

  • Our nature
  • The purpose of our existence
  • The advantages of self-knowledge
• Most of us are afraid to face reality about ourselves, our very own nature, and to accept who we really are
• Most of us lack self-knowledge. Worse, we might have been trying to evade our true selves
• Lack of self-knowledge and self-acceptance usually leads us to disastrous living
• Our plans and ambitions may not actually fit our real identity, character and ability
• Socrates: '"An unexamined life is not worth living."'
• Running away from our true selves and failing to live up to the real essence and nature of our beings may lead to dissatisfaction, failure, and may even result in an unproductive life
• Before taking further steps, look at yourself; face your identity and examine your ability to make your every action and ambition a reality
• John Donne: '"Man is not only a contributory creature, but a total creature; he does not only make one, but he is all; he is not only a piece of the world, but a word itself; and next to the glory of God, the reason why there is a world."'
• Philosophy


  The science of being in their ultimate reasons, causes, and principles as known by the aid of human reason alone
• Philosophy is based on certain knowledge of things derived from systematic study and demonstrations where this evidence is reduced to a comprehensive rational system
• Philosophy studies all things that can be reached by the human mind, including God, man, and the world, from material to non-material beings
• Philosophy endeavors to understand the fundamental essences of things
• Philosophy attains knowledge by the use of natural reason alone, without depending on authority or articles of faith
• Branches of Philosophy


  • Cosmology or Philosophy of Nature
  • Epistemology
  • Ethics or Moral Philosophy
  • Logic
  • Ontology or Metaphysics
  • Rational Psychology
  • Theodicy or Natural Theology
• Philosophy of Man as a subject does not appear as one of the major branches of Philosophy, but man is at the center of all the beings in this world
• Philosophy of Man may be said to be a combination of Psychology, Logic and Ethics
• The philosophical study of man is based on the philosophical investigation and inquiry of the nature, causes and laws underlying man's reality as eventually demonstrated by factual studies
• Ancient thought was characterized by its emphasis on the notion of cosmos or the order of the universe, with cosmology having priority over theology and anthropology
• In the Middle Ages, theology superseded cosmology, and the human being did not exist in and for himself but as a creature of God
• The Renaissance period removed man from the ascendancy exercised over him by either cosmic discipline or divine authority, and man became a center of interest in his own eyes
• The 16th and 17th centuries started a reflection that centered on man, exploring his different aspects in a spirit of empirical investigation, freed from all ties of dogma
• The Enlightenment thinkers rediscovered that man is not only a natural being but also a cultural being
• In the 19th century, specialists in the social sciences became more restricted and specialized in their outlook, while philosophy devoted attention to the primacy of values in an understanding of man
• Our present age is characterized by the prevalence of phenomenology and existentialism, which see man as a very special phenomenon and responsible for his effect on others
• In the 20th century, man seems to have lost his sense and respect for what is basically and uniquely human, due to threats such as uncontrolled experimentation with economic and technological factors, and the treatment of the human person as a means to be used in the service of obscure and contradictory interests
• Concrete situation. It is only through his own being that man comes in contact with reality.
• Man in the 20th century seems to have lost his sense and respect for what is basically and uniquely human.
• This phenomenon is attested to not only by the attacks against and the annihilation of the human race perpetrated particularly during the Second World War by Hitler and Stalin, but also by the many aspects of daily life in the modern world.
• The most dangerous threats are those phenomena that do not necessarily appear as such, like the results of the uncontrolled experimentation with economic and technological factors.
• Technological advancements put man in a lesser state making him look inferior to machines or computers. Cloning also effectively degrades the dignity and nature of the human being.
• The human person is increasingly treated as a means to be used in the service of obscure and contradictory interests that distort the image of a man.
• The essence of man as an end in itself has been abused and jeopardized by continuous scientific and technological experimentation disguised as an attempt to advance man's own good and interest.
• Empiricism


  The philosophical belief that all knowledge is ultimately based on experience, that is, information received through the senses.
• Enlightenment


  An 18th century philosophical movement that sought to replace conventional authoritarian beliefs with rational scientific inquiry.
• Existentialism


  A philosophical movement that rejects metaphysics and concentrates on the individual's existence in the world. Its fundamental doctrine proclaims man's freedom in the accomplishment of his destiny.
• Neo-Platonist


  A philosophical and religious system based on the doctrines of Plato and other Greek philosophers formulated principally by Plotinus that emphasizes an eternal world of order, goodness, and beauty, of which material existence is a weak and unsatisfactory copy.
• Phenomenology


  A philosophical inquiry into intellectual processes that is characterized by the vigorous exclusion of any preconceptions about existence and causes. It is the study of all possible appearances in a human experience.
• Rationalism


  The theory that the exercise of reason rather than the acceptance of empiricism, authority, or spiritual revelation, provides the only valid basis for action or belief, and that the reason is the prime source of knowledge and spiritual truth.