INTRODUCTION TO THE

PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN

1. Distinguish a holistic perspective from

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Sensitivity check
POSITIVE VALUES OF NEGATIVE VALUES OF
FILIPINO FILIPINO

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Introduction:
Doing philosophy

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The meaning of philosophy
In Etymological, “Philosophy” comes
from the Greek words:
Philo, meaning “to love”
Sophia, meaning “wisdom”
❑ Philosophy originally meant,
“love of wisdom”
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 The meaning of philosophy
✓ Philosophy is the study of general and
fundamental questions about existence,
knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language.
✓ Philosophy in simple words is a way of thinking
about the world, the universe, and society.
✓ It works by asking very basic questions about the
nature of human thought, the nature of the
universe, and the connections between them.

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The meaning of philosophy
Philosophy is also defined as
the science that by natural light
of reason studies the first
causes or highest principles of
all things.
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The meaning of philosophy
❑ Science. It is called science
because the investigation is
systematic. It follows certain
steps, or it employs certain
procedures.

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The meaning of philosophy
❑ Natural Light of Reason. Philosophy
investigates things, not by using any other
laboratory instrument or investigative tools,
neither on the basis of supernatural
revelation, otherwise it becomes theology;
instead, the philosopher uses his natural
capacity to think or simply, human reason
alone or the so-called unaided reason.
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The meaning of philosophy
❑ Study of all Things. Philosopher
studies human beings, society,
religion, language, God, and plants,
among other concerns.
❑ It is not one dimensional or partial
instead, it is multidimensional or
holistic.
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The meaning of philosophy
❑ First Cause or Highest Principle. A
principle is that from which
something proceeds in any manner
whatsoever. The First Principles:

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The meaning of philosophy
❑ The First Principle:
1. Principle of Identity
2. Principle of Non-Contradiction
3. Principle of Excluded Middle
4. Principle of Sufficient Reason

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The first principles
❑ Principle of Identity – whatever is
is; and whatever is not is not;
everything is what it is; Everything
is its own being, and not being is
not being.

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The first principles
❑ Principle of Non-Contradiction – it
is impossible for a thing to be and
not to be at the same time, and at
the same respect.

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The first principles
❑ Principle of Excluded Middle – a
thing is either is or is not; everything
must be either be or not be;
between being and not-being, there
is no middle ground possible.

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The first principles
❑ Principle of Sufficient Reason –
nothing exist without a sufficient
reason for its being existence.

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The meaning of philosophy
Early Greek philosophers studied
aspects of the natural and human
world that later became separate
sciences.
Finally, in attaining wisdom, there is a
need for emptying.

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The meaning of philosophy
In attaining wisdom, there is a need for
emptying:
Intellectually: means simplicity and humility
Spiritually: poverty in spirit means
compassion
Physically: Unified whole. If you buy three
things, you should also remove three things.

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Reflection
✗ Partial Perspective - it is the focus in
Philo of the human person in relation
to self. His intellect and free-will as
unique individual (psychology). His
limited capacity to do good (ethics)
and to know (epistemology) and his
place in society (Political philosophy. )
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reflection
✗ Holistic Perspective - in Philo, it
focuses on the human being as a
whole functioning system and not
just parts. Their functioning cannot
be fully understood solely in terms of
their component parts.

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The most notable ancient
Greek Philosophers are:
Thales of Miletus (born. 624 BC) He
was part of the new wave of thinkers
trying to determine how the cosmos
was constructed. Thales was one of
the first thinkers who began to
consider explanations about the
natural world that didn’t rely on the
Gods. He founded the Milesian School,
and his successors eventually taught
pupils like Pythagoras.
The most notable
ancient Greek
Philosophers are:
Pythagoras (570 BCE to
495 BCE)- A mathematician
and scientist, he was
credited with formulating
the Pythagorean theorem.
The most notable
ancient Greek
Philosophers are:
His work earned him many
followers, and he established
the community of learners who
were devoted to the study of
religion and philosophy.
The most notable
ancient Greek
Philosophers are:
➢Heraclitus (535 BCE to 475
BCE)- He proposed that
everything that exists is
based on a higher order or
plan which he called logos.
The most notable
ancient Greek
Philosophers are:
For him, change is a permanent
aspect of the human condition
as he was credited with the
saying, “No man ever steps in
the same river twice.”
The most notable
ancient Greek
Philosophers are:
➢ Democritus (460 BCE to 370
BCE)- He devoted himself to
the study of the causes of
natural phenomena. He was
among the first to propose
that matter is composed of
tiny particles called atoms.
The most notable
ancient Greek
Philosophers are:
➢ Diogenes of Sinope (412
BCE to 323 BCE)- He
was a known advocate of
living a simple and
virtuous life.
He is the founder of the Cynic school.
Influenced by Socrates, Diogenes pursued a
life of virtue. However, his methods were
vastly different from those of other
philosophers.
He believed that by rejecting material
possessions and committing to an ascetic life
of poverty, one could be free of social
expectations and politics. He advocated
living a life ruled purely by natural impulses
without restrictive social conventions. For
Diogenes, “he has the most who is most
content with the least.”
The most notable ancient
Greek Philosophers are:
➢ Epicurus (341 BCE to 270 BCE)-
He believed that philosophy could
enable man to live a life of
happiness. His views gave rise to
the Epicureanism – a school of
philosophy which believes that
wisdom and simple living will
result in a life of fear and pain.
The most notable ancient
Greek Philosophers are:
Socrates (470 BCE to 399 BCE)- He
was considered the foremost
philosophers of ancient times. He
was credited with formulating the
Socratic method - means of
examining a topic by devising a series
of questions that let the learner
examine and analyze his knowledge
and views regarding the topic.
The most notable ancient
Greek Philosophers are:
Plato (427 BCE to 347 BCE)- A
student of Socrates, he wrote down his
mentor’s teaching and incorporated
some of his own ideas into them.
Plato’s most significant ideas included
his Theory of Forms, which proposes
that everything that exist is based on
an idea or template than can only be
perceived in the mind.
The most notable ancient
Greek Philosophers are:
Plato is also known for his dialect – a
method of inquiry where two
opposing ideas are discussed in an
attempt to arrive of new knowledge.
Plato’s lasting contribution to
learning was his founding of the
Academy, an institution of higher
learning which was the first of its
kind in the Western World.
The most notable ancient
Greek Philosophers are:
Aristotle (384 BCE to 322 BCE)- He attended
the Academy and was the prominent student
of Plato. For him, all ideas and views are
based on perception and our reality is based
on what we can sense and perceive. His
studies in logic led to the formulation of a
formal process of analyzing reasoning which
give rise to deductive reasoning-the process
by which specific statements are analyzed to
reach a conclusion or generalization.
The branches of philosophy
A. Metaphysics beyond physics
B. Ethics wrong or right; Morals
C. Epistemology suretitude of knowledge
D. Logic
E. Aesthetic

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METAPHYSICS
❑ It is a branch of philosophy which
deals with questions regarding reality
of existence.
❑ It is only an extension of a
fundamental and necessary drive in
every human being to know what is
real.
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ethics
❑ Ethics is generally a study of the nature
of moral judgements. Philosophical
ethics attempts to provide an account of
our fundamental ethical ideas.
❑ It is the branch of philosophy that
explores the nature of moral virtue and
evaluates human actions.
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ethics
❑ For Socrates, to be happy, a person has
to live a virtuous life. Virtue ( Greek word
arete) s not something to be taught or
acquired through education, but rather, it
is merely an awakening of the seeds of
good deeds that lay dormant in the mind
and heart of a person.

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epistemology
❑ Epistemology deals with nature,
sources, limitations, and validity of
knowledge. Epistemological questions
are basic to all other philosophical
inquiries.

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epistemology
❑ Epistemology explains:
(1) how we know what we claim to know;
(2) how we can find out what we wish to
know; and
(3) how we can differentiate truth from
falsehood
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epistemology
❑ Human knowledge may be regarded
as having two parts.
(1) On the one hand, he sees, hears, and
touches; on the other hand, he recognizes
in his mind what he learns through the
senses.

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epistemology
(1) They believe that general ideas are
formed from the examination of facts. This
method is called induction, and
philosophers who feel that knowledge is
acquired in this way are called empiricists
(John Locke). Empiricism is the view that
knowledge can be attained only through
sense experience.
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epistemology
(2) Other philosophers think it is more
important to find a general law according to
which particular facts can be understood or
judged. This method is called deduction; its
advocates are called rationalists (Rene
Descartes). The best example of real
knowledge is based on the logic, the laws,
and the methods that develops reason.
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logic
❑ The term logic comes from the Greek
word logike and was coined by Zeno,
the Stoic (c.340-265 BC).
Etymologically, it means a treatise on
matters pertaining to human thought.

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aesthetic
❑ Aesthetic is the science of the beautiful in
its various manifestations – including the
sublime, comic, tragic, pathetic, and ugly.
To experience aesthetics, therefore,
means whatever experience has
relevance to art, whether the experience
be that of the creative artist or of
appreciation.
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aesthetic
Importance of Aesthetics:
❑ It vitalizes our knowledge.
❑ It helps us to live more deeply and richly.
❑ It brings us in touch with our culture.

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aesthetic
Hans-Georg Gadamer, a German
philosopher, argues that our tastes and
judgements regarding beauty, work in
connection with one’s own personal
experience and culture. . He believes that
our culture consists of the values and
beliefs of our time and our society.

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Thanks!
Any questions?

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