Week 2
Week 2
expected to:
1. discuss philosophy and its importance as a
discipline and a means for understanding
life;
2. appreciate the value of philosophy in daily
life;
3. become philosophical in dealing with life
situations; and
A murderer sentenced into
is death. He has to choose
between three rooms. The
room is full of furious first
flame.
The second is full of murderers
with loaded guns. And there are
lions in the third room who had
not been fed for years. Which
room is the safest?
Answer: The room of the lions
because they’re dead if they
“An unexamined
life is not worth
living.”
-
Socra
tes
Read and analyse the following conversation between a high school teacher and her
student in class.
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
Processing
Questions:
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?
1. What is philosophy?
2. Why is there a need
to philosophize?
3. How do we characterize the
study of philosophy?
4. What are the practical uses
Philosophy comes from two
Greek words: philos (love) and
sophia (wisdom) which were
used by ancient Greeks to refer to
“love of wisdom” and soon
applied it to the study or
discipline that uses human reason
to investigate the ultimate,
causes, reasons, and principles
which govern all things
Philosophers are people
who engage in philosophy or
Pythagoras
a mathematician and scientist, credited with
formulating the Pythagorean Theorem
established a community of
learners devoted to the study of
philosophy
religion and
Heraclitus
proposed that everything that exists 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 twice.”
Democritus
study the causes of natural phenomena
was among the first to propose
that matter is composed of tiny particles
called
atoms Diogenes of Sinope
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
his emphasis on austerity and simplicity often
went to the extreme and was said to have
lived like a beggar
Epicurus
philosophy enable
man
couldto live a life of happiness
hisviews gave to
Epicureanism
rise – a school of
philosophy which believes
that wisdom and simple
living will result in a life
free of fear and pain
Socrates
considered the foremost philosopher
of ancient times
he did not claim to be “wise” and
merely considered himself a “midwife”
that helped inquiring minds achieve
wisdom
believed 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 anlyze his knowledge
Plato
a student of Socrates, he wrote down
his mentor’s teachings and
incorporated some of his own ideas
his teachings and writings were
considered the foundation of Western
philosophy
dialectic – a method of inquiry where
two opposing ideas are discussed in an
attempt to arrive at new knowledge
founded the Academy – an institution of
higher learning which was the first of its
kind in the Western World
Aristotle
he attended academy and
prominent
the student of Plato
all ideas and views are based on
perception and our reality is based on
what we can sense and perceive
studied logic that led to the
formulation of a formal process of
analyzing reasoning which gave rise to
deductive reasoning – the process of
which specific statements are
analyzed to reach a conclusion or
generalization
We all have the potential to
philosophize since we have 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 is also considered
as a way of examining a particular area
of knowledge. Philosophy itself is a
discipline with its own goals, concerns,
and ways of doing things. It
makes use of information also
from other fields of knowledge gathered
and
not just its own conclusions. Finally,
philosophy can be considered a
reflective and meditative activity.
Aesthetics
deals with beauty and what makes
things “beautiful”
Logic
the branch of philosophy
which deals with correct
reasoning
Epistemology
discusses the nature of knowledge
and knowing
Ethics
the branch which deals with moral
Political Philosophy
studies governments and deals with
questions of justice, power and the
rights and obligations of citizens
Metaphysics
deals with questions regarding
reality and existence
Philosophy of the Human Person
understands the human
person from a philosophical
perspective – integrating
and synthesizing the
different branches of philosophy
Practical Uses of Philosophy in Our Lives:
1. Philosophy enables a person to engage in critical analysis and
interpretation of concepts, definitions, arguments, and
problems.
2. Philosophy also improves problem-solving and decision
making.
3. A philosopher is a good communicator who can clearly and
adequately present his or her ideas.
4. Wisdom is one intended product of philosophizing that
refers to a person’s ability to apply knowledge to daily life
particularly in making sound choices and judgment.
Describe (through poster, slogan,
essay, song, drawing, etc.) a
poem, in your life when you were
situation
able to engage in philosophy. What
circumstances or dilemma brought
about your need to philosophize? How
did philosophy help you address your
1. What are the reasons that compel a person
to engage in philosophical thinking?
2. How can you as a person benefit from
philosophizing?
3. Based on the characteristics of Philosophy,
would it be possible for any person to
engage in philosophical discussion? Why or
why not?
Direction: Identify what is asked in
each
1. What is the study or discipline
number. that uses human reason to
investigate the ultimate causes, reasons, and principles
which govern all things?
2. What does the Greek term for philosophy, philosophia,
mean?
3. The Greek philosopher Plato believes that
philosophy is brought by man’s sense of .
4. He believed that persons engage in philosophy in order to
make sense of difficult life experiences.
5. Rene Descartes considers this as a reason why people