ROMINA, KATHLEEN C.

2CA1 FEBRUARY 20, 2018

1. Give an example of an insight. What are the many ways of doing with an insight? What is
the danger of conceptual analysis? Relate insight to the story of “The Duke and the
Wheelwright” by Chuang Tzu.
 An example of an insight is watching the news or reading a news article. This can
help me understand what is happening around me and why is it happening. This
enables me to think about my own stand or opinion on a certain topic. A deep
understanding of someone or something helps a person construct one’s own
thoughts and opinions. Doing an insight can lead to visions, decisions, and actions.
It is more than an observation, it must be actionable. Conceptual analysis often
corrupt discussions of morality and other subjects. The dominant use of insight was
reflected in “The Duke and the Wheelwright”. There are things that cannot be put
into words. The wheelwright came to know how to make a perfect wheel through
his experience. He had a deep understanding of the process of making a wheel and
he was able to state his insights and impressed the Duke.

2. Differentiate philosophical inquiry from scientific inquiry.

 Philosophical inquiry often stems from logical ideas. It inquires what ideas people
have and why do they have them. It does not constrain itself from the world. It
mainly depends on logic while scientific inquiry depends on hard evidence like the
facts, variables, and observations. Scientific inquiry derives its results through
experiments. Philosophical inquiry is about answering the why in everything while
scientific inquiry is about the who, what, where, when and how.

3. “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” Is this statement philosophical
or scientific? Why?
 This statement is obviously a philosophical statement. It is from the philosopher,
Friedrich Nietzsche. It is based on one’s own thoughts, aspirations, insights and
goals in life. If you can understand why a thing needs to be done, your solution or
“how” will be strategic to reach the goal of why the thing needs to be done, not just
doing it. Anyone who has found his purpose in life can overcome almost any
obstacle that may come his way.

4. Explain why in philosophy the questions are more important than the answers. In what
sense is philosophy a subversive activity?
 The questions are more important than the answers in philosophy because
questioning is the starting point of philosophy and the continuing force in its
development. The act of questioning points out how the accepted and established
answers are inadequate. Philosophy is a subversive activity because philosophical
questions make uncertain what was already final or conclusive. Questioning opens
new ways of thinking. The act of questioning will never end because there will
always be a quest for for knowledge and truth.

5. Explain: philosophizing is both personal and communal.

 Philosophizing is personal when an individual start questioning. He himself is the
one who thought of ideas, beliefs or principles and formulates it into a question.
This happens on a personal level. It becomes communal when the questions and
concepts formulated by one person is shared with other people to be able to gain
more insight, to unravel and to understand the concepts deeply.
6. How is philosophy related to justice?
 Philosophy is described as the search for truth. Justice is to give someone what is
due. When a philosopher searches for truth, he will be obliged to give testimony to
this truth and will eventually give what is due. Philosophy can reveal the truth and
justice takes place upon knowing the truth.

7. Observe and note down the questionings from children. Are they philosophical or not?
Why or why not?
 Questionings from children are indeed philosophical. Their imagination runs wild,
so they are very good at observing anything around them. Children always ask the
question “Why?” They always seek the truth in everything that they are curious
about. Their philosophy is based on raw knowledge because what they know is
based on only what they see or hear.