Notes#2

Philosophy itself is a distinct area of knowledge with its own goals, concerns
and ways of doing things.
BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY
1. METAPHYSICS- foundation of philosophy, meta (beyond/after),physika
( physical/nature)
- Study of things beyond the physical: concepts or things that cannot
be experienced.
- Study which deals with questions regarding reality and existence.
General metaphysics.
ONTOLOGY- onto (being or that which is) logos (study).
- Studies beings in their ultimate causes, reasons and principles
through the aid of reason alone.
Basic questions in ontology

 What is being?
 Why do things exist rather than not exist at all?
 What is the meaning and nature of reality?
 What is underlying principle of all that exist?
 Is there nothing?
Special metaphysics.
COSMOLOGY- kosmos ( world/universe), logos (study)
- Studies the world (universe) including its origin, dynamics and
characteristics as well as the laws that govern its order.
Basic questions in cosmology

 What is the origin of the world?

 What is the basic material of which the world is formed?
 How do things arise?
 In what consists its fundamental form or principle of order?
 Is the world or universe infinite?
PSYCHOLOGY- psyche (soul/mind), logos (study)
- Study of the nature and dynamics of the human person’s mind
functions and the way he/she behaves.
Basic questions in psychology

 What is the nature of the human person?

 Is there such thing as human nature?
THEODICY/THEOLOGY- theos (God)
-study of God

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 - Justification of the goodness of God in the face of evil.
Basic question in theology

 Is there God?
 What and Who is God if He exist at all?
 How do we prove the existence of God?
 If God exists how do we justify the existence of evil and
suffering in the world?
 Does a belief in God really necessary?
2. EPISTEMOLOGY – episteme (knowledge), logos ( study).
- Study of the nature and scope of knowledge and justified belief
Basic Questions in epistemology

 What is knowledge?
 What do we know?
 How is knowledge acquired?
 What are the structures and limits of knowledge?
 What makes justified beliefs justified?
3. LOGIC- logos (science of correct thinking)
- Study of the principles and criteria of a valid argument
- Distinguish sound or good reasoning from unsound or bad reasoning.
Basic questions in logic

 What is correct reasoning?

 What distinguishes a good argument from a bad one?
 How can we detect a fallacy in argument?
 What are the criteria in determining the validity of an
argument?
4. ETHICS- ethos (customs or habit)
- Morality of human action
- How human persons ought to act, and the search for a definition of
a right conduct, and good life.
Basic questions in ethics

 What is a right conduct as that which causes the

realization of the greatest good?
 How do we determine a right conduct?
 What is a good life and can we attain it?
5. POLITICAL- studies governments and deals with questions of justice, power
and the rights and obligations of citizen.
6. AESTHETICS- deals with beauty and what makes things beautiful.

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 NOTES #3
REVEALING THE WHOLE

A. Discovering Philosophical Reflection

When we ask a philosophical question, we do not simply inquire about
specific question that is triggered by certain situations.

Reflection- requires a person to be willing to examine one’s thoughts,

feelings, and actions and to learn more about one’s life and experiences.

B. The Universal and the Particular

Universals/Holistic –pertains to the whole, large scale pattern and

looking in the big picture.
Particulars/Partial- refers to the part of the whole.

-philosophize is to look a life from a holistic perspective.

KNOW the PHILOSOPHER

Martin Heidegger
- responsible for the term “hermeneutics of facticity” which simply
means that people interpret things as they encounter them in
different ways.
- Scientific question is always confined to particular, whereas a
philosophical question leads into totality of beings and inquiries
into the whole.
Plato
- He founded a school in Athens known as Academy.
- He wrote numerous dialogues in which Socrates is the main
character. His famous works are the Apology (where he gives an
account of Socrates trial) and the Republic (where he presents his
famous Theory of Forms.
- He warned as that there are things that deceive, confuse or mislead
in this world. To know what is real it requires much intellectual
effort and rational ability.
- A person is responsible for the answers he/she holds on to, so we
are blame in case we are fooled into believing falsehood.
“God did not give us a life manual but He gifted us with intellect or mind
(faculty of reason) to figure things out on our own. In doing so, we are given
dignity and autonomy.”
C. TRUTH AND DIALECTICS
Philosophers rely on the human faculty of reason as they philosophize.

Dialectics- it is an art of refutation.

- It is the best tool humans have in their pursuit of truth and
meaning.
- It is indispensable since it leads us closer to truth.

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 - Later developed into thesis, antithesis and synthesis.
Dialouges- illustrate how dialectics is an effective means of examining
and evaluating truth claims.

Know the Philosopher

SOCRATES
- he left no writing but conversed with people from all walks of life using
question and answer as a concrete living out of his famous advice.
GEORG WILHELM FRIEDRICH HEGEL
- German idealism, ideas are real as opposed to matter.
- his major work is the Phenomenology of the Spirit is linked to historical
progress.
KARL MARX
- Introduced the concept “historical materialism” which embodies his
theory that societies rise and fall as result of class struggles.

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