INTRODUCTION TO

THE PHILOSOPHY
OF THE
HUMAN PERSON
Objectives:
at the end of the lesson, the students will be able to..

1. Discuss Philosophy as a Science

2. Discuss the origins of Philosophy
3. Compare and discuss Western and Eastern
Philosophy
4. Discuss why man needs to philosophize?
Student’s Activity

■ Presentation of assignment/recitation
Philosophy

The word of Philosophy comes from the

Greek words: philos (love) and Sophia (wisdom).
The Ancient Greeks used this term to refer to a
“love for wisdom” and was soon applied to a
science or discipline which uses human reason to
investigate the ultimate causes, reasons, and
principles which govern all things.
■ Human Person- refers to the individual, and all
the attributes and characteristics that set him or
her apart from other human beings.
■ Philosophy- based on theory
■ Philosophy- based on our (personal) thought.
The Western and Eastern Philosophy

■ Western Philosophy- is primary concern with

uncovering the truth through systematic
argumentation and theory. There is greater
emphasis on the use of reason rather than faith,
and an increased focus on man as individual.
(more scientific, theory-based approach, more
individualistic, self-oriented approach)
■ Greece- home of the great civilizations during the
Ancient Period.
-Greek Civilization- their love for learning.
■ Sophists- an important group that emerged and
influenced learning in Ancient Greece.
- Teacher; Excellent public speakers
■ Philosophos- group of people (Philosophers) who
disagreed with the methods of the Sophist.
-believed that teaching is more than just training
people to win arguments.
-Teaching and learning should be an opportunity
to learn the truth of all things in this world, and all real
wisdom should strive to achieve truth aside from
knowledge.
 -“Lovers of wisdom”
-Pythagoras one of the leaders
-“arguments and discussion must be based on
sound reasoning”
-Their central belief was that man need not
know all things in the world, but one must
continue to inquire and seek to understand and
learn about human condition.
Most notable ancient Greek
Philosophers
■ Phytagoras- a mathematician and scientist, he
was credited with the formulation of Pythagorean
theorem.
-gained followers were devoted to the study of
Religion and Philosophy
■ Heraclitus- he proposed that everything that exist
is based on a higher order or plan which called
logos.
-“ No man ever steps on the same river twice”
■ Democritus- he devoted himself to studying the
causes of natural phenomena. He was among the
first to propose that matter is composed of tiny
particles atom.
■ Diogenes of Sinope- he was a known advocate of
a simple and virtuous life; one should not only
talk of virtue but show it in words and actions.
■ Socrates- he was considered the foremost
philosopher of the ancient times.
-made great contributions to the field of Ethics
-claimed himself that he’s not “wise” but a
“midwife” that helped inquiring minds achieve
wisdom.
 -Socratic Method- a 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.
■ Plato- a student of Socrates, he wrote down his
teacher’s writings and incorporated some of his
own ideas into them.
-teachings and writings- considered as the
foundation of Western Philosophy.
■ Theory of forms- most significant ideas of him; which
proposes that everything that exists is based on an idea
or template that can only be perceived in the mind.
■ Dialectic- a method of inquiry where two opposing ideas
are discussed in attempt to arrive at new knowledge.
■ Academy- an institution of higher learning which was
first in Western.
■ Aristotle- he attended the Academy and was a prominent
student of Plato.
-disagreed with Plato’s theory of forms.
-for him, all ideas and views are based on perception
and our reality is based on what we can sense and perceive.
-deductive reasoning- process by which specific
statements are analyzed to reach a conclusion or
generalization.
■ Archimedes- he gained renown for the practical
aspects of his philosophical inquiries and was
considered a leading scientist in ancient times. A
mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, and
astronomer.
-pioneer in the use of mathematics to analyze
natural phenomena.
Eastern Philosophy

■ Eastern Philosophy- consist of school thought

which are often closely tied with religious beliefs.
■ Family and community- considered a central
aspect of life
■ Balanced life and find one’s role in society- goal of
Philosophy
■ Eastern Philosophies are classified according to
theistic (belief in a Supreme Being or deities)
and nontheistic philosophies.
Some School of Thought in Western
and Eastern Philosophy
Historical Period School of Thought Main Features, Notable
Beliefs Philosophers

Ancient Rome (1st Stoicism Emphasis on morality, Seneca

century BCE-5th virtue, calm, and Epictetus
century BCE) emotional fortitude Marcus Aurelius
Medieval Period (5th- scholasticism Application of St. Thomas Aquinas
15th centuries) philosophy to define St. Augustine
and explain religious
doctrines
Renaissance (14th-17th Humanism Emphasis on the Petrarch
centuries) Human person; use of Desiderius Erasmus
philosophy to Niccolo Machiavelli
understand society, Francios Rabelias
nature, and humanity
 Historical Period School of Thought Main Features, Notable
Beliefs Philosophers

Modern Period (19th- Existentialism Human experience is Soren Kierkegaard

20th centuries) defined by the views, Friedrich Nietzche
emotions, and actions Martin Heidegger
of the individual. Jean Paul Sartre
Simone de Beauvoir

Pragmatism Emphasis on the Charles Peirce

practical use of William James
knowledge and ideas. John Dewey

Postmodernism, Post- Analysis on how Jacques Derrida

structuralism knowledge, ideas, and Michel Foucault
power relations are
defined
Eastern Philosophy
Historical Period School of thought, Main Features, Proponents, major
belief system beliefs text

ca. 2000 BCE Judaism Believe in one God; Abraham, Moses,

(Israel, the Levant) the Jewish people are various prophets
God’s chosen people
Tanakh, Torah
ca. 1500 BCE Hinduism Belief in a pantheon The Vedas
(India, South Asia) of gods, w/ three
main gods- Brahma,
Shiva, and Vishnu
ca. 610 CE Islam Belief in one God Muhammad
(West Asia) (Allah)
Quran
Several branches of Philosophy

■ Philosophy of the Human Person- looks into the

nature of man.
■ Aesthetics- deals w/ beauty and what makes
thing “beautiful”
■ Logic- deals with correct reasoning
■ Epistemology- discusses the nature of knowledge
and knowing.
Several branches of Philosophy

■ Ethics- deals with moral questions and dilemmas

■ Political Philosophy- studies government and
deals with moral questions of justice, power, and
the rights and obligation of citizens.
■ Metaphysics- deals with questions regarding
reality and existence.
Why is there a need for man to
philosophize?
■ For Plato…
-“sense of wonder”
-e.g. Where did we come from? Why do we
exist? For what purpose were we created?
■ For French Philosopher Rene Descartes..
-“doubt”
-Descartes was famous for rejecting or
questioning old ideas, and he even went as far as
doubting his own ideas.
■ For Swiss-German Philosopher Karl Jasper..
-“experience”
- He believed that man is often confronted by
experiences which challenge his ideas and frameworks.
-He called that experience as “limit situation”, and
these are often accompanied by feelings of helpless,
anxiety, or dread.
■ And finally..
-“ love for wisdom”
- Socrates exemplified this perspective
- “ I know that I don’t know”, “The
unexamined life is not worth living”