LESSON 1: What Philosophy Means b.
Epistemology – knowledge –
determining the kinds ,
Philosophy c. Methaphysics – reality , existence –
(1) Ideas, views, principles, consist of physical object
perspective, or beliefs d. Ethics-morality- moral judgements
e. Aesthetics-beauty- criteria of beauty.
By their specific nature, we mean
whether they are religious, cultural, 2) The Positional Types – schools of
scientific, historical, or psychological thoughts or philosophical views stand
among others.”Philosophy of life” asking point of view.(thinking beyond thinking)
about our beliefs and principles Monolism- one
Dualism-Two
(2) the activity of reasoning Pluralism-Two or more
Philosophy the activity of philosphers
then philosophy activity of pilosopo-one 3) Methodological- methods of
who likes to reason out or to engage in philosophical movements or traditions
the activity of reasoning
4) Regional-geographical types
(3) an academic course or degree National Philosophies
Academic subject or cause that is Divided into 2 types
taught usually in colleges,universities Western
and seminaries. Eastern
5) Historical Types
Philosophy based on its etymology Western Divisions
“Love of Wisdom” from greek word -Ancient Philosophy
philosophia (two Greek word) philo -Medieval Philosophy
“love” and Sophia “wisdom -Modern
Philosopher is a lover of wisdom -Contemporary
Sophistmeans wise
The term philosophy was first used by
Phythagoras -an Ancient Greek
“Phythagorean theorem”-Philosopher
“Man is the measure of all things”-
protagoras-leading sophist.
“doctaignorantia”-know thyself ,learned
ignorance
3 kinds of lovers
Lover of profit
Lover of honor
Lover of wisdom
LESSON 2: Kinds of philosophy
FIVE GENERAL TYPES
1).Thematic types-branches of
philosophy, kinds of philosophy.
a. logic – reasoning –between correct
and incorrect
Brief History of Western Philosophy Empedocles of Sicily-Everything is
made out of 4 elements: Earth, Wind
Socrates “to know is to know that you and Fire.
know nothing. That is the meaning of -There are two great forces in this world:
true knowledge. For a man who claims Love and Strife
to have knowledge, while actually -Love connects Everything while strife
knowing nothing is less smarter than pushes it all away.
you, who claim to know nothing”
Democritus of Thrace -invented the
PRE SOCRATIC PERIOD atomic theory.
Thales of Miletus-“The most difficult -The lights in the sky are distant stars
thing in life is to know yourself” and different worlds.
- Father of modern science. Used
Science and logic THE SOCRATIC PERIOD
-First Known Philosopher in Greece Socrates(470-399 BCE)
-Used Geometry to measure the height -Credited as one of the founders of
of a pyramid and the distance between western philosophy
ships in the shore. -father of political philosophy ,
ethics/Moral Philosophy
Anaximender of Miletus- student of -developed the socratic method or
Thales who latter succeeded him. elenchus
-also an astronomer, mathematician and -Socratic dialogue -conversation of
scientist. Socrates with other philosophers written
-inferred that the universe is also by Plato.
composed of laws like human societies. SENTENCE TO DEATH BY THE
Once it is disturbed, there will be FOLLOWING CHARGES:
turmoil. -Corrupting the minds of the youth
-created a map. -Religious Impiety
-introduced gnomon in Greece Execution: Death by drinking the
hemlock poison
Pythagoras of Samos –Great
Contributions to math Plato (428-347 BCE)
-Pythagorean Theorem - one of the forefathers of western
-Had an idea that the world is round philosophy
-idea of square - the students of Socrates and teacher
of Aristotle.
Heraclitus of Ephesus-Everything is -focused nore on his beliefs in
constantly changing. metaphysics, epistemology and poliyics.
-believed in libertinism -Founded the academy- the first
-everything is made out o fire institution of higher learning in the
western world.
Paraminedes of Elea-Things don’t Written works and contributions:
change the past and the present are set. -Socratic Dialogues
-Time and free will are just illusions. -The republic-Opposed Athenian
-Fatalism – We have a fate and we are democracy and argued that the state
stuck to it must be ruled by philosopher kings.
-Determinism- Everything in this world -Theory of forms of platonic
was already determined by someone Realism-Things perceived by the
before us. senses are only “shadows” of what is
real.
Aristotle (348-322 BCE) -Death is not a bad thing because it
-A philosopher and a scientist at the gives us freedom from all suffering.
same time.
-known to be the father of biology Stoicism by Zeno
-founded the lyceum -virtue is good and vice is bad
-the student of Plato and the teacher of -pleasure is also a kind of vice so we
alexander the great must reject it
Contributions: -suffering is cause by unrealistic
-his writings covered physics, biology, expectations.
Zoology, metaphysics ,logic
ethics,aesthetics,poetry,theatre,musicrh MEDIEVAL PERIOD OF PHILOSOPHY
ethoric,linguistics,politics. Scholasticism-developed by St.Anselm
-instituted the first comprehensive but popularized by St. Thomas Aquinas
system of western philosophy: Ethics and St. Augustine during the middle
aesthetics, logic, politics, science and ages in Europe.
metaphysics -linked Greek philosophy and way of
-disagreed with Plato’s theory of forms reasoning to the Christian faith.
”if our senses can’t perceive it doesn’t -focused mainly in the existence of god
make any sense at all” and his relationship to us humans.
-developed Syllogism in logic Famous Works:
*First premise, second premise, Monologion and proslogion- of
conclusion stanselm- focused on the existence of
gof through citing methaphysical proofs.
Argument by analogy-of st Augustine-
Theory of 4 Causes: Contradicted solipsism.
Anything that comes into existence Summa thelogica of st Thomas
needs 4 factors Aquinas-views on creation and
-matter , form , source, final cause. government of the universe.
Cynics-Live in virtue and agreement MODERN PERIOD
with nature Rationalism-by rationalists Rene
-live a free of possessions Descartes,Baruch Spinoza and
-living in poverty Gottfriend Wilhelm Leibniz
-said to have influenced the principles of -reason is the sole source of knowledge
Christianity. -verification of the truth is through the
correspondence theory of thruth.
Skepticism-All of information must be -types of knowledge are limited only to
supported with a lot of evidence analytic or formal knowledge of
-place doubt in our own senses mathematics and logics
Ethics Empiricism-Famous Empiricist were
-stoicism john locke George Berkeley and
-epicureanism davidhume.
-they argued that reason is not only
Epicureanism byepicurus capable of giving us knowledge
-Negative Hendonism (all good things ,experience plays a vital roles as well .
are good) -they five senses connected to the world
-You must eliminate all desires for it is can be used to determine what can be
the cause of suffering. known.
-truth is based on what corresponds to -Reflective inquiry
reality .The world is also accepted as 6 phases
knowledge 1)Experience
2)interpret
Immanuel Kant – human reason is 3)possible problems
capable priori (Formed beforehand 4)give explanation
knowledge) 5)hypotheisis
-Criticize reason by reason itself to 6)test
establish a secure religion and morality
-the rational mind is capable of Bearers of truth
interpreting the sense experience Sentence-declarative sentence
Statement- liguistic expression
Belief-mental expression
CONTEMPORARY PERIOD
Ways of knowing
ANALYTICAL TRADITION –Focused on General method
logical analysis of language to solve -Correspondence-statement or belief is
problems which beset philosophy true by examining if it does correspond
-method of verification-things that can to or represent a fact in a world
be investigated by science is the only -Coherence- a statement or belief is tru
thing that is meaningful and true. by examining if it coheres with the rules
of the relevant system
CONTINENTAL TRADITION-Scientific -Pragmatism-accepting beneficial result
method is insufficient to provide
explanation in this world Particular Method
- focuses on the centrality of human Observation-thoughts/feelings
actions Reasoning-process of knowing truth by
-seek reconstruction of what philosophy means of reason
is and its role in understanding Intuition-direct access to the truth that
knowledge, experience and reality. by passes observation and reasoning
Mystical experience-dealing with
Bertrand Russell religious and spiritual
Appeal to authority-information provided
Futile by an expert and reliable documents.
-Indefinite
-Impractical
-Holistic View of life
-Development of other disciplines
-Ethical guidelines
-social transformation
-explore the bounders of knowledge
Methods of philosophizing
-Speculative thinking
specula (watch tower)
-Critical Thinking
2modes
Logical (content)
Linguistic (context)
