INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON Lesson 1a: DOING

PHILOSOPHY Holism and Philosophy (Week 1)

What is "Holism"?
➤ Holism in general terms is the idea that all the properties of a given system cannot be
determined or explained by its component parts alone But the system as a whole determines in an
important way how the parts behave.
➤ The first philosophers came from ancient Greek civilization.
➤ They had insight - "seeing with the mind".

Thales
the first noted philosopher in western history, said that everything is related to each other because
everything that exists contains water.
To understand philosophy is to engage in it.
➤Doing philosophy entails a holistic rather than a partial perspective.
With a holistic perspective, we are able to see the connectedness of parts to see a meaningful
whole.

INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON Lesson 1b: DOING

PHILOSOPHY Meaning and Branches of Philosophy (Week 2)

What is philosophy?
Philos "to love" Sophia-"wisdom" Greek words
➤ Originally, philosophy means "love of wisdom".
► Philosophy is also defined as the science that by natural light of reason studies the first causes
or highest principles of all things

►Philosophy is considered in the following ideas:

1. Science
the investigation is systematic
- organized body of knowledge just like any other sciences
2. Natural Light of Reason
➤ philosophy investigates things by using the natural capacity to think or human reason alone or
the so- called unaided reason
3. Study of All Things.
➤ a philosopher studies human beings, society, religion, language, God, plants and many others
➤ philosophy isn't one dimensional or partial, it is multidimensional or holistic
4. First Cause or Highest Principle is that from which something proceeds in any manner
whatsoever (Ramos, 2016).

The First Principles: (Ramos, 2016)

1. Principle of Identity: whatever is is; and whatever is not is not, everything is what it is.
2. Principle of Non-contradiction: it is impossible for a thing to be and not to be at the same time,
and at the
same respect. 3. Principle of Excluded Middle: a thing is either is or is
not; everything must be either be or not; between being and not-being, there is no middle ground
possible.
4. Principle of Sufficient Reason: nothing exists without a sufficient reason for its being and
existence.

Metaphysics
Reflections, Meditations, and Conversations that Rocked the World: By What Valuos Shall I Live in
the World By Piato
One of the key concepts in understanding
philosophies
• Concerned with reality and existence
Asks: What is the nature of reality?
• Subdivided into two categories
Ontology: what is the nature of existence
• Cosmology: origin and organization of the universe
ETHICS-Greek word: ethos custom or convention, or the spirit of community
Moral principles that govern a person's behaviour or the conducting of an activity: Oxford
dictionary (2014)
The branch of philosophy that deals with morality. Ethics is concerned with distinguishing between
good and evil in the world, between right and wrong human actions, and between virtuous and non
virtuous characteristics of people-The American Dictionary of Cultural Literacy (2005)

Ethics
AUTONOMY-
NON-MALIFIENCE-
BENIFIENCE-
JUSTICE-

WHAT IS EPISTEMOLOGY?
Epistemology (from Greek episteme, "knowledge, science" + "logos") or theory of knowledge
The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature, sources, scope (limitations), and validity of
knowledge How knowledge is related to truth, belief,
and justification. The means of production of knowledge Skepticism about different knowledge

1. Induction
► General ideas are formed from the examination of particular facts.
Upheld by philosophers who are called empiricists (e.g. John Locke)
Empiricism is the view that knowledge can only be attained through sense experience.
2. Deduction:
Particular facts can be understood or judged according to a general idea
► Advocates of deduction method are called rationalists (e.g. Rene Descartes)
Rationalism is the philosophical stance according to which reason (logic, laws, methods) is the
ultimate source of human knowledge.

3. Pragmatism:
The meaning and truth of an idea are tested by its practical consequences.
Pragmatists, like William James and John Dewey, believe that the truth of an idea is dependent on
its workability; ideas or principles are true so far as they work.

LOGIC
➤ may be defined as the science which directs the operations of the mind in the attainment of
truth.
PENGURUS ARE BLACK AND WETE
Reasoning is the concern of the logician.
► The term logic comes from the Greek word logike and was coined by Zeno, the Stoic
(c.340-265BC).
- Etymologically, it means a treatise on matters pertaining to the human thought.
• Aristotle was the first philosopher to devise a logical method. He understood truth to mean the
agreement of knowledge with reality
• Logical reasoning makes us certain that our conclusions are true, and this provides us with
accepted scientific proofs of universally valid propositions or statements; that we have valid
arguments (Ramos, 2016).

AestheticsS
Aesthetics is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and appreciation of art, beauty
and good taste. It has also been defined as
"critical reflection on art, culture and nature".
"Aesthetics" derives from the Greek "aisthetikos", meaning "of sense perception".
Aesthetic Universals
➤ Contemporary American philosopher, Denis Dutton (1944-) has identified seven universal
signatures in human aesthetics.
1. Expertise or Virtuosity (tochnical artistic skills
are cultivated, recognized and admired) 2. Non-Utilitarian Pleasure (people enjoy art for art's sako,
and don't demand practical value of it)
3. Style (artistic objects and performances satisfy rules of composition that place them in
recognizable styles)
4. Criticism (people make a point of judging, appreciating and interpreting works of art)
Contraction with
5. Imitation (with a few important exceptions (o.g. music, abstract painting), works of art simulate
experiences of the world)
6. Special Focus (art is set aside from ordinary life and made a dramatic focus of experience)
7. Imagination (artists and their audiences entertain hypothetical worlds in the theatre of the
imagination)

Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person Lesson 1c: DOING PHILOSOPHY
Philosophical Questions (Week 3)

ABSTRACTION:
► Philosophical questioning begins with a metaphysical unease (Gabriel Marcel)
► Philosophy (by way of philosophical questioning) greatly increases our knowledge as to what
they may be.
►Philosophy removes the somewhat arrogant dogmatism of those who have never traveled into
the region of liberating doubt, and it keeps alive our sense of wonder by showing familiar things in
an unfamiliar aspect (Bertrand Russell).
- Dogmatism is arrogant, stubborn assertion of opinion or belief.
➤ Russell argues that the difficult and unanswerable questions of philosophy deliver us from
dogmatism

TOPIC 5

Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person Lesson 2a: METHODS OF

PHILOSOPHIZONG Truth and Justification
(Week 5)

"THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO BE FOOLED ONE IS TO BELIEVE WHAT ISN'T TRUE: THE
OTHER IS TO REFUSE TO ACCEPT WHAT IS TRUE."
- SOREN KIERKEGAARD

Scientific truth based on facts, verified in the natural world

Objective truth points to descriptions of state of affairs which remains true regardless of who is
viewing them

Phenomenology: truth is based on the person's consciousness

Existentialism: truth is based in exercising choices and personal freedom
Postmodernism: truth is not absolute
Logic: truth is based on reasoning and critical thinking

3 Domains of Truth
Objective domain: truth based on natural world that maintains a relative independence from the
perspective and attitude of human beings that perceive them.
EXAMPLE:
1. The Philippines is an archipelago.
2. It is found in southeast Asia.
3. Asia is the largest continent.

Personal domain: truth is analogous with "sincerity"; truths that are claimed in this domain need
corresponding actions that will establish trust. A person who proves to be consistent with what he
declares about himself is regarded as authentic.
EXAMPLE:
1. Jose Rizal is a hero.
2. GMA is a very good economist.
3. I am a Christian.

Social domain: truth is analogous with a general statement or consensus on what is right as
opposed to what is wrong. Truths in this domain are mostly products of an "agreement" in society
that has been established over time.
EXAMPLE:
1. Filipino women are monogamous.
2. Some women in Brazil can have more than one husband.
3. Women in Korea keep their family name after marriage.

Truth and Justification Justification the process of proving the truth or validity of a statement made
up of ways of critically testing a claim against certain criteria.
"Truth is simply a compliment paid to sentences seen to be paying their way."
Richard Rorty
Note: Richard Rorty, an American pragmatist philosopher argues that truth can be understood as
what has passed procedures of justification.

1. Scientific / Objective domain: truths are tested against empirical evidence.

2. Social domain: truths are tested against their acceptability to a particular group in a particular
time in history.
3. Personal domain: truths are tested against the consistency and authenticity of the person who
claims it.

1. Correspondence theory states that something is true if it corresponds to reality or the actual
state of affairs (Abella, 2016).

2. Coherence theory proposes that something is true if it makes sense when placed in a certain
situation or context (Abella, 2016).

3. Constructivist theory maintains that what is true is shaped by an individual's society and culture
(Abella, 2016).

4. Consensus theory views knowledge based on agreement thus something is true if everyone
agrees with it (Abella, 2016).

5. Pragmatic theory maintains that something is true if we can put it into practice or is useful in real
life (Abella, 2016).