Intro To Philo Maed 203

INTRODUCTION
TO PHILOSOPHY
WHAT IS
PHILOSOPHY?
• The word philosophy comes from the two
Greek words Philos which means “to love”
and sophia meaning “wisdom”.
• Philosophy literally means “love of

wisdom”.
• A philosopher is called “lover 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 A SCIENCE
It is called science because the

investigation is systematic. It
undergoes a process / procedure.
Philosophy is also defined as the science that by natural light of

reason studies the first causes or highest principles of all things.
NATURAL LIGHT OF REASON
The philosopher uses his/her capacity to

think or his human reason.

STUDY OF ALL THINGS
It studies everything (example: God,

human beings, religion, society,
language, plants, politics etc.)

FIRST CAUSE OR HIGHEST
PRINCIPLES
A principle is that from which
something proceeds in any
manner whatsoever.

PHILOSOPHY
IN
A NUTSHELL
• When we engage
ourselves in asking
difficult questions • We engage
ourselves in
PHILOSOPHICAL
• When we wonder, REFLECTION
think and seek
answers to our
questions
Doing Philosophy
MAJOR
BRANCHES
OF
PHILOSOPHY
MAJOR
BRANCHES
OF
PHILOSOPHY
METAPHYSICS
“THE FIRST
PHILOSOPHY”
MAJOR BRANCHES OF
PHILOSOPHY
The name is derived from the Greek

words, Meta which means beyond or
after, and Physika which means physics.
METAPHYSICS
“Everything
is made of
water” - Thales
METAPHYSICS
“Reality is
made of
air”-
Anaximenes
METAPHYSICS
“There is a
sort of
fundamental
“being” from
which
everything is
created and to
which it -must
METAPHYSICS
“Everything is
number; but
the world isn’t
at all
mathematicall
y neat and
-
perfect.”
Pythagoras
METAPHYSICS
Parmenides is
the first
philosopher
who raised
the problem
of “Ens”.
EPISTEMOLOGY
MAJOR BRANCHES OF
PHILOSOPHY
Epistemology deals with the definition
of knowledge and its scope and
limitations. It translates from Greek to
mean ‘theory of knowledge’.
It questions the meaning of knowledge,

how we obtain knowledge, how much do
we know and how do we have this
EPISTEMOLOGY
Example:
Rene Descartes:
“Dubito ergo cogito,
cogito ergo sum.”
(I doubt therefore I
think, I think therefore I
am.)
ETHICS
MAJOR BRANCHES OF
PHILOSOPHY
Ethics is concerned with questions on
morality and values and how they apply
to various situations. Ethics seeks to
understand the basis of morals, how
they develop and how they are and
should be followed. The word
"ethics" is derived from the Greek
"ethos" (meaning "custom" or "habit").
ETHICS
Aristotle, one of the
forefathers of
Western Philosophy
introduced the
“Ethics of
Moderation”
ETHICS
St. Thomas
Aquinas,
A catholic
philosopher
introduced the
“Principle of Double
Effect”.
ETHICS
The Principle of
Double Effect, as
formulated by St.
Thomas Aquinas, is a
moral principle that
is often applied in
situations where an
action has both good
and bad effects.
LOGIC
MAJOR BRANCHES OF
PHILOSOPHY
Logic comes from the Greek "logos",
which has a variety of meanings
including word, thought, idea, argument,
account, reason or principle) is the study
of reasoning, or the study of the
principles and criteria of valid inference
and demonstration. It attempts to
distinguish good reasoning from bad
LOGIC
Example:
Aristotle espoused two principles of great

importance in logic, the Principle of Excluded
Middle (that every statement is either true or false) and
the Principle of Non-Contradiction (that no statement
LOGIC
Example:
Premise 1: Socrates is a man.

Premise 2: All men are mortal.
Conclusion: Therefore, Socrates is mortal.
AESTHETICS
MAJOR BRANCHES OF
PHILOSOPHY
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy
which deals with the nature of art,
beauty, and taste, with the creation and
appreciation of beauty.
It is more scientifically defined as the

study of sensory or sensori-emotional
values, sometimes called judgments of
AESTHETICS
Example:
Immanuel Kant believed

that beauty
is objective and universal (i.e.
certain things are beautiful to
everyone). But there is a second
concept involved in a viewer's
interpretation of beauty, that
of taste, which
is subjective and varies
AESTHETICS
“As a face is beautiful because it

unveils a soul, the world is beautiful
because you see through it a God.”
POLITICAL
PHILOSOPHY
MAJOR BRANCHES OF
PHILOSOPHY
Political Philosophy is a major
branch of philosophy that focuses on the
study of fundamental questions about
politics, government, justice, rights, law,
and the state.
It seeks to understand and evaluate

various political systems, institutions,
and practices, as well as the principles
CONCEPTS EXPLORED IN POLITICAL
PHILOSOPHY
AUTHORITY DEMOCRAC
Y
EQUALITY FREEDOM
JUSTICE POWER
Philosophy can be divided into five
branches which address the following
questions:
Metaphysics Study of What’s out there?
Existence
Epistemolog Study of How do I know about
y Knowledge it?
Ethics Study of Action What should I do?
Logic Study of the Art How do I reason out?
of Reasoning
Aesthetics Study of Art / What can life be like?
Beauty
Political Study of politics What is the nature and
Philosophy and the state purpose of the state?

Intro To Philo Maed 203

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INTRODUCTION

• Philosophy literally means “love of

• A philosopher is called “lover of wisdom”.

It is called science because the

Philosophy is also defined as the science that by natural light of

The philosopher uses his/her capacity to

Philosophy is also defined as the science that by natural light of

It studies everything (example: God,

Philosophy is also defined as the science that by natural light of

Philosophy is also defined as the science that by natural light of

The name is derived from the Greek

It questions the meaning of knowledge,

Aristotle espoused two principles of great

Premise 1: Socrates is a man.

It is more scientifically defined as the

Immanuel Kant believed

“As a face is beautiful because it

It seeks to understand and evaluate

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