Introduction Lecture on Philosophy (1)

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Introductory Lecture

PROF. CRIS BELAS

June 23, 2012

PHILOSOPHY


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PHILOSOPHY Was invented by PYTHAGORAS (A Greek

philosopher, 580 497 B.C.) who formulated a

practical, ethical and religious philosophy which

placed supreme value on intellectual activity. Philo /Philia = friend or love

Sophia = wisdom

Literally means LOVE FOR WISDOM


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THREE TYPES OF MAN

A LOVER OF PLEASURE

A LOVER OF SUCCESS A LOVER OF WISDOM


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LOVER OF PLEASURE

A TYPE OF MAN THATDESCRIBES AS THE LOWER

AREA OF LOVINGSOMETHING AND FEELS

CONTENTEMENT IN A LITTLEWAY


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A LOVER OF SUCCESS

THE TYPE OF MAN THATSATISFACTION

RECEIVES THROUGHACCOMPLISHMENTS IN

LIFE.


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A LOVER OF WISDOM

IT IS THE ULTIMATE TYPE OF

MAN CONSIDERED AS THE

HIGHEST FORM WHERE AN

INDIVIDUAL BECAME MATUREDIN DECISION MAKING.


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THE MISCONCEPTIONS IN PHILOSOPHY

Philosophy makes no progress

Philosophers dis-agree with one another

Philosophical commitment is subjective

Philosophy deals only with abstraction,not with anything or practical value.


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#1. PHILOSOPHY MAKES NO PROGRESS

Stop philosophizing. I dont want to waste mytime! people think that when one engages in

Philosophy, one simply wastes time.

Philosophy, after all never makes anyprogress. Questions that concerned the

ancient Greeks: What is truth, How does one

distinguish it from falsehood? etc., If theanswers to questions like these are still being

debated today, then there has been no

philosophical progress at all.


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RESPONSE Debate that does not mean that philosophy is a waste of time

and that it makes no progress.

When philosophers debate on the answers to some questions,

they hope that their discussions clarify the issues and highlights

useful techniques for pursuing the topics. Philosophy provides us better appreciation of subtlety and

complexity of the issues with which philosophers are struggling.

Engaging in a debate harnesses the full communicative powers

of dialectical exchange by identifying basic issues, clarifyingpositions, justifying assumptions, and testing arguments for

depth and consistency. ----doesnt this spell progress?


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#2. PHILOSOPHERS DISAGREE WITH

ONE ANOTHER.

In every period, philosophers have

challenged their predecessors

arguments. They have not onlydisagreed about many of the answers

given to philosophical questions;

They have also often been unable to

agree among themselves about the

nature of philosophy.


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RESPONSE The truth is that while philosophers seldom, If

ever, agree with one another this is due to the fact

that philosophers tend to be interested in issues

about which there is little consensus.

Instead of concerning themselves with areas ofagreement, philosophers direct their attention to

areas in which there is agreement.

Because the study of areas of disagreement is oneof the challenges of philosophy. Philosophers

disagreed with one another, but they dont

quarrel!


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#3. PHILOSOPHICAL COMMITMENT IS

SUBJECTIVE

Philosophy is just a matter of opinion, where oneidea is as good as any other.

A persons commitment to a particular belief to

be justified rationally, that belief must be definite;it must be supported by a conclusive arguments.

One persons belief are generally not superior or

inferior to another persons beliefs; they are justdifferent, and therefore subjective (personal)


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RESPONSE Philosophy challenges you to construct convincing arguments and

to evaluate the arguments of others critically. As differentphilosophical problems are dealt with, it may be discovered that there

is no indubitable solution to some of them. Sometimes absolute

certainty may be achieved and a problem resolved, other times this

may not occur. So instead of asking whether a particular theory istrue, perhaps we should ask about the rational quality of the

arguments in favor of it. Solving philosophical problems is not a

question of discovering a unique true answer to them, but of

developing the best arguments for accepting or rejecting different

ways of answering the problem. This si a far cry from it being the

case that solutions to philosophical problems are subjective or

mere matters of opinion.


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#4. PHILOSOPHY DEALS ONLY WITH ABSTRACTION,

NOT WITH ANYTHING OF PRACTICAL VALUE.

Philosophy is abstract, academic and remote

from reality. Its subject matter is intricately

difficult and boringly abstract, one whichdeals with matters so remote and obscure

that hardly anyone can understand what it

means. The fact is that philosophicalquestions cannot pay your credit bills, fix

your leaking faucet, or improve your looks!


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RESPONSE

The truth is that the long-range value of philosophicalstudy goes far beyond its contribution to ones living.

While philosophy cannot increase our salary a great

deal(although sometimes there are more money in

philosophizing) It can enlarge and deepen ourunderstanding of life, making us choose what is more

important in life, nurturing our personal subjectivity.

Philosophy is PRACTICAL in the sense that its questions

pertain to value of our personal existence as well as to

our meaningful relations with others. Philosophy can

provide tools and opportunity to reflect on our basic

values and concepts, it proves very practical.


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DIVISION OF PHILOSOPHY

SPECULATIVEPRACTICAL

It deals with

matters involved

in the daily life ofman.

Contemplativeknowledge

and understanding,

and not necessarilyfor practical life

purpose.


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BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY

SPECULATIVEPRACTICAL

-Axiology-Epistemology

-Metaphysics


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EPISTEMOLOGY The science which deals with human

knowledge, the focus of which is to know the

truth.


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EPISTEMOLOGY

-IS SYNONYMOUS WITH THEORIES OFKNOWLEDGE.

FOR A CLAIM TO BE TRUE THE CLAIM

MUST HAVE A FOUNDATION.YET FINDING A FIRM FOUNDATION CAN

BE DIFFICULT. TRUTH IS ESSENTIAL FOR

ONE TO HAVE KNOWLEDGE; HOW CANONE KNOW SOMETHING IF WHAT THEY

THINK IS TRUE IS IN FACT FALSE?


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EPISTEMOLOGYIS SUBDIVIDED INTO

RATIONALISMAND EMPIRICISMWHICH ARE CONSIDERED WAYS OF

ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE.

RATIONALISM

-The theory that the exerciseof reason, rather than

experience, authority, orspiritual revelation, provides

the primary basis forknowledge

EMPIRICISM

The view that experience,

especially of the senses, isthe only source of

knowledge.


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PROBLEMS WITH RATIONALISM AND


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PROBLEMS WITH RATIONALISM AND

EMPIRICISM

Rationalistsclaim that there are

significant ways in which our concepts

and knowledge are gainedindependently of sense experience.

Empiricistsclaim that sense

experience is the ultimate source of allour concepts and knowledge.


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AXIOLOGY

the study of value; the investigation of itsnature, criteria, and metaphysical status.

More often than not, the term "value

theory" is used instead of "axiology" incontemporary discussions even though

the term theory of value is used with

respect to the value or price of goods andservices in economics.


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AXIOLOGY AND ITS

SUBDIVISION

EthicsAesthetic


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ETHICS

The study which deals with the

principles and laws governing the

morality of human act


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ETHICS is the study of the nature of right and wrong

and good and evil, in terms both of

considerations about the foundations of

morality, and of practical considerations aboutthe fine details of moral conduct.

Moral philosophers may investigate questions

as sweeping as whether there are such thingsmoral facts at all, or as focused as whether or

not the law ought to accord to rape victims the

right to an abortion


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AESTHETIC

A philosophical inquiry of the beautiful. the study of value in the arts or the inquiry into feelings, judgments,

or standards of beauty and related concepts. Philosophy of art is

concerned with judgments of sense, taste, and emotion.

Philosophy of art is concerned with judgments of sense, taste, andemotion.

Is there a clear distinction between art and reality?


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METAPHYSICS The science of beings, their nature,

beyond physical appearance.

What kinds of things exist? Do only

particular things exist or do generalthings also exist? How is existence

possible? Questions as to identity

and change of objectsare you the

same person you were as a baby? as

of yesterday? as of a moment ago?

METAPHYSICS


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METAPHYSICS

is the study of the nature of things.Metaphysicians ask what kinds of

things exist, and what they are like.

They reason about such things aswhether or not people have free will,

in what sense abstract objects can besaid to exist, and how it is that brains

are able to generate minds.


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METAPHYSICS AND ITS SUBDIVISION

Ontology

Cosmology

Psychology


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ONTOLOGY

A branch of metaphysics

concerned with the nature and

relations of being

A particular theory about the

nature of being or the kinds of

things that have existence

COSMOLOGY


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COSMOLOGY comes from the Greek word kosmos. It means

order and generally refers to the world and theuniverse.

A philosophical treatise of the philosophical

universe in its final analysis the study of the Universe and man's place within it.

Human existence is intertwined with the

understanding and existence of the Universe.Cosmology attempts to analyze this connection

between what we know to be true and what we

believe in. Science, religion and philosophy play a

role.


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PSYCHOLOGY Psychology is also a word that comes from the

Greek language. It refers to the nature of the

psyche or soul.

Some think it is the same as the spirit. Some

say it connects the spiritual side of man to his

physical side. Others claim that the soul is

simply the mind, a part of the nervous system,or part of the bodys physical chemistry.


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TASK SHEET

MANS VIEWPHILOSOPHICAL ?

BIOLOGICAL ?

BEHAVIORAL ?


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SIGNIFICANCE OF THE THREE MAIN BRANCHESOF PHILOSOPHY TO (AS EDUCATOR)

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Introduction Lecture on Philosophy (1)