Philosophy (Common Meanings - Types of Questions)

Philosophy refers to the Ideas, Views, Principles, Perspectives or Beliefs

* 1st common meaning of Philosophy
* What can be learned from this common meanings of philosophy? Philosophy involves to ideas, beliefs, principles, etc. but it deals with them on a certain level, when they serve as frameworks for interpreting judgment about the world

Philosophy is the activity of reasoning

* 2nd common meaning of Philosophy
* What can be learned from this common meaning? Philosophy does involve the activity of reasoning, but it distinguishes between CORRECT AND INCORRECT FORMS OF REASONING and engages in this activity only for the purpose of knowing or determining what is true


* Philosophy is an art of correct reasoning or thinking to arrive at the truth

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Philosophy is an Academic Course of Degree

* 3rd common meaning of Philosophy
* What can be learned from these common meanings of philosophy? Philosophy, as an academic course, does study reasoning skills, the nature of morality, knowledge, etc. but it deals primarily about the totality and reality of life

Ɛ𝞃Ʊμον (etymon)

true meaning of a word according to its origin; developed later to ‘root’

Φιλο / Φιλειν (philo / philein)

means LOVE in latin

σοφια (sophia)

means WISDOM in latin

Love of Wisdom

etymological definition of philosophy

Greece

where Western philosophy started

Sophists

* a group of intellectuals who taught oratory (oratorical art) for a fee to individuals who aspired for politics
* believed that all truths are RELATIVE AND SUBJECTIVE, or are based on human interest

Philosophers

• term first used by Pythagoras

• believes that truths are UNIVERSAL AND OBJECTIVE

Scientia rerum per causas primas sub lumine rationis naturalis

General /Technical definition of philosophy

Material, Formal, Efficient, and Final causes (MA FO EF FI)

4 Causes of Reality according to Aristotle

Material Cause

* that out of which a thing is made of
* e.g. :Table – wood, Humans – body

Formal Cause

* the essence or the form or the function of a thing; it is what it does when flourishing
* e.g.: Table – trapezoid, Humans – body systems

Efficient Cause

* the source or the principle of change of the object
* e.g.: Table – carpenter, Human – God, parents

Final Cause

* the goal, the ultimate purpose of the object
* e.g.: Table – used for writing on, reading on, eating on, Humans – to arrive at the end or death

Material Object, Formal Object Quod, Formal Object Quo

3 Objects of Philosophy

Material Object

* It is the __subject matter__ of the course/science
* “Knowledge of all things”

Formal Object Quod

* It is that which is __immediately and primarily understood__ by the course/science
* “The ultimate cause or highest principle of reality”

Formal Object Quo

* The __medium or means__ by which the course/science studies its object
* “The use of human reason, specifically the abstractive power of reasoning”

Characteristics of the Wise according to Socrates

* A wise person is aware of what one knows and what one does not know of
* A wise person holds beliefs that not only true but which s/he can justify as well
* A wise person knows a lot about things that are valuable in life
* A wise person can put his/her knowledge to practical use
* A wise person does not only know what is true, but also knows what is ought to be done in a situation and acts accordingly

John Searle (1999)

proponent of Framework Questions & Non-Framework Questions

Rudolf Carnap (1992)

proponent of Internal Questions & External Questions

Framework Questions

* Philosophical
* Questions that are __directed at the theory or set of beliefs that serve as the foundation/framework__ of interpreting realities of the world
* e.g. What are numbers? Are Mathematical rules based on human agreement?

Non-Framework Questions

* Scientific
* Questions that are __not directed at the foundation/framework but applies the framework of interpreting__ the realities of the world
* e.g. What is three and three?

Internal Questions

* Scientific
* Questions that are __answerable using the rules and concepts__ of the framework
* e.g. What is three and three?

External Questions

• Philosophical

• Questions that are not answerable using the rules and concepts of the framework

• e.g. What are numbers? Are Mathematical rules based on human agreement?