CO1 PHL01

Philo

it means love

Sophia

it means wisdom

Systematic Approach

• systematic investigation

• follows steps and procedures

Natural Light or Reason

Philosopher uses natural capacity to think or observe the world and people

Metaphysics

• branch of Philosophy that deals with questioning existence

• ultimate reality

Epistemology

• deals with the nature, sources, limitations and validity of knowledge

Ethics

• branch of philosophy that explores the nature of moral virtue and evaluates the morality and virtue of human actions

Divine Command

• One of the five main frameworks of ethics

• strong sense of individualism does not exist, but rather, the collective is emphasized

Consequentialism or Utilitarianism

• what has the most desirable consequences

• what is good for the greatest number of people is the best choice and the moral choice

Deontological Ethics

• whatever is my moral duty to do

• a person has a moral duty to do what is right regardless of what the person thinks or feels about that situation

Virtue Ethics

• what kind of person I ought to be?

• it focuses on character development of individuals and their acquisition of good virtue ethics

Relativism

• What does my culture or society think I ought to do?

• theory that holds that morality is relative to the norms of one's culture

Logics

study of the rules of correct reasoning

Social Philosophy

philosophical study of questions about social behavior

Political Philosophy

deals with the study about the city, government, politics, liberty, justice, property, rights, law and the enforcement of a legal code by authority

Aesthetics

study of perceptions, feelings, judgments, and ideas associated with the appreciation of beauty, art, and objects in general

Western Philosophy

• primarily concerned with uncovering the truth through systematic argumentation and theory

• there is a greater emphasis on the use of reason rather than faith and an increased focus on man as an individual

• this perspective has led to the development of a more scientific, theory-based approach in philosophy and a more individualistic, self-oriented approach in analyzing human condition

Socrates

• Greek philosopher whose way of life, character, and thought exerted a profound influence on Western philosophy

• Socrates claimed to have devoted his life to serving his country. He attracted faithful and adoring admirers and was idolized by many young followers

• “The unexamined life is not worth living."

Plato

• ancient Greek philosopher, student of Socrates, teacher of Aristotle and founder of the Academy, and known for his dialectic, a method of inquiry

• Theory of Forms

• Father of Political Philosophy

• “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.”

Aristotle

• ancient Greek philosopher and scientist, one of the greatest intellectual figures of Western history

• His studies in logic led to the formulation of a formal process of analyzing reasoning which gave rise to deductive reasoning

• Father of Political Science

• “Man is by nature a political animal”

St. Thomas of Aquinas

• Italian Dominican theologian, the foremost medieval Scholastic

• St. Thomas was a prominent proponent of natural theology and the father of a school of thought (encompassing both theology and philosophy) known as Thomism.

• St. Thomas believed that faith and reason complement rather than
  contradict each other, each giving different views of the same truth

Rene Descartes

• a French mathematician, scientist, and philosopher

• one of the first to abandon Scholastic Aristotelianism because he formulated the first modern version of mind-body dualism, from which stems the mind-body problem, and because he promoted the development of a new science grounded in observation and experiment, he is generally regarded as the founder of modern philosophy

• “Cogito, ergo sum”

Eastern Philosophy

• Consists of schools of thought which are often closely tied to religious beliefs

• Often described as “wisdom” literature where stories, sayings, and texts encourage people to adopt an ethical and harmonious way of life.

• Great emphasis on social relations, and the family and community are considered a central aspect of life

• The goal of philosophy is to achieve a balanced life and to find one’s role in the society

Buddha

• Siddharta Gautama

• founder of Buddhism

Buddhism

• one of the major religions and philosophical systems of southern and eastern Asia and of the world

• “Awakened One" or "Enlightened One."

Dukkha

there is suffering

Samudaya

there is a cause of suffering

Nirodha

attachment is the cause of suffering

Magga

attachment may be overcome through the Noble Eightfold Fold

Confucius

• China’s most famous teacher, philosopher, and political theorist, whose ideas have profoundly influenced the civilizations of China and other East Asian countries

• “Never impose on others what you would not choose yourself”

Confucianism

• emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice, kindness, and sincerity

Lao Tzu

• first philosopher of Chinese Daoism / Taoism

• nerated as a philosopher by Confucians and as a saint or god in popular religion and was worshipped as an imperial ancestor during the Tang dynasty

Wu wei — Doing Nothing

• non-doing or ‘doing nothing’

• It sounds like a pleasant invitation to relax or worse, fall into laziness or apathy.

• Yet this concept is key to the noblest kind of action according to the philosophy of Daoism – and is at the heart of what it means to follow Dao or The Way

Mahatma Gandhi

• as an Indian lawyer, politician, social activist, and writer who became the leader of the nationalist movement against the British rule of India, as such, he came to be considered the father of his country.

• internationally esteemed for his doctrine of nonviolent protest (satyagraha) to achieve political and social progress

• “Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by man’s ingenuity.”