2nd Monthly exam

Medieval Period

In this period Philosophy focused on the relationship between faith and reason

Medieval Period

Philosophers in this period uses philosophy as a handmaid of theology

Medieval Period

This period is concerned with proving God's existence and understanding what is man in relation with God

Scholasticism

A method of learning that dominated medieval European universities from the 12th century until the Renaissance. It sought to reconcile Christian theology with classical philosophy

St. Anselm

He was canonized as a saint in 1494 by Pope Alexander VI.

St. Anselm of Canterbury

Recognized as a Doctor of the Church

Ontological Argument

Major Contribution of St. Anslem of Canterbury

Ontological argument

1. God is defined as "that than which nothing greater can be conceived".

2. If we can understand the idea of the greatest possible being, then God must exist not only in the mind but also in reality

3, Therefore, God must exist.

St. Anselm of Canterbury

1. He introduced rational arguments about God's existence

2. He strengthened the relationship between faith and reason

3. He influenced later Philosphers

St. Augustine

He was an early Christian theologian and philospher whos writings greatly influenced Western Christianity and Philosophy

St. Augustine

He is known to promote 'the argument by analogy' against solipsism

Solipsism

Is the philosophical idea that: "Only one's own mind and experiences are certain to exist."

Solipsism

A person who follows this doubts whether other people, minds, or realities truly exist.

Solipsism

Argues that the only thing a person can be sure of is their own existence and conciousness. Everything else - other people, the external world - could be an illusion or a construct of their mind.

Argument by analogy

This emphasizes the shared nature of truth, the possibility of meaningful communication, and the similarities in human experience.

Argument by analogy

Using this St. Augustine argues that the existence of other minds is just as certain as one's own.

Argument by analogy

This explain that since other people show thoughts, emotions, and actions similar to ours, we can reasonably conclude that they also have minds.

Argument by analogy

Major contribution of St. Augustine

St. Augustine

1. He emphasized the search for truth

2. He contributed to the philosophy of the human person,

3. He connected philosophy and religion

St. Thomas Aquinas

Became a Dominican friar and devoted his life to studying and teaching theology and philosophy

St. Thomas Aquinas

He is famous for his influential work Summa Theologica

The first part of Summa Theologica

About God

• Aquinas talks about who god is, what God is like, and how God created the world. He also gives five reasons why he believes God exists.

The Second part of Summa Theologica

About People and Morality

Divided into 2 sections:

• First section explains what it means to live a good life, how people make choices, and what true happiness is

• The second section talks about specific virtues and vices, and how people should behave to live according to God's will.

The Third part of Summa Theologica

About Jesus and the Sacraments

• This part focuses on Jesus Christ - his life, his teaching, and his importance in the Christian faith

• It addresses the sacraments of the Church, explaining their significance and how they function as means of grace.

The Five Ways

Major Contribution of St. Thomas Aquinas

Summa Theologica

• Written between 1265 and 1274

• It explains the key teachings of Christianity like a guide for understanding everything fome the nature of God to how people should live

The Five Ways

1. Argument from motion - Everything has a first mover

2. Argument from Causation - Every effect has a first cause

3. Argument from Contingency - A necessary being explains existence

4. Argument from Degrees of Perfection - A perfect standard of Goodness exists

5. Argument from Design - The order of the universe pants to an intelligent designer

All of these pertain to GOD

St. Thomas Aquinas

1. He united faith and reason

2. He developed natural law theory.

3. He influenced ethics and political philosophy

4. He created a systematic approach to philosophy.

St. Anselm

St. Augustine

St. Thomas Aquinas

Notable Scholastic Thinkers

Rationalism

is a philosophical view states that the chief source of our knowledge is reason rather than experience

Rationalism

This philosophical view developed by Plato began to emerge and became highly influential during the time of René Descartes, Baruch Spinoza, and Gottfried Leibniz.

Leading rationalists of modern period (17th - 18th Century)

René Descartes, Baruch Spinoza, and Gottfried Leibniz.

Rationalism

It is a philosophical view based on logical reasoning, not emotions or guesses

Empiricism

Is the philosophical theory that knowledge comes primarily from experience and observation through the five senses (seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling)

Aristotle

He first developed the idea that senses thought they may not be a wholly reliable source of knowledge, are significant in forming concepts and knowledge

John locke

Leading Figure of Empiricism

John Locke

He argued that without experience, which is only possible because of our sense, knowledge is impossible

Synthetic A Priori Knowledge

Is a concept introduced by Immanuel Kant

Synthetic A Priori Knowledge

It refers to knowledge that is gained independently of experience (a priori), yet adds new information to what we already know (synthetic)

A priori

Latin term that means "from what comes before" or "before experience"

Analytic Tradition

It became popular in the 20th century. especially in English speaking countries

Analytic Tradition

Known for breaking down complex ideas into simpler parts to understand them better

Analytic Tradition

Instead of discussing big, abstract ideas in a vague way, philosophers break down problems into smaller, understandable parts and try to solve them step by step.

Bertrand Russel

One of the founders of analytic philosophy

Bertrand Russel

A british philospher logician, mathematician, and social critic, widely considered one of the most important and influential philosophers of the 20th century.

Theory of Description

One of Bertrand Russel's most influential contributions to philosophy, particularly in the philosophy of language

Theory of Descriptions

It explains how language works when we describe things. Instead of just pointing at things directly, we make statements about their existence and their qualities

George Edward Moore

British philosopher known for his contributions to ethics, epistemology, and for his role in shaping analytic philosophy

George Edward Moore

Moore was one of the first philosophers to demand clarity and precision in philosophical writing and argumentation

Clarity and Precision

Moore's method was to use simple, everyday language to express philosophical ideas. He believed that by using clear and concrete terms, philosophers could avoid confusion and get closer to the truth