CTU 552 – Philosophy and Contemporary Issues: Lecture 2 – Discipline of Philosophy

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the lecture on the discipline of philosophy.

Philosophy

Love of wisdom and truth; the highest form of knowledge that underpins all other sciences.

Philien / Philos

Greek root meaning “love,” forming part of the word philosophy.

Sophia

Greek term meaning wisdom, insight or truth; combined with "philos" to create "philosophia."

Plato’s Definition of Philosophy

Knowledge concerning everything that exists.

al-Farabi’s Definition of Philosophy

The science that studies all existents in order to discover their true reality.

General Definition of Philosophy (Abdullah Ishak)

An effort to love, seek, examine and contemplate matters using intellect and wisdom to attain true certainty.

Ethical Philosophy

Early philosophical focus on cultivating a virtuous life and achieving happiness.

Natural Philosophy

Inquiry into the nature of the physical world and its relation to humans; precursor to metaphysics and science.

Intellectual Philosophy

Academic activity that solves conceptual problems through rational arguments, often detached from daily life.

Problem-Solving Emphasis

Common trait of philosophical schools that rely on rational and logical justification to resolve issues.

Theoretical Philosophy (Nazariyyah)

Branch aimed at discovering truth about existence—including God, humans and nature—covering metaphysics, logic and mathematics.

Practical Philosophy (Amaliyyah)

Branch aimed at human happiness by applying knowledge in politics, economics, ethics and other fields.

Philosophy of Technology

Study of the nature, purposes and impacts of technology on human life, e.g., robots or nuclear power.

Environmental Philosophy

Examination of fundamental questions about the environment and the ethical human–nature relationship.

Eastern Philosophy

Worldviews and wisdom traditions originating in Asia, recognised as philosophy alongside Western thought.

Ontology

Philosophical study of being and existence, encompassing metaphysics, cosmology, mathematics and human sciences.

Metaphysics (Islamic Perspective)

Philosophical theology addressing the reality of God and unseen matters, distinct from Greek or Western metaphysics.

Cosmology (Islamic Perspective)

Investigation of the origin and nature of the created universe, viewed as open signs complementing the Qur’an.

Mathematics (within Ontology)

Philosophical examination of arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry and geometry as aspects of existence.

Human Sciences (Ilmu Kemanusiaan)

Philosophical study of sociology and history to understand human existence.

Epistemology

Theory of knowledge analysing foundations, aims, sources and characteristics of understanding.

Axiology

Theory of value comprising logic (truth), ethics (good) and aesthetics (beauty).

Logic (Mantik)

Discipline that guides rational thought to avoid error through systematic rules of concept formation, judgment and inference.

Ethics

Practical philosophy providing normative guidelines for distinguishing right from wrong actions.

Aesthetics

Philosophy of art that explores the nature and experience of beauty and artistic value.

Hikmah

Arabic term for wisdom; in Islamic tradition regarded as superior to philosophy and associated with the title hakim.

Islamic Philosophy

Philosophical inquiry harmonised with Islamic teachings to seek ultimate truth about all things.

Qur’anic Ontology

Scriptural discourse on divine unity, unseen realities and creation that shapes Islamic metaphysics and cosmology.

Silogism, Istiqra’, Istinbat

Logical methods—deductive syllogism, inductive reasoning and inferential extraction—used to derive valid conclusions.

Good Governance (Philosophy of Politics)

Concept of just and effective administration discussed by philosophers such as Plato in The Republic.