Lesson 1 - Encounters in Everyday Life, Engaging in Wisdom

Unit Overview

  • Unit Title: The Meaning and Method of Doing Philosophy in Relation to the Human Person as an Embodied Being in the World and the Environment

  • Core Concepts: Virtue, Excellence, Service

Introduction to Philosophy

  • Philosophy Etymology: Derived from the Greek words "Philo" (to love) and "Sophia" (wisdom)

    • Definition: Philosophy is thus defined as the love of wisdom.

Approaches of Philosophy

  • Philosophical vs. Scientific Approaches:

    • Philosophy is a systematic body of learning akin to sciences.

    • Nature and Light of Reason: Employs natural capacity for observation and thought that corresponds with the world.

    • Study of All Things: Unlike other sciences, philosophy explores dimensions that are more holistic and less constrained to singular investigations.

    • A thinker explores almost everything without being bound to a specific object of inquiry.

Fundamental Principles

  • Principle of Identity: Every thing, idea, or person possesses a name, concept, and characteristic for existence.

  • Principle of Non-Contradiction: Asserts that contradictory statements cannot both be true at the same time.

  • Principle of Excluded Middle: Proposes that everything must either exist or not; there is no middle ground.

  • Principle of Sufficient Reason: Suggests that all occurrences have sufficient reasons for existence, studying the original grounds or first cause.

The Need for Emptying to Attain Wisdom

  • Definition of Emptying: Suspending judgment to explore the aspects of an idea or situation.

    • Can be intellectual, spiritual, or physical.

Philosophical Branches

  • Metaphysics:

    • Derived from Greek roots meaning "beyond nature," concerns reality and existence

    • Key Questions:

      • What is reality?

      • Why does reality exist and how does it exist?

  • Understanding Reality:

    • True reality is seen as a fundamental source, beyond just sensory perception.

    • Thales’ Assertion: Everything is essentially derived from water, suggesting water as fundamental to all things.

Mind and Matter Debate

  • Mind vs. Matter:

    • Entities that idealists and materialists base their theories on.

  • Plato’s Perspective:

    • Asserts that physical experiences through senses are not the ultimate reality; instead, true forms or ideas represent real truths.

Ethics

  • Origins:

    • Comes from the Greek word "Ethos" meaning character or morality.

  • Purpose:

    • Explore moral virtue, distinguish good from evil, and evaluate human actions.

    • Ethical theorists utilize logical arguments to provide justification in moral contexts.

Main Ethical Positions

  • Natural Law or Divine Command:

    • Questions guiding principles towards happiness.

  • Teleological Theory:

    • Actions are judged by outcomes that promote the greatest happiness.

  • Deontological Ethics:

    • Examines moral duties detached from situational outcomes, primarily linked to Kant.

  • Virtue Ethics:

    • Focusing on character development, the means of achieving a good life by aligning with virtuous values.

  • Relativism:

    • Morality influenced by cultural standards, exemplified by the adage of adapting to local customs.

Epistemology

  • Etymology:

    • Comes from Greek words "Episteme" (knowledge) and "Logos" (study).

  • Concern: Nature, sources, limitations, and validity of knowledge.

    • Empiricism:

      • Knowledge arises solely from sensory experience, reliant on empirical evidence.

Logic

  • Etymology:

    • Originates from Greek word "Logike" pertaining to human thought.

  • Nature:

    • Systematic study of human reasoning, not providing direct knowledge but evaluating the structure of reasoning.

Aesthetics

  • Definition: From Greek "Aisthētikos", meaning pertaining to sensory perception.

  • Purpose:

    • Establishing criteria for beauty, subjective experiences in art, and its relevance to culture.

  • Aesthetic Significance:

    • Vitalizes knowledge, nurtures genuine living, and connects with broader cultural experiences.

Filipino Values and Philosophy

  • Holistic and Interior Dimensions:

    • Emphasizes interiority manifested in freedom and relational aspects within social contexts.

  • Filipino Time:

    • Misunderstood as tardiness, but embodies productivity within cultural rituals of rest and work.

  • Progressive and Undesirable Traits:

    • Relationship-based values emphasizing mutual support and community bonds, including the concept of "utang na loob" (debt of gratitude) fostering connection within social hierarchies.