CH1: Doing Philosophy
CH1: Doing Philosophy
ORIGIN
- Greek Origin = Love/ Pursuit of Wisdom
- Philo = love
- 3 KINDS OF LOVES (according to Greeks)
- EROS
- Acquisite love
- centers on desire (lust)
- superficial
- neither good nor bad
- PHILIA
- fondness or appreciation
- friendship
- has intimacy and depth
- AGAPE
- perfect or unconditional love
- Sophia = wisdom
- PYTHAGORAS (570-495 BC)
- 1st person to use the term Philosophy
- Greek philosopher and mathematician
- Origin of the word:
- A local king asked if he was a wise man like other wise men regarded themselves as. Pythagoras humbly told the king that he was not a wise man but a Philosophus who was trying to search for wisdom because of his love for it.
MEANING
TRUE DEFINITION (Philosophy of Science)
- science of all things in its ultimate causes and principles acquired through the use of natural reason
- it is a science
- It is not limited to natural or physical science
- It is a discipline that follows a system
- not a simple contradiction or plain negation (not done by chance)
- of all things
- covers everything as long as the philosopher generates possible ideas not yet discovered
- COMPONENTS OF UNDERSTANDING
- OBJECT - what to know
- SUBJECT - knower
- PRODUCT - product or outcome (knowledge or discovery)
- through its ultimate causes and principles
- Studying any object in philosophy is no simple matter
- there is no definitive or exact answer; therefore, it is not satisfied with such answers (no yes or no)
- It is not the obsession of getting answers right away
- acquired through the use of natural reason
- Philosophy is not an activity that is left to either chance or pure faith
- Philosophizing is an activity w/o help other than itself; therefore, it is done by reason
- Philosophy remains independent and pure, never a discipline that is submitted within a dogma under what aims for and is maintained by such a vision
### Other meanings
- Philosophy is not just a feeling; it is a task or a call for action
- It is seeing ourselves in the incompleteness of things; therefore, we are driven to act
- It is a constant search (deliberate effort) for the truth and meaning in life
- It is the general comprehension of reality mainly through speculative, theoretical, or reflective means
- It is an examination of the fundamental grounds of reality and ideas communicating basic reliefs (seeing what is beyond the things seen by eyes)
- It is the rational investigation and interpretation of reality
## PROPONENTS
- PLATO
- “WONDER IS THE FEELING OF THE PHILOSOPHER AND THE BEGINNING OF PHILOSOPHY”
- One does not stop at thinking but explores more towards action
- there is the bugging feeling to explore more
- BLAISE PASCAL
- “All our dignity lies in our thoughts.”
- KARL JASPERS
- “It is the search for the truth, not possession of the truth, which is the way of philosophy. Its questions are more relevant than its answers, and every answer becomes a new question.”
## RELEVANCE OF PHILOSOPHY
- its importance rests not in the information or data that other subjects can offer
- makes us understand the complexity of things, including ourselves and life
- It can help us understand the meaning of things that we know. Philosophy allows us to see deeper into things or reality, presenting to us the realities from a variety of perspectives
- Philosophy may not be able to find common ground among these data and see these data or facts in their proper perspective and thereby understand them not as separate entities but as part of the larger whole
- a part should be viewed as a whole; if you focus on the part outside the whole, it could be a new whole rather than what it was part of
- we see different pov in seeing a whole
- BERTRAND RUSSELL (1872-1970) (”Value of Philosophy”)
- Philosophy enlarges the soul and elevates our consciousness
- Its value lies in its uncertainty (of providing exact knowledge) and incompleteness (of providing a definite answer), which is why philosophy does not give any exact answers
- Furthermore, philosophy must be studied for its own sake, that is, for the sake of understanding (or asking the right questions)
- there are cases where we don't find the right answers because we don't ask the right questions
- The value of philosophy lies in the nourishment of the soul and the improvement of the mind
### PANGUNGULISAP
- The Philosophical Way
- “Pagkakaroon nang marubdob na pagnanasa para mahuli at makaihon ang mga hiwaga ng buhay ang mamilosopiya. Isang uri ng pagna nasa na laging salat.”
- intense desire to understand
- Doing Philosophy is like catching a firefly
- WE UNDESTAND THINGS PIECE BY PIECE TO BUILD A WHOLE UNDERSTANDING
- the knowledge known is incomplete therefore we are motivated to complete the picture or fill the space despite knowing it won't be whole
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# CRITICAL THINKING
- To be critical in philosophy is not accepting things as they are but asking questions to the point of gathering and uncovering the best argument possible
- being critical is not the same as being arrogant (because you don’t accept things easily) but instead is a humble thinker who is open to many possible views
- being critical is a mode of seeing
- BIAS
- close-mindedness
- closing other points of view to prevent that point of view you believe in from being compromised
## ELEMENTS OF CRITICAL THINKING
### independent thinking
- thinking or evaluating by using our OWN capabilities
- truth is irrelevant without a subject that adheres to the same
- you, as a subject, assign your own truth for a specific concept (e.g., abstract ideas like love, justice, and such have different definitions for each person)
- Thinking is embodying not just the “truth” but the truth for you which you believe in
- Thinking is personal because there is the personal desire of the subject to hold on or have faith in the truth they discovered
- Thinking must be independent with an independent stake
### proactive thinking
- thinking ahead
- know what could happen and know what to do by having contingency plans
- “The author is in the future while being in the present.”
- With time, things change; that is why the questions must be renewed each time in order to generate new unfolding
- truth must be relevant each time
### contextual thinking
- Having in mind that things are situated
- CONTEXT
- the field where there is reasoning, dialogue, and debate
- specific skeletal reference of thinking
- clarifies the ACTUAL range of thought
- No context = pointless discussion
### creative thinking
- thinking of the unprecedented ideas (imagination and ingenuity)
- life is full of surprises; therefore, we must think outside the box
- the source of discovery and innovation
- ability to represent truth in a manner where they could be seen in a DIFFERENT light
- stepping back to give space for new things or seeing the bigger picture
### collaborative thinking
- willingness to cooperate so that we can gain new perspectives on something
- thinking with others
- relational aspect of thought, communion, and participation
## TYPES OF QUESTIONING
- not all questions are philosophical questions because philosophical questions are the kind of questions that MUST make you think further and branch out and cannot be answered right away or definitively
### DESTRUCTIVE
- to contradict a different view without basis or reason
- questions that can be used to manipulate, accuse, or blame others
### CONSTRUCTIVE
- seeking the right answers without bias
- going back to the reality of the issue or the real interpretation
- clarifying whether the interpretation is indeed right
- not trying to be good but to know the good
- CONCLUSION
- hear each side of the story
- able to learn where the person is coming from
<aside>
💡
The problem with close-minded people is that their mouth is always open. We must not be aggressive in defending our personal truths but instead assertive, meaning we stand firmly but are open to listening to others.
</aside>
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## THEORIES OF KNOWLEDGE
- knowledge is truth
- our perspectives come out from a specific framework
### THEORY OF REALISM
- Truth is defined as the adequation or correspondence between what is outside the mind (reality) and what is in the mind (subject)
- Faithful and consistent naming of the world, its objects, and truths
- The view that things exist independently of whether anyone is thinking about or perceiving them
- The view that what one perceives is real and exists in concrete reality
- Argues with skepticism
- idea that some or all knowledge is UNCERTAIN or IMPOSSIBLE
- questioning the validity of knowledge claims
- truth is based on facts and what is possible
### THEORY OF RELATIVISM
- the basis of truth is always related to the subjective intervention of any phenomenon
- truth cannot stand alone but is relative to the subject; therefore, truth is subjective
- the truth for one person may not be the truth for the other
### THEORY OF PRAGMATISM
- truth is often reduced to PRACTICAL consideration
- Truth should have practical consequences
- the practical consequences have to be beneficial in order to justify its truthfulness
- “what is it for me?” or “How is it useful for me?”
- the truth will be relevant to the acceptance of its function
- truth must satisfy the criteria we want or must benefit us
### THEORY OF PHENOMENOLOGY
- phenomenology is a radical thinking of the world via the reconsideration between the dynamic of the subject and object
- what is this thing about?
- theory of appearances that is essential to objective or empirical knowledge
- let us allow the reality to unfold itself
- we take the reality as if it's for the first time since the reality may offer something new and fresh
- set aside our biases and face the reality without baggage
- helps broaden our interpretations
### THEORY OF AXIOMS
> I think therefore i am - Rene Descartes
>
- Axiomatic reasoning mediates the world through the principle of mathematics, noting the implications of such principles on reality and truth
- the truth of a system of truth where language is a mere language and cannot go further
- formal method for deriving a statement from A SET OF FUNDAMENTAL RULES (axioms)
- truth forms from deductive reasoning
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## BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY
- LOGIC
- sound thinking
- allows us to detect fallacious or faulty reasoning
- “logikos” = reason or discourse
- draw reasons from information
- COSMOLOGY OR PHILOSOPHY OF NATURE
- principles of bodily natures (cosmos, universe)
- what is the constitution of the world
- PHILOSOPHICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
- nature of humans
- what makes us human
- we do not approach it in a scientific way, but we go to the very essence of humanity
- ONTOLOGY
- nature of beings
- theory of reality
- ontos = being
- “being” is synonymous with “reality”
- we study whatever exists
- what makes something as it is
- ETHICS OR MORAL PHILOSOPHY
- what is right and wrong
- THEODICY
- Nature of God
- trying to know God
- different from Theology
- faith that seeks understanding
- God is considered a person who we can establish a relationship with instead of a part of our mind/ imagination
- EPISTEMOLOGY
- validity of human knowledge
- “episteme” = knowledge
- structure of knowledge
- how does something qualify as knowledge
- AESTHETICS
- arts and beauty
- Beauty is subjective and complex
- SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY
- nature of society
- how to describe a society
- METAPHYSICS
- It comes from the Greek words μετά (metá), meaning “beyond” or “after” and φυσικά (physiká), meaning “physical.”
- According to Aristotle, metaphysics is the “First philosophy.”
- How can we distinguish valid arguments from fallacies?
- It studies the ultimate principles of existence beyond any specific science's scope.
- It explores the fundamental nature of reality, including the nature of existence, being, space, time, property, reality, and the relationship between mind and matter.
- Basic Questions
- What is the nature of reality or being?
- What exists beyond the physical world?
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## From Muthos to Logos
- “Muthos” and “Logos” are two Greek terms that signify different ways of understanding and
explaining the world
- “muthos” referred to myths, narratives, and stories that conveyed moral, cultural, and religious truths. (SYMBOLIC)
- Some myths have factual reasoning and is highly personalized
- “logos” represents rational discourse, logic, and reasoned explanations.
- Hesiod's “Works and Days” and Homer's epics, particularly “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey,” mark a transition from the dominance of muthos to the emergence of logos in philosophical thought.
- While these epic poems are immersed in mythological elements and convey moral lessons through storytelling, they also lay the groundwork for a shift towards more rational and philosophical inquiry.
- Over time, Greek thinkers like Thales, Anaximander, and Heraclitus began to emphasize reasoned explanations for natural phenomena and the underlying principles of the universe, moving away from relying solely on mythological narratives.
- This shift laid the foundation for the development of ancient Greek philosophy
## STUPEFACTION
- In Greek, Thauma which means “WONDER”
- Wonder as ‘awe’ that makes us think of our world
- Philosophy begins in wonder
- Started with cosmological questioning
- According to Oliver Feltham
- Stupefaction
- our mind is stopped or turned blank due to astonishment
- due to many things: violence, politics, religion, heartbreak, etc.
- does not end with awe or confusion but a push to question many things and see the greater reason
- Amazement, admiration, or marvel
- State of confusion
- Drives us to ask and doubt to know the answer
- while doubt is crucial in any questioning, not all doubts are healthy
- can lead to radical skepticism
- everything is put into inquiry WITHOUT ANY GOAL of grounding
- myopic
- direct contrast to the spirit of philosophy
- instead of broadening, we keep our own perspectives due to skepticism of other things
- closing our minds
- we don't simply doubt (we would get stuck), but we must continue to search for perennial answers that allow us to go after the greater reasons, like why we doubt in the first place
- TRUTH
- result of questioning
- always something new or a beginning of new wisdom
- a process in which we follow or chase the truth that is ever-changing
- ALLAIN BADIOU
- French contemporary philosopher that stated philosophical questions must be based on meaning, choice, and life