Notes on Philosophy

Title: Introduction to Philosophy Chapter I INTRODUCTION Philosophy – The Purpose of Wisdom  Definition of Philosophy  The Branches of Philosophy  Some Philosopher Doctrines What is Philosophy? Philosophy is derived from the Greek words philo meaning “love”, and sophia meaning “wisdom”. Philosophy, therefore, is love for wisdom.  it is the study of fundamental nature of existence of man and of man’s relationship to existence.  it is comprehensive system of ideas about human nature and the nature of the reality we live in.  it is the study of general problems concerning matters such as: existence, knowledge, truth, beauty, justice, mind, and language. The fundamental aims of philosophy are to give a person a unified view of the universe in which he lives and to make a person more critical by sharpening his ability to think clearly and precisely. Its purpose is to seek and prove the ultimate and absolute truth. BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY 1. METAPHYSICS (The Theory of Reality)  deals with the nature of being and reality.  It attempts to explain a person’s most fundamental concepts such as substance, existence, essence, truth, space, time, causation, and the nature of God, as well as the origin and purpose of the universe, the nature and purpose of a person’s existence, the problem of the relation of body and mind, the problem of freedom and other philosophical and universal entities.  Subdivisions of Metaphysics a. Cosmology – branch of metaphysics which tries to explain the theories, origin and development of the nature of the cosmos (universe). b. Ontology – deals with the meaning of existence, and tries to resolve the question of whether existence is identical with space, time, nature, spirit or God. c. Teleology – elucidate on subjects pertaining to whether or not there is a purpose in the universe. 2. EPISTEMOLOGY (The Theory of Knowledge)  is concerned with the nature and scope of knowledge.  Subdivisions of Epistemology a. Agnosticism – the doctrine that conclusive knowledge of ultimate reality is an outright impossibility. b. Skepticism – the doctrine that any true knowledge is impossible or that all knowledge is uncertain. – It also means having a questioning attitude toward the possibility of having any knowledge. c. A Posteriori – the reasoning that experience comes first and knowledge afterwards. – It is used to determine knowledge that comes from experience. d. A Priori – the reasoning can be acquired through pure reason alone.

3. AXIOLOGY (The Theory of Value)  Deals with the problem of value.  Subdivisions of Axiology a. Ethics – the practical science that deals with the morality of human action or conduct. b. Aesthetics – the science concerned with beauty, and standards of tastes and values especially in art. – Deals with beauty, art, enjoyment, sensory-emotional values, perception and matters of taste and sentiment. – it is also defined as the science of feeling or sensation. 4. LOGIC  is concerned with the systematic treatment of the relation of ideas.  deals with patterns of thinking that lead from true premises to true conclusion.  it is the study of science and art of correct thinking and correct reasoning.  Specific Fields a. Induction –

reasoning that is done through the process of inferring a general law of principle from the observation of particular instances to a general conclusion.

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a process which is the reverse of induction that is, from a general principle to particulars included within the scope of that principle.

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argumentation in which a conclusion is derived from two propositions called premises.

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a means of discovering the truth by proceeding from an assertion or thesis to a denial or antithesis and finally reconciling the two through a synthesis.

b. Deduction

c. Syllogism

d. Dialectics