Loquinario, Alea Chairmane A.

1PHL1

ANSWERS:

 What is to Philosophize? By Alfredo P. Co

- As its basic definition, To philosophize means to theoretically consider all things in a
study or reflection. As humans with uncertainties and doubts, only man can and needs
to philosophize. As for my own, To philosophize is to engage in a dialogue with
others about serious issues or questions that seeks reasons and truth. Philosophical
reasoning is closely allied to scientific reasoning as they both look for evidences and
were tested out in hopes of coming up with the truth.

- Through the different periods of history, there has been 3 philosophical ends pursued
by three great civilizations namely the Indian, Greek and Chinese. Indians asked the
question “Who Am I?” (The Knowledge of Absolute Truth), In which absolute truth
can only be attained through the discovery of the self and use of Intuitive faculty.
Greeks asked the question “Where Am I?” (The Knowledge of Reasoned Truth), the
successful use of syllogistic demonstration, to clearly and neatly demonstrate
discourse of reason. Chinese then asked the question “What Am I?” (The Knowledge
of Practical Truth), which can only attained by the use of practical reason. Chinese
focused on making man human “socio-politico-moral”. As a result, To philosophize
is a methodic exercise of faculty of Intuition, faculty of reason and Faculty of
Practical reason.

 Who is Alfredo P. Co?

- Professor Alfredo P. Co, Ph.D is the Philippines’ most acclaimed philosopher-
teacher. He studied Philosophy at University of Santo Tomas in the late 1960s. He
then took up graduate studies at the UST Graduate School. His familiarity with and
expertise in both western and oriental philosophy made him the best scholar in the
world. Become one of the best resource person to explain China to the West and West
to China and Asia.

- As a philosopher, his task is to provide answers , striking at the core of the issues and
As a teacher, his task is to train minds how to arrive at such answers. He combines
the fundamental qualities of a good philosopher and teacher.

 What is Enlightenment? By Immanuel Kant

- Enlightenment era is the age of reason and age of reason is where freedom started.
According to Immanuel Kant, An enlightened person has released itself from self-
imposed immaturity or self-incurred tutelage and these are man’s inability to use his
own understanding without guidance from another. This is not actually through lack
of understanding but lack of resolve and courage. Kant stated reasons as to why this
“self-tutelage” occurred and the requirements for enlightenment as well. We live in
 the period of enlightenment wherein freedom and reasoning surface yet not all people
are enlightened.

- REASONS:
1. Laziness – others find it easier and less burdensome to just obey the “higher
intellectual men”
2. Cowardice – Only strengthens laziness, they prefer not to use reason as they fear
new ideas and what that means for them and the society
3. Elite’s monopoly of knowledge – which only deprived ordinary people of
knowledge and proper education ; some people tend to just obey the ideas of the
elite without questioning them and stating the reasons as to why they follow them.

- REQUIREMENTS:
1. Freedom – most important aspect ; If we can freely express ourselves without fear
from any sort of threat and punishment then reasoning and new ideas surface
2. To have an enlightened public, the leaders must be enlightened as well – If the
leader is not enlightened, he would not give people the freedom to express
themselves thus encouraging laziness, cowardice and blind obedience.
3. People must not be scared to ague and argue but they must never forget to obey as
well – He can most certainly argue, without thereby harming the affairs.

 What is Philosophy? By Louis Pojman

- Philosophy comes from the Greek word “philos’ which mean love and “Sophia”
which means wisdom. Philosophy generally means love of wisdom. It is the
foundation of all discipline and a systematic search for all knowledge. For Pojman,
Philosophy is REVOLUTIONARY as it disturbs our common sense and received
tradition. It usually goes against the stream of majority which somehow forces us to
reject or revise our beliefs and received traditions because it often offers a deeper
truth, new and better evidences to further understand. While it disturbs, it also
consoles as it liberates our doubts, self-prejudice and ignorance.

- The hallmark of Philosophy is centered in the argument. Philosophical reasoning is

closely allied to Scientific reasoning as they both look for evidences and tested out
hypothesis to come up with the truth. The major areas of Philosophy is metaphysics,
Epistemology, Logic, Philosophy of religion and Political Philosophy. Philosophical
study is dialectic and History plays a dialectic role relative to philosophy. There are
TEN COMMANDMENTS OF PHILOSOPHY and the great virtue of Philosophy is it
teaches us not what to think, but how to think.

 What are the different branches of Philosophy?

I. AXIOLOGY – Study of Values
a. Ethics – study of values in human behaviour ; study of moral problems (right
or wrong)
b. Aesthetics – study of values in arts ; Inquiry of feelings, judgments and
standards of beauty
 II. EPISTEMOLOGY – study of knowledge (origin, structure, methods and integrity
of knowledge)
III. ONTOLOGY or METAPHYSICS – study of reality ; “what is really real?”
 How are these branches connected?
- They are connected to each other as they all seek for something : Truth. They are
divided into the nature of the questions asked in each area. The integrity of these
divisions cannot be rigidly maintained, for one area overlaps into the other.

 What are the Philosophical periods in Western Philosophy?

I. ANCIENT PERIOD
-Cosmocentric : nature & wonder
-Greek Philosophers

II. MEDIEVAL PERIOD

-Theocentric & Scholasticism
-St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas..

III. MODERN PERIOD

-Rational, empirical & anthropocentric
-Rationalists: Rene Descartes…

IV. CONTEMPORARY PERIOD

-Existential, pragmatic, positivistic
-Immanuel Kant (1781)

V. POST MODERN PERIOD

-critical and sceptical of modern and contemporary