Chapter 1
THE MEANING AND VALUE OF PHILOSOPHY
INTRODUCTION
• Philosophy is rich in meaning.
• It is also an art – it needs to be practiced in our
daily life.
3 ELEMENTS
• Guiding Principle. (i.e. your philosophy in life)
• Reason, Rationale, or Basis of something. (i.e.
philosophy of SHS)
• Cause of something. (i.e. why?...why?...why?)
2 KINDS OF BEING ‘PILOSOPO’
1. The “pilosopo” in the negative sense is a person
who considers only one aspect of reality.
He/She has a very myopic and limited view of
reality. He/She clings to his/her own beliefs
without giving an opportunity to listen to
others.
2. The “pilosopo” in the good sense is exemplified
by Pilosopong Tasyo in Rizal’s novel. These kind
of “pilosopo” are willing to engage others in a
profound dialogue.
NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY
 We must learn to go beyond the ordinary scope
of dialogue.
 In other words, learn to dialogue, not only with
“rational” people but also with the poor and
alike.
 Philosophy asserts that there is still the
element of the unthought-of in everything.
 The world is full of surprises, philosophy makes
us able to be constantly aware of these
surprises.
 One attitude that philosophy wants to instill is
the never ending desire to look at things again.
 Philosophy helps us to avoid taking things for
granted.
 Philosophy tells us that there are more to learn
about and that there is more to hope for.
ETYMOOGY
• It was the Greek philosopher Pythagoras who
coined the term philosophia or philosophy.
• Pythagoras who was one of the wisest men in
ancient Greece lived between 570 and 495 BC.
• Greek Word: Philo or Philien – Love
Sophia – Wisdom
• Thus, philosophy means “love of wisdom”
• Three Kinds of Love according to the Greeks
• Eros – acquisitive love
• Philia - friendship
• Agape – unconditional love
• According to the Greek philosopher Aristotle,
“all men seek wisdom.”
• Therefore all men, regardless of social status,
race, age, etc... are PHILOSOPHERS.
• The search of wisdom is the task of everyone.
• The object of wisdom is TRUTH.
• The pursuit of truth is therefore the noble
aspiration of every rational individual.
• Knowledge - acquisition of ideas, information,
theories, the application of certain scientific
principles and formula, or the mastery of
certain methods or procedures.
• Pertaining to wisdom, there is a distinction
between wisdom and knowledge.
• Wisdom - understanding of the meaning,
reason, or causes of things.
• Experience – it provides a person with the initial
data so that he/she would be able to speak of
his/her subsequent reflection or examination.
• Reason – it enables a person to reflect on or
examine the underlying meaning or causes of
things or realities.
• It is the objective of philosophy to teach us how
to reflect on our own experiences, so that we
may gain wisdom.
VALUE OF PHILOSOPHY
 • The value of philosophy is found in its ability to
provide what the mind or spirit needs.
• The basic question in Philosophy is WHY?
• For philosophy what is more important is the
question rather than the answers.
• Philosophy opens one’s mind to the reality of
life.
• Philosophy frees their minds by questioning.
• Philosophy keeps alive people’s sense of
wonder.
4 PRACTICAL BENEFITS OF PHILOSOPHIZING
 They learn how to systematize all important
knowledge
 To Distinguish Truth from what is false or from
mere opinion.
 “Intellectual eye” that enables them to see
visible (concept) and invisible things (meanings)
 To gain insights into human nature; understand
their capacities and potentials and better
appreciation of themselves.
WHAT IS PHILOSOPHIZING?
• It is making speculations or theories about
fundamental or serious issues in a complicated
or difficult manner.
When do we start Philosophizing?
• When we begin to wonder and pose the
question WHY?
• By posing the question why, Philosophy helps
man search for the meaning, reason, and
causes of things.
• Hence, it is a never ending search for the
ultimate reason and meaning of reality.
Chapter 2
PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTION AND CRITICAL
THINKING
INTRODUCTION
• Questions to answer, Actions to do, and
Decisions to make.
But which solution, decision, answer, or action would
be the wisest and most reasonable?
• Rational beings - people find the right solution,
make the wise decisions, get the correct
answer, and take the most reasonable course
of action.
PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTION
• Philosophical Reflection is a more profound
examination of the underlying meanings or
cause of the problems regarding human
existence.
• The Ultimate end is to find the underlying
meaning and reasons behind one’s experience
in life.
CRITICAL THINKING
• Philosophical Reflection demands Critical
Thinking.
1. Understanding – to have a mental grasp of
things, of reality, of issues at hand, or of the
subject matter.
2. Thinking by and for Oneself – ability and
power to think or reason out.
3. Thinking Proactively – one uses his/her
own intelligence, knowledge, and abilities in
order to deal with different situations,
issues and subject matters.
4. Being Open Minded – is open to the ideas
and opinions of others. Open to new views,
new interpretations, and new concepts.
5. Considering Different Perspective – one
considers different perspectives that lead to
the Truth.
6. Questioning and Challenging Beliefs
Destructive questioning – to contradict a
different view without basis.
Constructive questioning – simply to ask for
clarification of what is true and believed.
Chapter 3
ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY +
HYLEMORPHISM THEORY
ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY
 • Ancient Philosophy is also known as Ancient
Greek Philosophy because all Philosophers are
Greek people.
• It is generally described as a Cosmocentric
Philosophy.
• Search for the Truth is centered on the nature
of the Universe – COSMOS.
• There are Three (3) Prominent Philosophers of
Ancient Greek Philosophy, namely; Socrates,
Plato and Aristotle.
• Socrates (know thyself), Plato (Ideal and
Material worlds) and Aristotle (Dualism of
Body and Soul)
SOCRATES
• He is known as a Moralist – a philosopher who
advocates moral transformation among the
citizens.
• One of his philosophies is Self-knowledge –
“Know Thyself”
• One transforms himself/herself if he knows
himself/herself.
• “An unexamined life is not worth-living.”
• Thus, in Knowing thyself to become Moral
being is to Dialogue (question-answer)
• This dialogue is called Socratic Dialogue.
• It contains all Socrates’ teachings and
Philosophies.
• This Socratic dialogue is conversational and
question-answer nature as his way of teaching.
SOCRATIC DIALOGUE
• The rationale of this Socratic dialogue are:
1. To stir the mind of people and make them think
of themselves.
2. To make them critically think of their situation
and the things happening around themselves.
 “ I cannot teach them anything, I can only make
them think.”
 Thus, Socrates would not give his students the
Answers but only the Questions.
 It is not to teach the Truth but to let his
students know the Truth with their own minds.
IGNORANCE
• “One thing I know, is I know nothing.”
• The context of this phrase is that, Socrates only
know himself – his own Ignorance.
• Ignorance is claiming that he lacks knowledge
that he must continue to reflect and search the
Truth.
• In Socratic method, we have the assumption of
ignorance, a series of questions and answers, a
consideration of opposite views.
• There is the step by step questioning designed
to lead students to discover for themselves the
truth.
PLATO
• He was a student and follower of Socrates.
• One of his Philosophies and teachings is that he
believed that there are two types of Worlds
(Reality) – IDEAL and MATERIAL.
• IDEAL MATERIAL
• The Physical World is just a reflection, shadow,
copy and IMITATION from Ideal World
(Platonic World).
• Imitation in Greek word is Mimesis.
• Thus, whatever we perceive in the Physical
world is just a Mimesis from what is in the Ideal
World.
ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE
• Ideal world is likened to the reality outside the
cave.
 • Material world is likened to the reality inside
the cave.
• All men outside the cave are perceiving and
experiencing is True and Real.
• The Prisoners inside the cave are being
deceived by their senses from what they see
thus, consider what they see is true and real.
• The Ideal World is NOT SENSIBLE.
• Thus, we need a faculty (power) that is not
possessed by our senses.
• And that is our Mind.
• The Power of the Mind is the only Faculty that
helps us see and reflect for what is in the Ideal
World.
• More so, this Power of the Mind dwells/sits in
the Soul in which pre-existed in the Ideal World
before it unites with the Body.
• He believed that Man is part of these Two
Worlds (Reality).
• Man has two components – the Body and the
Soul.
• The Soul pre-existed in the Ideal World before
it united with the Body which dwells in the
Material World.
• Plato distinguishes the body from the soul. He
thinks that the soul is trapped or imprisoned in
the body.
• The soul is the real part of the person, but it is
temporarily attached to a physical body.
• The soul is unchanging and is therefore
immortal while the body is in constant state of
change.
• The soul can know the truth. In contrast, the
body cannot be the source of knowledge.
TRIPARTITE SOUL
• In his idea of man, Plato proposed a Tripartite
theory of the soul where he said that man is
originally a pure soul in his past life.
• Plato asserted that the ψυχή (soul) is composed
of three parts; the λογιστικόν (logical), the
θυμοειδές (high-spirited) and the
ἐπιθυμητικόν (appetitive)
• The logical or logistikon (from logos) is the
thinking part of the soul which loves the truth
and seeks to learn it.
• The spirited or thymoeides (from thymos) it is
by which we are angry or get into a temper.
• The appetitive
or epithymetikon (from epithymia) it is by
which we experience carnal erotic love,
hunger, thirst and in general the desires.
CHARIOTEER ANALOGY
• A soul can be declared just only if all three
parts agree that the logistikon should rule.
ARISTOTLE
• There is only One World (Material World)
• The Material World is the true reality in which
man truly experiences.
• The Body and the Soul are Substantially
United.
• The Soul is the Principle of Life, thus, it exists
with the Body.
• He was a student and follower of Plato.
• One of his Philosophies and teachings is that
there is only One Reality where man is part of
and that is Material World in which man
experience and perceive.
• Man is composed of Body and Soul.
• The Soul is the Principle of Life.
 • Thus, the Soul exists with the Body.
• All living beings have a Soul.
• Because every living being has a Life.
• Soul is Life.
• If there is no Soul then, there is no Life.
3 PARTS OF THE SOUL
1. VEGETATIVE – having the power of growing.
(proper to Plants)
2. SENTIENT – able to feel, see, hear, smell or
taste. (proper to animals)
ST. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO
3. RATIONAL – able to think. (soul of man)
 The Rational or Human Soul has all the powers
of the living beings, especially the rational
power.
 This Rationality makes man a Rational Being.
 The Body and Soul are Substantially United.
 The Body needs the Soul (principle of life)
 The Soul needs the Body (makes the soul fully
operate and function.
MEDIEVEL PHILOSOPHY
• Medieval Philosophy is described as
THEOCENTRIC
• Theocentric means etymologically…
Theo – God
Centric – Center
• Thus, Theocentric means the search for Truth is
centered on God the Supreme Being.
• Man and the World are part of the Supreme
Being’s Creation.
INTRODUCTION
• The Medieval philosophers were influenced by
the Greek philosophers.
• However, the medieval philosophers combined
the Greek’s philosophical ideas with their
Theological Ideas or Religious Beliefs.
• St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine of Hippo
are the main philosophers in medieval period
who followed and adopted the Philosophy of
Aristotle and Plato respectively.
• However, their Notions on Man are guided by
their Christian Faith.
• Man is created by the Image and likeness of
the Supreme Being – God.
• Thus, the Ultimate end of Man is SALVATION.
• Salvation is to be reunited with God the
Supreme Being.
• Man is created through the Image and Likeness
of the Supreme Being – God.
• World is created by God out of nothing (ex
nihilo) and through His Free act.
• Human soul as Spiritual (Intangible), Simple
(One), and Immortal (Eternal).
• More so, it has three (3) Functions
1. Being
2. Understanding
3. Loving
• And these Three (3) Functions of the soul
correspond to the Three (3) Faculties of Man.
1. Intellective Memory (Being)
2. Intelligence (Understanding)
3. Will (Loving)
 The most important faculty is the Will since the
most important function of man is to Love.
 However, Love is also related to Intelligence
(Understanding).
 The Will is Free, the Soul tends to be restless.
 The restlessness prompts the soul to search for
the meaning of life and Truth.
 This search ultimately end in God the Supreme
Being.
  God is the Truth himself and the real meaning
of Human existence.
 “My heart is restless until it rests in Thee
(God).” – St. Augustine
 However, because of Man’s sinful actions, man
cannot return to God all by himself.
 Grace of God – faith in God is needed.
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
• He followed the Philosophy of Aristotle that is
Man is composed of Body and Soul.
• Aquinas Christianized the philosophy of
Aristotle.
• Man is a Rational Being because man has a
Soul which possesses vegetative, sentient and
rational.
• Man as a Human person, that is, a concrete,
existing human individual.
• Man is not only Rational Being but also
Spiritual Being.
• The Rational Soul is the basis of man’s spiritual
faculties of intellect and will.
• Human person is composed of Spirit (soul) and
Body (corporeal).
• Corporeal comes from the Latin word “Corpus”
which means Body.
• Thus, it is the Spiritual component that is made
after God’ image and likeness.
5 PROOFS OF GOD’S EXITENCE
1. Unmoved Mover
2. Uncaused Cause
3. Necessary Being
4. Perfect Being
5. Divine Architect
 The first three proofs are based from
Aristotle, while the last two proofs are
based from Plato.
TELOS OF MAN
 For Aquinas, human beings have a natural
end and a supernatural end.
1. The natural end is possible to be attained
by human beings in this life.
2. While the supernatural end, is impossible
to be attained by human beings alone.
 The natural end is possible to be attained
by human beings in this life because it the
Happiness.
 While the supernatural end, is impossible
to be attained by human beings alone
because to attain this end man needs God’s
Grace.
HYLEMORPHISM
• Hylomorphism Theory means man is composed
of body and soul.
• It highlights the different faculties of man which
are, Vegetative, Sentient, and Rational
Faculties.
• The Matter (hyle) is manifested in his/her
having a Body.
• The Form (morphe) is manifested in one’s
having a Soul/Spirit.
• Corporeal Beings are animate and inanimate
beings.
• Anima is a Latin word which means “Soul”.
• Thus, the soul can only be found in the Animate
beings.
• Animate beings are living beings like plants,
animals and men.
• Inanimate beings are non-living beings such as
stone, house, book, and phone.
• The Soul is the one that gives life.
• When the soul leaves the body then that man is
lifeless.
• Thus, for a man to be complete and alive,
he/she must have both body and soul that are
substantially united.