Introduction to the

Philosophy of the
Human Person
 Module 1: What Is Philosophy?
Subtopics:
Definition of Philosophy
The Subject Matter of Philosophy
The Major Branches of Philosophy
Brief History of Philosophy
Holistic Perspective and Partial Point of View
The use of the term philosophy is attributed to Pythagoras.

THREE CLASSES OF PEOPLE ACCORDING TO PYTHAGORAS

1. Lovers of gain
2. Lovers of honor
3. Lovers of knowledge or wisdom
 BIG IDEA
Philosophy comes from two Greek
terms “ philos” which means love, and
“sophia” which means wisdom; hence, philosophy
literally means love of wisdom.
THE THREE CONCEPTS OF PHILOSOPHY explained by Armando Bonifacio

1. “The fundamental values or some basic assumptions about things, persons,

institutions, and others which form presuppositions that influence one’s beliefs,
decisions, and actions.”

2. The activity of reflecting on and analysing one’s beliefs or reasons for actions
or decisions

3. Reconstructed belief or value system which shows a universal and

comprehensive character
SUBJECT MATTER OF PHILOSOPHY

… philosophy is a study of subjects which can be understood on how

they are talked about.

Talking about subjects means:

1. investigating the meaning of concepts or proposal of a new term in

order to advance some area of philosophical inquiry;

2. critiquing the use of terms; or

3. a combination of both.
WHAT SUBJECTS CAN BE TALKED ABOUT?

• What is knowledge?
• What is the nature of the self?
• Does God exist?
• What is the standard of beauty?
• Is there a universal morality?

Two differences between philosophical and non-philosophical

subjects:

• fundamental importance of philosophical subjects to a reflective person; and

• the lack of agreement on how the subjects of concern may be defined.

THE MAJOR BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY

ETHICS
AESTHETICS
EPISTEMOLOGY
LOGIC
METAPHYSICS
ETHICS

• Greek term “ethos”= moral philosophy

• Concerned about human conduct
• Deals with norms or standards or right and wrong
• Finds out what norms of human behaviour lead to
goals which are undesirable or undesirable
• Helps people prioritize their values
AESTHETICS

• Greek word “aisthetikos”= sensitive or perceptive

• Concerned with the analysis of aesthetic experience
• Directed toward the nature of aesthetic judgment,
standards of beauty, and objectivity of these standards
• Philosophers analyse the basis of beauty.
EPISTEMOLOGY

• Greek word “episteme” = knowledge

• Deals with various problems concerning knowledge
• Major concerns are: origin of knowledge and verification of
knowledge
• Highly specialized problems include:
* distinction between belief and knowledge
* the nature of truth
* the problems of perception
* external world
* meaning and other minds
Can be helpful in making judgments such as in the courts of law
LOGIC
• Looks into whether there are rules or principles that govern reasoning
• Incorporates the analysis of the methods deduction and induction to
provide the rules on how people ought to think logically
• Gives a person the techniques to create sound arguments and avoid
fallacious reasoning
• Increases one’s ability to reason correctly and distinguish irrational
reasoning
METAPHYSICS
• Literally means “after phsyics”
• The study of nature of reality
• Analyzes whether everything is material, and if life, energy, and mind are its
different manifestations
• Reflect on:
subject of appearances (how something looks by how it appears)
reality (what it actually is)

Example questions:
What is the meaning of life?
What is the purpose of life?
 Reflect Upon

1. Why do you think is it important for human beings to reflect upon

themselves and their actions?

2. What do you think are the subjects of concern that matters to human
beings?

3. Why is analysis a necessary tool in philosophizing?

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 What Have I Learned So Far?

1. Form what Greek words did philosophy originate? What do they

mean?
2. Why are philosophers different from other people according to
Pythagoras?
3. What are the three conceptions of philosophy according to Armando
Bonifacio?
4. How are philosophical subjects different from non-philosophical
subjects?

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