INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY 1.

METAPHYSICS: Study of the ultimate nature of reality

meta (beyond/after)
PHILOSOPHY physika (physical/nature)
 Greek word: philien/philia (to love); sophia (wisdom)  Referred as First Philosophy (by Aristotle) since it studies the
 Philiasophia (to love wisdom) first and ultimate cause of reality
Special Metaphysics
KNOWLEDGE VS. WISDOM a. Cosmology: studies world or univ
already contains the “know- kosmos (world)
the “know-what-to-know-how what of thing” and focused on Including its origin, dynamics, characteristics, and
of thing” the “know-why-to-know-how laws that govern its order.
of thing” b. Psychology: study of nature and dynamics of the human
person as a whole. psyche (soul)
know “what” and “how” of know “what”, “how”, and With emphasis on the way the person’s mind
things “why” of things functions and the way she behaves.
c. Anthrophology:
PHILOSOPHY is the art and science of perennial search for the anthropos (human)
totality of intelligible causes of reality insofar as it can be studied in its d. Natural Theology or Theodicy:
deepest meaning through the aid of human reason (Ellar, 2016). theos (God)
✔As an art and science – philosophy is an art since it has a definite Justification of the goodness of God in the face of
way of dealing with its subject matter; it is a science since it is a the existence of evil.
systematic body of knowledge. General Metaphysics
✔As a perennial search for the totality – philosophy is a holistic, e. Ontology
continuous and progressive search beyond time and space onto(being/that which is)
✔As for intelligible causes of reality – philosophy deals with Studies beings in their ultimate causes, reasons,
anything that is possible to think about it. and principles thru the aid of reason alone.
✔ As to it can be studied – philosophy is only limited by itself – that
is, philosophy can possibly study everything and anything. 2. EPISTOMOLOGY: Study of knowledge
✔As to deepest meaning – philosophy searches for the ultimate episteme (knowledge)
underlying meaning of something. logos (study)
✔As through the aid of reason – philosophy uses reason as its  It deals with the nature, scope, criteria, limit, and possibility
primary tool. of human knowledge. It also investigates the origin,
structure, methods, certainty, and integrity of knowledge.
 GREEK CITY OF MILETUS, GREECE – birthplace of philosophy
in the West 3. LOGIC: science and art of correct and critical thinking
 THALES – father of philosophy in the western civilization; he logos (science of correct thinking)
believed that despite the different things we encounter there is one  Logic deals with critical and correct inferential reasoning. It
underlying stuff or substance in which everythings is compose. That is, investigates and establishes the criteria, principle, method,
if religion rest in faith, then philosophy rests on reason and process of valid and sound arguments and
 MILESIANS – Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes demonstrations.
 PYTHAGORAS – coined the term philosophy which he means  Modern logic has made use of symbol to demonstrate logical
as “friend of wisdom”. arguments, also known as mathematical logic.
 The method in doing philosophy is the reason by way of logical
reasoning and valid argumentation. 4. ETHICS: Study of moral judgments
ethos (custom/habit)
EPOCHS OF PHILOSOPHY  philosophical study of moral judgments.
 It also deals with the values and beliefs in human behavior
ANCIENT PERIOD: cosmocentric / nature-centered as well as moral issues and problems. It investigates the
• 5th century BCE to 2nd century AD rightness and wrongness of action and identifies the actions
• Pre-socratic and socratic method which are good and desirable
• Socrates is the most significant and influencial philosopher
• “What is the basic stuff which the world is made of.”
5. AESTHETICS: study of art and value judgments about art and
MEDIEVAL PERIOD: theocentric / God-centered beauty
• 5th century AD to 15th century AD  It analyzes, and consequently, evaluates the nature of
• Centered about nature of God and His existence beauty– specifically the composition of what is called
beautiful.
MODERN PERIOD: ideocentric / epistemocentric
• 16th century AD to 19th century
• The rise of scientific investigation and the rapid development in
science and technology
• Questioning the certainty of knowledge if (scientific) knowledge
claims to provide factual and exact knowledge

CONTEMPORARY PERIOD: anthropocentric / human-centred

• 19th century up to present
• Continental tradition and analytic tradition
• Clarity of the language as representation of fact in the reality of the
world.

BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY