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PHILO Lesson 1a

Philosophy is the study of fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. It works by asking basic questions about the nature of human thought, the universe, and their connections. Philosophy pursues wisdom through the use of reasons to answer questions and overcome ignorance, though philosophical questions may not have definite answers. Notable ancient Greek philosophers include Pythagoras, who formulated the Pythagorean theorem; Heraclitus, who proposed all things are based on a higher order or logos; and Socrates, who formulated the Socratic method of examining topics through questions.

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39 views

PHILO Lesson 1a

Philosophy is the study of fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. It works by asking basic questions about the nature of human thought, the universe, and their connections. Philosophy pursues wisdom through the use of reasons to answer questions and overcome ignorance, though philosophical questions may not have definite answers. Notable ancient Greek philosophers include Pythagoras, who formulated the Pythagorean theorem; Heraclitus, who proposed all things are based on a higher order or logos; and Socrates, who formulated the Socratic method of examining topics through questions.

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Andyria amore
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INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

The word philosophy comes from two Greek words: philos (love) and sophia (wisdom). The ancient
Greeks used this term to refer to “love of wisdom” and they soon applied it to the study or discipline that uses
human reason to investigate the ultimate causes, reasons, and principles which govern all things.

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values,
reason, mind, and language.

Philosophy in simple words is a way of thinking about the world, the universe, and society. It works by
asking very basic questions about the nature of human thought, the nature of the universe, and the connections
between them. The ideas in philosophy are often general and abstract.

Philosophy is the study of humans and the world by thinking and asking questions. It is a science and an
art. Philosophy tries to answer important questions by coming up with answers about real things and asking
"why?”

Philosophy, therefore, may be understood as an activity in pursuit of wisdom—wisdom we attribute to


people who truly know. We admire them because they are far above the usual people we encounter daily—they
are not swayed by popular views and are not easily deceived. They know truths ordinary people do not know.

Philosophy is carried out through the use of reasons. The proper exercise of our faculty allows us to
answer our questions and overcome our ignorance. The discipline itself does not offer definite answers to
philosophical questions because it is in the nature of such questions that they do not have a definite answer.
However, in doing philosophy, in becoming actively engaged in the intellectual pursuit of truth, our knowledge of
the world can be improved, our mind can be freed from narrow views, and we can get to experience the best sort
of existence. Our attempts to answer philosophical questions provide us with opportunities to arrive at good
answers—answers that make us understand great things or enable us to see our life as meaningful. It becomes
a search for knowledge that compels us to seek the truth because it matters to us personally. The answer we
find greatly influence our life.

Philosophers- are people who engage in philosophy.

The most notable ancient Greek philosophers are:

Pythagoras (570 BCE to 495 BCE)- A mathematician and scientist, he was credited with formulating the
Pythagorean theorem-prescribed a highly structured way of life and espoused the doctrine of
metempsychosis (transmigration of the soul after death into a new body, human or animal).
Heraclitus (535 BCe to 475 BCE)- He proposed that everything that exists is based on a higher order or plan
which he called logos.- He claims to announce an everlasting Word (Logos) according to which
all things are one, in some sense.

Democritus (460 BCE to 370 BCE)- He devoted himself to the study of the causes of natural phenomena.

Diogenes of Sinope (412 BCE to 323 BCE)- He was a known advocate of living a simple and virtuous life.
To live virtuously means exercising the part of the mind that practices reason
and excellence; this life of excellence is what should be attained in accordance with
reason.

Epicurus (341 BCE to 270 BCE)- He believed that philosophy could enable man to live a life of happiness. As
we shall see, however, his view of pleasure is far from the stereotypical one.  For Epicurus, the
most pleasant life is one where we abstain from unnecessary desires and achieve an inner
tranquility (ataraxia) by being content with simple things, and by choosing the pleasure of
philosophical conversation with friends over the pursuit of physical pleasures like food, drink, and
sex.

Socrates (470 BCE to 399 BCE)- He was considered the foremost philosophers of ancient times. He was
credited with formulating the Socratic method- means of examining a topic by devising a series of
questions that let the learner examine and analyze his knowledge and views regarding the topic.

Plato (427 BCE to 347 BCE)- A student of Socrates. Plato’s most significant ideas included his Theory of Forms,
which proposes that everything that exist is based on an idea or template than can only be
perceived in the mind. Plato is also known for his dialectic- a method of inquiry where two opposing
ideas are discussed in an attempt to arrive at new knowledge.

Aristotle (384 BCE to 322 BCE)- Was the prominent student of Plato. For him, all ideas and views are based on
perception and our reality is based on what we can sense and perceive. His studies in logic led to
the formulation of a formal process of analyzing reasoning which give rise to deductive reasoning-
the process by which specific statements are analyzed to reach a conclusion or generalization.

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