5. 2. Meaning of Philosophy
Philosophy was coined by Pythagoras,
derived from two Greek words: philein
(to love; friendship for) and sophia
(wisdom). Philosophy is the “science of
beings in their ultimate reasons, causes
and principles acquired by the aid of
human reason alone” (Bittle, 1984).
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6. 3. Fields of Study in Philosophy
a. theoretical
1. Metaphysics – tries to understand
the nature of reality, of being and of
existence in their most general aspect;
concerns beyond the physical world
such as life after death, heaven, spirit,
angels, and God.
7. 2. Ontology – field of study under
metaphysics, the major interest of
which is knowing the essential
characteristics of particular existing
things. Ex. Nature of a particular man
in a particular place and time.
3. Cosmology – studies the universe as
a rational and orderly system.
8.
4. Psychology – concerned with the mind
or consciousness, its constitution,
characteristics and the order of laws which
underlie the existence, maintenance and
operation of the world.
5. Epistemology – examines the origin,
nature, extent and validity of knowledge.
9. 6. Theodicy - inquires into the nature, being,
goodness and justice of God; relationship between
God and man; and doctrines related to divinity.
“Rational theology”.
b. practical
1. Semantics – studies the meaning of words and
linguistic forms, their functions as symbols, and
the role they play in relation to human thoughts
and behavior.
10. 2. Logic – studies the principles or
laws of accurate thinking and
systematic or orderly reasoning.
3. Ethics – investigates the right and
wrong in man’s behavior as well as the
pursuit of the good life.
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11. 4. Aesthetics – deals with beauty and
the value of works of art.
5. Axiology - studies the origin, nature
and meaning of values.
12. 4 The Values of Philosophy
– “there is no other (subject) that so
widens our intellectual horizon and
that deepens thereby our
understanding and sympathies”
(Nicholson, 1939).
13. B. Logic
1. The Birth of Logic – attributed to Aristotle who
initiated the formal study of it among the Greeks
in the 4th cent. BC, thus he is called the “Father of
Logic”. Aristotle’s logic is known as syllogistic logic
, of which arguments are evaluated as good or bad
on the basis of the arrangement of terms in the
argument.
14. 2. Meaning of Logic – Gk. Logike
(systematized and intelligible) is
closely related to the Gk. term Logos
(word, reason, discourse). “Logic is the
science and art of correct reasoning”
(Bachuber, 1966).
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15. 3. Importance of Logic
a. a person can reason out clearly,
spontaneously and correctly.
16. b. enables a person to recognize good
reasoning and avoid bad reasoning.
c. helps a person to evaluate
persuasions which uses mere
propaganda, emotional and majority
pressure, rather than supporting
evidence or reason.
17. d. Logic enables a person to develop
critical attitude toward his and others’
assumptions and presuppositions
which serve as bases of one’s
arguments.
e. motivates a person to value the
systematic and objective approach in
analyzing issues and in doing things.
18. 4 Types of Logic
A. On the validity of Reasoning
a. formal – the basis of validity of
reasoning is conformity with the structure,
pattern or arrangement of the constituent
parts of correct argument.
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19. Valid:
Insulators are not electric
conductors
Rubbers are insulators.
Therefore, rubbers are not electric
conductors.
20. b. material – the basis of validity of the
argument is the thought content or the
meaning and truth of the statement
involved in thinking and reasoning.
Valid: Stones are hard objects.
Invalid: Stones are soft objects.
Invalid: Dolphins are fish.
Valid: Dolphins are mammals.
21. B. On the approach to attaining knowledge
a. Deductive logic – argues from universal
or general truth to particular or specific.
Ex. All men are rational.
P. Noy is a man. (“man” is a
middle term)
Therefore, P. Noy is rational.
22. b. Inductive Logic – reasoning from specific or
particular cases/ observation to the universal or
general truth.
Ex. Ilonggos are religious.
So are Negrenses, Cebuanos, Warays,
and Tagalogs.
These are all Filipinos.
Most likely, Filipinos are religious.
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