Lecture 1

Philo 1 (Logic)

THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY

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WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY? Nominal Definition: Philosophy comes from the Greek word philo, meaning friend and sophia, meaning wisdom. It means the love of wisdom, or a friend of wisdom. Real Definition: Philosophy is the science of all that exists (of beings) in their ultimate cause through the aid of the human intellect alone. ELEMENTS IN THE DEFINITION OF PHILOSOPHY 1. It is a science, a systematic body of knowledge which is not only based on opinions, hypothesis and theories, but on ideal knowledge. 2. Of beings, i.e., of all, everything that exists, or may exist, of everything knowable. Philosophy is the highest synthesis of all sciences dealing with man, nature and God. It is also considered as the mother of all sciences because of its very vast scope and subject matter. 3. In their ultimate cause because it asks and answers not only facts and proximate causes but also the deepest causes of things. Its task is to give answers not only to the question what but most importantly to the question why. 4. Through the aid of the human intellect alone because philosophy uses natural reason and not Divine Revelation of the recourse to the Bible; it is the product of ones own thinking and not of imagination or fantasy. VALUE OF PHILOSOPHY Studied not for the sake of finding definite answers to its questions, since no definite answer can, as a rule, be known to be true Rather, it is studied for the sake of the question themselves, because these questions enlarge our conception of what is possible and thus enrich our intellectual imagination

RELATIONSHIP OF PHILOSOPHY TO SCIENCE AND ARTS

PHILOSOPHY
Seeks ultimate knowledge Theoretical and intellectualized Page | 2

SCIENCE Seeks knowledge of facts

ARTS Actual Enjoy Appreciate Express Create

TYPES OF PHILOSOPHY 2 Major Types 1. Pure Philosophy or Speculative Philosophy 2. Applied Philosophy or Practical Philosophy PURE PHILOSOPHY OR SPECULATIVE PHILOSOPHY WHEN BEING IS CONSIDERED IN ITSELF Metaphysics/ Ontology (being in its most general form)- the study of being as being while taking into consideration that essence and existence are constitutes of being. Cosmology (being in the nonliving world)- the philosophical study of the material world with regards to its order in the universe. Theodicy (being in its highest form)- the philosophical study of God with consideration to its nature and existence as absolute.

Anthropology (being with its body and soul)- the philosophical study of man with regard to the union between the body and soul. Rational Psychology (being with its soul)- the philosophical study of the immaterial soul and its faculties with consideration to it as the life principle of every living being. Page | 3 WHEN BEING IS CONNSIDERED IN REALTION TO MAN Logic (considering the procedure of mans thought)- the science and art of correct thinking. Epistemology (the value of our thought)- the philosophical study of human knowledge with regard to certainty and truth. Ethics (considering mans will)- the philosophical study of the morality of the human act that distinguishes good from evil and right from wrong. APPLIED PHILOSOPHY OR PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY The results of Pure Philosophy are applied to special topics and problems in the different aspects of mans life such as education, society, history, business, religion and others. Hence, we have some branches of Applied Philosophy or Practical Philosophy. Philosophy of Man- the inquiry into man as a person. Social Philosophy- the study of the relationships between man and society. Philosophy of Religion- the study of mans relationship with God. Axiology- the study of mans values. Aesthetics- the study of beauty and perfection Oriental Philosophy- the study of Oriental ways of life and mind. Philosophy of Education- the philosophical approach to teaching and learning processes.