INTRODUCTION:
WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?
- GREEK WORDS :
“PHILOS” AND “SOPHIA”
(MEANING: LOVE FOR WISDOM)
- STUDY OF ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE THROUGH RATIONAL THINKING AND INQUIRIES THAT INVOLVES IN ANSWERING QUESTIONS REGARDING THE NATURE AND EXISTENCE OF MAN AND THE WORLD WE LIVE IN.
PHILOSOPHER’S PERSPECTIVE OF SELF
A. SOCRATES
- FIRST MARTYR OF EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE AND PHILOSOPHY
- CHARGED WITH CORRUPTION OF MINORS
- MADE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN EXILE AND DEATH VIA THE INTAKE OF HEMLOCK
- DIED AS A MARTYR THAT FOUGHT AGAINST IGNORANCE AND NARROW-MINDEDNESS
- HIS PHILOSOPHY UNDERLIES IN THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NOTION “KNOWING ONESEF”
- FOR HIM, MEN’S GOAL IN LIFE IS TO OBTAIN HAPPINESS
- HAPPINESS MOTIVATES US TO ACT TOWARDS OR AVOID THINGS THAT COULD HAVE NEGATIVE EFFECTS IN OUR LIVES
- AS SUCH, BY FULLY KNOWING ONESELF A PERSON WILL BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE HAPPINESS
- POSSESSION OF KNOWLEDGE IS A VIRTUE; IGNORANCE IS A DEPRAVITY (EVIL, CORRUPTION, WICKEDNESS)
- A PERSON’S ACCEPTANCE OF IGNORANCE IS THE BEGINNING OF ACQUISITION OF
KNOWLEDGE
- KNOWING OURSELVES, LIES IN OUR OWN ABILITIES, AND WISDOM
- UNDERSTANDING OURSELVES IS THROUGH INTERNAL QUESTIONING OR INTROSPECTION (UNDERSTANDING OUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES, LIKE VS. DISLIKE)
- USE SOCRATIC METHOD OR SOCRATIC CONVERSATION (ROLE OF BOTH THE TEACHER AND THE
STUDENT IS KNOWN TO THE WORLD; asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to draw out ideas and underlying presumptions)
B. PLATO
- STUDENT OF SOCRATES
- WROTE SEVERAL LITERATURE THAT TACKLES POLITICS, HUMAN NATURE, AND ESTABLISHED THE IDEA OF VIRTUE AND INTELLIGENCE
- FATHER OF ACADEMY (A PLACE WHERE LEARNING AND SHARING OF KNOWLEDGE HAPPENS;
LATER BECAME ONE OF THE PILLARS AND BASIS OF WHAT SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION IS NOW IN THE PRESENT)
- FOLLOWED THE IDEA OF SOCRATES IN KNOWING THYSELF
- NOTABLES WORKS ARE:
1. ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE
2. THE APOLOGY
3.PERFECT GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETAL SYSTEM,
4. THE REPUBLIC (here he said that the world can only be led by a philosopher king, a person who is virtuous, as well as intelligent)
- ACCORDING TO HIM, A PERSON WHO IS A FOLLOWER OF TRUTH AND WISDOM WILL NOT BE TEMPTED BY VICES AND WILL ALWAYS BE correct/moral/ethical
- HE BELIEVED IN THE DIVISION OF A PERSON’S BODY AND SOUL WHICH FORMS THE PERSON AS A WHOLE ASIDE FROM THE MATERIAL THINGS AND THAT COULD BE
OBSERVED AND ASSOCIATED WITH A PERSON
- BELIEVED THAT THE SOUL IS DIVIDED INTO 3 DIFFERENT PARTS THAT HAS DIFFERENT VIEWS, LEADING TO DIFFERENT BEHAVIORS
1. APPETITIVE SOUL – THE PART OF THE PERSON THAT IS DRIVEN BY DESIRE AND NEED TO SATISFY ONESELF. THIS SATISFACTION INVOLVES PHYSICAL NEEDS AND
PLEASURES AND DESIRES, OBJECTS AND SITUATIONS
2. SPIRITED SOUL – COURAGEOUS PART OF A PERSON. ONE WHO WANTS TO DO SOMETHING OR TO RIGHT THE WRONGS THAT THEY OBSERVE. THIS IS VERY
COMPETITIVE AND IS VERY ACTIVE. COMPETITIVENESS DRIVES ONE TO EXPECT POSITIVE RESULTS AND WINNING.
3. RATIONAL SOUL – THE DRIVE OF OUR LIVES. THE PART THAT THINKS AND PLAN FOR THE FUTURE (THE CONSCIOUS MIND). IT DECIDES WHAT TO DO, WHEN TO DO IT AND THE POSSIBLE RESULTS ONE COULD HAVE DEPENDING ON THEIR
ACTIONS.
