The Philosophical Enterprise: Lesson 2

The Philosophical
Enterprise
LESSON 2
“One thing I know is
I know nothing”
SOCRATES
Human beings want to
understand the world and to
know the truth for there are so
many things we have not
figured out
Plato claimed that
philosophy begins in wonder
Wonder is the beginning
for it stimulates us to venture
into philosophy
How do
wondering differs
from curiosity?
Curiosity is directed to a
single, fleeting or momentary
object that captures our interest
For example:
We are curious on how a
gadget works, but we may
wonder whether one can live
without using the new gadget.
In wondering, we are
concerned beyond the
information we can
readily get about the new
gadget.
Here, we are wondering a
more enduring question
Can we call philosophers as
lover of wisdom?
Why do they are engaged with
philosophy?
To become
To be wise is to know the
truth
Philosophy may be
understood as an activity in
pursuit of wisdom
Philosophers are far above the
usual people we encounter
daily – they are not swayed by
popular views and are not
easily deceived .
They are the best people to
seek counsel for they see things
clearly. They know truths
ordinary people do not know.
For Aristotle, there are two
kinds of wisdom:
Theoretical wisdom
Practical Wisdom
Theoretical Wisdom
is to know necessary truths and
their logical consequences
Practical Wisdom
deals with knowledge in the realm
of action. To have practical wisdom
is to know truths that to do with
our dealings with fellow human
being
Are theoretical and practical
wisdom both desirable and
valuable?
Philosophers believe that
to be wise is the best we can be.
For this reason, they devote
their time to examining their
held beliefs and opinions that
are also called intuitions
to arrive at truth.
What is
Intuitions?
The answers they seek are
not dependent
on authority or their emotion.
Views are scrutinized by
Faculty of Reason
that which separate us from
plants and animals according
to Aristotle.
Aristotle claimed that our
rational faculty is the best
element in us, a divine quality
that we share with Gods.
This led him to the conclusion
that the best life for man is
one that is devoted to
philosophy
Philosophy is carried out
through the use of reason
The proper exercise of our
rational faculty allows us to
answer our questions and
overcome our
ignorance
By being engaged with
philosophy, we can improve
of mind and be freed from
narrow views and 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.
Aristotle
- Surpassed his teacher by the
number of works he wrote and the
diverse field of studied.
- He is the teacher of Alexander the
Great and owner of the school
Lyceum
Is philosophy relevant to every
human being?
The questions raised in
philosophy are human concerns
Any person is free
to engage in the pursuit of
wisdom and knowledge
There is no authority that
imposes or dictates what we
ought to think
We have the freedom to
ask and seek our own answer
to philosophical questions.
Aside from engaging in a
rational inquiry, what else is
required to do philosophy?
Story of
Socrates
When we think about it, it is
our ignorance that makes
philosophy possible.
Arrogance or the belief that one
has figured out everything,
however will impede our
search for truth.
A person does not search for
something that he thinks to
have already found
However, those in search of
truths are conscious of their
own ignorance.
To gain wisdom, one has to
admit that he is not yet wise.
We cannot do philosophy if we
assume that our views are
correct and if we do not allow
to be subjected to the scrutiny
of others.
Philosophy is carried out
because there are many things
in this world that are uncertain.
To love wisdom, is primarily to
acknowledge that we do not
possess the answers to difficult
questions, that we are not yet
wise.
Why do we ask
question?
PHILOSOPHICAL
THOUGHT IN
THREE VIEW
Philosophical Thought:
1. Cosmocentric view
2. Theocentric view
3. Anthropocentric view
“Where did all things
come from?”
Cosmocentric View
- Philosophical Thought
wondering about the world or
questions that concerned the
universe as the starting point of
everything
Cosmology a branch of
philosophy concerned on the
universe.
Thales, the first person to
wonder about the origin of the
universe where his view says
that water is the underlying
principle of all things.
Anaximander, thought that
water could not simply explain
the hot, the cold, and dry so he
believe that it would be
“boundless”
Pythagoreans, identified
as numbers as the first principle
because they observed how the
world is governed by
mathematical ratio.
Atomists, says that the
starting point of everything is
“atoms”
In the medieval period during
which the church sustained
man’s intellect, the world
become secondary to God.
Theocentric View,
believes that all things existed
from God
Avicenna, the first muslim
philosopher who argued that in
this world, the existence of
beings can be traced to another
being responsible for its
existence
Anthropocentric View
- was a result both of the rise of
modern science and the
diminished authority or Man
itself.
Rationalism, knowledge
is gained through reason.
Empiricism, knowledge
is gained through sense
experience, ex. John Locke
Dialectics between these views
continue to this time. Nothing
ever concluded when one
engages in philosophy.

The Philosophical Enterprise: Lesson 2

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Philosophical Enterprise: Lesson 2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Philosophical

You might also like