2. Meaning Of Philosophy
• The word philosophy is derived from the Greek words
philia (love) and sophia (wisdom) and means “the love of
wisdom”.
• Pythagoras was said to have been the first man to call
himself a philosopher, in fact, the world is indebetd to him
for the word philosopher. it is said that when leon, the
tyrant of philius, asked him of who he was, he said, “a
philosopher” and he likened the philosopher to spectors at
ancient games.
3. • Before that time the wise men had called themselves a
sage, which was interpreted to mean those who know.
Pythagoras was more modest . he coined the word
philosopher, which he defined as one who is attempting to
find out. according to him, men and women of the world
could be classified in to 3 groups : 1. are those who love
pleasure 2. those that love activity 3. that love love
wisdom.
4. • Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental
problems, such athose connected with existence,
knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language.
• Philosophy is the rational attempt to formulate,
understand, and answer fundamental question.
5. Nature of Philosophy
1. Philosophy is a set of views or beliefs about life and the universe,
which are often held uncritically.
2. Philosophy is a process of reflecting on and criticizing our most
deeply held conceptions and beliefs.
3. Philosophy is a rational attempt to look at the world as a whole.
4. Philosophy is the logical analysis of language and the
clarification of the meaning of the words and concepts.
5. Philosophy is a group of perennial problems that interest people
and for which philosophers always have sought answers,
6. Importance of Studying Philosophy
• The study of philosophy enables us to think carefully
and clearly about important issues.
• In studying Philosophy, we learn to take a step back
from our everyday thinking and to explore the deeper,
bigger question which underpins our thoughts.
• The focus in the study of philosophy is to learn not
what to believe but how to think.
• Studying philosophy sharpens your analytical abilities,
enabling you to identify and evaluate the strengths and
weaknesses in any position.
7. • It hones your ability to construct and articulate cogent
arguments of your own.
• It prompts you to work across disciplinary boundaries and
to think flexibly and creatively about problems which do
not present immediate solution.
• Because philosophy is an activity as much a body of
knowledge, it also develops your ability to think and work
independently.
8. Branches of Philosophy
-Histiorically, philosophical concerns have been treated
under these broad categories.
• Logic
• Metaphysics
• Epistemology
• Value Theory
9. A. Logic
• Logic is the systematic study of the rules for the correct
use of the supporting reasons, rules we can distinguish
good argumemnts from bad ones.
10. B. Metaphysics
- Another traditional branch of philosophy traditionally
known as metaphysics. For aristotle, the term metaphysics
meant “ first philosophy” discussion of the most unversal
principles; later the term came to mean “comprehensive
thinking the nature of things”
11. C. Epistemology
- The technical terms for the theory of knowledge is the
epistemology, which conmes from the greek word episteme,
meaning “knowledge”.
-In general, epistemology is the branch of philosophy that
studies the sources, nature, and validity of knowledge.
There are three central questions in this fields:
12. 1. What are the sources of knowledge? where does
genuine knowledge come from or how do we know? this
is the question of origins.
2. What is the nature of knowledge? is there a real world
outside the mind, and if so can we know it? this the
question of appearance versus reality.
3. Is our knowledge valid? how do we distinguish truth from
error? this is the question of the tests of truth, of
verification.
13. • Traditionally, most of those who have offered answers to
these questions can be placed in one of two schools of
thoughts rationalism and empiricism.
• The rationalist holds that human reason alone can
discover the basic principles of the unverse.
• The empiricist claim that all knowledge is ultimately
derived from sense experience and, thus thatour
knowledge is limited to what can be experienced.
14. D. Value Theory
- Value theory is the branch of philosophy that studies
values. it can be subdivided into ethics, aesthetics, and
social and political philosophy.
Ethics
• Concerns itself with the question of morality. what is
wrong and what is right.
15. Aesthetic
• Concerns the theory of art and beauty. questions of art
and beauty are considered to be part of the realm of
values because many philosophical problems in
aesthetics involve critical judgement.
16. Social and Political Philosophy
- Social and Political philosophy investigate value
judgement concerning society, the state, and the
individuals relation to these institutions.
The following questions reflect the concerns of social and
political philosophy:
• Why should individuals live in society?
• What social ideals of liberty, rights,justice, equality and
responsibility are desirable?
• Why should anyone obey any government?
17. • Why should some individuals or groups have political
power over others?
• What criteria are to be used in determining the scope of
political power?
• What criteria are to be used in determining the scope of
political power and what rights or freedoms should be
immune from political or legal control?
• To what positive goals should political power be directed,
and what are the criteria for determining this?
