Philosophy

Chapter I
Introduction of Philosophy

The understanding of Philosophy is hard as understanding

life. It is a combination of two greek words philos and
Sophia means love of wisdom. Wisdom is the reasonable
use of knowledge.

Yet the despite this diversity, philosophy is a great

importance. “It is a gift the gods have bestowed on
mortals”
As plato once stated in the dialogues of his teacher
Socrates’ famous statement, “know thyself”.
He also wrote “land animals came from men who had no
use for philosophy.. and that “in the light of this,it might
help to threaten the reader. For in reality most learned
men, if not all live by philosophies.

The value of the historical approach is that it introduces

the student to the great minds of the past and the facing
one has to do with philosophic problems that are raised by
thinking people in all ages.
It tends to limit philosophy to the great minds of the past
and make it an exclusive movement; it limits philosophy to
a review of past question and answers only; it is not really
different from the study of history of ideas which would
make philosophy a sub-unit of history.

Lenin’s adherence to Marxist philosophy made Russia a

progressive state.

A contemporary Marxist has asked: “what is the point in

the strong effort to investigate on knowledge when science
and techonology, not so worried about their findings,
increase in their daily exploitation of nature and man?
What is the point of linguistic analysis which causes the
change of language in an instrument of political control
and domination.

Philosophy has no built-in demand that change be the end

product of one’s thinking. There is no inherent mendate in
philosophy for a program of action.
Analytic philosophers moved beyond the limitations of the
verifying to the understanding of language itself. Instead
of talking about the world and whether things exist in the
world, they talk about the words that are used to describe
the world.

Language analysis, as a definition of philosophy, changes

philosophy from being a subject matter into a tool for
dealing with other subject matters. It becomes a method
without content.

Philosophy has no singular definition to all men who are

interested in it. That makes the subject of varied appeals
and therefore more interesting.
Chapter II
The Methods of Philosophizing

What is the truth? This is a simple question that may start

an interesting conversation.

Definition of truth
  Truth , in metaphysics and the philosophy of
language, the property of sentences, assertions,
beliefs, thoughts or propositions that are said in
ordinary discourse to agree with the facts.
 Truth is the aim of belief.

Characteristics of a Truth
1. Absolute – It is not dependent upon anything else. We
can better understand absolute if we understand its
opposite ‘relative.’

Truth is the onlymerit that gives dignity and worth to history.

( John Action )

2. Correspondence - Truth is absolute, so it

corresponds to reality, the way things really are.
 Because truth exists, ‘reality’ is what correspobdnds
to truth.

Truth philosophy means that concept and external reality correspond.

(Georg Wilhelm friedrich hegel)

3. Coherence – A internal cohesion and consistency.

Truth cannot contradict itself internally or externally.
Truth is truth in every category pertaining to it.

Even though these complex systems differ in detail the question of coherence under change is the central
enigma for each. (John Henry Honhand)

4. Universal – truth is universal in that it applies equally

to everthing,or every person, within a specific set of
parameters.
5. Objective – means the realm of experience but
independent of a person’s thought or perceptions.
Truth is not dependent of any person’s desires,
beliefs or emotions.

6. Exclusive – while the universal aspect of truth

describes its broad nature, the exclusive aspect of
truth describes its narrow and specific character.
Truth always ‘draws a line in the sand’ in the sense
that anything contrary to it is false or error.
 Philosophizing
- Deals with a subject matter using a particular
method of response.
Characteristics of philosophical questions
- They are perennial intellectual interest.
- They cannot be settled by science or common
sense.
- They have question which remain
unanswered.
Functions of philosophizing
- Provide guidance in better understanding the
nature of man.
- Assist in developing a wide range of interests
with correct human values.
- Assist in developing critical thinking.

Methods of philosophizing

1. Natural reason
This philosophy relies solely on common sense and
human experience. This method may use facts from
 other sciences to illustrate its principle.

2. Speculative method
Essentially speculative in nature and method because
its objective is to know or understand. The word
speculative comes from the latin word ‘speculari’
meaning to spy out, to investigate, uncover, watch or
observe.

3. Analytic method
Is this method the philosophers main occupation is to
clarify the meaning of concepts, particularly in the
context in which they are used. Broadly speaking,
there are two aspects oflinguistic analysis in
 philosophy.

4. Prescriptive method
This method attempts to arrive at criteria or conditions
which will guide your judgment of concepts and
issues to establish criteria for evaluating them.
According to kneller (1964) prescriptive philosophy
seeks to establish standards art.

5. Historical method
This is another approach in the study of philosophy
which involves tracing the development of philosophy
over a period of time. It can also be referred to as the
‘great mind’ approach.
Chapter III
The Dualism of Human Person

Conception of Dualism
Hylomorphism (greek hyle, “matter”; morphe,
“form”) in philosophy, is a metaphysical view
according to which every natural body consists of two
intrinsic principles. It was the central doctrine of
aristotle’s philosophy of nature. A human being is a
natural body as it is not artificial or man-made and
what consist it are the body or the primary matter.
Mind body problem
In the socratic dialogue Phaedo, plato said the
physical bodies like rocks and human bodies are not
the true substances but the thing that lies under these
bodies is was one of the earliest written arguments in
favor of the immortal soul, the real human substantial
form.

Philosophers explained: “Soul as a principle of life is

present amont plants (vegetative soul), beasts
(sensitive soul) abd humans (rational soul).

More philosophers agree with

mind body dualism and
among them was Rene
Descartes, famous for his
basic teaching Cogito ergo
sum (I think therefore I am)

Embodied spirit
The substance is the
actual existent that lies under
matter, which is turn gives the appearance. Thus, the
soul is underlying the body. The soul does not manifest
any of this perceivable and material information
because it is spiritual. It does not have color, size nor
shape. It is not even touched nor smelled or tasted.

The teaching of hylomorphism is that the soul or substantial form is the

higher principle, while the body of the matter which completes it. This is not
to say that soul body is not important. In fact, many functions of the soul
depend on the body.

Contradictory teachings
Hylomorphism is attuned to many faiths particularly
to the biblical ones. The doctrine of creationism tells us
that god created the earliest human being.
Hylomorphic dualism is not accepted by all. There are
philosophies that instead believe in monism. In reality
all of us are bound to be one with the universe. This
amounts to spiritual monism.
Limitations and Possibilities
It is wired to pressure the truth of the more generally
accepted stand, that of hylomorphic dualism. It is evident in our
plain stuady of human in the ordinary setting whether it be
personal or social. The soul functions like the seedbed of
intellectual tasks. While the soul is functioning intellectually the
body acts and its faithful instrument.
 In explaining hylomorphism Aristotle preached that nothing
can get into our mind that has not passed through the senses.
But these senses and other bodily organs discover their limits,
as the eyes cannot state at welding spark for long and the bare
hand cannot continuously withstand carrying a block of ice.

But a weakening body is not curse at all for others

consider it as a blessing. This demonstrates that as long as the
mind is active countless possibilites remain.

Chapter IV
The Human Person in their Environment

Man and environment are inter-related. The environment

influences the life of human being and also human beings modify
their environment as result of their growth, dispersal, activities ,
death and decat etc.

Environmental Philosophy
A branch of philosophy that is concerned with the natural
environment and human place within it. It includes environmental
ethics, environmental aesthetics and ecofeminism.

 Environmental Ethics
The discipline is philosophy that studies the moral
relationship of human beings with environmental
hermeneutics and theology.
 Environmental aesthetics
The major new areas of aesthetics to have emerged in the
last part of the twentieth century.
 Ecofeminism
This emphasizes the ways both nature and women are
created by patriarchal society. Its practitioners advocate an
alternative worldview that values the earth as sacred.
 Environmental hermeneutics
This applied to specific issues concerning our
interpretation of the relation to environments. Starts from the
assumption that the wrld we live in always already has
significance.
 Environmental theology
It is generally docrine of creation which provides the
focus of Christian considerations of the environment.
Nature’s issues and problems

1. Rapid population explosion

This puts tremendous pressure on the natural resources and
environmental quality.
2. Rational use of non polluted water resources
The restoration of water quality of out water bodies.
3. To sustain and increase agricultural growth
Damages in agricultural environment result from over
cultivation of soil manifested in nutrient deficiency.
4. To check soil erosion
This prevented by the restoration of land or soil resources
which are directly or indirectly related to strategies for the
management of land.
5. Restoration of forest resources
This depleting at a very fast rate in order to meet growing
need of timber and farmlard for the increased population.
6. To check pollution
Over-exploitation of natural resources, intervention of bio-
geochemical cycles and trace element cycle.

Some possible ways of tackling the problems and

maintaining environmental standard are:
- Taking effective measure for population control
- Optimum use of natural resources
- Conserving and protecting
- Giving top priority for environmental protection
- Using bio-fertilizer or eco-friendly fertilizer reforestation

Ways to value the environment

1. Aesthetic value
 - Appreciating natures beauty through the senses
2. Cultural value
- Maintain good attitudes and practices of specific group of
people towards the nature
3. Ecological value
- Maintaining the integrity of natural systems
4. Economic value
- Exchanging goods and services for money in a tempered
way
5. Educational value
- Benefitting from learning and instruction

Benefits of Appreciating Nature

- Nature reduces and help us find meaning
- Walking in nature strengthens out immune systems and
our muscles
- Out minds become sharper and more inventive after
spending time in nature
Man’s responsibilities towards his environment
- Man must cultivate, respect and have concern for nature.
- He must learn to objectively investigate sources of
environmental pollution and mismanagement.
The government’s responsibilities towards the environment
- Encourage discussions regarding the pros and cons of
global environmental issues
- Foster the value of abandoning norms of excessive
consumption and profit maximization which undermine
global environment
- Direct their concern on issues and realted environmental
mismanagement problem
- Educate citizens on the nature of ecosystems and the
role they lay in preserving the wealth of nature which
should be shared by all humanity.