PHILOSOPHY

“UNDEFINABILITY” vs “DEFINITION”
 PHILOSOPHY
a process of personal reflection of the
meaning of human life/existence
• INDEFINABLE
a quest for a personal outlook or
personal lifestyle concerning the
wholeness of reality

“PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE”

PROCESS: ENDLESS
IT HAS BEGUN BUT IT WILL
UNDOUBTEDLY HAVE NO END
 PHILOSOPHY
LOVE OF WISDOM:
• INDEFINABLE a desire or interest for an intellectual inquiry

A DISCIPLINE NOT TO BE DEFINED BUT

TO BE INQUIRED INTO...

A DISCIPLINE NOT TO BE DEFINED BUT A

REALITY TO BE LIVED IN..

CAN’T BE DEFINED FOR IT KNOWS NO LIMITS JUST AS

THE HUMAN MIND KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES
IN ITS SEARCH FOR THE RATIONAL EXPLANATION
OF REALITY AND OF MAN HIMSELF...
 PHILOSOPHY
a discipline of questioning
• INDEFINABLE
DYNAMIC: UNENDING SERIES OF
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

PERSONAL: PHILOSOPHICAL CONCEPTS

ARE NOT IMMUTABLE DOCTRINES

“The kind of questions that a person raises

reveals the kind of mind that the person has.”
 PHILOSOPHY

• DEFINITION ETYMOLOGICAL DEFINITION:

(Greek) PHILO = LOVE
SOPHIA = WISDOM

“Love of Wisdom”

TO PHILOSOPHIZE IS TO BE IN
A QUEST OR TO HAVE A
DESIRE TOWARDS LIVING
THE TRUTH
 PHILOSOPHY
ETYMOLOGICAL DEFINITION:
• DEFINITION (Chinese) ZHE [wisdom] XUE [study]
CHE [wisdom] SHUEH [study]

“Study of Wisdom”

WORDS AND ACTIONS ARE

INSEPARABLE

APPLICATION OF THEORY INTO

PRAXIS

CHALLENGE TO LIVE ON WHAT HE

SAYS
 PHILOSOPHY

• DEFINITION ETYMOLOGICAL DEFINITION:

(Hindi) DARSANA =

“Seeing”

SEEING NOT ONLY THROUGH THE

EYES BUT THROUGH THE
WHOLE BEING OF THE ONE
THAT SEES

SEEING THE WHOLE OF REALITY

THROUGH A TOTAL
ADVERTENCE AND
INVOLVEMENT OF THE LOOKER
 PHILOSOPHY
ESSENTIAL DEFINITION:
• DEFINITION
a science that investigates all things in
their ultimate causes, reasons and
principles through the use of human
reason.
 PHILOSOPHY
RELEVANCE:
• Enables us to understand ourselves better
• Helps us understand others, our fellowmen
• Helps us understand other’s way of
thinking
• Helps us understand the world and our role
and place in it
• Helps us understand the significance,
meaning, value and finality of human life
• Helps us know and understand God in His
nature, essence, activities and attributes
 PHILOSOPHY
• SUBJECT MATTERS: WORLD, GOD AND MAN
ERA/PERIOD CENTER OF PHILOSOPHICAL CONCEPT OF MAN
PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH
STUDIES
ANCIENT WORLD / COSMOS COSMOCENTRIC MICROCOSM

MEDIEVAL GOD THEOCENTRIC MAN IN RELATION TO

THE SUPERNATURAL
BEING

MODERN MAN ANTHROPOCENTRIC MACROCOSM

POST-MODERN/ WORLD “THEURGIC” MAN IN RELATION TO

CONTEMPORARY GOD HIMSELF, OTHERS,
MAN WORLD AND GOD
 • PHILOSOPHICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

• PHILOSOPHY OF MAN

• PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

• PHILOSOPHICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

Man is studied from the physical

point of view leaving behind some
other considerations on his human
nature.

basic issue: physical composition of

man
• PHILOSOPHICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
PHILOSOPHY OF MAN

Man is considered in his totality as

being with realities (physical and
spiritual) and mysteries (e.g.
Relationships) surrounding his
existence.

Feminism: Gender sensitivity

 • PHILOSOPHICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
• PHILOSOPHY OF MAN
• PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

Man refers to the living thing we recognize as

we take a look at the world.
“Man is a Rational Animal.”
-Aristotle
Person is originally coined from the
Greek word “prosopon” which means
“the mask worn by actor”

“the character in the stage of life”

“somebody” who directs himself and
who claims his right as Human Person
 HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHICAL THOUGHT

ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY

CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHY

MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY

ANGLO-SAXON PHILOSOPHY

MODERN PHILOSOPHY

POST-MODERNISM
ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY
MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY
 MODERN PHILOSOPHY

Rene Descartes
Immanuel Kant

David Hume G.W.F. Hegel

CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHY
ANGLO-SAXON PHILOSOPHY
 THANK YOU
PHILOSOPHERS!