What do you think Philosophy is?

Philosophy is a very broad and complex concept to define to. In my perspective, it could be a
study, an art, or even a motto/credo. However, citing it’s perhaps most mainstreamed definition,
Philosophy originally meant “love of wisdom.” The term itself is an amalgamation of two Greek words,
Philo, meaning “to love” and Sophia, meaning “wisdom.” For me, Philosophy is a science that by our
human reason alone, studies the first causes or the highest principle of things.

For me, asking what “Philosophy” is entails considering these four things: science, unaided
reason, study of all things and first cause or highest principle. First, Philosophy is a science. Philosophy is
considered one since its ideas and concepts forms organized body knowledge anchored on certain
procedures or a system. Second, Philosophy investigates things not through investigative tools or
experimentations but by a philosopher’s natural capacity to think or his/her unaided reason. Third,
Philosophy, unlike any other disciplines which focuses on a particular focus of investigation, does not
limit itself and in turn questions almost anything. Philosophy in a sense is not one dimensional or partial
but rather is multidimensional or holistic. Last, Philosophy mainly studies principles which something
proceeds thereafter or in any manner whatsoever. In this part, Philosophy plays the important part of
answering questions of identity, contradiction, choices and sufficient reason.

In a nutshell, I think that Philosophy is an area that covers a great deal of conceptual, complex
and value-laden processes. Its concepts and notions go beyond and rise to daunting challenges. It is an
avenue that lets us wonder and do things to satiate our unending curiosities and pave the way for our
own creativities.

Do you think the world is real?

The world we are living today is real – or is it not? It is perhaps one of the most difficult
questions in Philosophy per se. Different views and arguments have been raised yet up until now, the
answer to the question is still relative and liberated – personal and opinion-based. It is in this reason why
there is still a difficulty to account seemingly unreal things in terms of what one accepts as real.

Personally, I do not completely believe that the world we are living right now is real. For me, I
view the world as a manifestation of our senses which are limited and partial. We immediately believe
things are already true even if we could only perceive them without prior discernment. The lack of
discernment to this kind of situations rids us of the chance to objectively prove the validity of such
perception. Discernment encourages us to think critically or “out of the box,” to transcend from those
perceived by the five senses and to find truth. It is in those practices that our notions of reality and the
world enjoin by virtue of our own clear intellectual visions.
Do you think you are free?

Yes indeed, I am free. To be free is part of a human’s authenticity – our transcendence. It

highlights almost anything of the human aspect – intellectual, political, spiritual, and economic. In my
case, it is a gift I really nurture and protect. It is my and everyone’s right. It also means having to choose
and do things the way we want those to be with the consciousness of being responsible for those.

I believe I am free primarily because of these four factors: power of volition, love, free choice
and mutual transferring of rights. First, by power of volition, I mean will. Our ability to reason paves the
way for legislation, but only through our will can this be turned into an action. Our will is an integral part
of free choice. Second, love is in consonance with humanity’s free nature. In contrast with law which
commands and completes, love only calls and invites. It guides us in governing our lives – self-perception
and happiness towards our ultimate destiny. Third, the opportunity to exercise free choice regardless of
the power of other people to influence or coerce our desires, beliefs and decisions but with the
responsibility for one’s life. Last, freedom arises when there is a mutual transferring of rights between
the government and its citizens. By this, a free mutual agreement exists that a common power or
government which the plurality of individuals should confer all their powers and strength shall exist.

Being free is not equal to being absolutely free. In my case, I have realized that I am not
absolutely free even though I experience freedom. Why is this so? I have realized that in some of our
choices, consequences and sacrifices are made and some are obtained. I believe that absolute freedom
entails someone to do things in his/her own accord without having to deal with consequences, sacrifice
or bargain things and be responsible for such actions.

Will you know something that you know?

This question is a really skeptical one. However, I do believe that you can know something that
you know. I believe that knowing something that you know can be related to learning more of something
that you are familiar with. The unending question of inquiry about the things we know is the reason why
we cannot know everything. In a single speck of word, many ideas and concepts can be attached to it
and vice versa. The ideas branches out into a network of unending possibilities.

I believe that knowing something that you know is possible. It can be governed by logic, recalling
past knowledge or memories or studying more of an acquainted topic. In this light, it only tells us that
we humans possess reason which is the reason for us being skeptical to things. This ability gives us the
ability to view the things that we know in another view or light.
Does God Exist? Why or Why not?

I believe that God truly exist. He is the first cause each and every one of us wants to find. We are
created in His image and have given us the power to change His other creations for the better. I believe
that as a human being, we have a supernatural or transcendental destiny. By this, I mean that we have
the ability to rise from our ordinary selves – develop and perfect himself from his tasks. The power to
change, however, cannot do by us alone, but it is achieve through cooperation with God.

Between humanity and God, there is an infinite gap, which God alone could bridge through His
power. I believe that all of things in this world came to be and ends because of His divine plan. He lets us
train ourselves for perfection by participation. He is also the epitome of all goodness which all of our
moral stands are based from. I believe in God because I feel his presence. Without him, I am nothing.

When is an action right? When is it wrong?

In everyday life, we are always faced with the task of determining whether certain actions are
right or wrong. I do believe that determining which of which is governed primarily by our so-called
morality. Morality is established as a moral truth that everyone must protect and practice. It is the core
of human actions and should be the guiding principle of anything that we do.

The study of morality and human laws gives us a clear boundary when an action is right or
wrong. If it conforms to the moral code and human laws, the action is most likely right and wrong if
otherwise. However, it is important to know that morality is sometimes relative. In our society, different
people from different backgrounds have their own sets of moral codes. Sometimes an action is deemed
morally right in a certain culture but wrong in another culture. This leads to another subset of morality
which is the natural law. It is the idea that goodness is sought for the most of us and evil should be
avoided. By our moral codes, human and natural laws, we judge and discern an action as right or wrong.