SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY 2

Part 1:
PHILOSOPHY : AN OVERVIEW

PRESENTED BY:

MAYLENE N. MARQUEZ
SATURDAY / 04:00 - 07:00

PRESENTED TO:

MS. LIBERTY H.BERNARDO

PROFESSOR
 PHILOSOPHY : AN OVERVIEW

Philosophy

The oldest form of systematic, scholarly inquiry. Etymologically, it is derived from two
Greek words, philia which means love or friendship and sophia which means wisdom.

Thus literally, philosophy means love of wisdom; or more exactly, love of knowledge
acquired by the exercise of the intellect.

Is a science that investigates all things in their ultimate causes, reasons, and principles
through human reason alone. The essence of philosophy is founded on:

a) reason
b) experience
c) reflection
d) intuition
e) meditation
f) imagination
g) speculation

Philosophy meant a quest for the explanations, origins, and nature of things, both actual
and conceptual. In ancient time it was regarded as Occupation of Specialist. Buddhists called
them pure souls who conducted their quest by discussion with like-minded people, by
meditation and by ratiocination.

Sholasticism
 A type of intellectual activity, which is regarded as a great system of thought
characterized by a rational methodology.

Precedence and Authority

 Were integral to the discipline, and helped to give philosophy its perceived status as one
of the highest and noblest activities of the human mind.

Education

 Aims to developed lifelong learning in the individual, draws close adherence to

philosophical rules and practices.
 MEANING OF SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY

Social Philosophy refers to the study of philosophical problems arising from

economics, anthropology, sociology, and psychology. This subject can definitely serve as a
medium for critical thought and logical approaches which can eventually lead one, particularly
the education students, to become active leaders in the transformation of youth.

Social philosophy as a subject borders on philosophy of mind, since it studies concepts

which are involved in human acts like motive, intention, freewill, and responsibility.

a) Economics
 Is a social science concerned chiefly with description and analysis of the production,
distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

 Man as an economic being, is naturally destined to encounter consumer problems.

b) Anthropology
 Deals with the study of human beings in relation to origin, classification, distribution
and relationship of races, physical character, environmental and social relationship
and culture.

c) Psychology
 Refers to the study of mind and behavior.

d) Sociology
 Is defined as a systematic study of the development, structure, interaction, and
collective behavior of organized groups of human beings

THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY IN TEACHER EDUCATION

Man often encounters problems which are beyond the reach of empirical verification.

Teachers who are in business of child formation / development, have to be more

sensitive to the need for philosophical thinking. As models of behavior, will be guided to do
things intelligently and meaningfully, being equipped with the tools and analytical thinking and
metaphysical approach to the solutions of problems.

1. The teacher's professional behavior normally follows the dictates of his own free
will relies heavily on his own judgment, and self chosen ends.

2. Engaging in the philosophical process enables the teacher to foster the habit of
reflection.
 3. Thorough knowledge of social philosophy exposes the teacher to different
philosophical and social realities, issues, and problems, and at the same time
provides him a host of theoretical options and possible choices of action

4. Social philosophy helps the teacher to cultivate a wide range of interests and
appreciation for the important aspects of the educational process which is one of
the conditions for a wholesome professional life.

5. In this age of constant educational changes, when many beliefs and practices
are becoming out of contexts, a good sense of values will direct the teacher's
personal and professional efforts towards the successful attainment of the
educational goal and objectives.

ROOTS OF ORIENTAL PHILOSOPHY

The Filipino carries with him certain outstanding traits embedded in his personality,
such as:

a) maintaining close family ties and community structures

b) love for learning
c) caring for the soil and surroundings
d) being enterprising
e) being religious

Confucianism teaches moral life through devotion to the family, loyalty tp elders, love
for learning, brotherhood, civil service, and universal love and justice.

The social philosophy of Confucius largely revolves around the concept of "ren" which
means "compassion" or loving others.

Golden Rule:
"What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others"

Taoism teaches harmony with nature. From this the early Filipinos learned to love the
soil and surroundings. These are most of the ethical values shared by the early Chinese in the
Philippines.

Like the Chinese, commerce was the main reason for the early contact with the
Muslims in the beginning of the 14th century or even earlier. Arab Missionaries came along
with the Muslim traders and they propagated their religion, Islam.
 From India also came traders who brought along with them Hinduism and Buddhism.
Indian influence arrived very early in the Philippines indirectly through Malay civilization.

DEVELOPMENT OF EUROPEAN PHILOSOPHY

It is said that the first philosophers were Thales of Mellitus and his students
Anaximander and Anaximenes. These first philosophers were metaphysicists who were
concerned primarily with the ultimate nature of being itself - its origin and its essence.

Socrates

 An Athenian philosopher, was said to constantly challenge fellow Athenians to

think about virtue and to improve their souls.

 Sophists the paid teachers, taught people how to live successfully.

 In the selection from The Republic, Socrates argues that living well means living
justly

Plato

 Was the disciple of Socrates.

 In Athens, he founded a school devoted both to philosophical inquiry and to the

philosophically-based education of politicians. It came to be called Academy, the
first formal philosophical school.

 In his teachings, he contended that knowledge must be of universals called the

Forms and not of particulars.

Aristotle

 Was Plato's leading student.

 Is known for his theory about how moral and virtues are acquired, which is
popularly known as the Doctrine of the Mean
 Doctrine of the Mean states that every moral virtue is a state of character that
lies at the mean between two extremes.
 Virtue lies in the middle of excess and deficiency which are considered as vices

1. The Hellenistic and Roman Period

 The central philosophical concerns during this period shifted to how an individual
should conduct his or her life.
2. The Medieval Period
 The later philosophical traditions of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity derived
major formative influence from Greek Philosophy. The theories of the Greeks,
particularly those of Plato and Aristotle, were employed to clarify and develop the
basic beliefs of the religious traditions.

3. The Modern Period

 A major form of scholasticism which was the synthesis of Christianity and
Aristotelianism, dominated European philosophy into the 17th century

 Rene Descartes proposed a method for guaranteeing knowledge.

 Rationalism stress a world of metaphysical truths that could be discovered by

reason

Major Proponents of Rationalism

a) Descartes
b) Spinoza
c) Leibniz

 Empiricism stress the importance of sense experience as the basis of

knowledge

Major Proponents of Empiricism

a) Sir Francis Bacon
b) John Locke

 David Hume stressed that a thoroughly consistent empirical theory f knowledge

leads to a skepticism.

 Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher, insisted that humans do possess

genuine knowledge, but the problem was to show how knowledge was possible.
He stressed that although all knowledge begins in experience, this does not
mean that all knowledge comes from experience

 Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Froebel worked out as a metaphysics in which all of

human history was rational.

4. The 20th Century

 Twentieth-century philosophy has been characterized in part by its revolt against
Hegelianism

 Pragmatists postulated the theory that "the truth is that which works" and that it
is an expeditious way f solving problems.
 Major Proponents of Pragmatism
a) William James
b) John Dewey

 Soren Kierkegaard believed that all metaphysical systems are unsuccessful,

that to avoid despair, an individual has to opt for some sort of beliefs, by taking a
leap of faith.

 Kierkegaard's emphasis on subjectivity, confrontation, and despair greatly

influenced the school of thought called existentialism

 Martin Heidegger developed a philosophy of "being-in-the-world"

BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY

Three (3) main branches of philosophy:

1. Metaphysics (ontology)
2. Epistemology
3. Axiology (teleology)

Metaphysics

 Is concerned with the ultimate nature of being itself - its origin and its essence.

Epistemology

 Deals with the problem of knowing and of knowledge

Kinds of knowledge:
a) Conceptual
b) Perceptual
c) Intuitive

Axiology

 Deals with the problem of purpose and with values.

Fields of Epistemology:
a) Ethics
 Is concerned with the problems of good and evil, right or wrong, and their
bearing on moral conduct.
 b) Aesthetics
 Deals with the problem of beauty and ugliness. It is concerned with the
problem of values as applied to art, and the nature of experience in relation to
beauty.

Logic

 Is a technique of reasoning

 Considered as a tool or a part of methodology for arriving at conclusions in philosophical

inquiry

SOME SCHOOLS OF PHILOSOPHICAL THOUGHT

In general, five (5) schools of philosophical thought stand out:

1. Idealism
2. Realism
3. Naturalism
4. Pragmatism
5. Existentialism

Idealism

 Holds that the qualities of experience depend upon a knower for their existence and do
not subsist in themselves.

 It believes in God as the universal knower in whose mind all of the qualities of human
experience exist whether a human knower beholds them or not.

Realism

 Holds the view that the qualities of experience are real and independent facts of the
external world.

 It believes that the school is the agent or the channel for the transmission of human
culture.

Naturalism

 Asserts that nature represents all that can be known of reality, and that the scientific
method is the only means of determining the truth.

 It believes that the long infancy of man is he chief phenomenon for the need of a school
where an individual requires sustained protection and guidance.
Pragmatism

 It is a theory which presupposes that the reality is determined by individual

experience.

 It is the philosophy of practical consequences.

 The pragmatic school aims to develop in the students the ability to learn through
experience; hence it employs the experimental method and the process of learning by
doing

Existentialism

 Is a philosophical thought which presumes that reality is a matter of individual

existence; and that each human being exists in a world that is without purpose and is
fundamentally absurd

 The objective of the existentialist school is to serve the individual human being guiding
him into an awareness of his condition and to promote his successful commitment to a
significant existence