THE CONCEPT AND FUNCTION OF

PHILOSOPHY

SPP 1002 Philosophy Of Education

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy

LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this section, students will be
able to:
1. Elaborate the term philosophy
2. Summarize the characteristics of
philosophy
3. Elaborate the objectives and
application of
philosophy problems.

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy

DEFINITIONS OF PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy:
> The term derived from the two Greek
words:
philos to love or to appreciate
sophia wisdom or knowledge
> It can be explained as the love of
wisdom or the love for knowledge

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy

In general, philosophy can be viewed as

matters that involve in statements such as:

The fondness of wisdom
The appreciation towards wisdom
The desire to obtain wisdom
(in order to become a knowledgeable
person)
The desire to seek the truth

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy

Other meanings of philosophy:

1. Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary
(1990)
(n) Search for knowledge and understanding
of the nature and meaning of the universe
and of human life.
2. Wolff (1989)
Philosophy, literally means love of wisdom.
Philosophy is the systematic, critical
examination of the way in which we judge,
evaluate and act; with the aim of making

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy

THE IMPORTANCE OF PHILOSOPHY

In short, philosophy is an effort to seek the
truth about certain matters, by using the
strength of ones mind.
A person is considered to be one with his/her
own philosophy is one who:
Wisely uses of his mind
His wise mind is able to guide him towards
the truth in his life.

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy

A philosophers duty (Mok, 2003):

To evaluate the ways of life and
experiences of man - by analyzing and
assessing them.
Try to find a conclusion - that can provide
an interpretation for the understanding
and truth related to human livings and
experiences.

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy

> The discovery and conclusion drawn by

philosophers serve as useful guidance.
> The guidance can be used to people who try
to:
Seek satisfactory and perfect living

Determine the course of direction for

development and advancement of a nation.

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy

THE FUNCTIONS OF PHILOSOPHY

1. Developing a systematic view
towards a particular thing that exists
in this world.
2. Providing a view of life that involves
the
value system that allows
individuals to
rationalize and
evaluate between good
and bad.
3. Helping people to think in a critical
and logical manner in order to gain
the true
knowledge of a particular
matter.

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy

The functions of philosophy (in general; cont.):

3. Helping people to conduct research

on
the basic nature of knowledge
and
allowing them to develop preassumptions on whether the knowledge
is useful in every-days life.
4. Helping an individual to think about
the
meaning of his life in a sincere
and
detailed manner. So as to guide
human towards the worthy ways of
life.

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy

The functions of philosophy (in general;

cont.):

6. Providing individuals with guidance

and
principle as to choose their
objectives, methods and ways in
searching for truths.
(It does not give man the definite or
unquestionable answers).

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VIEWS OF PHILOSOPHERS ON
PHILOSOPHY
Russel (1946):
A kind of understanding or meaning
between
theology and science.
> Like theology, philosophy contains
speculations over matters which have not
been proven.
> Similar to science, philosophy is using
reasoning and logic to prove hypothesis or
speculations.

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy

Frost (1955)
Every individual is a philosopher in a true
sense.

W.W. Howick (1977)

Philosophy tries to find a comprehensive
view on human beings and the universe .

Gutek (1988)
The human beings attempt to think most
speculatively, reflectively and systematically
about the universe and the human
relationship to the universe.

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy

G.W. Kneller (1971)

Philosophy can be referred as an activity,
which is divided into three: Speculative
Philosophy, Prescriptive Philosophy and
Analytical Philosophy.
> Speculative philosophy: A systematic
way of thinking about all that existed. An
effort to
synthesize all thinking and
experiences.

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy

> Prescriptive philosophy tries to

determine a set of standard in order to
consider values and
actions, as well as
to appreciate arts.
> Analytical philosophy focuses on
statements or words, and their meanings.
It tries to
analyze statements that are
speculative and
prescriptive in nature.

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy

These views try to highlight:

The quest for truth occurred according
to a
particular situation or condition.
It depends on what is necessary to
human
beings and what is needed by human
beings.

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy

Group Activities:
1. In a group of four, highlight and describe:
(5 minutes)
a. The current problems and challenges
faced
by teachers in Malaysia.
b. The importance of philosophy as the
tool to
overcome the problems.
2. Select a group member as a presenter and
discuss

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy