unit 1: doing philosophy

Module 1 : What Philosophy is: The meaning of Philosophy MOTIVATION: 1. What do you you know about about Philosop Philosophy? hy? Is there there really really a need need to study study this? this? 2. How can we distinguis distinguish h a holistic holistic perspective perspective from from a partial point point of view by doing doing philosophy? philosophy? . When When do do you you Phi Philo loso soph phi! i!e? e? PRE-READING

In order to take off on the flight of philosophical discussion find the contribution of the following ancient philosophers" #hales $na%imander  $na%imenes Pythagoras Heraclitus Parmenides &mpedocles •

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#he 'ature and Why of Philosophy Corazon L. Cruz  It is in the very nature of philosophy that man searches for the meaning of himself and the world. It can truly be said that philosophy was born the very first time man started wondering at what he saw around him. #o the early (reeks) philosophy was a superstar of a sub*ect. #hey looked with favor +...on a total world picture) in the unity of all truths , whether they were specific) ethical) religious) or aesthetic. $ (reek philosophos (reek philosophos was concerned not only with particular types of knowledge) but with all types.-

#he philosophic tradition is a must so is personal reaction to it. William /ui*pen says it very well in the preface of his work) Phenomenology and Metaphysics: In the realm of philosophy it is not possible to be an authentic thinker unless we allow tradition to play an inspiring role. #he so called +classical- work of the past embody the collective history of what mankind has +seen-. #hose works became classical precisely because their authors were the first in giving verbal e%pression to a seer often was like the voice of the crying in the desert. 0nly later) sometimes even only much later) others also began to +see- what he had +seen-. What we and our contemporaries now +see- we always owe also to the efforts of what others have +seen- before us. With this) obert ohann states the need of the e%position of the students to the philosophic tradition" $s the 3rench philosopher 4lodel once observed) philosophy is not to e%plain life but to help constitute it. 4y making man aware of the implications of his actions) of the range and scope of his life) it lifts that life to a level that cannot be otherwise reached. It is a level on which man is faced not with the disposition of things or the mastery of the world that surrounds him) but with the disposition of himself) and the decisions that determine his own meaning. If on this level he finds no ready5made answers that can be grasped independently of his personal commitments and the e%perience to which they give rise) it is nevertheless no slight service of philosophy to make him aware even of that.6William /ui*pen) preface) Phenomenology and  Metaphysics) 1789: $nd hence) studying philosophers , their life and their works , raises the perception as well as the ;uality of man. oad says" #he (eneral thinking of the great tradition of philosophy is that) if we live as we ought) we shall know things as they are) and that if we see things as they are) our vision will help us live as we ought. #his is not merely a creed for the learned. It is a faith which many simple folk have embraced. #hus philosophy provides men less with a faith by which to live than a scale of values to regulate their living. #hese values can serve not only as ideals to guide the individual. oad) Philosophy) 1778:

GIDE !E"TION": 1. When does philosophi!ing starts? 2. What were the concerns of the early philosophers? . What are the +classical- and their importance to mankind? . $ccording to 4londel , how does philosophy e%plain and constitute life? 9. What is the importance of studying the philosophers) their life and their works?

A#TER READING In a small group) create a poster showing the ancient philosophers and their contributions or  concepts and their importance in our way of thinking in the present day. Write the title of the poster and the insights on a piece of paper. @isplay the poster along with the other posters of your classmate for  an e%hibit.

EVA$ATION Write a short essay entitled Man and Philosophy. #ry to answer the following ;uestions in your  essay" @efine philosophy in your own words. What is its relevance to the life of the people in the past and the present day? @o you agree with the statement that philosophy raises the ;uality of man
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Module %: Doing Philosophy

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MOTIVATION: Is there a process of philosophi!ing? How can we recogni!e human activities that emanated from deliberate reflection? How can you do a philosophical reflection on a concrete situation from a holistic perspective?

PRE-READING

Watch the Aideo Poetry by >arco $ntonio . odas. In a piece of paper write what comes into your mind after watching the presentation. Present your work to the class.  Antisipasyon >arco $ntonio . odas Walang maaaring makasuway sa pwersa ng grabidad. #ulad noong sumusuhay pa lamang ang aking muwang) marahil) sa labis na pagkabigla) nabitiwan ng aking ama ang iniinom n
marahil nga
Insigh&s =ora!on /. =ru!

B one +sees- into something more than what meets the eye . It is what philosophers call +insights.Insight men have had ever since they used their intelligence and power of reflection. #he history of philosophy shows that men have seen and noticed  things around them) thought  and pondered  on these) and acted  on their reflections. 3ather o;ue *. 3erriols) D..) in his article +Insight)- says there are two things to be considered regarding an insight" #he insight itself  What do I do with the insight •

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I +heard- moonlight in @ebussy
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3ather 3erriols mentions two techni;ues) among other techni;ues) in handling insights" Ese of metaphors Ese of conceptual analysis

$ccording to 3ather 3erriols) +abstraction is one of the tools often used in the analysis of  insights. $n abstract thought is called a concept and analysis by abstraction is called conceptual analysis.- He warns) however) that there is a danger here" + B it can deiccate an insight.- so) he suggests one should +return to the concrete fullness of the original insight.Permit me to refer to one of my personal e%perience. $ few months after my father
A#TER READING: A No&e on &he Te'&

Insight is seeing not with our eyes 6though our eyes often play an important role in it: but with our powers of thinking. When we want to clarify and deepen our insight or to fi% it in our minds) we do +something- with it. #here are many ways of doing something with an insight. It shows that certain insight are so rich that they cannot be e%hausted by our efforts to clarify them. We may e%plore them in many ways and along different levels) but some superabundance of the original insights always remains beyond the reach of our techni;ues.

Insights permeates the process of doing something with an insight. We need insight to see whether a given conceptual analysis of a given insight does probe deeply into it instead of merely classifying its superficial aspects. #hus) we ask" why do certain insights resist all efforts to e%plore them completely? 4ecause these insights bring us into the very heart of reality and reality is superabundantly rich. #he richness of  these insights then is the richness of reality itself. $nd the stance of a human being facing reality has always to be a tension between a sense of knowledge and sense of ignorance.

EVA$ATION: In your Philosophy *ournal write your own unforgettable e%periences and the insights you got from it. How does that e%perience change your point of view in life? #he rubrics for the entry would be as follows" • • • •

J Insights J =ontent 19J Presentation of Ideas 19J =oherence

ENRI()MENT:

In small groups share your paper to your classmates.

Module *: The Value of Philosophy in $ife

MOTIVATION: 1. =an life be connected to philosophy and philosophy to life? 2. How does philosophy broaden our view about life and its real meaning? . Is there such thing as +truth- and meaning?

PRE-READING:

/ook for the video in Fou#ube entitled Plato on: The Allegory o the Ca!e posted by the Dchool of /ife 6https"www.youtube.comwatch?vKDWlECI>ge:. #his video e%plains the philosophical in;uiries of Plato about the reality. What is your reaction to the video? Dhare your reaction to the class. +A(,GROND ,NO$EDGE: #he theory of knowledge according to Plato can be summed up to his doctrine of the two worlds" world of matter   and the world of orms. #he world of matter is the material world where we are now. While the world of forms is something that is changeless) eternal) and nonmaterial essences or   patterns of which the actual visible ob*ects we see are only poor copies. 3or Plato) knowledge through sense perception is impossible for the reason that the material things that sorround us are not perfect and real. We can only have real knowledge through the forms from which these material things are patterned.

Refections on Plato's "Allegory o the Cave" (blog posted head to headline, February 22, 2!2 In Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” the allegory is referring to the false truth in which man puts his faith. The allegory is a cave of men chained with their  heads forced to remain forward facing toward a wall. Behind them is a fire serving as a light source to allow for others to create shadow against the wall in which the prisoners are facing. i!e a puppet master pulling the strings of a marionette" the shadows are created to dance on the wall for the prisoners to see" leaving them no choice #ut to name the false image and assert false truths a#out the sounds and sights they are shown. Plato refers to the chained men as prisoners. I don’t #elieve it is simply

#ecause they are chained up in a cave #ut rather that they are #eing fed lies and forced to live a life accepting this false reality as truth" a sort of inevita#le self$delusion. They are never allowed to “come into the light” and learn of real truths. %o Plato asserts that prison is one where an individual is not allowed to learn truth or thin! and act #ased on actual reality #ut rather off false ideals and incomplete information. Today we are fed so many misleading truths #y multitude of media streams. T& and 'ews stations have () hours to fill" endless money with countless strings attached" and an agenda to push. *ith these resources and goals they are a#le to #uild their own pu#licly asserted “caves” in which we are the prisoners loo!ing at one false image after another" in this case it isn’t a wall with shadows #ut a T& or computer with flashing images leading us down a thought path that is s!ewed #y their desire to control our thoughts li!e that of a puppet master and his puppet. I will #ac! this up with two e+amples I had heard a while #ac! that forced me to e+amine all information" and sources" from where I was #eing fed information. The following lin! is to a study a#out the effect of heavy media coverage of violent crime despite the drop in actual crime. And the e+cerpt #elow is from a paper from a political scientist which finds the same. http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~digger/305/crime_cultivation_theory.pdf 

In the age of ,ace#oo!" Twitter" live streaming associated press aps for  cell phones and all the other instant information I find it hard to filter the “real images” from the “shadows”. I have to assert effort to discern the truths from propaganda that is constantly #eing spewed at anyone who will listen" or  read. *ith mass communication evolving so rapidly and allowing less credi#le sources to reach literally millions of people we must #e very careful a#out shac!ling ourselves and willingly loo!ing at the reflections #ut must use the same medium to fact chec! and ensure we are getting truthful information.

#n short, $y %Cave& is on o co$placency and instant acceptance he un)illingness or a)areness to act chec* things # hear beore $a*ing decisions based on the inor$ation As a prisoner in today+s )orld # have the choice )hether to leave the chains on and continue to loo* at the )all or to ascend into the light and ta*e $y )hole sel ro$ %beco$ing& to %being& (http--headtoheadlineblogspotco$-2!2-2-refections.on. platos.allegory.o.caveht$l  GIDE !E"TION": 1. What is the world of matter? 2. What is the world of forms? . =an we have an authentic and real knowledge about the reality according to the philosophy of Plato? . 3or the prisoners in the cave) which holds the true? #he shadows that are casted from the light

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or the ob*ects where the shadows are being casted upon? /ike the author) do you consider yourself as a prisoner in a cave? What is your cave that holds you from attaining the truth? @o you intend to go out of it? @oes our media play an important role in presenting truths? =an they manipulate it? How?

A#TER READING:

In a small group) browse over 3acebook the status of your friends) newsfeed and trending topics. =ite some international) national or local issues as e%amples of the +shadows- that block   persons from having +real- knowledge about the truth. EVA$ATION:

@iscuss to the class the outcome of your group and make comparisons with the outcome of  others. @o they connect with the other group? How? ENRI()MENT:

3irst) go to Fou#ube and search for the video entitled "hat is #rong #ith the media 6https"www.youtube.comwatch?vK'wPd$LPnkGk :. Post a 3acebook status about the reality of the Philippine politics and how can the news be inverted and manipulated for the benefit of some.