EPEC301 WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY Document for Education

Thhttps://youtu.be/QAEx5SAB2WE?si=j2hExss2MSYqVqBVOf course. I will clean up the document by fixing formatting, grammar, spelling, and structure to create a professional, coherent monthly report.

Here is the "housekept" version of your September 2025 report.

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PICKSTONE PEERLESS MINE

Monthly Report: September 2025

Name: Roy M. Mazanhi
Department: Mining
Position: Graduate Trainee
Coach: Mathew Mamina
Date: 30 September 2025
Mine-Captain Sign-off: _________________________
Coach Sign-off: _________________________

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Executive Summary

This report consolidates key operational reviews for September 2025, focusing on Development Drilling and Ore Tramming.

Development Drilling
A new Standardised Drilling Pattern(now officially part of the Face-Marking SOP) was piloted to improve wall control and advance rates. The pilot at 4L E13 Haulage successfully demonstrated a consistent 90%+ advance efficiency (1.8m advance from 2.0m holes) and a significantly improved tunnel profile.

However, a critical operational bottleneck was identified. Benchmarking revealed that excessive pre-operational delays, primarily due to inadequate face cleaning by the previous shift, consume over 3 hours per shift (31% of total time).

The immediate focus is to scale this success by addressing this bottleneck. The primary objectives are:

1. Reclaim 2+ hours of shift time by formalizing a handover protocol.
2. Increase advance efficiency from 90% to 95-100% by piloting cut-hole deepening.
3. Target a future advance of 2.2m+ per blast with the procurement of longer drill steel.

Tramming (5L Operation)
A time-motion study conducted in early September benchmarked the single-locomotive system at14.6 tonnes per hour. Performance was severely constrained by loading choke-ups from un-reclaimed services and tipping delays. Following the study's recommendation, a second locomotive was added to the circuit, with a post-implementation review planned for October.

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary ........................................................................... I
List of Figures................................................................................. III
List of Tables.................................................................................. III

1.0 Development Drilling Performance ................................................. 1
1.1 The New Drilling Standard............................................................ 1
1.2 Proof of Concept:Immediate Successes ......................................... 2
1.3 Identified Bottlenecks................................................................... 3
1.4 The Path Forward........................................................................... 4

2.0 5L Tramming Operations Analysis ..................................................... 5
2.1 Current Cycle Benchmark.............................................................. 5
2.2 Key Delay Analysis...........................................

1. PECP301 WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY

2. WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY From two Greek word – philos (wisdom) and Sophia (love) The systematic enquiry into the fundamentals of reality and how the world operates The search for the ultimate truth The search for wisdom, truth and knowledge. Philosophy “seeks wisdom and deep understanding and not simply knowledge” Protagoras of Abdera : a philosopher is a lover of wisdom Philosophy is the love of wisdom Clement Oniang’o – “the search for a comprehensive view of nature, an attempt at a universal explanation of things” Philosophy is an activity people undertake when they seek to understand fundamental truths about themselves, the world in which they live and their relationship to the world and each other Ian Martindale – philosophy “ is not a body of knowledge but an activity of seeking a reflective understanding of ourselves and of the natural and social world we inhabit”

3. BRANCHES OF PHILOSPHY MAIN BRANCHES Metaphysics, Epistemology, Logic, Ethics

4. METAPHYSICS It studies the nature of reality, what exists in the world, what it is like and how it is ordered It deals with clarification of how people can understand the world like existence , space, time, cause, effect…. etc Metaphysics questions the existence of God and the reality of everything Morris Lazerowitz – metaphysical theories “….are perfectly well understood and that the debates about them are debates over whether they are true or false Metaphysics asks questions concerning the origins of the physical universe , the matter (stuff) from which it is made of and the laws which are present in nature What is reality, how does the world exist and what is its origin or source of creation? Does the world exist outside the mind? How can the incorporeal mind affect the physical body? Is there a God? etc

5. IMPORTANCE OF METAPHYSICS IN LIFE AND BUSINESS It seeks to explain the world around us hence helps humanity to deal with reality Interpretations of reality lies in metaphysics Metaphysics studies the true nature of reality by looking at how human beings use experience, knowledge and beliefs to make judgements about the physical world and which decisions to take It is the foundation from which human beings perceive and give meaning to the world Metaphysics analyses who we are, why we are here, the true nature of reality, our experiences, the forms, our feelings and our behaviour Gives meaning to life and life activities as it deals with the role of the human mind in perception of both the physical and non-physical reality Aristotle: everything that that exists is within the scope of metaphysical enquiry

6. LOGIC The Study of human reasoning Assesses human’s validity and truth when reasoning Assessing and analysing the validity of each and every claim Logic from the Greek word logos which means reason, rule, idea or word Logic evaluates good and bad reasoning

7. EPISTEMOLOGY Deals with issues related to knowledge forms and theories Concerned about what we can know about the world and how we can know

8. ETHICS The study of human behavioural conducts Ethics has to do with right and wrong in human interactions Formulates principles to guide moral decisions whether in private or public life Without these principles it is difficult for human beings to govern their behaviour Ethicists try to come up with answers of what makes humans good or bad and should every human being treat one another

9. ETHICS PYRAMID (Tilley’s ethics pyramid) Elspeth Tilley (2005) proposes a structured approach to thinking about ethics. The ethics pyramid involves three basic concepts: intent, means, and ends. Intent : the first major consideration to be aware of when examining the ethicality of something is the issue of intent. To be an ethical speaker or listener, it is important to begin with ethical intentions. means used to communicate with others: According to McCroskey , Wrench, and Richmond (2003), “means” are the tools or behaviors we employ to achieve a desired outcome. Ends: according to McCroskey , Wrench, and Richmond (2003 ), ends are your desired outcomes

10. PROFESSIONAL ETHICS Definition of terms: Profession and ethics PROFESSION : The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines “profession” as “[a]n occupation in which a professed knowledge of some subject, field, or science is applied; a vocation or career, especially one that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification.”  Characteristics of a profession: a personal service, not a good. Each requires specialized education and the exercise of independent judgment, even if the service provider is technically an employee. Each profession has duties to the public in addition to their individual clients. Professionals use their best independent judgment to accomplish appropriate results that best fit the interests of their clients. Professionals do not allow their independent judgment to be impaired by outside influences ( Buhai , S 2016:250) ETHICS: norms for conduct that distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable behavior . Ethics is the philosophical study of morality. This is a general study of goodness, right action, applied ethics, meta-ethics, moral psychology and metaphysics of moral responsibility. The general study of goodness and right action is the main task of ethics. Ethics is that science which is concerned with moral behaviour or with right or wrong and good or evil of human behaviour. It propounds those principles which make our conduct moral. The word Ethics is derived from the Greek word ‘ethos’ which means character or conduct. Ethics is also called moral philosophy

11. PROFESSIONAL ETHICS CONTINUED….. “Professional ethics” is a term that can be understood in different ways. First , professional ethics is a code of values and norms that actually guide practical decisions when they are made by professionals. Second , professional ethics is a fully idealized set of values whose purpose is to explicate the best possible world in which the given profession could be working. All professions have nowadays formulated their own codes of conduct that explicate their own best values, conduct, and consequences. It can then be said that professional ethics is a declaration and manifestation of good intentions that are supposed to characterize a given profession. Third , professional ethics may be a critical philosophical discipline, and as such a part of the wider field of applied ethics. In this case, normal methods of philosophical ethics are applied to professional decisions, planning, and action in order to evaluate, criticize, and develop them. Professional ethics can be understood from the point of view of its service ideal and its related values

12. THREE MAIN BRANCHES OF ETHICS 1. Meta-ethics - consists in the attempt to answer the fundamental philosophical questions about the nature of ethical theory itself. Meta-ethics investigates the source of our morality/moral behaviours and how are ethical terms defined and conceptualised. It provides the structure and meaning of ethical terms as they are used in philosophy. Examples: ( i ). Are ethical statements such as "lying is wrong", or "friendship is good" true or false? 2. Applied Ethics- consists in the attempt to answer difficult moral questions actual people face in their lives. Involves examining specific controversial issues in various fields of life. These controversial issues include abortion, euthanasia, whistleblowing, the death penalty, homo sexuality, sensationalism, suicide etc. 3. Normative ethics- norms that how one should act and behave in society. It is also called as prescriptive ethics.It is the study of what makes actions right or wrong, what makes situations or events good or bad and what makes people virtuous or vicious. The principal purpose that normative ethical theories serve is to articulate and advocate an ethical code, i.e., to provide justifiable and reliable principles to determine what is moral (and immoral) behavior .

13. Normative ethics continued…….. Normative ethics involve a more practical task to arrive at moral standards that regulates right and wrong. Normative ethics look at questions like ( i ) should I use my room mate’s laptop without asking his/her permission (ii) should I steal food to give my starving family. Answers to these questions come from major ethical theories like utilitarianism, Kantian deontology, virtue ethics, etc. Normative ethical theories are classified into three main groups which are teleological, deontological and virtue ethics. These types of theories differ in how they determine the moral worth of an action – whether an action is morally right or wrong, permissible or impermissible. . Each theory emphasizes different points – a different decision-making style or a decision rule—such as predicting the outcome and following one’s duties to others in order to reach what the individual considers an ethically correct decision.

14. Normative ethics continued Consequentialism Consequential Ethics/Teleological Ethics: Teleology finds its etymology in the Greek word ‘ telos ’ which means “end” and logos, “science”. It determines the moral worth of any action by the consequences or outcomes of that action. Consequentialism: holds that the rightness or wrongness (etc.) of actions depends entirely on the moral value (goodness) of the consequences. The modern form of the consequentialist theory of utilitarianism derives from 19th century British philosophers such as Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. Rather than maximise individual welfare, utilitarianism focuses on collective welfare and it identifies goodness with the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people: the 'greatest happiness principle‘, i.e , t he greatest good for the greatest number of people. Utilitarian ethical theories are based on one’s ability to predict the consequences of an action. To a utilitarian, the choice that yields the greatest benefit to the most people is the one that is ethically correct.

15. Consequentialism continued…. There are two types of utilitarianism, act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism. Act utilitarianism subscribes precisely to the definition of utilitarianism— a person performs the acts that benefit the most people, regardless of personal feelings or the societal constraints such as laws. Act utilitarianism assesses each separate act according to whether it maximizes pleasure over pain. For example, if telling a lie in a particular situation produces more overall pleasure than pain, then an act utilitarian would support lying as the moral thing to do. Rule utilitarians , disturbed by the unpredictability of act utilitarianism and its potential for abuse, follow a different approach. Rule utilitarianism holds that general rules must be established and followed even though, in some instances, following rules may produce less overall pleasure than not following them. It applies utilitarian principles in developing rules; thus, it supports rules that on balance produce the greatest satisfaction. Determining whether telling a lie in a given instance would produce greater pleasure than telling the truth is less important to the rule utilitarian than deciding whether a general practice of lying would maximize society’s pleasure. If lying would not maximize pleasure generally, then one should follow a rule of not lying even though on occasion telling a lie would produce greater pleasure than would telling the truth. Rule utilitarianism takes into account the law and is concerned with fairness. A rule utilitarian seeks to benefit the most people but through the fairest and most just means available. Therefore, added benefits of rule utilitarianism are that it values justice and includes beneficence at the same time

16. Normative ethics continued Deontology The theory that an action is right if and only if the person performing the act could consistently will that the act become a universal law. The deontological class of ethical theories states that people should adhere to their obligations and duties when engaged in decision making when ethics are in play. This means that a person will follow his or her obligations to another individual or society because upholding one’s duty is what is considered ethically correct. A person who adheres to deontological theory will produce very consistent decisions since they will be based on the individual’s set duties. Historically, the most influential deontological theory of morality was developed by the German philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). The term deontology finds its etymology in the Greek word “Deon”, meaning ‘duty,’ or ‘obligation,’ or ‘that which is necessary, hence moral necessity’. The deontological approach rejects that the moral worth of any action depends on its consequences.

17. Deontology continued Example: In early nineteenth-century America, many members of the anti-slavery movement argued that slavery was wrong, even though slaveholders and southern American society in general, economically benefited from it. The slaveholders were also able to condition the slaves to the point where they actually enjoyed living under slavery. From a teleological perspective, slavery might appear to be an ideal economic institution. Everybody is satisfied and happy! A deontologist, however, would argue that even if the American government conducted a detailed cost/benefit analysis of slavery and decided that it created more pleasure in society than pain (good for majority), it would still be wrong. Hence, slavery is wrong, not because of its negative consequences, but because it violates an absolute moral rule. According to this theory, some actions are morally obligatory irrespective of their consequences Categorical Imperative of Kant - Immanuel Kant did not agree with what he had heard of Utilitarianism and thought that morality rarely had anything to do with happiness. Kant holds that the moral life does not have any place for feeling, emotion or sentience. A moral life is a rational life. He started by asking what it is that distinguishes a moral action from a non-moral action one. He concluded that a moral action is one which is done from a sense of duty, rather than following inclinations or doing what we want. For Kant, the only thing that is unqualifiedly good in this world is a good-will, the will to follow the moral law regardless of profit or law to ourselves. For him, there is only one such categorical imperative, which he formulated in various ways. “Act only according to that maxim (rule) by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law ”. It implies that what is right for one person becomes right for all and what is wrong for one is wrong for all. If you cannot universalise your action in order to make it right for all, then it is wrong for you too.

18. Virtue Ethics Aristotle proposed the theory of Virtue Ethics. He based his ethics upon ontological reasoning. This theory says that morally right action is to be guided by the virtues ( honesty, integrity, courage, bravery and so on). Aristotle says that by honing virtuous habits, people will likely make the right choice when faced with ethical challenges. The virtue ethical theory judges a person by his/her character rather than by an action that may deviate from his/her normal behavior . It takes the person’s morals, reputation, and motivation into account when rating an unusual and irregular behavior that is considered unethical. For instance, if a person plagiarized a passage that was later detected by a peer, the peer who knows the person well will understand the person’s character and will judge the friend accordingly. If the plagiarizer normally follows the rules and has good standing amongst his colleagues, the peer who encounters the plagiarized passage may be able to judge his friend more leniently. Perhaps the researcher had a late night and simply forgot to credit his or her source appropriately. Conversely, a person who has a reputation for academic misconduct is more likely to be judged harshly for plagiarizing because of his/her consistent past of unethical behavior .

19. Virtue Ethics continued the doctrine of the mean This doctrine tells us how virtue can be attained. According to Aristotle virtue consists in striking what he calls the golden mean. The golden mean can only be attained when human beings are able to moderate their human acts Aristotle defines the golden mean as the virtues that exist between two vices, i.e , the vice of excess and the vice of deficiency. Aristotle presents virtue as a mean between two vices,e.g , bravery between cowardice and foolhardiness/rashness . Generosity between stinginess and prodigality. Aristotle identified some of the moral virtues including wisdom, honesty, integrity, courage, bravery, etc.

20. HUNHU/UBUNTU Ubuntu or Hunhu ethics is an African philosophical entity which shows how Africa has its own way of reasoning. It brings in the notion of communitarianism through common ownership, sharing, oneness etc. Ubuntu emphasises the importance of a group or community. Ubuntu philosophy upholds societal values as the whole community sets standards that each and every individual has to follow. J.S Mbiti “I am because we are; and since we are therefore I am” Core tenets of Ubuntu: respect, human dignity, compassion, solidarity and consensus. All demand conformity to the group Ubuntu is an African philosophy which centers on the relationships between people in a community and the principles they are supposed to follow and it is translated as “humanity towards each other”. It is a major and central subject in African philosophy as it emphasise the need for oneness through the community and it is opposed to the Western notion of individualism

21. HUNHU/UBUNTU continued Mangena (2012:9) Ubuntu ethics is the ‘power intrinsic to the capacity for dialogue and it places the community at the centre of all moral deliberations in which communality is vital’. The ethics of Ubuntu entails that the concerns and wishes of the whole community should be considered more than an individual’s desires.

22. ETHICAL FRAMEWORKS AND THEORIES THAT APPLY TO DIFFERENT PROFESSIONS medical ethics Medical ethics: ethical standards in medicine. It is the branch of ethics that deals with moral issues in medical practice. Ethics is and always has been an essential component of medical practice. The study of ethics prepares medical students to recognize difficult situations and to deal with them in a rational and principled manner. Ethics is also important in physicians’ interactions with society and their colleagues and for the conduct of medical research. Medical ethics, particularly those related to medical practice and societal responsibility, are essentially formulated on the basis of the justice theory developed by the moral philosophers

23. medical ethics continued There are four principles, which form the fundamentals of justice theory as applied to the medical care. Principle of non-maleficence: It is also summed up in the axiom, first do no harm, or that the medical intervention should not cause harm to the patient seeking care. Principle of beneficence: This principle stipulates that the medical intervention not only should not harm, but should also be intended for the benefit of the patient. Principle of autonomy: It is also in harmony with the liberal democratic ethos of individual liberty and choice. Essentially it means that the patient is an independent individual and any medical intervention should be done only after full information is given and the patient has expressly consented for such an intervention. This also gives the patient a right to make choice as to what kind of medical intervention is best suited for him or her. The right of patients to make decisions about their healthcare has been enshrined in legal and ethical statements throughout the world. The patient has the right to self-determination, to make free decisions regarding himself/herself. Principle of justice: This principle makes it clear that the doctors are responsible to the society and that they must follow the non-discriminatory way of medical practice. The professionals do face ethical dilemmas in day to day medical practice. These dilemmas are sought to be resolved, in a case to case basis, by weighing each principle as applicable to the situation.

24. Confidentiality in medical practice Confidentiality: The physician’s duty to keep patient information confidential has been a cornerstone of medical ethics since the time of Hippocrates. The Hippocratic Oath states: “What I may see or hear in the course of the treatment or even outside of the treatment in regard to the life of men, which on no account one must spread abroad, I will keep to myself holding such things shameful to be spoken about.” The Oath, and some more recent versions, allow no exception to this duty of confidentiality. Confidentiality is also important because human beings deserve respect. One important way of showing them respect is by preserving their privacy.

25. LEGAL ETHICS Legal ethics may be defined as: The minimum standards of appropriate conduct within the legal profession, involving the duties that its members owe one another, their clients and the courts ... the written regulations governing those duties or the code of conduct among lawyers which governs their moral and professional duties toward one another, toward their clients, and toward the courts. The term legal ethics refers to "... the system of professional regulations governing the conduct of lawyers".

26. ENGINEERING ETHICS Engineering Ethics is the activity and discipline aimed at ( a ) understanding the moral values that ought to guide engineering profession or practice, ( b ) resolving moral issues in engineering, and ( c ) justifying the moral judgments in engineering. It deals with set of moral problems and issues connected with engineering. Engineering ethics is defined by the codes and standards of conduct endorsed by engineering (professional) societies with respect to the particular set of beliefs, attitudes and habits displayed by the individual or group. Another important goal of engineering ethics is the discovery of the set of justified moral principles of obligation, rights and ideals that ought to be endorsed by the engineers and apply them to concrete situations.  

27. EDUCATIONAL ETHICS The school is said as the miniature of society and a formal agency that provides education to students. Teaching and the teachers are the two major key of this society without which the educational process cannot function properly. So, a teacher has to always know about his massive responsibilities and understand his profession. The codes of professional ethics have a great significance in this regard. So, the absence of these professional ethics in teachers may influence on the development of students. Some significant professional codes of ethics for teachers are as follows- A teacher should always be aware about his own roles and responsibilities and must respect the privacy of other members of their own school. They must have proper knowledge about student’s needs and a deep vision of fulfilling the present needs, requirements and aspirations of the learners. He / she should always show due respect to various spiritual and cultural values, diversity, social justice, democracy, freedom and the environment. Teachers should show affection, care and love to students and build good pious and respectful relationship with students. Teachers should be honest, dedicated and reliable towards school and students. Teachers should maintain cordial and reverential relationships with all the stakeholders ofschool . They must try to win trust of his pupils, colleagues, parents, school management and the public as well. They should always keep them away from the conflict between their professional work andprivate work which may affect students’ perception towards the school and teachers.

28. EDUCATIONAL ETHICS continued In education, there are four principles of ethics. They are- Honesty :- Honesty means being trustworthy, loyal, truthful, sincere, fair etc. which is a very important trait to have in education. The strong bonding of teacher and student in a school always comes from mutual trust and respect. But, it is seen that in today’s world students and academicians are running only after academics, marks etc. and most of them have forgotten about the importance of values and morals in the educational setting. But, success doesn’t come only from academics but also we must have the morality to complement our knowledge. It is one of the important individual assets that a person always should have. So, in the education system students should be provided knowledge along with moralities and ethics and they must guide properly from their childhood to develop honesty among them. Confidentiality: - Confidentiality means not disclosing or revealing one’s commitment or information to the unauthorized people and this is also a very important ethics in education. when a student faces any stress, crisis or challenge they seek helps from students affair professionals and it is the responsibility of them to maintain confidentiality about them. Conflict of interest :- The conflict of interest may occur when the best and highly preferable interest of a person is not similar or doesn’t match the best interest of another individual or organization to which an individual experience loyalty. Therefore, in a school environment students personal interests should be given proper priorities and it is a big responsibility of teachers. Responsibility:- Responsibility is also a very vital and important ethics in education among all other ethics. It is the responsibility of students to show proper respect and careful manners to their teachers as well as other classmates in school and teachers should take strong initiative regarding teaching students about their responsibilities.