Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person

Brief History of Philosophy

1. Brief History of Philosophy

2. Pre-philosophical Period Even before the birth of natural philosophy, people had already attempted to explain the origin of things and the events or occurrences in nature. Such attempts are evident in the folklores, myths, and legends that the ancient peoples-the ancient Babylonians, Chinese, Hindus, Egyptians, and the Greeks most notably believed in. However, these stories are characterized by religious elements or supernatural powers and not by natural or rational explanation.

3. Pre-Socratic Period Philosophy began in the 6th century BC in the Ionic colonies of Asia Minor with Thales of Miletus, considered the first Greek philosopher and the father of philosophy.

4. Thales sought natural explanations for the world, believing that the earth floats on water as the primary substance. Anaximander , another Miletian , proposed that the universe originated from the " apeiron " (the boundless), which he saw as the first principle and substance of the cosmos. Anaximenes , also a Miletian , argued that air is the fundamental element, with varying states of compression shaping the Earth.

5. Heraclitus of Ephesus introduced the idea of the "unity of opposites" and emphasized understanding the cosmos through the "logos" (a rational principle). Democritus – Developed the atomic theory. “ Atoma ” – invisible particle. He taught that the universe was formed out of chaos through the joining of atoms of like shape and size. Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans believed that the cosmos is structured by numbers, making the world knowable through numerical ratios.

6. Pre-Socratic philosophers emphasized observation and analysis, moving away from mythical explanations, and contributed to the foundations of Western philosophy.

7. Socratic Period The second period of Greek philosophy, dominated by Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, is considered the most flourishing and significant. This period focused on addressing the threats of materialism and skepticism to the intellectual and moral life of the nation.

8. Socrates (469-399 B.C.): Left no writings but greatly influenced Western philosophy through Plato's Dialogues. Known for the Socratic method (elenchus), a questioning technique to provoke self-examination and clarify concepts. Famously claimed, "the unexamined life is not worth living."

9. Plato (427-347 B.C.): Extended Socratic philosophy, teaching that true knowledge comes from concepts, and the idea is the only true reality. In "The Republic," advocated for philosopher kings to lead just societies and urged seeking truth, beauty, and goodness beyond appearances. Explored ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, aesthetics, and social and political philosophy.

10. Aristotle (384-322 B.C.): Opposed Platonic tradition, emphasizing that human senses and cognition are reliable for understanding the world. Believed philosophy begins with wonder and focuses on analyzing experience to arrive at truth. His extensive work covered topics like anatomy, biology, physics, knowledge, and ethics.

11. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are considered three of the greatest philosophers in Western thought, focusing on human nature, potential, and understanding the world through reflection and analysis.

12. Medieval Period The medieval period in philosophy is characterized by the integration of faith and reason. Philosophers used philosophy to support and clarify theological concepts, focusing on proving God's existence and understanding humanity's relationship with God. Scholasticism: A key approach during this time, aimed to reconcile Greek philosophy with Christian theology and provide rational proofs of God's existence.

13. St. Anselm : Known for his ontological argument for God's existence in Proslogion .

14. St. Augustine : Argued against solipsism using "the argument by analogy."

15. St. Thomas Aquinas : Famous for Summa Theologica , where he discussed the creation of the universe, human nature, and destiny through Catholic theology.

16. The period demonstrated that philosophical reflection and analysis could be applied to religious beliefs, challenging even established church doctrines.

17. Modern Period The modern tradition in the history of philosophy is recognized to be concerned about problems or issues on knowledge. It is often described as dominated by two schools of thought- rationalism and empiricism and ends with the synthesis made by Immanuel Kant . The reflections and analysis are directed toward answering the questions on the nature of knowledge and the verification and types of knowledge claims to be known by humans.

18. Rationalism RENE DESCARTES BARUCH ESPINOZA Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

19. The rationalists René Descartes, Baruch Spinoza, and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz shared a fundamental belief: reason is the primary source of knowledge . This means they believed that true knowledge can be attained through logical thinking and deduction, rather than relying solely on sensory experience.

20. The types of knowledge that rationalists typically focused on were limited to: Analytic knowledge: Knowledge that is true by definition, such as "all bachelors are unmarried men." Formal knowledge: Knowledge that is based on logical relationships and mathematical principles.

21. Empericism

22. KNOWLEDGE FROM EXPERIENCE Empiricism is a philosophical school of thought that emphasizes the role of experience in acquiring knowledge. Unlike rationalists who prioritize reason, empiricists believe that our senses and observations of the world are the primary sources of understanding.

23. IMMANUEL KANT’S SYNTHESIS Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason is a seminal work in Western philosophy that examines the limits and capabilities of human reason. Kant sought to reconcile the seemingly conflicting claims of rationalism and empiricism, arguing that both reason and experience play essential roles in knowledge acquisition.

24. Contemporary Period: The 20 th Century The 20th century was a big time for philosophy, but it was also a confusing time. Philosophers couldn't agree on the best way to do philosophy. They split into two main groups: the Analytic philosophers and the Continental philosophers.

25. ANALYTIC TRADITION Bertrand Russell, George Edward Moore, Ludwig Wittgenstein

26. Analytic philosophers were all about logic and language. They thought that by breaking down words and sentences, they could solve philosophical problems. Think of them as detectives trying to solve mysteries by examining clues.

27. CONTINENTAL TRADITION This philosophical tradition dominated the English-speaking countries outside the analytic tradition during the 19th and the later 20th centuries. P henomenology and existentialism, hermeneutics and French feminism are some of the movements within this tradition .

28. Key ideas in Continental philosophy include: Human experience: Continental philosophers are interested in how humans experience the world . History: They think that understanding the past is important for understanding the present . Metaphysics: They often ask big questions about the nature of reality and existence . Continental philosophy is a broad field with many different ideas and movements. It's a way of thinking that challenges traditional ways of understanding the world.

29. CONCLUSION The history of philosophy is an account of the different philosophical perspectives from different periods and for topics which were considered important to humans. This history gives emphasis that the beauty of the philosophic discipline is understanding the world from a variety of perspectives and reflection and analysis. Thus, a person interested in philosophizing will scrutinize truths and explanations about the world via analysis, criticism and deliberate reflection.

30. You might feel a bit overwhelmed by all the different philosophical ideas you've learned about. It might seem like a lot of pieces that don't quite fit together. But don't worry! To understand philosophy, you need to see the big picture . What you've learned so far: You've seen how different philosophers think about the world. You've learned about their specific ideas and concerns. You've seen how these different ideas can fit together to form a bigger picture.

31. Why study philosophy? Philosophy is like loving something deeply. When you love something, you want to know everything about it. Philosophers do the same thing with the world. They try to understand it from all angles and see the big picture. By studying philosophy, you're not just learning facts. You're learning how to think critically, analyze ideas, and see the world in new ways.