Introduction to Philosophy Flashcards
Where does word “Philosophy” came from?
PHILO - “to love”
SOPHIA - “wisdom”
What are the fundamentals of Philosophy?
- Science
- Natural Light of Reasoning
- Study of All Things
4.First Cause or the Highest Principle
It is called ——– because
the investigation is systematic. It follows
certain steps or employs certain
procedures. In other words, it is an
organized body of knowledge just like
any other science.
Science
Philosophy investigates things, not by using
any other laboratory instrument or
investigative tools, nor based on
supernatural revelation, otherwise, it
becomes theology; instead, the philosopher
uses his natural capacity to think or, human
reason alone or the so-called unaided
reason.
Natural Light of Reason
This sets the distinction between philosophies
from other sciences. All other sciences concern
themselves with a particular object of
investigation.
Study of All Things
A principle is that from which something
proceeds in any manner whatsoever.
First Cause or the Highest Principle
What are the four First Cause or the Highest Principles?
1.Principle of Identity
2.Principle of Noncontradiction
3.Principle of Excluded Middle
4.Principle of Sufficient Reason
Principle of Identity?
whatever it is; and whatever is not;
everything is what it is. Everything is its being, and not
being is not being.
Principle of Noncontradiction?
it is impossible for a thing to
be and not to be simultaneously and in the same respect.
Principle of Excluded Middle?
a thing is either is or
not; not everything must be either be or not be; there is
no middle ground possible between being and not
being.
Principle of Sufficient Reason
Nothing exists without a
sufficient reason for its being and existence.
A Greek Philosopher, everything is
water. He claims that everything we
experience is water- which we call
“reality.” Everything else is
“appearance.”
We then set out to try to explain
everything else (appearance) in
terms of water (reality).
Thales
He equated the first material principle
with the divine, so that effectively “air is
God”, both being infinite and eternal.
He gives an account of how our world
came to be out of previously existing
matter. According to him, the earth was
formed from the air by a felting process.
It began as a flat disk. From evaporations
from the earth, fiery bodies arose which
came to be the heavenly bodies.
Anaximenes
A Greek philosopher
who made important developments in
mathematics, astronomy, and the
theory of music. The theorem now
known as Pythagoras’s theorem was
known to the Babylonians 1000 years
earlier but he may have been the first
to prove it.
Pythagoras
He is known primarily for three
claims (1) that man is the measure of
all things (2) that he could make the
“worse (or weaker) argument appear
the better (or stronger)” and (3) that
one could not tell if the gods existed
or not.
Protagoras
