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Competenc
y Distinguish a holistic perspective
from a partial point of view.
1
In the long run and on your own, you will be able to realize the importance of
distinct views in life that perspectives must not end up with disputes but open for a
new horizon of development and improvement through listening intensively with
others.
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
a. define partial seeing;
b. identify the inadequacies of partial seeing;
c. see the need to rise above a partial seeing; and
d. realize that philosophy is not partial seeing by looking upon some
ancient philosophers.
Initial Task: Blind Men and the Elephant by John Godfrey Saxe
Direction: Make yourself available with silence and read silently the story of the
blind men and the Elephant. Kindly situate your mind acting like the blind men;
when they give distinct perspectives of what elephant is? You may write your
answer on the space provided to every descriptions of each blind man. Are you
ready? Here you go!
Blind Men and the Elephant by John Godfrey
Saxe (1816-1887)
It was six men of Indostan, to learning much inclined, who went to see the
Elephant (though all of them were blind), that each by observation might
satisfy his mind.
The first approach’d the Elephant, and happening to fall against his broad
and sturdy. Side At once began to bawl; “God bless me! but the Elephant
The second, feeling of the Tusk , Cried, --“Ho! What have we here so very
round and smooth and sharp? To me ‘tis mighty clear, this wonder of an
Elephant is very like a spear!”
The Third approach’d the animal, and happening to take the squirming
trunk within his hands, thus boldly up and spake: “I see,”-quoth he,”- “Tis
clear enough the Elephant is very like a snake!”
The fourth reached out an anger hand, and felt about the Knee; “What most
this wondrous beast is like, is mighty plain,”- quoth he,-“This clear enough
the Elephant is very like a tree!”
The fifth, who chanced to touch the Ear, said “E’en the blindest man can tell
what this resembles most; Deny the fact who can, this marvel of an Elephant
is very like a fan!”
The Sixth no sooner had begun about the beast to grope, then seizing on the
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swinging Tail that fell within his scope, “I see,” –quoth he, -“the Elephant is
very like a rope!”
To help you understand the story, I have here questions
for you to be guided. Kindly write your answers on the
space provide after the question.
1. How did the elephant-experience of the blind men end?
They said one by one they touched the elephant’s part they thought the elephant was like a wall, spearl etc, that
they did not know that they touched something different on the elephant part, and that was the first time they
touched the elephant so that’s why there is have different arguments that they think the one they are touching in
the parts of elephant is that kind of elephant.
2. Why did they dispute?
because they touched different parts of the elephant, they thought the elephant was like a
wall, spear etc., and after they touched the elephant they shared what they touched and
there they shared the elephant one by one, which in they think, they only touched one part
of the elephant, but it did not, and that is and they argued that they held that the elephant
was like a wall and etc.
3. Why is each one right?
Because that is what they believe about elephants and also they are right because every
part of the elephant they give meaning about that part of the elephant that they touch,
because elephant is a large animal, elephants are still what they are arguing about
4. So, if each one is right, why are they disputing?
because they touched different parts of the elephant one by one, which they thought they
touched was the same but different, because of the comparisons they gave that the
elephant was like a wall, spear, carpet or big cow , so they argue because of what they
touch.
Unlocking of Difficulties
1. Holistic- it is related to holism which is a theory that the
universe and especially living nature is correctly seen in terms
of interacting wholes (as of living organisms) that are more
that the mere sum of elementary particles.
2. Philosophy- comes from the two Greek words filos(philos),
meaning ‘love’, and sofia (Sophia), meaning wisdom. In short it
all about love of wisdom.
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3. Wisdom- it is the ability to discern inner qualities and
relationships.
Lecturette
Overview: Doing Philosophy
Not to establish bias agaisnt the philosphy
subject, but there are some that would say,
“this is so hard!”
How about you my dear student? What is
philosophy for you? Or is this the first time
you heard the term? Will, wonder is said to be
the beginning of philosophy. Have you started
Source: [Link]
wondering while reading the story of blind men and the elephant? If yes, then you
are actually doing philosophy. In the early human life on planet, when man struck
with wonder at the natural phenomena or when he found multifacted and conflicting
phenomena in life and was filled with discontent at the existing order of things, it
was the beginning of philosophy.
What is the real nature of man? What is the end of life? What is the nature of this
world in which he lives? Is there any creator of this world? These are some of many
problems taken at random, which he finds agitating the human mind in every land,
from the very dawn of civilization.
The term “philosophia or philosophy” come from the two Greek words filos (philos),
meaning ‘love’, and sofia (sophia), meaning ‘wisdom.’ Hence, philosophy is
ordinarily and literally understood as ‘the love of wisdom.’ But there is a little
problem with this etymological definition because wisdom here habitually connotes
“wisdom of the ages past.”
This in turn implies that if man has to love wisdom, then he has to flow through the
hoary maxims and aphorisms left behind by a horde of famous dead men! This
paints a rather dreary picture of philosophy that makes it unappealing to my
students. Yet, we dig deeper into the more original meanings of Greek words filos
and sofia, we can have a more specific idea of what philosophy really is.
Homer, in his Iliad, calls the skill of carpenter sofia, and Herodotus used the verb
filosofein (philosophien) in a context in which it would mean, be more appropriately
understood as “the love of exercing one’s curiosity and intelligence.”
This new understanding stresses the fact that philosophy is an attitude of life and
not a set of well-defined doctrines of the ages past. More basically, philosophy is an
attitude and the desire to ask questions in order to find out some important things.
Thus, it begins not with ancient doctrines, but with current questions that are
relevant to the person who raises them. This makes philosophy not a thing or
finished text, but the process of asking questions and finding answers no matter
how tentative these answer may turn out to be.
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Moving forward, according to Aristotle, philosophy arises from wonder. Man
experienced rains and drought, storms, clouds, lightning. At times, he was greatly
terrified. Then the events of life and death mystified him. He began to reflect over
the events. The sun, moon, and the stars appeared to him wonderful and beautiful.
As a result of his reflection, he thought that the events could be explained by
powers akin to man. He proposes to control them by means of magical spells.
Lastly, thus magic gives way to science, philosophy and religion in due course.
Magic becomes science when natural events begin to be explained and controlled
with the help of natural causes. Magic, again, becomes religion when the powers
are taken to be super natural beings. The same magic flowers into philosophy when
man makes an attempt to explain the world as a whole.
Assessment
Direction: Explain philosophically the following ideas.
Write your notions on box below the particular slogan.
1. “Man can never be satisfied completely and for
always.”
B ecause we still have desires that we are not satisfied with yet, the
difficulty of being human especially when I come from insulting other
people, of course you want to evolve to be far from insulting other people. it
is difficult to be satisfied if the person is purely insulting to his own person.
2. “life presents a lot of questioning”
we are born curious to the world. we are born in need of answers. we are
satisfied by the answers in the simplest questions we asked.
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Criteria
Content- 20 points
Philosophical notions- 10 points
Total – 30 points
Lecturette
Major Greek Philosophers
Pre- Socratic Philosophers
A. The Milesians
This group of philosophers were more interested
in figuring out single substance forms that basic
material of the world. They included Thales of
Miletus (c. 580 BCE), Anaximander (c. 610 BCE-
546 BCE) and Anaximenes (c. 545 BCE).
A.1. Thales of Miletus (c.580 BCE)
Philosophy was creation of the Greeks and more
particularly of the Ionian race. Thales, born in
Miletus in Asia Minor about 640 B.C. and was their first philosophers. Personal
history – Astronomer, Mathematician, Political and Philosophers.
Thales believed that water or moist is the material cause of all things. His proof is
earth floats upon water. For he thought that water nourishes everything, without it
life died and the universe is essentially living. He chose water as the most essential
to the living universe. Perhaps, he was influenced by mythology by which the
universe was originally in fluid state. Thus, he also believed that magnet is a living
thing (able to attract iron.) And, all things are full of gods.
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A.2 Anaximander (61-547 B.C)
Like Thales, he sought the primary substance of the universe. He did not, however,
like Thales and others, chose a definite substance from among one of the traditional
four opposites, but an entirely different substance which we could not contact by
experience, he called it as “The Boundless”-Apeilon. It means that there are two
characteristics of the said substance; the quantitatively infinite and qualitatively
indeterminate.
Thus, with his discussion he found out that the primary composition of everything
was INDETERMINATE (MATERIAL CAUSE). It was this “HIM” not water or any ‘one
element’ who created everything.
Lastly, this ‘HIM’ must be the INFINITE, ETERNAL and AGELESS…the source of all the
worlds.
A. 3 Anaximenes – Died about 528 B.C.
He believed that substance of the universe was air. Everything evolved from air by
means of condensation and rarefaction. So, the primary of everything was
DETERMINATE (AIR). For all living things could not live without air.
Here is the process of CONDENSATION- When AIR condensed = wind, cloud, water,
earth and finally stones. And RAREFACTION- When air condensed = wind, cloud,
water, earth and finally stones and when rarefied can become fire.
[Link] (c. 470 BCE)
Often called “the dark one”, his philosophy developed out of pessimistic
observations regarding change. He saw the world as existing in a state of perpetual
change. Nothing could last, and nothing could stay the same forever. His most
quoted words are “You can’t step in the same river twice” (i.e., it will change from
moment to moment) and “Everything changes but change itself.”
Note: The philosophers I presented would drive us to the wider reality of critical and
analytical thinking skills, wherein they tried to answer the question of the single
substance or reality that causes the existence of everything in this world. Actually,
there are many Greek Philosophers and if you want to know there philosophies, you
may search it at Google, but on our consumption so we have the philosophers I
mentioned above.
BIBLE VERSE: Page 6
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“Be sober, be vigilant, because your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks
about, seeking whom he devour.”
1 Peter 5: 8
Assessment
Direction: Explanation: In a very creative way, draw a thing or image inside
the box that can be the source of the existence of everything in this world.
Kindly write philosophical thoughts at least three sentences below the
drawing.
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There is no other things that you can get all the things on this world is only
money, there is a deepest meaning about this things, they unlock all you
need on this world Except true and Love true life.
Criteria
Creativity-20 points
Content- 20 points
Philosophical notions- 10 points
Total – 50 points
Lecturette
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The Sophists’ School and Socratic
Philosophers
The Sophist’s
School
The Sophist school belongs to Greek
teachers of rhetoric, philosophy and the art
of successful living prominent about the
middle of the fifth century b.c. for their
adroit subtle and allegedly often specious
reasoning.
Thus, in this discussion I would like to
present three schools with their distinct
perspectivesnamely Thrasymachus,
Callicles, and Critias.
First is the School of Thasymachus. He was
most famous for his claim that “Justice was merely what was to the advantage of
those in power” (i.e., that might makes right.) The argument between right and
wrong, he claimed it did not matter at all.
[Link]
Secondly, the Callicles School claimed that traditional morality was only a clever
way for the weak masses to restrain strong-willed individuals. Accordingly, strong-
willed individuals should cast aside notions about morality and did what was best
for their own pleasure. Power was more important that justice, so the strong man
should naturally sought naturally sought power and ignored claims about right and
wrong by those weaker that him.
Lastly, the Critias School taught that the gods were nonexistent but clever rulers
and priests should hypocritically encourage common belief in them as a means of
controlling less intelligent people and preserving political order.
The Socratic Philosophers
The Socratic Philosophers were deeply offended by the Sophist and deeply
suspicious of rhetoric. Their arguments with the Sophist appeared in several
writings such as ‘The Symposium’. The big three Socratic philosophers included the
following:
1.)Socrates (470-399 B.C.).
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Socrates is famous for his claim that he didn’t know anything. He wrote no books,
but his student Plato recorded his conversations. The typical Socratic dialogue had
three divisions.
(1) In the first section, Socrates would pose a problem, such as “What is virtue?”
or “What is justice?” He would ask strangers about it, and he would become
excited when they claimed to know the answer.
(2) In the second section, Socrates would find “minor flaws” in his companions’
definitions and began to unravel them, forcing his partners to admit their
ignorance.
(3) Socrates and the other conversationalists agreed to pursue the truth
seriously and further refined their definitions. Socrates most famous
quotations as recorded in Plato, proclaims the unexamined life is not worth
living.
Unfortunately his tendency to question established beliefs in the government and in
religion created many enemies, especially since he encouraged young people to do
the same. He was eventually put to trial for “corruption of the youth” and
condemned to die by drinking hemlock.
2.)Plato (427-347 BCE).
Plato introduced the two worlds namely the world of true ideas and world of forms.
For him, world of ideas (Justice Beauty, Goodness, Virtue, Numbers, Geometry) had
a reality of its own beyond the physical world. In this idea, concepts were even
more real than the physical world of the senses.
3.) Aristotle (384-322 B.C).
Aristotle argued that most perfect, unchanging force or entity (a Prime Mover)
outside of causality must have initiated the sequence of cause and effect in the
material world, he suggested that things in the material world were teleological
(goal-oriented or purpose-oriented) in nature.
Note: These two different views of deeply engaging to reality can create or trigger
for conflicts or disputes. But this will unfold new learning to learn and integrate
inwardly.
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Assessment
Direction: Have a critical notion: After learning and realizing different
perspectives, can you choose one philosophy among our discussion and
evaluate it, and how does dispute help one another to the development of
our society? You should only have three to five sentences to answer the
queries posted. Write your answer inside the box after this direction.
life presents a lot of questioning
we are born curious to the world. we are born in need of answers. we are
satisfied by the answers in the simplest questions we asked, it can also talk
about I want to learn more about society and hope soon I can help of every
question to answer to fix simply the problems of people and to our world we
live.
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Rubric for Essay and Journal Writing
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Lesson Reflection:
As an Ignacian Marian student, I learned that… I learned that we must to see
first his background before we judge his life, that is how I would describe what I
learned on this lesson.
Criteria
Content- 20 points
Philosophical notions- 10 points
Total – 30 points
Final Task:
Journal Writing Entry # 1:
Why is it important to listen intensively to the notion of others? How will it
help you in your personal development? Cite one specific example on how
you can apply your learning or self-discovery in planning for your future.
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I will apply it on my self first before to others, first is manners this is the most
important of life, of being a respectful man to others, I will apply this all the
things that I learned to people to my self and to family, there is no can help
you to grow for your future it is only by you and the peoples around you, and
on how you threat them as person, all of the things that I learn is only good
manners is the best to apply where ever you are because if you have this,
they will help this to be a achievers in life because you’re a good person.
Note: The same rubric in the assessment # 3 will be utilize on this
activity
References:
Gonzalvo Jr., Romeo P. (2016). Philosophy of the Human Person.
MINDSHAPERS CO.,
INC, Recoletos St., Intamuros, Manila
Private Education Assistance Comminttee (PEAC), (2019). Introduction to the
Philosophy of the Human Person.
Prepared by:
Mariel T. Abuela, MAPM
Instructor
Checked by:
Raymond W. Dela Cuesta, LPT. MAED
SHS Academic Coordinator
Noted by:
Eleanor C. Aguillon, MAED
SHS Focal Person
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Approved by:
S. Ma. Francisca M. Mañibo, RVM
BED Principal
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