In the last unit, you studied the concept of education, the aims of education and the philosophical aims of education. In this unit, you will learn about the definition and meaning of philosophy, the functions of philosophy and the implication of philosophy to education.
The word philosophy came from the Greek words, ‘philo’ and ‘Sophia’. These Greek words are interpreted as follows- ‘philo’ refers to friendliness, affection or love. The ‘Sophia’ on the other hand, refers to the highest intellectual, especially philosophical excellence which the human mind is capable of and which is the result of studying nature for its own sake. The two concepts would combine to form philosophy, which is literally translated as ‘love of wisdom’.
Better and, therefore, be better able to develop the knowledge of his learner. This is why you need to study it well.
Philosophy is also concerned with studying the nature of knowledge. Philosophy tries to define knowledge. They try to identify the qualities of knowledge. They try to trace the origin and source of knowledge. While some philosophers believe that knowledge comes from reasoning, other believes that it comes from senses. Again, others believe that knowledge is determined by the person looking for it. The branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge is called epistemology. It is important to educate because to be able to educate, we must have knowledge. Again, the process of education is the processes of making people acquire knowledge. As you read through, you are acquiring knowledge. Philosophy is also concerned with the principle guiding our social actions. This is called ethics or moral philosophy. Again, philosophy interprets ‘good’, ‘rights’ or ‘wrong’ ways. This again depends on their background experience. To a person who is brought up in a period of war, the good life may be the life of peace. To those who suffer from ignorance, knowledge to them is good. Philosophers do not only try to define the good life, they also prescribe ways of attaining it.
As an educator, you should know the ways of life that are valued to your people so that you prepare your learner for good social relations.
Over the years, philosophy has assumed a more moderate role by confining itself to analyzing and clarifying concepts and statements. It also tries to resolve issues in human life. This is done in order to improve our understanding of the subject matter of life in general and discipline as well.
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:- State the meaning of philosophy
- Define what philosophy is
- Explain who is a philosopher
- Describe the functions of philosophy
- State the implications of philosophy for teaching.
The meaning of philosophy
People think philosophy in different ways because of their differences in viewing the world. The various ways people see things have accounted for the argument about the way things and how man fits into the universal scheme.The word philosophy came from the Greek words, ‘philo’ and ‘Sophia’. These Greek words are interpreted as follows- ‘philo’ refers to friendliness, affection or love. The ‘Sophia’ on the other hand, refers to the highest intellectual, especially philosophical excellence which the human mind is capable of and which is the result of studying nature for its own sake. The two concepts would combine to form philosophy, which is literally translated as ‘love of wisdom’.
Philosophy
Although, contemporary philosophers do not parade themselves as ‘wise men’ wisdom is certainly an attribute of philosophy. But who is a wise man? What would make us refer a person as wise in African society? To refer to a person as a wise man in Africa, the person must know the traditional practices and customs of his people. Such a person must think critically and deeply about the world around him. It is only when a person has these qualities that you can refer to him as a wise man or a philosopher. In order words, how much schooling or paper qualification a man has does not account for his becoming a philosopher. Now, let us look at some definitions of philosophy.Philosophy has been defined as:
- A mental attitude between science and religion. Like science, it is concerned about factual evidence about the world. Like religion, philosophy is never definite about anything sai9d about the nature of God or man.
- A way of simplifying complex ideas and statements about our experiences in life in order to make us understand them fully.
- A study, which examines the nature of the world and the reasons behind many things or events happening in it.
The Scope of Philosophical Inquires
Understand that philosophical inquiry is about the following areas of study:- A comprehensive explanation of why man occupies a particular position in the world.
- An explanation of the nature of knowledge and its relevance to human life.
- A study of theories and principles which guide social behavior which we call ‘Good’ or ‘ bad’, ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. Philosophy as subject examines the question, which affects human existence and the exercise of other objects in the world.
Better and, therefore, be better able to develop the knowledge of his learner. This is why you need to study it well.
Philosophy is also concerned with studying the nature of knowledge. Philosophy tries to define knowledge. They try to identify the qualities of knowledge. They try to trace the origin and source of knowledge. While some philosophers believe that knowledge comes from reasoning, other believes that it comes from senses. Again, others believe that knowledge is determined by the person looking for it. The branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge is called epistemology. It is important to educate because to be able to educate, we must have knowledge. Again, the process of education is the processes of making people acquire knowledge. As you read through, you are acquiring knowledge. Philosophy is also concerned with the principle guiding our social actions. This is called ethics or moral philosophy. Again, philosophy interprets ‘good’, ‘rights’ or ‘wrong’ ways. This again depends on their background experience. To a person who is brought up in a period of war, the good life may be the life of peace. To those who suffer from ignorance, knowledge to them is good. Philosophers do not only try to define the good life, they also prescribe ways of attaining it.
As an educator, you should know the ways of life that are valued to your people so that you prepare your learner for good social relations.
Over the years, philosophy has assumed a more moderate role by confining itself to analyzing and clarifying concepts and statements. It also tries to resolve issues in human life. This is done in order to improve our understanding of the subject matter of life in general and discipline as well.
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