THE CONCEPT AND FUNCTION OF

PHILOSOPHY
SPP 1002 Philosophy Of Education
1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this section, students will be able to:

1. Elaborate the term philosophy

2. Summarize the characteristics of philosophy

3. Elaborate the objectives and application of
philosophy problems.
1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy
DEFINITIONS OF PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy:

> The term derived from the two Greek words:

philos to love or to appreciate

sophia wisdom or knowledge

> It can be explained as the love of wisdom or
the love for knowledge

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy
In general, philosophy can be viewed as matters
that involve in statements such as:
The fondness of wisdom

The appreciation towards wisdom

The desire to obtain wisdom
(in order to become a knowledgeable person)

The desire to seek the truth

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy
Other meanings of philosophy:
1. Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary (1990)

(n) Search for knowledge and understanding of
the nature and meaning of the universe and of
human life.

2. Wolff (1989)

Philosophy, literally means love of wisdom.
Philosophy is the systematic, critical examination
of the way in which we judge, evaluate and act;
with the aim of making ourselves wiser, more self-
reflective and therefore better man or women.

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy
THE IMPORTANCE OF PHILOSOPHY

In short, philosophy is an effort to seek the truth
about certain matters, by using the strength of ones
mind.

A person is considered to be one with his/her own
philosophy is one who:

Wisely uses of his mind

His wise mind is able to guide him towards the
truth in his life.
1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy
A philosophers duty (Mok, 2003):

To evaluate the ways of life and experiences of
man - by analyzing and assessing them.

Try to find a conclusion - that can provide an
interpretation for the understanding and truth
related to human livings and experiences.

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy
> The discovery and conclusion drawn by
philosophers serve as useful guidance.

> The guidance can be used to people who try to:

Seek satisfactory and perfect living

Determine the course of direction for
development and advancement of a nation.
1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy
THE FUNCTIONS OF PHILOSOPHY
1. Developing a systematic view towards a
particular thing that exists in this world.

2. Providing a view of life that involves the
value system that allows individuals to
rationalize and evaluate between good
and bad.

3. Helping people to think in a critical and
logical manner in order to gain the true
knowledge of a particular matter.

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy
The functions of philosophy (in general; cont.):
3. Helping people to conduct research on
the basic nature of knowledge and
allowing them to develop pre-
assumptions on whether the knowledge
is useful in every-days life.

4. Helping an individual to think about the
meaning of his life in a sincere and
detailed manner. So as to guide human
towards the worthy ways of life.


1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy
The functions of philosophy (in general; cont.):
6. Providing individuals with guidance and
principle as to choose their objectives,
methods and ways in searching for truths.
(It does not give man the definite or
unquestionable answers).

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy
VIEWS OF PHILOSOPHERS ON
PHILOSOPHY
Russel (1946):

A kind of understanding or meaning between
theology and science.
> Like theology, philosophy contains speculations
over matters which have not been proven.

> Similar to science, philosophy is using
reasoning and logic to prove hypothesis or
speculations.

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy
Frost (1955)
Every individual is a philosopher in a true sense.

W.W. Howick (1977)
Philosophy tries to find a comprehensive view on
human beings and the universe.

Gutek (1988)
The human beings attempt to think most
speculatively, reflectively and systematically
about the universe and the human relationship to
the universe.
1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy
G.W. Kneller (1971)

Philosophy can be referred as an activity, which is
divided into three: Speculative Philosophy,
Prescriptive Philosophy and Analytical
Philosophy.

> Speculative philosophy: A systematic way of
thinking about all that existed. An effort to
synthesize all thinking and experiences.

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy
> Prescriptive philosophy tries to determine a
set of standard in order to consider values and
actions, as well as to appreciate arts.

> Analytical philosophy focuses on statements
or words, and their meanings. It tries to
analyze statements that are speculative and
prescriptive in nature.

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy
These views try to highlight:
The quest for truth occurred according to a
particular situation or condition.

It depends on what is necessary to human
beings and what is needed by human
beings.

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy
Group Activities:
1. In a group of four, highlight and describe:
(5 minutes)

a. The current problems and challenges faced
by teachers in Malaysia.

b. The importance of philosophy as the tool to
overcome the problems.

2. Select a group member as a presenter and discuss
the findings with the other groups (5 minutes
presentation).

1 The Concept And Function Of Philosophy