PART I: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY

PART I. Chapter 1. What is Philosophy?

• What does the word "Philosophy" mean?
• Does Philosophy have anything to do with our day-to-day knowledge? Is it in touch with the world in which you and I live? If that is so, why is it that the philosophers I know seem to be living in another world?
• Is Philosophy an art or a science? What is an art in the first place? And science?
• In the definition of Philosophy, what do we mean by "ultimate causes"?
• Why do we have to state that this knowledge is acquired through the use of reason?
• What do we mean by "material object"? And "formal object"? [*]
• Should each  person have "his" Philosophy?
• Isn't the study of Philosophy difficult? I heard people go nuts when they study Philosophy.

PART I. Chapter 2. Philosophy as Wisdom. What?

• What do you mean here by "wisdom"? Does it have anything to do with smart alecks?
• Is wisdom, according to this definition, important for human life?
• Do the types of wisdom have anything to do with the different fields of Philosophy?
• How do you relate "wisdom", "science" and "Philosophy", then?
• Is ignorance bad? If a man is wise, is that enough to make him good?

PART I. Chapter 3. Philosophy as Science. Huh?

• What do we mean by "science"?
• Is Philosophy, according to this definition, a science? Why or why not?
• Why do we say that Philosophy is a science composed of different sciences? What makes these different from each other, and what makes them similar to one another?
• How is Philosophy different from the so-called "particular" sciences, such as Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and so on?
• What do we mean when we say that the particular sciences have a basis or are founded on Metaphysics? (Hey, what happened to "Philosophy"? Why are we talking now of "Metaphysics"?)
• Does that mean that the particular sciences are completely dependent on Metaphysics?

PART I. Chapter 4. The Method of Philosophy. What is its modus operandi?

• Where does it all begin? Is there a magician's hat?
• From observation, how does one proceed? What do you mean by abstraction? [*]
• What do we mean when we say that Philosophy has to rely also on intellectual evidence? Does that mean that the intellect is considered as a sort of witness? [*]
• Is it important to understand philosophical terms? (This is a bonus question!)

PART II: DIVISION OF PHILOSOPHY

PART II. Chapter 1. Metaphysics

• What is Metaphysics? How did this name come about?
• Does Metaphysics play a special role in Philosophy (that is, with respect to the other branches of Philosophy)?
• Metaphysics studies ens qua ens, being qua being. Duh.... What's that?
• Aside from General Metaphysics, what are the other fields of Metaphysics? [Note: I personally would not follow this kind of division. Please see Thomistic Division of Philosophy, according to me, that is!]
• What is Theodicy or Natural Theology?
• What is Gnoseology, or Epistemology, or Critique, or Philosophy of Knowledge, or .... (sigh!)?

PART II. Chapter 2. Philosophy of (Inanimate) Nature

• What do we mean by "nature" here?
• So what is Philosophy of Nature, or Cosmology?
• How is Philosophy of Nature related to Physics and Chemistry?
• Is it important? Why?

PART II. Chapter 3. Philosophy of (Animate) Nature. Philosophy of Living Beings

• This course goes by many other names as well: Philosophy of Living Beings, Rational Psychology, Philosophical Psychology, Philosophy of Man, Philosophical Anthropology. What does it study? (Hmmmmm, that's a give-away question.)
• But don't the particular sciences study man--like medicine, psychology, psychiatry, sociology, and so on?

PART II. Chapter 4. Ethics

• Ethics is a practical science. Sure. What does that mean?
• What does Ethics study?
• Is this study further subdivided into different fields? (Hah! You guessed right!) So what are those fields?
• What does General Ethics do? And Social Ethics (a.k.a. Social and Political Philosophy)?
• What role does Philosophical Anthropology play in Ethics?
• How about Metaphysics--does it have an impact on Ethics?

PART II. Chapter 5. Logic

• What does Logic study? What are its "parts" (i.e. subdivisions)?
• Why is it important?
• Is it related to Metaphysics?
• Is it the most important branch of Philosophy?

PART II. Chapter 6. History of Philosophy

• What's the whole point in studying the History of Philosophy? I thought we're interested in being, and not in what other people have said?
• What are the principal periods in the history of Philosophy? Can you characterise each one?

PART III: PHILOSOPHY AND CHRISTIANITY

PART III: Chapter 1. Theology as a Science.

• What is the relationship between faith and reason? (Does Fides et Ratio ring a bell?)
• What does Theology study?
• What is its method? Is that the same as the philosophical method?
• Does reason play a role in Theology? Can you enumerate some? [Try also an advanced reading of the next chapter.]
• Why are the two extremes (complete divorce versus absorption of faith by reason) untenable?

PART III: Chapter 2. Philosophy and Theology

• Is there such a thing as a "Christian Philosophy"?

PART III: Chapter 3. Philosophy in Christianity

• How was Philosophy regarded in the early times of the Church?
• How about in the Middle Ages?
• How about in the Modern Era?
• And now?

PART III: Chapter 4. The Christian and Philosophy

• Could philosophical study help a Christian in his faith? How?
• Would it have any effect on his life?
• Has the Church said anything about Philosophy?