8/2/2019 Why Legal Philosophy is Important on My Becoming a Lawyer

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WHY LEGAL PHILOSOPHY IS IMPORTANT ON MY BECOMING A LAWYERAttorney Palicte III

“All things in life are philosophical." This is a well-known quote by the renowned Greekscientist/philosopher Aristotle. When one is to imagine life without thought, free will or knowledge, they are left to only imagine the oblivion they would be left to reside in. To me,

philosophy is more than ethics, esthetics, and epistemology... it is the ability to stand one’sground with certain viewpoints, attitudes and beliefs. Philosophy makes people who theyare, their own philosophy. Philosophy then becomes an attitude, and life is all about howyou maintain your personal stance. When you allow yourself to be persuaded by other 'popular' philosophies and beliefs you weaken your own.

Philosophy is generally defined as a body of principles or general concepts underlying agiven branch of learning or major discipline. From this, it may be deduced that legalphilosophy refers to the body of principles or concepts underlying law as a branch of knowledge or discipline. The study of legal philosophy will equip law students to deal withthe body of principles or concepts underlying Philippine law as a discipline or branch of 

learning.

It has been said that Filipino law students reveal to be sadly deficient in respect of thewisdom of illustrious Filipino lawyers. True, we have courses in legal philosophy offered inboth undergraduate and graduate levels. But the philosophy that is taught and learned isnot indigenous but alien. It is a sad commentary on our legal education that our studentscan in some instances readily expound the views of alien writers but they are at a loss inproviding themselves with native props. This is not to say that we should denigrate foreignlegal philosophy. It has its utility. However, if we have proper and adequate understandingof Philippine legal philosophy, or more accurately of Filipino legal thinking, it presupposesour familiarity with the principles and concepts underlying our own legal system. Thus, we

will be effective in our becoming as a lawyer.

 As a law student, I believe philosophy's greatest contribution to law is its language richenvironment. Philosophy requires extensive explanation, discussion, argument. In fact itincludes the study of logic and argument. In studying philosophy one becomes more adeptat the use and understanding of language--clearly a useful skill in the application of law.Legal Philosophy plays an important role in the preparation for legal education, especiallyin becoming a lawyer. It broadens one’s substantial experience at close reading andcritical analysis of complex textural material, for much of what law students and attorneysdo which involves careful reading and sophisticated comprehension of judicial opinions,statutes, documents, and other written materials.

The law is the law, but the beauty of it is, with philosophy, one can affect a person’sthought process which works in cases heard by juries. With legal philosophy, we will begood at influencing people, the art of ethics and philosophy can be applied to manysituations. It’s not a belief so to speak, as much as it is an understanding of various waysof thinking an approach to different cases. This kind of legal preparation will be useful inthe practice of law. However, the beauty of law is that of what can be challenged. Withoutthe concept of philosophy one will not be a good law student. For it will help you see thereal world through different windows.