INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON - Page |1

Senior High School Core Subject

Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person

Learn About It!

PHILOSOPHY – came from the Greek words philos (love) and sophia (wisdom)

NATURE AND FUNCTIONS OF PHILOSOPHY

1. Philosophy integrates itself with other disciplines to achieve a comprehensive and coherent world view.
2. Philosophy analyzes the very foundations of other disciplines.
3. Philosophy analyzes and criticizes treasured beliefs and traditions.

CORE BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY

1. METAPHYSICS
- Greek word metaphysika (beyond physics)
- It deals with the true nature of reality. It focuses on the study of existence
- Metaphysicists usually investigates answers to questions like:
 What is the nature of reality?
 How did the world come to be?
 Does God exist?
 What does it mean to be a person?
 Is there an afterlife?
 Is time infinite?

2. EPISTEMOLOGY
- deals with the study of the nature and scope of knowledge and justified beliefs.
- Greek words episteme (knowledge) and logos (to study)
- Investigates the acquisition of knowledge – encompassing the nature and construction of concepts, logical reasoning, and even
the validity of the perception of the senses.
- Epistemologists explore questions like:
 What is knowledge?
 How does a person acquire knowledge?
 How much can a person possibly know?
- 2 domains:
a. RATIONALISM – views reason as the chief source of knowledge and the most important element in the acquisition of
knowledge. A popular proponent of this view was Rene Descartes who contended that a person was born with innate a
priori or theoretical knowledge and could deduce truths through mental reasoning.
b. EMPIRICISM – asserts that all of a person’s knowledge comes from his/her five senses. The chief proponent was John
Locke who conceived the concept of mind being a tabula rasa (empty tablet/blank sheet) upon which one could write and
store his/her ideas based on experiences and learn out of those experiences. He provided two forms of experience where
a person could acquire knowledge: sensation and reflection.

3. ETHICS
- Also called moral philosophy, it comes from the Greek word ethos which means custom or habit. It is a discipline which aims to
synthesize the concepts of right and wrong behavior.
- 3 domains:
a. METAETHICS – deals with the origin and meaning of ethical concepts
b. NORMATIVE ETHICS – concerned with the setting of certain standards of what is morally right and morally wrong.
c. APPLIED ETHICS – attempts to apply theories to situations in real life.

4. AESTHETICS
- It deals with the nature and appreciation of art, beauty and good taste.
- Greek word aisthetikos (of sense perception)
- Immanuel Kant – beauty and art were both objective and universal, but there was also an aspect in the interpretation of art
which was anchored upon the individual’s taste.
- Usually focus on questions like:
 What makes an art outstanding?
 How can one say that something is beautiful?
 Can everybody become artist?

5. LOGIC
- The art of reasoning
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Try It!
Paste or draw any picture/painting or anything that you find beautiful and explain why this is so.

Why is it beautiful for me?

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Philosophy and Its Holistic Approach

A philosopher’s way of thinking can be described as “abstractive”. This means that it rises from the level of everyday life to
a higher level that gives a bird’s eye view of the whole. Try to recall an experience in which you were able to climb a tower, reach the
peak of a high mountain, or view things from the window of an airplane. The view is certainly different from up there than from the
ground. When you are on the ground, you see roads, buildings, and all that make up the busy everyday life, one at a time. When you
are up there, you not only see the same roads and buildings from a different perspective, but you see them all at the same time.
Moreover, you also see how they are connected to each other. This is what we mean by seeing things from a holistic perspective.

ACTIVITY
Read the poem written by John Godfrey Saxe’s on the classic Indian legend of the Six Blind Men and the Elephant.
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
Is very like a WALL!”
The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, “Ho! What have we have 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 approached the animal
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within the hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
Is very like a SNAKE!”
The Fourth reached out his eager hand
And felt about the knee.
“What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain,” quoth he,
“’ Tis 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 swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
Is very like a ROPE!”
And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!
MORAL.
So oft in theologic wars,
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!
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Try it!
1. Did anyone among the blind men give the correct answer? Why or why not?
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2. In the context of the elephant story, what do you think is a holistic perspective? What is a partial point of view?
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3. What is the importance of a holistic perspective as pointed out by the poet John Godfrey Saxe?
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Learn About It!

What It Means to be a Philosopher

The word philosophy literally means ‘love of wisdom’. Sometimes, however, the term ‘pilosopo’ has a negative connotation
like someone who asks nonsense questions for selfish reasons. The etymological meaning, however, leads us to the true meaning
of a philosopher, a ‘pilosopo’ as someone who asks questions because of a genuine desire to know and to view things in a different
way. His questions emanate from real confusion, astonishment and wonder and from an honest admission that he does nor know.
His questions are personal because they deeply touch on his understanding of the meaning of life.

Reflection

Recall an experience in which you wanted to ask a question but you were afraid to raise them? Why were you afraid? Or
have you had an experience wherein you asked a question but you were made to feel like you were stupid to ask that question?
Share your experience. Do you think those people were right in reacting that way?

Learn About It!

What Makes a Question Philosophical?

If anyone can be as wise as Socrates, then anyone can philosophize. The truth is you do not have to be weird-looking or
out-of-this-world in order to think philosophically. Like any of us, a philosopher begins his quest with ordinary questions – What
shall I wear today? Where will I go for vacation? What shall I eat today? These are the questions we normally ask ourselves. They are
personal questions, but they are not (yet) philosophical questions.
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Once in a while we find ourselves asking questions that are not so common. These are the moments when we begin to ask
further beyond our everyday questions. Let us take the case of Lorelei here. Perhaps you might find that you yourself followed a
similar trail of reasoning as she had below.

ACTIVITY
Read the story about Lorelei below.

Lorelei looks at her reflection in the mirror for the fourth time this morning. “What time is it already?” She was running late for
school, but she could not quite decide on what to wear for the day. “What shall I wear today?” She finally decides on this plain white shirt
and jeans, looks at it on her with a sigh of resignation, then runs off downstairs where her mother has been yelling about the time.
In the car on the way to school, she starts muttering to herself. “All this trouble of having to choose what to wear to school
everyday. Why does it have to be difficult? Why can’t I just wear anything I grab from my closet?”
After she calms down, she moves into a more pensive mode. She begins to ask, “Why should my clothes or the way I look matter
to others anyway? If I think about what others would say, does that mean that I am not free to choose whatever I want? Does this mean
that I am not really free?”
Lorelei’s dad pulls over in front of the school. She says goodbye and walks to her classroom. She continues with her questions.
“So if living in society means that I am not really free, does this mean that I will only be free when I live alone? But what good would that
do? If I live alone, I may be free to do what I want, but would that be a happy life? Is having the freedom to do what one pleases the
opposite of having a happy life? What is freesom, really? What is a happy life?
She enters her classroom, sets down her bag and shrugs off the questions. He goes to her ‘barkada’ who were squatting in a
corner of the room, aimlessly chatting about their weekend.

ANALYSIS

Go over the story and notice Lorelei’s questions.

1. What would you consider as personal questions?
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2. What would be examples of philosophical questions?
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3. How do personal questions differ from philosophical questions?
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Try It!

Identify which among the questions are philosophical, and which are personal.
__________________1. What is the square root of 64?
__________________2. What days of the week does the garbage collector go to the village?
__________________3. What happens after death?
__________________4. Is it right to impose a dress code to students in Senior High School?
__________________5. What makes an action moral?
__________________6. What is matter?
__________________7. What is the lifecycle of a butterfly?
__________________8. What is the meaning of life?
__________________9. What is truth?
__________________10. Is there life after death?
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Learn About It!

TRUTH and PHILOSOPHY

ABSTRACTION:
What is truth? What do we mean when we say that something is true?
If we examine the perspective on truth that has been dominant in society, we would find that people mostly equate truth
with scientific truth. We often say that something is true because it is based on facts. Furthermore, we say that something is factual
when it is scientifically proven, that is, when it is backed by data-gathering, analysis and repeated verification. Try to pick up any
magazine or newspaper that tries to argue that so and so is true. Most likely, the statements will look like this:
“A study from Jayward Pitkin University shows that 95% of men and women who are taller than the average height are more
likely to become successful and happy in their careers.”

Truth in this sense is related to science because it is the field that delivers knowledge about the natural world.
Objective Truths – they point to descriptions of “states of affairs” which remain true regardless of who is viewing them.
(example: water cycle)

Some scientists, however, point out that the scientific truths are part of just one among the many ways of understanding
truth.
Unfortunately, not everyone is clearly aware of this. Let us take the case of people who condemn others for having a religion
and for believing in God. These people argue that believers base their lives on unverified truths. Believers are judged to be irrational
because they cannot demonstrate the truth of their faith. If we trace the line of reasoning, it will go as follows:
Believers are irrational because they believe in things that cannot be verified.
What this statement implies:
Only those who believe in things that can be verified are rational.
In other words, based on what has been said above so far,
Only those who believe in scientific truths are rational.

If we agree with this line of reasoning, then we also should agree that almost everyone of us is irrational, because many parts
of our lives rest on things that we consider true even if they are not scientifically proven.

DOMAINS OF TRUTH

1. OBJECTIVE DOMAIN
- Scientific truths are covered in this domain
- This pertains to the natural world that maintains a relative independence from the perspective and attitude of human beings
that perceive them.

2. SOCIAL DOMAIN
- “Truth” is analogous with a general agreement or consensus on what is right as opposed to what is wrong.
- We understand that some things are “true” or good in a particular context, while they are “false” or wrong in another context.
- The truths in the social domain are mostly products of an “agreement” in society that has been established over time. Because
of time-honored presence, they become so embedded in our society such that they are hardly questioned by anyone. It is in
this way that norms or values appear as truths.
- Truths are “created” or constructed by people. As such they can be changed through a critical examination and deliberation
among the members of the community.

3. PERSONAL DOMAIN
- Truth is analogous with sincerity.
- Truth usually means that our statements are consistent with our inner thoughts and intentions.
- “precarious” domain of truth
- Truths that we claim in this domain need corresponding actions that will establish trust.
- A person who proves to be consistent with what he declares about himself is regarded as authentic and can therefore be
trusted or trustworthy.

So when we ask, “What is the truth?” it is important to know from what domain we are asking this question, so we can also know in
what way we can test whether or not a claim is true.

TRUTH and JUSTIFICATION

Truth can be understood as what has passed “procedures of justification”. – Richard Rorty, 1989
Justification means that the process of proving the truth or validity of a statement. This process is made up of ways of critically testing
a claim against certain criteria.

1. OBJECTIVE/SCIENTIFIC DOMAIN
- Truths are tested against empirical evidence
- A scientific statement is held as true when it is justified by data gathered from careful observation and analysis. As soon as
the scientific claim is no longer questioned or criticized, it more or less gains the status of a scientific truth.
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2. SOCIAL DOMAIN
- Truths are tested against their acceptability to a particular group in a particular time in history.
- Justification takes longer than scientific truths. This is especially true when what is involved in the process of justifying them
are people coming from varying backgrounds and history. Because of their differences in their perspective, it is not easy to
get a consensus or agreement. This is the reason why social norms take time before they are turned into hard laws, and there
is always that possibility of them being revoked or changed.
- Social norms turned to social “truths” are the basis for the balance in our society.

3. PERSONAL DOMAIN
- Truths are tested against the consistency and authenticity of the person who claims it.
- Justification of personal truths is probably the longest to complete among the three.
- Personal truths take a whole lifetime of consistency in the actions and decisions of a person who claims it.

ACTIVITY

To which domain of truth does each of the following statements fall? Explain.
a. “In sickness and in health, ‘til death do us part.”
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b. Reptiles are cold-blooded.

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c. “Don’t talk when your mouth is full!”

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Learn About It!

TRUTH and OPINION

OPINION
– is a statement of judgment of a person about something in the world.
-- in need of further justification

How to critically examine opinions?

In order for an opinion to gain status of truth, it must be able to pass the test of justification. In other words, whoever makes
the opinion must be able to argue for it in the most reasonable way. A philosophical mind must then be prepared to examine
arguments supporting an opinion.

ARGUMENT
– is a group of statements that serve to support a conclusion.
-- composed of a claim (the conclusion of an argument) and premises (the reasons used to support the conclusion).

“There is no hope in the Philippine government.” (opinion)

“There is no hope in the Philippine government because many officials are corrupt, and Filipino voters continue to elect
them.” (argument)

FALLACIES
- ‘fake arguments’
- Arguments that somehow could sound convincing and be very persuasive in order to shape other’s opinion and deliver
flawed judgment and reason

Below are the some of the most common fallacies:

Fallacy Definition Example

Ad hominem Attacking the individual person instead of the
argument
Appeal to force Telling the hearer that something bad will happen to
him/her if he/she does not accept the argument
Appeal to pity Urging the hearer to accept the argument based upon
an appeal to emotions, sympathy, etc.
“You are irritatingly ugly, that is why you cannot be promoted.”
“So you’re an animal rights activist. I’d consider changing my
views if I were you because most of us here on the prairies are
beef farmers and we don’t care too much for your kind.”
“I cannot take the exam. You have to consider, my dog just died.”
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Ad populum The arguer appeals to the sheer number of persons “Because a majority of Americans believe in UFO’s, they must
(bandwagon who agree with the belief or to the popularity of the exist! That many people can’t be wrong!”
fallacy) belief as evidence that it is true.
Appeal to Trying to get someone to accept something because “Of course this mode of government is the best. We have had this
tradition it has been done or believed for a long time government for over 200 years and no one has talked about
changing it in all that time. So, it has got to be good.”
Begging the Circular argument. Assuming the thing that you are “If such actions were not illegal, then they would not be
question trying to prove is true. prohibited by the law.”
Ad ignoratium The arguer uses the fact that a proposition has not “Since you cannot prove that ghosts do not exist, they probably
been disproved as evidence that the proposition is exist.”
true, or if it has not been proven, that it is false.
Fallacy of Assuming that what is true of the part is true to the “Hydrogen (H) is air. Oxygen (O) is air. Therefore, H2O is air.
composition whole
Fallacy of division Assuming that what is true of the whole is true for the “Her entire family is a family is a family of beauty queens. I’m sure
parts she will be a beauty queen too.”
Fallacy of Using the same term in an argument in different “Her grandmother loves to eat apples but she is the apple of the
equivocation places but the word has different meanings eye of her grandmother. I’m sure her grandmother will have a
hard time eating her.”
Hasty Making assumptions about a whole group or range of "My roommate said her philosophy class was hard, and the one
generalization cases based on a sample that is inadequate (usually I'm in is hard, too. All philosophy classes must be hard!"
because it is atypical or just too small).
Red herring Partway through an argument, the arguer goes off on “It is ridiculous to have spent thousands of dollars to rescue those
a tangent, raising a side issue that distracts the two whales trapped in the Arctic ice. Why, look at all the people
audience from what's really at stake. Often, the trapped in jobs they don’t like.”
arguer never returns to the original issue.
Hypothesis Starting with a hypothesis that is not true and then If Madame Curie had not happened to leave a photographic plate
Contrary To Fact. draw any supportable conclusions from it. in a drawer with a chunk of pitchblende, the world today would
not know about radium.
Testimonial (or George Washington once made the same point as Senator X.
Association). It's the Christian thing to do, because, as Jesus says,...
Faulty Cause And confusing coincidental time sequence with genuine Everytime I forget my umbrella, it rains, therefore I cause the rain
Effect (Post Hoc) causation by leaving my umbrella at home, and I can guarantee a nice day
by bringing my umbrella.
Either-Or the two-alternatives fallacy Would you rather have a senator who is handsome and dumb or
one who is ugly and intelligent? (One can be intelligent and
handsome; one can be not-bad looking rather than ugly.
False Analogy trying to PROVE a point by analogy Students should be allowed to look at their textbooks during
examinations. After all, surgeons have X-rays to guide them
during an operation, lawyers have briefs to guide the during a
trial, carpenters have blueprints to guide them when they are
building a house. Why then, shouldn't students be allowed to
look at their textbooks during an examination?
Unqualification Beware of words like always, all, never, every: Lawyers never tell the truth.
Generalization (or complex situations are simply not that black-and- Women always love babies.
Dicto Simpliciter). white. Your generalizations will be more credible if
you LIMIT them by using qualifiers such as
sometimes, seem, in my experience, often, many, or
perhaps.

ACTIVITY
Research or make your own example of the fallacies discussed above.
Fallacy Example

1. Ad hominem

2. Appeal to force

3. Appeal to pity

4. Ad populum
(bandwagon fallacy)

5. Appeal to tradition

6. Begging the question

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7. Ad ignoratium

8. Fallacy of composition

9. Fallacy of division

10. Fallacy of equivocation

11. Hasty generalization

12. Red herring

13. Hypothesis Contrary To

Fact.

14. Testimonial (or

Association).

15. Faulty Cause And Effect

(Post Hoc)

16. Either-Or

17. False Analogy

18. Unqualification
Generalization (or Dicto
Simpliciter).
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Learn About It!

THE HUMAN PERSON

1. UNSPIRITED BODY VIEW

- a human person is essentially his/her body and nothing more. Humans do not have a spiritual component.
a. MIND-BRAIN IDENTITY THEORY
- claim that what we call the “mind” is nothing but the brain and what we normally call “mental states” are nothing
but neural states of the brain. (e.g. To be in pain is for the C-fibers in the brain to be stimulated.)

b. BEHAVIORISM
- stimulus – response

2. DISEMBODIED SPIRIT VIEW

- the body is dependent on the spirit, the spirit is not dependent on the body, meaning, the body will die without the spirit but the
spirit will survive even if there’s no body
- strong proponent: PLATO

3. EMBODIED SPIRIT VIEW

- a human person is essentially in unity with his/her body. The body and the spirit cannot exist independently of one another
- strong proponents: ARISTOTLE & ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

Reflection
In your opinion, what is the human person made of?
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Learn About It!

--==--
MAN AS AN EMBODIED SPIRIT

 PHENOMOLOGY – GABRIEL MARCEL

 Two levels in the act of knowing: PRIMARY and SECONDARY REFLECTION

 PRIMARY REFLECTION – is when we look at a particular thing objectively. In this kind of reflection, I place myself outside
the thing I am investigating. It has nothing to do with me nor do I have anything to do with it. In this manner, the body
studied is no longer my body but “a body”. This is the body talked about in anatomy, physiology and other sciences.
 SECONDARY REFLECTION – in this kind of reflection, I recognize that I am part of the thing that I am investigating,
therefore my discussion is subjective. I have something to do with it and it has something to do with me. Because I
participate in the thing, I cannot tear it apart into clear and fixed ideas. In using secondary reflection, I discover that what
exist is not ‘a body’but “my body”.

 MY BODY
 Has two possible connotations:
 I HAVE MY BODY.
 I AM MY BODY.

• To say that I have my body is to imply that I possess or own it just as I own things. If I look at my body this was, I can say that
my body is an instrument or an extension of myself. (primary reflection – objective)
• If I say I am my body, it simply states that I cannot separate myself from my body. What happens to my body happens to
me; what is inflicted to my body inflicts me also. What is being said about my body is said about me. (secondary reflection –
subjective)

In summary: Our reflection on the experience of my body exposes its paradoxical character:
On one hand, I cannot detach my body from myself: I am my body. On the other hand, I cannot reduce myself to my body. I also
experience myself as an I – a spirit with intellect and will, that can never be imprisoned in my flesh and bones. Hence, the body
becomes only an extension of myself: I have my body.
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THE HUMAN PERSON:

Ancient and Contemporary Thought

1. THALES OF MILETUS
- he’s the founder of Ionian School of Philosophy. He is associated w/ specific discoveries in physics, metaphysics, astronomy,
geometry and engineering.
- he asserted that the world originated in water and was sustained by water and that the earth floated on water

2. ANAXIMENES
- His philosophy is centred on the doctrine that “air” is the source of all things. He believes that water, earth and fire are all
products of air. Air according to Anaximenes air undergoes two processes namely, condensation and rarefaction. When air is
condensed it becomes wind, then cloud, when still more condensed it becomes water, then earth then stone. Condensation is
the source of cold. By rarefaction air becomes thin, it becomes fire.
- The body is condensed air and the soul is rarefied air. In death, corpse is cold since the heat principle (soul) that animates it is
gone.

3. ANAXIMANDER
- every ordinary material element could be destroyed by its opposite, he took the single cosmic stuff to be something boundless
or indeterminate (apeiron in Greek). The apeiron is eternal and encompasses all the opposites.
- Man was born from animals of another species (man came into being inside fishes)

4. PYTHAGORAS and the PYTHAGOREANS

- Man is dipartite of body and soul.
- Human soul is immortal and divine, they believe that the soul has fallen, and that is to say imprisoned in the body.
- Metempsychosis – transmigration of souls

5. THE GREEK TRIUMVIRATE:

 SOCRATES
- He sought to discover the truth and the good life.
- he visualizes the value of the soul, the importance of knowledge and wisdom if the soul is properly tended. Thus knowledge
leads to ethical action. Knowledge and virtue are one. Thus a wise man knows what is right and will also do what is right
- The main source of evil is IGNORANCE. Ignorance consists in not knowing that certain behavior cannot produce happiness.
- Those who do wrong unintentionally are in need of instruction, not punishment.

 PLATO
- “Two world theory”: Ideal world (Intelligible world) and the Sensible world (World of matter)
- The nature of man lies in the dichotomy of body and soul. Human soul belongs to the ideal world while the body belongs to
the sensible world.
- “The human body is a PRISON CELL.” (Man is a soul using a body.)

In Plato’s view, the soul has three parts, namely the rational, appetitive and spiritual parts. Because man is a soul using a
body, the three parts of the soul each has its place in the body.
 Appetitive Part – part of the soul that drives man to experience thirst, hunger, and other physical wants. It is the
seat of physical pleasures. It seeks power, wealth, and even sexual satisfaction. It is located in the stomach.
(GREEDY PERSON)

 Spiritual Part – part of the soul that makes man assert abomination and anger. It is the seat of emotions (i.e. anger,
fear, hatred, jealousy). It is located in the chest. (AGGRESSIVE PERSON)

 Rational Part – it is the seat of reasoning. It is the rational part of the soul that enables man to think, to reflect, to
draw conclusions, and to analyse. This part of the soul is located in the head. For Plato this part of the soul is the
most important and the highest. It naturally desires to acquire knowledge and wisdom.
(SELF-CONTROLLED PERSON)

 ARISTOTLE
- Man is a rational animal.
- Body and soul are in a state of unity.
- “There is no soulless body and bodiless soul.”
- The body is matter to the soul and the soul form to the body.
- “All living beings have soul.” (A soul is simply a principle of life.)
• Vegetative soul – lowest type which is found in all living things. (Plants specifically – nutrition, growth and
reproduction.)
• Sensitive Soul – exists in animals. (vegetative + feelings, particularly of pain and pleasure – due to the presence of a
nervous system)
• Rational Soul – exists only in man.
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(vegetative + sensitive + thinking, reasoning and willing)

6. CHRISTIAN THINKERS
 AGUSTINE OF HIPPO
- “Man consists of soul and body, ‘a soul in possession of a body’ which ‘does not constitute two persons but one man.’
- God is Absolute Spirit, freedom, will, intelligence, good, power, holiness, cannot will evil, eternal and transcendent. God
created the world out of love and man is part of this creation.
- Source of evil is man’s freewill.

 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

- “Man is a substantial unity of body and soul. Man is an embodied soul, not a soul using a body. The body must be united
with something else which we call soul.

ACTIVITY

Write a letter of appreciation to yourself. What do you like about yourself? What do you dislike about you? Can you do be yourself
today without your flaws?

A Letter to Myself

Learn About It!

THE HUMAN PERSON AND THE ENVIRONMENT
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Environmental Philosophy - deals with the ethical relationship between a person and his/her environment. It is also known as
environmental ethics.

ACTIVITY
Observe your community. What are some environmental problems that the residents should be concerned about?
Take at least five pictures of these issues and paste them here. Then, discuss what a student like you can do to help address the said
issues.

Learn About It!

Environmental Value System - refers to how a person sees and values environmental concerns
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a. ECOCENTRISM - natural world has an inherent value

1. land ethic – focuses on human responsibility towards the natural world
2. deep ecology – inquires about a person’s set of values and lifestyles that cause serious environmental
problems
b. ANTHROPOCENTRISM - puts human needs and interests to be of highest value and importance. It advocates the
cornucopian point of view which claims that environmental resources are unlimited and the rapid increase in human
population does not lead to scarcity in natural resources. They believe that future technology will be invented and
developed to address such issues.
c. TECHNOCENTRISM - believes that technology can provide solutions to all environmental problems, similar to
anthropocentrism

Reflection
In all honesty, which of these three environmental value system will you advocate? Support your answer.
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ACTIVITY
Make an slogan that advocates environmental conservation and protection. Your slogan must not exceed 10 words.

Learn About It!

FREEDOM OF THE HUMAN PERSON
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 Freedom refers to the right of a person to do what he/she pleases as long as his/her conduct and actions are within the
bounds set by the law
 Freedom is something that is exercised through our choices. When a person exercises his/her freedom, he/ she becomes
real.
 I am free when I begin to be the author of my acts, when I start making choices for myself.
 Freedom is not freedom without responsibility.

ACTIVITY

Explain what freedom means by making an acrostic poem of the word FREEDOM.

What would you do if you were granted absolute freedom for a day? (Absolute freedom literally means no form of hindrance or
impediment would prevent you from doing what you want).

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ACTIVITY
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Share some experience that shows the illustrations above.

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What is the message of the picture? Write your reflection about the picture in the space provided below.

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What would be the possible consequences of the following actions?

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Learn About It!

INTERSUBJECTIVITY

 Intersubjectivity refers to a relationship that is supported by genuine communication founded on mutual respect for each
other as subjects, and on co – presence.
 Intersubjectivity is a state in which one recognizes his/her being as a being – with- others.
 My life is not human if it is centered on itself. Life becomes human, that is, it is humanized, as soon as I de – center myself
from myself, when the center of my life is on the welfare of another.
 It requires love, appreciation and respect for others.
 I – IT relationship is a type of relationship in which one sees the other as a thing or object rather than a person.
 I – THOU relationship is a type of relationship in which one sees the other person as a fellow human being and a person of
unique value.

Try It!
Give at least two examples each of I-It relationship and I-Thou relationship.
I-IT RELATIONSHIP I-THOU RELATIONSHIP

Learn About It!

Intersubjectivity in Focus: Understanding Persons with Disabilities (PWDs)

DISABILITY - A disadvantage or deficiency, especially a physical or mental impairment that interferes with or prevents normal
achievement in a particular area, or something that hinders or incapacitates.

The World Health Organization (WHO 1976) draws on a three–fold distinction between impairment, disability and handicap:

IMPAIRMENT is any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical

structure or function.

DISABILITY is any restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to

perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human
being.

HANDICAP is a disadvantage, for a given individual, resulting from impairment or a

disability, which prevents the fulfilment of a role that is considered normal (depending
on age, sex and social and cultural factors) for that individual.
Persons with Disabilities (1995 Census)
Total blindness Partial blindness Low vision
Total deafness Partial deafness Poor hearing ability
Muteness Speech defect Loss of one or both arms/hands
Loss of one or both legs/feet Paralysis of one or both arms Paralysis of one or both legs
Paralysis on one arm and one leg Paralysis of all four limbs Mental retardation
Mental illness, and Others
http://www.unescap.org/stat/meet/widd/paperphilippines2.htm

Legal Framework
The Philippines adheres to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that all human beings are born free and equal in
dignity and rights and that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms regardless of age, race, sex, and disability. The
protection of basic human rights—political and civil rights for all citizens including those with disabilities—is provided for in the
following laws:
 Republic Act No 7277 (Magna Carta for Disabled Persons),
 Batas Pambansa Blg. 344 (Accessibility Law), Republic Act 6759 (White Cane Act)
 ILO Convention No. 159 (Vocational Rehabilitation of Persons With Disability
 EO 709 (creation of NCDA to see the implementation of the CRPD, or the “Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities”.
 Republic Act 9442 – “AN ACT AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7277, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “MAGNA
CARTA FOR DISABLED PERSONS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES”(2007)
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ACTIVITY
Research 3 famous persons with disabilities:
1. FILIPINO PWDs
2. FOREIGN PWDs
Format: Name, Disability, Description (What did he/she do?) Write a short reflection after. Paste a picture, if possible.

FILIPINO PWDs FOREIGN PWDs

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Learn About It!

HUMAN PERSON AND THE SOCIETY

 Society refers to a group of people bound together in a more or less permanent association organized for collective activity.
 Social Contract Theory is a theory which states that society came to exist out of people’s desire to have harmony on their
community.
 Social Stratification is the structured ranking of individuals based on their occupation, income, wealth, and power.

FORMS OF SOCIETIES:
o Nomadic Society – Also known as Hunter – Gatherer Society. It is a society characterized by animal – hunting,
fishing, and plant or fruit – gathering.
o Pastoral Society – Survival in this society was based on the domestication of animals.
o Horticultural Society – Also known as mobile society. It relies on the cultivation of plants, fruits, and vegetables.
o Agricultural Society
o Industrial Society
o Postindustrial Society
o Virtual Society

 Social System is the interaction of two or more individuals in a bordered situation.

 7 ELEMENTS/DIFFERENT SOCIAL SYSTEMS
o Beliefs, sentiments, norms, goal and objectives, statuses and roles, authority, sanction

ACTIVITY

1. Compare and contrast rural from urban societies. What are the disadvantages and advantages of living in rural societies? In urban
societies? What are the difference of social relationships between those living in rural areas as opposed to those in urban areas?

RURAL SOCIETY URBAN SOCIETY

2. Describe your ideal society. In answering this, consider the current circumstances of your present society: the government, the
culture and the people.
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Learn About It!

HUMAN PERSON AS A BEING UNTO DEATH

 Death refers to the end of life. It is a reality that cannot be altered nor waived. All living things must come to this point –
their end, their death.
 CHRISTIAN VIEW – Christians believe in the afterlife and in the idea of heaven and hell. This the reason why Christians call
death as judgment day. They believe that death, the soul will either go to heaven or hell depending on the judgment
anchored on how the person lived his/her life on earth.
 BUDDHIST VIEW – In Buddhist teachings, death is a natural process, and it is important for a person to be aware of it.
Buddhism claims that death is not the end of life, but simply the corruption of the body that one inhabits in this world. It is
believed that the spirit lives on after the body dies and will seek another body to have a new life (reincarnation and
transmigration).
 HINDU VIEW – Like Buddhism, Hinduism also adheres to the concept of rebirth or reincarnation with a firm claim that the
soul is both immortal and imperishable. Death in Hinduism is a journey that begins when life has already taught the soul the
lessons it needs to learn, and karma has reached a certain level of intensity. In this period, the soul leaves the body.

Reflection
1. If you are given only eight hours left to live, how will you spend your remaining hours?
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2. Complete the following phrases:’

Because life is short, I would like to spend my life on___________________________________________________________

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Even if I am uncertain of what the future brings, I am comforted by the thought/truth that____________________________
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At the end of my life, I would like to be able to look back and say that I ____________________________________________
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ACTIVITY
An epitaph is an inscription on a tombstone or monument in memory of the person buried there. It is a summary statement of
commemoration for a dead person. If you will be given the chance, what words will you inscribe in your tombstone?