INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

COR 015 // YEAR 2 – SEM 1 // QUARTER 1

MODULE 2: DEFINING PHILOSOPHY ▪ He said that, “The unexamined life is not worth
living”; you need to know what your purpose,
WORD ORIGIN OF PHILOSOPHY goals, and things you want to achieve.
• Philosophy – came from the words:
“philos” → “love”
“sophia" → “wisdom” MODULE 4: UNDERSTANDING THE BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY
• Philosophy means love of wisdom. TWO MAIN BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY
WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY? 1. Theoretical Philosophy – studies the principles of
human knowledge, thought; more concerned on the
• Philosophy – a man’s life-long search for his own
origin/theory of knowledge.
meaning, value, and purpose.
➢ Ontology – study of being
▪ Philosophy is the study of fundamental ➢ Epistemology – study of knowledge
questions about life.
➢ Metaphysics – study of reality & existence
▪ Philosophy helps us to understand the values, ➢ Theodicy – study of God on logical abstraction
beliefs, and goals in life.
2. Practical Philosophy – uses philosophical methods
Man has knowledge of himself.
and insights to explore how people can lead wiser
• Philosopher – individual who engages in philosophy; and more effective lives; focuses on wisdom, love,
a lover of wisdom. relationships.
THE KNOWLEDGE OF MAN ➢ Logic – study of correct thinking & reasoning
Man’s behaviors and actions show that he has ➢ Ethics – study of morality & right living
knowledge of himself. ➢ Axiology – study of values
o He does not ask himself who he is.
The knowledge of man inherits it from society
through the family, the school, etc.
MODULE 5: EXPLORING THE APPROACHES IN PHILOSOPHY
1. Speculative Approach – an approach that tries to
THEORIES REGARDING MAN’S KNOWLEDGE bring together all the sciences.
1. Man acquires his knowledge through conditioning. Tends to use terms that do not fit with simple
Man is conditioned in his thinking and in his experiences; uses abstract words.
behavior. Concepts cannot be examined scientifically
Man’s knowledge is inherited/acquired. because it contains things that cannot be seen
2. Man acquires his knowledge blindly. by anyone.
He acquires knowledge without question or 2. Analytic Approach – an approach which all
thinking. fundamental assumptions for all the sciences are
He believes and follows it rather analyzed.
blindly/fearfully (e.g. He is the creation of God). Emphasizes on logic or language.
3. Man’s inherited knowledge makes him secure. Inquires into the meaning of the concepts; tries
He has a basis in looking, interpreting, or to avoid to use vague terms.
judging. Concepts can be examined scientifically that is
As man grows older, he encounters experiences through checking its validity.
and situations that break his sense of security –
this drives him to wonder about himself.
• This act of questioning is the beginning of the MODULE 6: EXPLORING MAN’S EMBODIMENT: ARISTOTLE AND
initiation to philosophy. The beginning of man’s PLATO
pursuit for meaning, and wisdom. • Plato – claimed that man is a soul; defined soul as
the self-initiating motion or the source of motion.
MODULE 3: TRACING THE ORIGIN OF PHILOSOPHY: THE PRE- Stated that man as a soul has three parts:
rational element, spirited element, bodily
SOCRATICS AND SOCRATES element.
THE THREE PRE-SOCRATIC PHILOSOPHERS o Rational – responsible for reason and
1. Pythagoras (570-495 BCE) language.
Treated philosophy as a way of life and gave o Spirited – responsible for emotion (e.g. hate,
emphasis on contemplation. anger, love)
Believed in reincarnation. o Bodily – responsible for hunger & appetite.
Made the Pythagorean Theorem. The three elements are arranged in hierarchy:
2. Thales (c. 624-546 BCE) rational → spirited → bodily
Father of Western Philosophy; one of the seven • Aristotle – claimed the main is not solely a soul but a
sages (wise men) of ancient Greece. body endowed with life.
Claimed that there is one substance that Called the principle of life the soul: Anything
comprises everything… that is water. that has life must have a soul.
3. Heraclitus (c. 535-475 BCE) Three kinds of soul: vegetative (nutritive),
Claimed that everything is changing; the only locomotive (sensitive), rational.
thing permanent is change. o Vegetative – soul of plants & trees.
Used to fire to emphasize this idea of change. o Locomotive – soul of animals.
SOCRATES o Rational – soul of man.
• Socrates turned his inquiry on the human person
and human living.
In his mind, “knowledge is virtue”, this means MODULE 8: EXPLORING MAN’S EMBODIMENT: RENE DESCARTES
that to know something is to do something… to
know what is good and to do what is good. • Rene Descartes – “everything that we know is made
possible because of our senses.”
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INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
COR 015 // YEAR 2 – SEM 1 // QUARTER 1

Our senses can be deceived and it can deceive us FREEDOM AND RELIGION
– everything that we know is not certain. If the man is free, he has the right to choose his
He said that we must doubt everything. There is religion.
something that we cannot doubt, that we are According to the Universal Declaration of Human
doubting. Rights, “Everyone has the right to freedom of
He said “I doubt before I exist” – this means that thought, conscience and religion.”
we are doubting beings… doubting is an aspect
of thinking.
MODULE 12: UNDERSTANDING INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
• Emmanuel Levinas – said that “there is someone
MODULE 9: EXPLORING MAN’S EMBODIMENT: GABRIEL MARCEL who exists aside from me and that is no other than
• Gabriel Marcel (1889–1973) - a French existentialist the other – the other person.”
philosopher, playwright, and Christian thinker. This other person is different from me; I have to
Man’s experiences of himself shows that there recognize his otherness.
exists an intimate relation between himself and We have to understand that his views, opinions,
his body which accepts neither gap nor barrier. beliefs, are different from me.
MANS EXPERIENCE OF HIMSELF AS AN OWNER OF THE BODY 8 DIFFERENT INTELLIGENCES ACCORDING TO DR. HOWARD
Man’s experience shows that he is not simply a
GARNER
body, that is, he is mind and will too.
1. Linguistic intelligence (word smart)
Man’s experience of himself shows that man is
2. Logical intelligence (number/reasoning smart)
not his body; rather, he has a body.
3. Spatial intelligence (picture/image smart)
Man owns a body.
4. Bodily/Kinesthetic intelligence (body smart)
MANS OWNERSHIP OF HIS BODY 5. Musical intelligence (music smart)
Man’s ownership of his body is, in a way, the 6. Interpersonal intelligence (people smart)
same with his ownership of his dog. Marcel said 7. Intrapersonal intelligence (self-smart)
that both imply owning. 8. Naturalist intelligence (nature smart)
He owns his body and he owns his dog.
No one owns his body and his dog except him.
He solely owns his body and his dog.

MODULE 10: PONDERING FREEDOM

WHAT IS FREEDOM?
It is the power or right to act, speak, or think as
one wants without hindrance.
It is the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved.
It is the unrestricted use of something.
FREEDOM ACCORDING TO JEAN-PAUL SATRE
Freedom is to be seen in relation to man’s defining
himself.
Freedom is no other than man’s power to be what
he wants.
Man is responsible as to what happens to himself.
FREEDOM ACCORDING TO IMMANUEL KANT
Freedom is to be seen in relation to the autonomy
of the will.
Freedom is caused by reason.
The exercise of freedom must always be a product
of one’s reason.

MODULE 11: UNDERSTANDING THE RELATION OF FREEDOM

WITH MORALITY, DEMOCRACY AND RELIGION
FREEDOM AND MORALITY
The act must be a human act; it must be done with
knowledge, freedom, and voluntariness.
Without these elements, the act is simply an act of
man; its morality or immorality cannot be
determined.
If the act has no freedom in doing the act, then he is
not accountable as the same is not his action; if he
has freedom, he is accountable for it.
FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY
Citizens are afforded with freedoms and rights such
as freedom of expression.
If society is not democratic, freedoms and rights are
curtailed or limited, or may be eliminated totally.
Freedom and democracy work together.

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