Human Persons as

Oriented Towards Their

Impending Death
Let’s Embark
 At the end of the lesson ,the students will be able
to:
1.explathe meaning of their in the significance of
death in the existence of the person;
2.recognize the meaning of their own lives;
3.enumerate the objectives they want to achieve and
the projects they want to do in life;
4.explain where their lives will lead to; and
5.reflect on the meaning of their own lives.
Inquire and Discover
 Have you ever wondered about how nothing
seems to last forever? Objects get worn out
until they can’t be used anymore, food and
drinks expire, and trends become outdated
after some time. Even more , what about the
cycle of being born ,growing up ,getting sick,
and dying? These point to one very important
reality about our human condition: we are
temporal beings or “being oriented
towards death”
How does the reality of
death define our lives?
 Death is commonly understood as the end of bodily
functions which signals the end of a person’s life. It also
refers to the separation of the body and the spirit. As
mentioned earlier, the human person is an embodied spirit.
 It is true that person’s spiritual nature allows him or her
to transcend his or her temporarily and physical limits.
However ,we also cannot deny the material nature of the
person, that he or she is still bound by the same laws of
the nature and reality that apply to all objects in existence.
Everything that came to being in this universe will
eventually come to an end.
 It can be said that we are also being who are
moving towards our impending death. This makes a
person’s life limited in time. The focus on this limit
has led to several attitudes towards death. There are
people who deny the idea of human decline and
death. Some people rely on anti-aging treatments
and products to make them look ,feel ,and think that
they are younger than they really are. Others focus
on experiencing intense moments and feeling in
order to feel alive because no one really knows when
life will end. This has given rise to various
expressions such as # YOLO (You Only Live Once)
and “eat ,drink ,and be merry for tomorrow we die .’’
 Ultimately ,the acceptance of our temporality can
bring about a sense of freedom in us. It can also
give us a clearer purpose and focus on our
activities. Since we cannot do everything in our
lifetime, we must be able to reflect on what we
need to do and identify the goals we need to
achieve so we can say that we have lived
meaningful existence. We must embrace the fact
that death is an integral part of our life.
How should I live my life before
it finally ends?
 Understanding the person as a being –towards-
death brings us back to a very important topic:
freedom. It has been discussed previously that the
essence of freedom is
 Self- determination – the capacity to choose
and act for oneself. While there is no freedom in the
inevitability of death ,a person can still exercise
freedom in choosing how to face the reality of death
in their lives.
For Example:
A person cannot stop himself from
growing old. However ,he or she can
choose to embrace aging
gracefully .
 As a biological beings bound by natural laws and the
inevitability of death, we cannot stop aging and eventual
decline of our bodies. However, we can definitely choose to
spend our lives doing good and reasonable things or even go
against what is good. The person, therefore, is the author
and protagonist who determines the development and
conclusion of his or her life story.
 The temporal existence of a person means that his or her
life is temporary; he or she is not being who exists
permanently and for eternity. Accepting the fact that we
have a limited time in this world allows us to determine the
course of life – to paint a picture of how our life will progress
and how we envision it to end.
 The key idea is that we all have a vocation to live life in the
best possible way that we can – by being excellent persons.
Originally, we celebrate the fastest runner, but we can also
appreciate the runner who improved the most given the
 Temporality challenges us to make choices that will be
good for us and the people around us. It must be noted that
since we have a body, we are always in the moment – we
exist in here and now.
 Whenever we make a choice, we cannot undo that choice
because that present moment has now gone into the past.
On the other hand, the choices we make in the present are
not always confined to the here and now as they also have
an impact on the future. Past, present, and future are not
exclusive and isolated moments in time, but they are
experienced together by the person because of the
dynamism provided by being an embodied spirit.
 Given all these conditions, we may ask : What is the end
of this life? The term end can be understood in two ways.
Some philosophers view end as a terminus which means
the full stop or end of a line. For them, life ends nothing and
nothing follows. Others, however, consider end as telos
which means “goal, purpose, or fulfillment”. Man put on this
earth to live a meaningful life, to be virtuous, and achieve
What makes you happy-?
What brings you happiness? Is it the food you eat? The
clothes you wear? The gadgets you own? The achievements you
reap as a student?

Ancient Greek philosophy considers happiness as an

achievement and it must be gained by living a productive and
moral life. Religious philosophers consider happiness as a union
with God. Other contemporary views define happiness as “whole-
life satisfaction,” defining the means to achieve happiness.
Various philosophical views emphasize the importance of setting
worthwhile goals in life to achieve personal happiness. Happiness
also has a social element, as we should not only be concerned
about our own happiness, but also the well-being of others.
How do I define true happiness?
 Happiness is a state of being and note merely an emotional
experience or a chosen mental attitude. We do not really
choose happiness because we all have a tendency towards it,
but that we choose the means to achieve it. What makes a
person happy is that which fits his nature – we are made truly
happy by things that are true and good. On the other hand,
what is false and evil does not make a person happy.
 As an embodied spirit, we must also consider the goods or
sources of happiness which are proper to a person. A noble
good is one which is pursued for its own sake; it is good in
itself. Love and friendship are some examples.
 A useful good considered good so long as it serves
as a means to and end; its goodness is found only from
what it can provide. For example, money is good as it
can buy you something.
 Finally, a pleasurable good is good so long as it
provides some form of pleasure, thought it does not
have to be physical. It must be understood that a
specific good cannot be categorized strictly under one
kind. For example, friendship may be noble good
because it is good to be a friend to someone.
 Happiness from a material thing diminishes as soon as
you own it, while happiness gained from friendship only
grows as it progresses. This brings us to a very
important lesson in life: real happiness can be found in
more permanent and meaningful things.
Why do we suffer?
 When was the last time you experienced suffering?
What was the reason behind it? How did you overcome
it?
 Suffering takes place when we patiently endure
unpleasantness, discomfort, and pain.
 It can come in the form of physical suffering. When
we experience such as discomfort, hunger, distress,
and pain that are caused by injury, disease, and the
lack of basic needs.
 It can also be in the form of mental suffering, which
involves emotional and mental states such as
depression, anxiety, fear, loneliness, and grief. May be
caused by unexpected situations in life.
What causes suffering?
 Generally, suffering is viewed as an undesirable
condition, and that we naturally seek pleasure and
avoid pain. Those who adopt this perspective often
focus on the various means to avoid suffering or
eliminate it entirely from life. Another view
considers suffering as necessary because it helps
existence. Without it, we are unable to grow and
improve, our positive experiences lose meaning and
significance.
 Negative experiences are part of our lives. We
cannot shelter ourselves from suffering, but we can
prepared to deal with it so it does not break us.
How do happiness, suffering, and
death give meaning to your life?
 As we approach our death, we experience both
happiness and suffering. Although these are distinct
experiences, the two are not really meant to be
complete opposites, for there are may be instances
when they enrich one another. The pursuit of
happiness requires that we go through the effort to
achieve it. Our efforts are often marked by
difficulties and discouragement.
 If we are willing to suffer through adversities and
maybe even suffer cheerfully, it makes the pursuit of
happiness even more worthwhile. As a result we not only
attain the happiness that we want, but we also become
better persons in the process.
 The reality of death means that our existences is
unique and that we will not always get another chance to
do the things we want in this life. Therefore, we should
not easily give up on the pursuit of good things.
Reflecting on the reality of death enables us to think of
how we can best live a meaningful life. We can strive to
leave behind a legacy either in the form of an
inheritance, a reputation, or a significant achievement.