INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

LESSON 1: Doing Philosophy

Definition and Branches of Philosophy

Philosophy comes from two Greek words 1. Philos – “Love”; 2. Sophia – “Wisdom”
A Philosopher – “lover of wisdom”
“Philosophy is the knowledge of all things through their ultimate causes, acquired
through the use of reason”

The Material Object of Philosophy: “philosophy studies all things”; thus, all
aspects of reality can be the object of a philosophical study
The Formal Object of Philosophy: “through their ultimate causes”; seeking the
deepest explanations regarding the existence and nature of beings.
The Natural Scope of Philosophy: “acquired through the use of reason; seeking
the ultimate explanations that can be arrived at by applying reasoning to facts
supplied by experience.

Branches of Philosophy
 Epistemology – studies the nature of knowledge and the rationality of belief;
the means of production of knowledge
 Metaphysics – studies and asks questions about the essence and existence
of a being
 Logic – concerned with “reasoning” or truth
 Ethics/Axiology – concerns the matter of “value/morality”
 Aesthetics – explores the nature and appreciation of art, beauty and taste

History of Philosophy

Pythagoras - Ionian Greek Philosopher. First person to name himself a philosopher

or lover of wisdom. Known for his Pythagorean Theorem in geometry

Thales of Miletus - First person to explain the world and universe outside
mythological concepts. He explained that the world was made up of “water”.
Teacher of Pythagoras.

Heraclitus - He believed that the world originated from the fire element

Socrates - First moral philosopher and known for his Socratic Method (elenchus).
Teacher of Plato. “Stresses that man must take good care of its soul” and “All human
beings desire the good”

Plato - Student of Socrates and Teacher of Aristotle. Founder of the Academy of

Athens. He believes that “the soul is immortal, even the physical ceased to exist”
Existence of abstract objects
“Virtue is knowledge”
The soul is the principle which explains all life

Aristotle - Student of Plato and Teacher of Alexander the Great. On his treatise, Peri
Psyche, the soul is divided into three types and each according to each living being-
vegetative soul, instinctive soul and the rational soul.

Saint Augustine of Hippo - Bishop of Hippus region of North Africa. He Combined

Christian doctrine with Platonic ideology. Believed that everything is connected with
God.

Saint Thomas Aquinas - “Believed that truth is to be accepted no matter where it

is found”. Followed Aristotelian philosophy and reaffirmed the three types of soul
(first written by Aristotle)
Ibn al-Nafis - First to describe the pulmonary circulation of the circulatory system.
Believed that the soul is found throughout the entirety of the body, not just one of
its organs

Rene Descartes - Father of Modern Western Philosophy and the father of

Analytical Geometry
His famous dictum- Cogito ergo sum (“I think therefore I am”)
Believed that the mind and body is distinct but closely joined

Baruch Spinoza - One of the pioneers of the Dutch Golden Age. He opposed
Descartes’ mind-body dualism. A proponent of Substance vs. Accidence. According
to him “no one is intrinsically good or evil.”

Nature of Philosophy

Nature of Philosophy- Human being possesses a keen desire to know, and that
leads him to seek the causes of events or happenings
His search for knowledge is induced by theoretical considerations, as well as
practical reasons.
He needs to find the answers to many questions about things existing around
him.

LESSON 2: METHODS OF PHILOSOPHIZING

Truth and Knowledge

Truth - lies at the heart of any inquiry. It is a fact that has been verified.
Knowledge - is simple data that comes from the outside that passes to our senses.
It must be truthful to gain validity and acceptance.

Propositions
Philosophers consider truth as a kind of quality or value. Propositions are
statements about the world or reality which may or may not carry truth.

What is truth and why is it important?

 Knowledge is the clear awareness and understanding of something. It is the
product of questions that allow for clear answers provided by facts.
 What we know is what is observable or evident in the real world.
 Propositions which are observed to be real or truthful are considered FACTS.

There are statements, however, that are not evidently or immediately known to be
true and they are called CLAIMS. They require further examination to establish
whether it is true or false.

How do we know if something is true?

 Philosophers emphasize the importance of belief as a basis for determining
truth.
 We assume that everything we know about this world is true but philosophers
who pondered upon the origins of knowledge doubted everything that there
is to know about themselves and the world. In doing so, they were able to
better understand the means by which humans gain knowledge and
determine the truth about everything.

It is said that there are instances when we have to unlearn something so that
we may learn anew.

 Philosophers questioned what they knew and even analyzed their methods of
knowing in order to understand themselves and the world much better.

Doubt has a very important purpose in philosophy as it drives our desire to discover
truth. Nothing is taken as true unless there is sufficient reason and evidence to
prove that it is indeed true.I am alive. Am I alive? I am alive. I have a body. Do I
have a body? I have a body. I can breathe. Can I breathe? I can breathe.

It can be justified or proven through the use of one’s senses

- It is based on facts.
- It is a product of agreement or consensus.
- It can be applied in real life (tested and verified)

Opinions on the other hand are comprised of statements which not only give facts
but also provide conclusions or perspectives regarding certain situations. They may
advance a belief about certain things or provide explanations.
Opinions are also the basis for making arguments and convincing people that a
certain claim is a fact.

However opinions often influenced by bias!

How can philosophy guide us in distinguishing truth from opinion?

- Beliefs are statements that express convictions that are not easily and
clearly explained by facts. To judge the truthfulness of a belief, we must also
consider things such as the person’s experiences and views.
- Explanations are statements that assume the claim to be true and provide
reasons why the statement is true.
- Arguments are a series of statements that provide reasons to convince the
reader or listener that a claim or opinion is truthful.
- They often take the form of statements that are either claims of facts and are
phrased in such a way that they seem reasonable.
- Fallacies are arguments based on faulty reasoning. Some of them are
intentional, as the person making the claim is desperate to convince you to
believe that something is true.

FALLACIES
Biases are the personal views of the person presenting it. They are not necessarily
errors in reasoning but refer to tendencies or influences which affect the views of
people.
 Lesson 3: The Human Person as an Embodied Spirit
Definition of Terms
Man- is the general term commonly used to refer to the entire human race.
HUMAN BEING - A term used to separate man from other Human
Classifications like animals.
- A general term refers to the deepest and natural behavior of a person
that distinguish human from animals. A collective traits that formed
and considered the very essence of humanity. Nobody can be
considered man without human nature.
HUMAN - A term used to refer for various classifications and species. For a
living man, human is under the classification of Mammalia.
HUMAN PERSON - Refers to an individual who possess self-awareness, self-
determination, rational mind, and the capacity to interact with other and with
himself/herself
Human Nature- Refers to the characteristics that distinguish humans from
all other creatures.
PERSONHOOD - A general term refers to the state of being a person with
unique, sacred and ethical status within him/herself.
Human Person- There is something in the human individual that sets him
or her apart from other beings. These potential traits make a human a
distinct individual person.
Cognitive Self - the essential components of a human persons that deals
with THE WHAT OF A PERSON which includes human persons’ belief, desire,
dreams, and intentions Physical Self - deals with the essential features of
the human way of life or THE WHO OF A PERSON which includes his/her body
type, strength and appearances
Self-awareness- refers to the person having a clear perception of oneself,
including his or her thoughts, emotions, identity, and actions.
Self-determination- refers to the capability of persons to make choices and
decisions based on their own preferences, monitor and regulate their actions,
and be goal-oriented and self-directed.
Free Will- enables us to do actions whenever we want to and makes self-
determination possible.
Morality- goodness or badness of an act.
Dignity- innate right to be valued and respected.
Consequence- is the result or effect of an action or condition.
Embodied Spirit- It does not refer to the materialization or the
personification of a human being. Rather, it refers to the inseparable union of
the body and the soul. The embodiment of the spirit particularly refers to the
inseparable union of human body and soul.
Plato-He believed in the existence of an immortal soul that was separated
from the body.
He said that the human soul is an authentic part because the body is just its
prison cell, hence the body’s existence is dependent on the soul, while the
soul is independent of the body.
Aristotle- For him, the soul and the body are substantially united.
For him, the soul and the body are substantially united, and the soul is the
source of life.
St. Augustine- He believed that God created the world, and this includes
the creation of the immortal soul.
St. Thomas Aquinas- He said that, without the soul, the body will not have
its form, and without the body, the soul will not have its required sense
organs to gain knowledge.
He said that without the soul, the body will not have its form, and without the
body, the soul will not have its required sense organs to gain knowledge.
Rene Descartes- He was the foremost person to have identified man on top
of other animals. He also said that animals have no souls and cannot think.
His famous dictum “I think, therefore I am”.
John Locke- Stated that the human mind could not attain any knowledge
without perceiving it first. For him, the human mind is a tabula rasa or blank
slates.
Empiricism- a school of thought wherein it is about the use of senses and
experiences.
Rationalism - a school of thought which refers to knowledge as innate or
inborn.
Plato and Aristotle-During the Ancient period, they attempted to explain
the origin of man and made a great contribution to the idea of the human
person as a being with body and soul.
Modern Period- It is the period wherein there was a huge paradigm shift.
From being theocentric, it shifted to being anthropocentric. It placed man on
top to distinguish him/her from animals.
Medieval Period- This period is also referred to as the age of faith. This age
marks a shift focus from cosmology to theodicy. Proved the existence of God
based on rational methods.
Transcendence- Our ability to surpass limits. Makes man special from all
existing beings. A person is able to acknowledge his/her limitations.

Lesson 4: The Human Person in the Environment

Environmental Ethics- This is a moral approach that analyzes the
relationship between humans and the environment.
Anthropocentrism- Believes that humans are the most important species
on the planet, and they are free to transform nature and use its resources.
Biocentrism- Believes that humans are NOT the only significant species on
the planet, and that all organisms have inherent E
Ecocentrism- Believes that humankind is part of a greater biological system
or community and that we have a significant ROLE AS STEWARDS or
guardians of nature.
Environmental Integrity- Refers to maintaining the state of environment
that human activities should not unduly disrupt the ecosystems and human
communities located in the area.
Environmental Ethics- This is a moral approach that analyzes the
relationship between humans and the environment.
Environmental Aestethics- Is one philosophical view that believes
maintaining order in the environment will bring out the natural beauty of the
surroundings and contribute to the well-being of the people and other
organisms living in it.
Environmental Justice- This concept refers to the fair distribution of
environmental benefits and the burden of addressing environmental
challenges.
Environmentalism- This perspective advocates action to address
environmental problems.
Rainforestation- It is the answer to the problem of rehabilitating denuded
lands.
Sustainability- This concept focuses on reconciling human activities and
economic development with the protection of the environment, and we must
make wise decisions regarding the use of natural resources to ensure that
there is still enough left for the future use.
Externality- The capability of a person to reach out and interact with others
and the world.
Equity- Demands that we use our natural resources in such a manner that
these are conserved so that the next generation will be able to use them.
Frugality- The act of using other resources wisely and practically.
Self-determination- The capability of a person to make choices and
decisions based on their own preferences.
Economic efficiency- Refers to prudence in decision-making regarding the
use of resources to ensure that there is minimum to zero waste.
Arne Naess- A Norwegian Philosopher who stressed that human beings
need ecological wisdom by concentrating on deep knowledge, deep
questioning, and deep involvement.