Knowing man as an individual and as a As Agapay (1991) concludes, a person exists

member of society is fundamental in the distinctly and independently from others and
study at values and ethics. is capable of knowing and loving in an
To understand the nature of man is a intellectual way, and of deciding for himself
courageous task owing to his complexity. To the purpose or end of his actions. He has his
study and judge his actions is an even more own set' of values and work ethics. (we act
challenging function. differently from each other)

It is observed that everybody is presumed to Hence, man, says Palispis (1995), has to be
understand what man is. But because man is respected as a being who can think and act
different from others, it is assumed that as a person.
everybody else has a different view of a man. Every values teacher must address himself to
Man is a complex organism, for he is the processes of thinking (cognitive or
composed of a physical body, intellect and acquiring knowledge), feeling (affective or
emotions. forming attitudes and values) and acting
(psychomotor or acquiring skills).
He has needs and wants to be satisfied in
order to live a successful and happy life.
Lesson I. Philosophies of Man (study of
He has needs and appetites that are
ideas about knowledge, truth, the nature
physiological, intellectual, psychological or
and meaning of life, etc.)
emotional, social, economic, political, moral,
and spiritual in nature.
All his efforts are geared towards the Philosophy of man is an open
fulfillment of these needs as he strives to live ended-cerebral empirical activity. It is a basic
a full life. course for college students which are both
extensive and comprehensive in scope.
He has to work for the satisfaction of these
varied needs. These needs should be fulfilled This implies that philosophy of man is an
to avoid frustrations. endeavor which is not an end in itself but a
means to an end.
Man is scientifically named Homo sapiens.
He has distinct characteristics that make him This is why the course has a close linkage to
different from the other creatures on earth. Metaphysics, Ethics, Sociology,
Psychology, Theology, Epistemology, and
Every man is born inimitable, each one
Theodicy.
different from others. An individual‘s nature is
manifested and fashioned by heredity, It is connected with Metaphysics since it
culture. and environment studies the being of man;
The word person comes from the Greek with Ethics since it treats of man as a being
word prosophon. meaning mask - that which of action;
is used by stage actors. Its Latin equivalent with Sociology since it considers the
personae refers to the mask through which horizontal or social dimension of man;
an actor forcefully projects his voice.
with psychology since it studies the nature
We may, therefore, speak of a person as a of man as a being endowed with reason;
human being, hidden by the mask. (that’s
why we cannot judge a person wd his/her
physical being/self)
with Theology since it inquires the avenue of adaptive nature of his behavior in rational
man‘s relatedness to God in the context of ways.
faith; He makes and uses tools in a variety of ways.
with Epistemology since it investigates the He is self-conscious, reflecting on his past
true notion of the human substance; and and future and on life and death.
with Theodicy since it provides an arena of He makes mental abstractions, develops
questions about human nature and human symbols and communicates his ideas and
condition from the standpoint of the nature, knowledge through sign or oral language.
essence, and activity of God. Man has a sense of appreciation for arts and
In general, philosophy of man is a course beauty.
that deals, with man; man is "the superstar in Man has his religion. He believes in a Divine
philosophy of man. Being, and has superstitions and beliefs in
If philosophy is a love or an intense desire for animistic, supernatural, or spiritual things.
wisdom then philosophy of man is one‘s A human being is a moral animal and has
desire to know who and what man is. developed himself through the influence of
In coming to grips with the question ―who he heredity, environment, and cultural factors.
is? Man posits the question and answers the Thus, man becomes an integral human being
question himself. No other being except man Created in the likeness of God.
can know himself.
Thus, in philosophy of man, man asks a Classical View
crucial question about himself and gradually
For the classical philosophers, man is a
answers the question himself. I
creature endowed with hierarchical virtues
As a whole, philosophy of man is a course whose nature is designed to serve as building
that delves into the origin of human life, the blocks of society.
nature of human life, and the reality of human
Man is distinct from animals as he is the sole
existence.
being who possesses a physical body and a
Thus, philosophy of man leads the students soul. Man‘s soul is composed of intellect and
to look at the wholeness of their being since will.
the course guides them to see themselves
From the point of view of Aristotle, man is a
and their fellowmen as persons, subjects, and
rational and a social being. To him, man is not
center of values.
the center of the universe. He is only a part of
it. He is born to be a part of society.
Different Philosophical Views of a Man He is a political animal in the sense that
outside the political organization or the
Biological organized society, he is nothing. He is a
beast who recognizes neither law nor social
Man is a complex being who behaves structures.
uniquely as a result of his hereditary
(genetic/innate traits acquired from parents),
environmental, and cultural influences. Christian View

He is curious; he imitates others and has his The Judaeo-Christian philosophers

own interests. Man reasons and improves the considered man as the ―image of God."
Genesis 1:27 (Holy Bible) states, ―God His soul, which Msgr. Sheen also calls mind
created man in mi own minim; in the image of or psyche, makes him responsive to other
God He created him; male and female He people and to the arts, sciences, philosophy
created them. and law.
Man‘s spirit facilitates having a communion
This centers on the notion that man is with God.
endowed with divine attributes. These divine
characteristics bring all men to a common Karl Marx (cited by Palispis, 1995), suggests
bond forming essentially one family. that human nature has given potentials, the
We share the same basis features that make nature of which cannot be changed. Yet, man
us human and enable us to know and to love does change as a result of developing his
one another. As is pointed out, biblical potentials which God has given him when he
prophecy speaks of the peaceful unity of all was born. This is certified true by several
men. studies.
Van der Poel (1971) found that values have
Existentialist View their own ―historicity.

Teilhard de Chardin (1970) says that man is And for Andres (1980), he believes in the
a being who knows what he knows. relativity of values ―that values are relative
to cultural influences of historical changes, in
Martin Heideger (cited by Palispis, 1995) the sense that the appreciation of values is
believes that man is responsible not only for affected by these factors since values is
himself but for all men. relative to time, time becomes an important
In his book Introduction to Philosophy, indicator of one‘s values.
Engelber Van Crooverburg (1963), as cited As Havighurst and Neugarten (1976)
by Palispis (1995), mentions the following reveal, when a society changes, its values
thoughts about man: also change.
1. Man is raised above the abyss of The existentialists consider the existence of
nothingness. man endowed with a free will. Not all men
2. He lives on the dividing line between the have the same essence.
past, the present and the future.
3. He is embodied. Oriental Philosophical Views
4. He is above all and subhuman. Mencius (cited by Cruz, 1993) speaks of
5. He uses reason above the lower levels human nature as originally good. He
of his existence and teaches consciously mentions the four beginnings that belong to
beyond himself into a being of which he man‘s original nature, namely:
partakes and becomes more than he is. ' 1. jen - the feeling of commensuration,
which is the beginning of the virtue of
Msgr. Fulton Sheen (1948) describes man human heartedness
on a three-level structure: body, soul and 2. yi -the feeling of shame and dislike,
spirit. which is the start of righteousness.
His body, through his senses, makes him 3. Li- the feeling of modesty and yielding
aware of the material universe. towards the good. This is the beginning
of ritual or propriety. (Kagandahang asal)
4. chin -the sense of right and wrong.
Man is naturally bestowed with the with the natural law, is adjusted to the rhythm
knowledge of what is right and what is wrong of the universe, and thus enjoys peace and
or what is good and what is bad. These four happiness.
beginnings of man differentiate him from the
beast. Confucius says ―Mans greatest
achievement is to find the central clue to our
Man is expected to develop these four moral being that unites us with the universal
beginnings to become truly a man. Through order
the full development of his nature, man
cannot only know Heaven but also becomes Contemporary View
one with Heaven Man is said to be a multi-bejeweled crown of
creation. He radiates the various aspects and
The only way for man to be happy is to free facets of his being which he alone possesses
himself from the slavery of his selfishness his physical, mental, moral, spiritual,
and inordinate sexual desires social, civic, economic, psychological,
aesthetic, and sensual aspects.
Gautama Buddha says: ―Never in this
world does hatred cease by hatred. Hatred These gifts are not mere adornments but are
ceases by love... Let us live happily by not meant to serve a noble purpose:
hating those who hate us. Let us live free -​ to serve for the betterment and
among men who hate. Let a man overcome perfection not only of himself but also
anger by kindness, evil by good, and hate by of humanity.
love
In the end, man will be judged not only by his
To Confucius, life is not a delusion, a curse, possession, power or influence but also by
or a misery. It is a living reality, a blessing, a the nature of his work (Montemayor, 1995)
natural priceless right and opportunity to work
together with your fellows for the common
Immanuel Kant Concludes that man is the
good and attain happiness.
only creature who governs and directs
himself and his actions. He sets up ends for
He says that man‘s perfection and happiness
himself and his purpose and freely orders
is realized and achieved in social life. He
means for the attainment of his aims.
advocates harmony among men in society.
Every man is an END in himself and should
The social order predicted by Confucius is never be treated merely as a means as per
patterned after the natural order of things in the order of the Creator and the natural order
the universe and the moral order reflected of things (Montemayor, 1995)
and embodied in the life of the moral man. Man is a human being. As (a true human
being-he has the power to become the best
Confucius states that the life of the moral among all creations.
man is an exemplification of the universal
moral order. The life of the vicious man is its The Divine Providence created man in His
contradiction. own likeness; gifted him with an intellect and
will in order to know the truth and to make the
In constantly doing what is good as right decisions.
commanded by his nature, man becomes one
With the use of these endowments, man has The person of a man does not grow in
the capacity to learn and be educated in the stature or yung person’s natural height; but
right sense of the word. personality of a man develops and enlarges
Through education, man will be equipped itself according to the pattern of his actions,
with the necessary knowledge, skills, and the mature use of his powers, and the
values needed as he explores the world of schema/purpose of his habits.
work. Through his values, ideals, intelligent
Whereas person is entirely a gift and a
insights, and productive efforts, man has the
capacity to become progressive (Baking, birthright, personality is largely a matter of
1982). one‘s achievement.

There is no such thing as the cultivation of

Lesson II. Person, Personality and person; but there is such a thing as the
Character cultivation of personality.
While character and personality are both
Character is often taken as synonymous with
used to describe someone‘s behaviors, the
personality. This is correct if personality is
two examine different aspects of that
taken as the sum-total of psychophysical
individual. One‘s personality is more visible,
systems in an individual which enable him to
while one‘s character is revealed over time,
adjust to his environment but character
through varying situations.
assumes a restricted meaning.
Personality is the sum total of the factors of
Character refers to a person‘s choice of
physique and constitution and those
values and this intelligent and free conversion
enduring, underlying tendencies of a person
of such values into practical goal.
which determine his characteristic behavior or
the combination of characteristics or qualities
If personality is a psychological entity,
that form an individual's distinctive character.
character is an ethical entity. We do not say
that a man has good or bad personality, but
People have unique personalities that make
we do say that a man has a good character.
them who they are. There are many different
types of personality traits, including some that
are positive and some that are negative. Thus, if personality is a principle of rational
action, character is a principle of moral
In the language of laymen, personality action.
refers to those physical attributes and
mannerism of an aesthetically refined person. Personality might be defined as the
sum-total of our rational habits grouped
In psychology, those ―enduring and around the axis or central part of the intellect.
underlying tendencies‖ which determine Character might be similarly defined as the
characteristic behavior are the talents, sum-total of all our moral habits grouped
powers, and habits which are accidental to a around the axis of will.
person.
Personality is easy to read, and we‘re all
Thus, one individual is not more of a person
experts at it. We judge people [as] funny,
than another, but he may have more
extroverted, energetic, optimistic,
personality than another.
confident—as well as overly serious, lazy,
negative, and shy—if not upon first meeting In this way, even if an individual‘s inborn
them, then shortly thereafter. preference is to shy away from the public, the
beliefs and values that shape his behavior
And though we may need more than one can evolve to reflect the values of his
interaction to confirm the presence of these immediate groups and communities. Such
sorts of traits, by the time we decide they are, awareness and adaptability help with survival
in fact, present, we‘ve usually amassed (Kurtus, 2011).
enough data to justify our conclusions.
The bottom line is, despite the significance of
our inborn personality traits, we can
Character, on the other hand, takes far
overcome them as required by personal or
longer to puzzle out. It includes traits that
cultural demands.
reveal themselves only in specific—and often
uncommon—circumstances, traits like
honesty, virtue, and kindliness‖ (Lickerman, EXAMPLE OF CHARACTER TRAIT:
2011). Character traits are valued aspects of a
person's behavior. Everyone has character
While personality is easier to spot, it‘s largely traits, both good and bad.
static and slow to evolve. Character, on the Character traits are often labeled with
other hand, takes longer to discern but is descriptive adjectives such as patient,
easier to change. unfaithful or jealous. Loving, kind,
generous. Etc.
That‘s because character is shaped by
beliefs, and with enough effort and
motivation, changing one‘s perspective and EXAMPLE OF PERSONALITY
view of the world can lead to a shift in one‘s Being honest and taking responsibility for our
character. actions are admirable qualities of a person.

The malleability of character makes sense

when you look at human evolution. In order Lesson III. Habits and its Moral
for our ancestors to survive, they had to Significance
adapt to new environments and change with
the times—and this remains true in the
Man is a creature of habits. He is born with a
modern era.
wide assortment of powers that open up
limitless horizons for development.
If an individual deems a change in his or her
Reason stands to the apex of the vast array
surroundings to be significant, then his or her
of potentialities. Man, if he must integrate all
beliefs will transform to accommodate the
his powers in one wholesome personality,
change.
must rely on the powers of reason. Man must
for the habits of reason.
For instance, an individual who might have a
shy personality can learn to switch his
attitude toward public speaking when Habit comes from a Latin habere, meaning to
stepping into the role of a teacher. The new have. Habit is either the disposition to have
social and external demands lead to an something, or the disposition to act in a
internal shift that changes his demeanor. certain manner.
The first is called entitative habit, that which That habits are established and maintained
disposes a thing to have a certain nature or by repetition means that we automatize the
quality of being, such as to be beautiful, actions by practicing them over and over
talented or to be obese. again.

Moral habits share all of these features of

The latter is called operative habit, that ordinary habits, plus one more: moral habits
which disposes for doing something in a arise out of a commitment to particular moral
certain manner, such as painting, writing or principles.
talking. We are primarily interested with
operative habits. They may be defined as the We might adopt the moral habit of
readiness to do something. consciously setting aside time to rest and
rejuvenate in order to achieve the value of
Habits are acquired. Once acquired, they being more productive while working.
become very difficult to alter/changed. They
are therefore relatively permanent. Acquiring We might adopt the moral habit of being
habit is like starting a pathway across a lawn. aware of our emotional states in order to
achieve the value of greater clarity of thought.
In like manner, habits are not formed in an In other words, moral habits are habits which
instant. They result from constantly aim to achieve moral values.
repeated actions. After they are formed,
they do not vanish instantly. It would The Function of Habits in Life ​
require a tremendous effort to change a Without habits, without the capacity to
habit. automatize frequently repeated actions, we
could never move beyond the most simple of
Habits are largely dominant and tasks. We would barely be able to walk, let
subconscious patterns of action established alone perform amazing feats of multi-tasking,
and maintained by repetition. So, habits are such as walking and chewing gum at the
patterns of action, such as tying our shoes, same time. Our conscious mind would be
with three distinguishing features: wholly engaged in tasks that, with habits, we
(1) Dominance relegate to the background. (or put something
(2) Unconsciousness to it).
(3) Repetition
Dominance means that we perform the The real question is: Should I form habits
habitual actions the vast majority of the time. consciously or unconsciously? Should I
In almost every case that we pick up the ends choose my own habits or have them chosen
of our shoelaces, we tie our shoes. for me?

Sub consciousness means that we are not To show why consciously-cultivated habits
consciously choosing or 2 attending to the are so worthwhile, let‘s take a peek at the
habitual actions. We don‘t have to think about three of benefits that well-developed and
each loop and pinch in order to tie our consciously-chosen moral habits bring us,
shoelaces. namely (1) reduction of cognitive load, (2) the
disposition to act morally, and (3) consistency
between our words and our deeds.
Benefit #1: Moral habits reduce our cognitive eyesight, but are acquired by practice and
load. Moral habits automatize decisions for lost by disuse. They are abiding states, and
us, freeing us from the time and effort of they thus differ from momentary passions
deliberating most everyday moral choices. such as anger and pity.
Virtues are states of character that find
As I mentioned, without any such expression both in purpose and in action.
automatization, we would be mentally
crippled/malfunction. But more broadly
speaking, our moral habits allow us to both Moral virtue is expressed in good
focus our attention on the more interesting purpose—that is to say, in prescriptions for
and complex aspects of life and act quickly. action in accordance with a good plan of life.
It is expressed also in actions that avoid both
Benefit #2: Moral habits dispose us to act excess and defect.
morally. Good moral habits make virtuous
action easy and natural, and render vice
A temperate person, for example, will avoid
difficult and unpleasant.
eating or drinking too much, but he will also
avoid eating or drinking too little. Virtue
In forming habits, we condition our emotions
chooses the mean, or middle ground,
to take pleasure in acting on principle and
between excess and defect.
feel pain in acting against principle. That
emotional feedback naturally inclines us
towards the right thing to do. Besides purpose and action, virtue is also
concerned with feeling. One may, for
Benefit #3: Moral habits give us consistency example, be excessively concerned with sex
between our words and our deeds. Moral or insufficiently interested in it; the temperate
habits connect our abstract moral principles person will take the appropriate degree of
to the concrete moral choices we face every interest and be neither lustful nor frigid.
day.

As such, habits strengthen the bond between Virtues may pertain to intellect or to the will.
what we say and what we do. They Those that pertain to the intellect are called
strengthen our integrity. However, integrity intellectual virtues. They help man acquire
concerns more than the ―trickle-down‖ effect knowledge and perfection on that aspect only.
from our principles to our actions.
Those that pertain to the will are called moral
It also concerns the ―trickle-up effect from virtues. They dispose the will towards proper
our actions to our principles. To put it bluntly, conduct and contribute to the perfection of
what we do affects what we think. If our the whole person.
actions are inconsistent with our beliefs, we
will change our beliefs in order to reconcile The intellectual virtues are:
the two.
1.​ Understanding which is the habit of
the first principles, such as, ―do good
Lesson IV. Intellectual Virtues and the and avoid evil‖, ―the whole is greater
Effects of Vices than the sum of any of its parts‖;
People‘s virtues are a subset/part of their 2.​ Science which is the habit of
good qualities. They are not innate, like proximate causes, such as, concluding
 from the facts of experience or that nothing is done in excess or in defect
inference; because anything excessive or defective
3.​ Wisdom which is the habit of ultimate constitutes a vice, it has been said that virtue
causes, such as, being aware that the stands in the middle of both extremes, or as
ecosystem binds both man and lower the Latin say, ―virtusstatenmedio.
creatures;
4.​ Art which is the habit of making or
producing things, such as, paintings, The effects of Vices
music, sculpture;
5.​ Prudence which is the habit of doing A vice is the habit of doing an evil acquired
or choosing from alternative values, through the repetition of an evil act. One
such as saving for the ―rainy days. single act of immorality does not constitute an
Understanding, science and wisdom pertain immoral habit. But it is no less imputable to
to speculative intellect. Art and prudence the subject. So much for the expression
pertain to practical intellect. -―We don‘t hate the sinner but the sin" .The
fact is that every evil act speaks ill of the
Character of the person acting.
The Moral Virtues
A vice is opposed to virtue either by excess
The moral virtues are those that build the
or by defect.
character of a person. These are justice,
temperance and fortitude. 1.​ Vices opposed to prudence by excess
are: cautiousness, fraud, flattery,
Justice is the virtue which inclines us to
trickery, etcetera; by defect are:
render to another what is due to him. The
imprudence, precipitateness,
biblical just man is one who respects himself,
impulsiveness, carelessness, and
worships God and helps others.
stubbornness.
2.​ Vices opposed to justice by excess:
profligacy, idolatry. fanaticism and
Fortitude is the virtue which gives us the superstition; by defect: all forms of
strength in facing dangers and vicissitudes of unjust activities by omission, such as
life. disrespect for elders, irreligion,
In Filipino we refer to it as tatagngkalooban non-payment of legitimate
so that we describe a man of fortitude as debts,etcetera.
matibay, matatag, or malakasangloob. 3.​ Vices opposed to fortitude by excess:
rashness, boldness, recklessness; by
Fortitude must be tempered by prudence. It defect: cowardice, timidity, sensitivity,
belongs to the prudent man to decide and depression
whether to assume a risk or to avoid it. 4.​ Vices opposed to temperance by
excess: rigorousness, lack of self
confidence, moroseness, by defect:
Temperance (control/abstinence) is the virtue pride, lust, hatred gluttony, vanity and
which helps us regulate our passions and our others.
use of earthly goods.

In the philosophy of Aristotle, temperance or

moderation provides the ―golden mean, so
Chapter Summary -​ Entitative habit disposes a thing to
have a certain nature or quality of
-​ Knowing man as an individual and as
being, such as to be beautiful, talented
a member of society is fundamental in
or to be obese.
the study at values and ethics.
-​ Operative habit disposes for doing
-​ Man is a complex organism, for he is
something in a certain manner, such
composed of a physical body, intellect
as painting, writing or talking.
and emotions. He has needs and
-​ Dominance, Unconsciousness and
wants to be satisfied in order to live a
repetition are the features of habits.
successful and happy life. He has
-​ The benefits of well-developed and
needs and appetites that are
consciously-chosen moral habits are:
physiological, intellectual,
reduction of cognitive load, the
psychological or emotional, social,
disposition to act morally, and
economic, political, moral, and spiritual
consistency between our words and
in nature.
our deeds.
-​ There are different philosophical views
-​ Virtues may pertain to intellect or to
of a man such as: Biological, classical
the will. Those that pertain to the
view, Christian view, existentialist view,
intellect are called intellectual virtues.
oriental philosophical view, and
Those that pertain to the will are called
contemporary view.
moral virtues.
-​ Personality is a psychological entity
-​ The intellectual virtues are:
while character is an ethical entity.
Understanding, science, wisdom, art
-​ Personality is a principle of rational
and prudence.
action while character is a principle of
-​ Understanding, science and wisdom
moral action
pertain to speculative intellect. Art and
-​ Personality might be defined as the
prudence pertain to practical intellect.
sum-total of our rational habits
-​ The moral virtues are those that build
grouped around the axis of intellect.
the character of a person. These are
-​ Character might be similarly defined as
justice, temperance and fortitude.
the sum-total of all our moral habits
-​ A vice is the habit of doing an evil
grouped around the axis of will.
acquired
-​ Habit comes from a Latin habere,
meaning to have.
-​ through

the repetition of an evil act.

-​ A vice is opposed to virtue either by

excess or by defect.