1

INTRODUCTION TO
THE PHILOSOPHY
OF THE HUMAN
PERSON
SY 2021-2022
 LESSON 1(Day 1): To understand the the meaning and significance of
doing philosophy by reflecting on a concrete situation from holistic
and perspective.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

HOLISTIC - involves being aware of the entire being and understanding its
components. THINKING refers to a perspective that considers
large-scale patterns in systems. Looking at the “big picture” when
describing and analyzing a situation or problem.
PARTIAL - It's admitting that one's perception is limited by other factors or based
on a single factor. Is incomplete. It's admitting that one's perception is
limited by other factors or based on a single factor.
PERSPECTIVE - is the way you see some thing.To compare with something similar
to give a clearer, more accurate idea.
Philosophy of the Human Person-is an area in philosophy that understands
the human person from a philosophical perspective.
POINT OF VIEW - is a way to articulate and analyze the position of the narrator in
relation to the story they're telling.

THE PERSPECTIVE OF PHILOSOPHY OF HUMAN NATURE

Human nature is traditionally contrasted with human attributes that vary among
societies, such as those associated with specific cultures. More specifically, this
perspective believes that nature itself (or a nature-creating divinity) has intentions
and goals, including the goal for humanity to live naturally.
Philosophy applied to human experience or everyday life denotes the use of
philosophy as an intellectual activity. Also known as philosophy in life, this concept
is important because it serves as the guiding principle on how one ought to live life.
On the other hand, philosophy as an intellectual activity is an analytic procedure of
addressing individual thought processes such as resolving conflict and confusion,
testing positions, and analyzing beliefs. In all instance, doing philosophy is
prescribed by logic, reason, and ethics leading to wisdom.
The word philosophy means “love of wisdom”. Philosophy ignites an individual’s
critical thinking and seeks for things beyond the normal eye can perceive.
Philosophy is the 12 rational sciences of all things that seek for the ultimate causes
of reality.
Through philosophy, an individual can break walls and enter into a boundless
possibility. What is the difference between holistic thinking and partial thinking?
Holism comes from the Greek word “holos,” meaning literally everything, whole.
Holistic perspective refers to a perspective that considers large-scale patterns in
systems. This is often described as looking at the “big picture” when describing and
analyzing a situation or problem. A holistic perspective requires an individual to
have an open mindset and an ability to get the general sense or impression
regarding a situation. Partial point of view, on the other hand, focuses on specific
aspects of a situation. The partial point of view is an important component of
analytical thinking, as an individual focuses on certain areas or aspects of a
problem in order to understand it. Though a partial point of view is useful,
philosophy utilizes holistic perspective in making sense of problems and issues
related to the human experience.

There are two perspectives in the study of philosophy.

Partial Perspective of Philosophy - the focus of philosophy is the human
Person in relation to self: his intellect and freewill as a unique
individual(psychology) limited in his capacity to do good (ethics) and to
know (epistemology) and his place in society (political philosophy).

Thus, the human person is viewed as a collection of parts and studied on a

piecemeal basis with one part distinct and independent of the other parts.

That human nature can only be understood solely in terms of the

functioning of its component parts.
In the philosophy of the human person, the human nature is viewed on a
Holistic perspective. The human person is seen as a whole or its entire
functioning cannot be fully understood solely in terms of their component
part.
✓ Holistic thinking refers to a perspective that considers large-scale patterns in
systems. A holistic perspective requires an individual to have an open
mindset and ability to get the general sense or impression regarding a
situation.
✓ Partial thinking focuses on specific aspects of a situation. The partial view is
an important component of analytical thinking, as an individual focuses
on certain areas or aspects of a problem in order to understand it.

Holistic Perspective and Partial Point of View

HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE PARTIAL POINT OF VIEW

►Look at all aspects of the given ►Look at only a limited number of

problem or situation. aspects of the given problem or
►All aspects are given importance situation.
when making conclusions. ►Conclusions are made based on
►All aspects are tied in together to considering some, but not all, sides of
form a general overview of the problem the problem or situation.
or situation.
Example: A teacher scolds Student A
Example: A teacher listens first to both after Student B accused him of stealing
stories of her two arguing students her pencil case. However, the teacher
before making any conclusion about only listened to the story of Student B,
the issue and not Student A, before deciding to
scold the student

Looking at the characteristics of holistic perspective and partial point of view, it can
be concluded that using a holistic perspective is more desirable in doing
philosophy than using a partial point of view. Partial pointS of view only promote
limited knowledge on the situation. This leads to wrong conclusions.
 2

INTRODUCTION
TO THE
PHILOSOPHY OF
THE HUMAN
PERSON
 MODULE 1
DOING PHILOSOPHY

LESSON 1 Day 2: To understand the the meaning of philosophy to

promotes the development of the persons as an individual.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

BELIEFS - the attitude that something is the case or true.

DIMENSIONAL - are physical, social, environmental, spiritual, intellectual, and
emotional, especially as they influence the seventh dimension,
occupational wellness.
ETYMOLOGY - is the source of a word, or the study of the source of specific
words. An example of etymology is tracing a word back to its Latin roots.
RATIONAL - is when you are asked to give the reasoning or justification for an
action or a choice you make. It is a set of statements of purpose and
significance and often addresses a gap or a need.
WISDOM - knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to
action; sagacity, discernment, or insight. scholarly knowledge or
learning.

Meaning of Philosophy:
Philosophy can be defined in its entomological meaning; comes
from the two Greek words, philo, - “to love” and “sophia” -
wisdom,. Philosophy originally meant “love of wisdom”. Thus,
philosophers are lovers of wisdom. Wisdom in philosophy is in
how you help yourself think more clearly, precisely and
systematically.

Pythagoras (580-500BC) a greek philosopher and

mathematician who coined the word “love of wisdom”. In one
of his travels in an ancient Greek kingdom, he was asked by the king if he was a
sophos (a wise man), he said that he was not but a “lover of wisdom”.
Philosophy in its real meaning according to what they think, what they believe and
what they think ought to be done in the subject.
Philosophy is also the science that by natural light of reason studies the first causes
or the highest principles of all things.
a. Science. It is called a science because the investigation is systematic. It
follows certain steps or it employs certain procedures. It is an organized body
of knowledge just like any other sciences.
b. Natural Light Science. Philosophy investigates things, on the basis of
supernatural revelation, it becomes theology; instead, the philosopher uses
his natural capacity to think or simply, human reason alone or the so- called
unaided reason.
c. Study of All Things. This sets the distinction between philosophy from other
sciences. Philosophy is not one dimensional or partial. A philosopher does not
limit himself to a particular object of inquiry. He questions almost anything, if
not everything, It is multidimensional or holistic.
d. First Cause or Highest Principles. A principle is that from which something
proceeds in any manner:
● Principle of Identity - whatever it is; and whatever is not is not;
everything is what it is. Everything is its own being, and not being is not
being.
● Principle of noncontradiction- it is impossible to be and not to be at the
same time, and at the same respect.
● Principle of Excluded Middle- a thing is either is or is not; everything
must be either be or not be; between being and not-being, there is no
middle ground possible.
● Principles of Sufficient Reason-nothing exist without a sufficient reason
for its existence.

Early Greek Philosophers studied aspects of the natural and human

world that later became separate science-astronomy, physical,
psychology, and sociology.

Meaning of “Person”
Is defined in many ways based on one’s purpose.
It refers to a corporation, organization, partnership, association or other entity
construed to be governed by a particular law.
In philosophy, a person is a being that has certain capacities or attributes. It is a
composite of characteristics that make up an individual a “self”.

A person is a living being that contains a real and existing power to direct its own
development toward fulfillment through perfect, unconditional, and infinite Truth,
Love, Goodness, Beauty, and Unity, and will do so if all the proper conditions are
met.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Defined person refers to the masks worn by actors on stage. The various masks
represented the various “personae” in the stage play

Meaning of “Human”
Human is defined as a rational being endowed with
composite characteristics (physical, mental, moral,
spiritual, and emotional) as distinct from lower animals.
Human person is used together to distinguish it from other
kinds of persons such as corporate person, ecclesiastical
person, person in grammar, etc.

“PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON”

Philosophy of the Human is the love or desire of a rational
being endowed with wisdom. It is one’s desire to know and what a human person is.
The focal point of study is the human person, the meaning of his existence, his destiny,
his relation to others, society and the world.
Is a course that deals with the study of the human person as an embodied being,
immersed in society, the world and the environment and
oriented towards death. The human person’s life, relationship
to others, relationship to society, relationship to the world and
environment and his impending death.
The philosophy of the human person started when the
methods of philosophy were applied to find the answer
regarding the questions and mysteries of human existence.
The human person which is formerly used as man (in philosophy of man)is the more
applicable term to avoid confusion in a word that applies to both sexes.
Karl Raimund Popper
Theorized that man (now human person) concurrently exists in three distinct worlds:

1. The physical world of nature (that properly belongs to natural/physical

sciences)
2. The internal world of ideas, thoughts and emotions,
3. Social world of inter-subjectivity. (shared awareness and understanding
among person).
Number two and three worlds belong to the jurisdiction of philosophy. The
philosophy of the human person also includes investigations into such a
person’s internal world of ideas, thoughts and emotions as well as such a
person’s social world of inter-subjectivity.

Karl Raimund Popper

Philosophy of the Human Person is a

philosophical investigation concerned with
questions such as the status of human beings in
the universe and the purpose or meaning of
human life.
 ENRICHMENT

Direction: Open your google classroom/Google Jamboard and complete the

activity sheet provided.
Discovering One’s Uniqueness and Self-worth
Direction: Supply the statement below.
1. How do you see/describe yourself?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. If you were to make a sticker that will express yourself to your community or to
the world, what would it look like and say? Design your own sticker.

MY STICKER
 3

INTRODUCTI
ON TO THE
PHILOSOPHY
OF THE
HUMAN
PERSON
SY 2021-2022
 LESSON 2 Obtaining broad perspective in life

DEFINITION OF TERMS

CONCEPT - as abstract ideas or general notions that occur in the mind, in speech,
or in thought. They are understood to be the fundamental building blocks of
thoughts and beliefs.
EQUIVOCAL - it signifies more than one concept, subject to two or more interpretations
and usually used to mislead or confuse.

PHILOSOPHIZE - a kind of discourse on reality; it is essentially tied up with man's

openness towards the reality which is being verbalized.
UNCERTAINTY - uncertainty may range from a falling short of certainty to an
almost complete lack of conviction or knowledge especially about an
outcome or result.
WONDERS - rapt attention or astonishment at something awesomely mysterious or
new to one's experience.
WISDOM - the ability to make a decision based on the combination of knowledge,
experience, and intuitive understanding.

VALUE OF DOING PHILOSOPHY

Philosophy of the Human Person is to see human life as a meaningful whole or in its
holistic perspective. Since the study of philosophy is universality, unity, and synthesis,
the Philosophy of the Human Person seeks to obtain a unified and consistent
worldview of the human person.

“What is a certain life?” MARK TWAIN (American

writer)

It is “death and taxes”

The phrase nothing is certain but death and taxes
means that everything in life is uncertain. The only
things that you can be sure of are:
1. You will undoubtedly die.
2. You will certainly have to pay taxes.

Bertrand Russell - a British philosopher concluded that what is certain in life is

uncertainty itself-that there is very little, if anything can be considered certain.

● From big things to small, being uncertain does not mean you are lost or a
failure. It just means you're alive. At times, you may be overwhelmed by
uncertainty, but if you can learn to deal with life's uncertainty each day,
you'll be more confident and able to trust that things will work out for the
best.
The Philosophy of the Human Person is of little worth and strength if everything is
certain in this world. There is nothing more to study and philosophize. Therefore,
The most enduring value of studying the Philosophy of the Human Person lies in the
“visions of things large enough to generate a life plan, a direction” on the purpose
and existence of the human person. We all become philosophers at any crucia
moments in life. The general framework of belief and values we profess of our
essential human capabilities that makes us distinctly human.
Our philosophical reflection is an important part of our self-fulfillment, happiness
and our professional growth.

● Value of Philosophy:

❖ Philosophy as a subject, learn and master. Enables us to conceptualize,

analyze, compare, evaluate and understand things. We philosophize
and become wise. In philosophy as a product, a person can articulate
their understanding of the contributions of each philosopher
(traditional and modern) to philosophical problems relating to
knowledge, reality and value.
❖ Philosophy helps develop the ability to form opinions and beliefs.
Evaluates and decides what could be “better” or “best”.
❖ It helps to be resilient and philosophically calm in the face of disorder
and doubt, uncertainty, indefiniteness, and chaos. By being flexible, he
is able to preserve and put things in their proper perspective and
outlook in the face of upheaval.
❖ Philosophy deepens self-awareness. Self-aware does not harbour
Illusions and rationalizations to justify his beliefs and actions.
 ❖ Philosophy also increases the self-awareness and awareness of the
world. When awareness increases, he becomes more dynamic, more
critical and more discerning of the significant influence of his life.
❖ Philosophy helps to be creative, By being creative he develops a
philosophical perspective on problems, issues and concerns that is
unique and distinctive. He engages his life on a deeper level to give
meaning to it.
❖ Philosophy helps to be imaginative; he is able to deal openly with new
possibilities and changes in how he sees things. A true philosopher
wonders ab question as “Who Am I?” “Why am I here?” “Why is there
order in the universe?” He ponders on the meaning of these questions.
❖ Helps to develop clear concepts and value systems. Concepts and
values are found most in philosophy, art, politics, psychology, literature,
music. etc.
❖ Philosophy provides a better intellectual perspective and outlook. It
becomes more open minded, less bias and more sympathetic to views
that might even conflict or compete with his own view.
❖ Philosophy gives personal freedom-the freedom from the biases,
prejudices and convictions, and tyranny of customs that have grown
up in his mind. By being free, he can make suggestions and decisions
and act according to those decisions.
❖ Philosophy helps to refine his power of analysis-the power to think
critically, reason, evaluate, theorize and justify.

Philosophy is important in obtaining a broad perspective in our life

Philosophy essentially is obtaining a broad perspective on life, but one underpinned
by the logical rigour of its connectivity. It helps us solve our problems -mundane or
abstract, and it helps us make better decisions by developing our critical thinking

Life is equivocal but living is resolute. A life with a full conscience is what everyone
looks out for but very few are fortunate enough to acquire the
 ability of insight. Although, it’s
difficult to achieve this knowledge
of wisdom, it’s not impossible and
one can always aspire to become
his own. Gautama Buddha!

Principles

● Abstention from killing living beings. Kindness and compassion. Right to life.
● Abstention from theft. Generosity and renunciation. Right of property.
● Abstention from sexual misconduct. Contentment and respect for
faithfulness.
● Abstention from falsehood. Being honest and dependable.
● Abstention from intoxication.

We live in an EXTREMELY decontextualized society today. Philosophy helps you

organize and understand yourself and what we call the external world in context,
as in order to study philosophy, many things are included in that- history among
them.
“Broad” perspective in life means being inclusive, and being inclusive is one of the
two ways to think. Philosophy generally means you must grasp how to do both
inclusive thinking and divisive or exclusive thinking. Philosophy also shows you
enough of both that balancing them eventually becomes important, even if that
balance is almost always biased to the exclusive-minded with Western philosophy.

On life perspective philosophy enables reflective thinking which greatly

influences a person’s view of life, challenges, and relationships. Doing directs
how a person will perceive these factors in life and how they will be faced.

In any setting wisdom is always gained when philosophy is applied to

formulate conclusions and about a certain concern.
 Meaning and process of doing philosophy means engaging oneself in
“matters” of utility” and methodologies to eliminate any practical problem or
abstract idea.

In the process of doing philosophy, it is critical to have a holistic point of view-

the perception of looking at all aspects of a situation first before making a
conclusion. Some other skills involved in doing philosophy are critical, logical,
and analytical thinking, observation, and communicative skills.

Importance of doing philosophy can be applied in day-to-day activities and

life end. It involves an evaluative process, doing philosophy allows a person
to make better decisions and act accordingly to situations with the help of
various philosophical skills.

PHILOSOPHIZE
We have all the potential to philosophize since we have the tendency to
wonder and doubt. A philosopher is a good communicator who can clearly
and adequately present his/her ideas.

Broadening your perspective can be life enhancing.

A broad perspective is defined as the ability to see a situation from a
different angle or point of view, while life-enhancing means a life that is
contented and happy. ... And a life that is living in truth and reduced
ignorance is truly life-enhancing.
 ENRICHMENT: Picture yourself

Google Classwork: Complete the Activity provided and answer the following
In a concrete manner in one paragraph five sentences each.

Direction: 1. Place your picture in the frame.

2. Describe yourself as a philosopher.
3. What is your broad perspective in life?

1. As Philosopher:

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
2. What is your broad perspective in life?

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
 4

INTRODUCTION TO
THE PHILOSOPHY
OF THE HUMAN
PERSON
MODULE 3
DOING PHILOSOPHY

DEFINITION OF TERMS

ANALYTICAL - the ability to collect and analyze information, problem-solve, and

make decisions.
INTROSPECTION - an examination of one's own thoughts and feelings.
REFLECTION - as “meditation or serious thought about one's character, actions,
and motives.”
SELF-REFLECTION - it is a way of assessing yourself, your ways of working and how
you study.

REFLECTION ACCORDING TO PHILOSOPHY

In John Locke: Theory of ideas. …so on)

and, second, “reflection” (one's
awareness that one is thinking, that one is
happy or sad, that one is having a certain
sensation, and so on). These are not
themselves, however, instances of
knowledge in the strict sense, but they
provide the mind with the materials of
knowledge.

Self reflection

1. Is like looking into a mirror and describing what you see. It is a way of
assessing yourself, your ways of working and how you study. To put it simply
'reflection' means to think about something.
It's about taking a step back and reflecting on your life, behavior and beliefs.
 2. We periodically reflect back on an event and how we handled it in hopes
that we learn something from it and make better decisions in the future.

Reflecting helps you to develop your skills and review their effectiveness, rather
than just carry on doing things as you have always done them.
It is about questioning, in a positive way, what you do and why you do it and then
deciding whether there is a better, or more efficient, way of doing it in the future.
Importance of reflection

❖ Reflection is a process of exploring and examining ourselves, our

perspectives, attributes, experiences and actions / interactions. It helps us
gain insight and see how to move forward. Reflection is often done as
writing, possibly because this allows us to probe our reflections and develop
them more thoughtfully
❖ Its power lies in being able to help you develop your understanding of the
way you learn, the subjects you are studying and to define your longer-term
goals. It can help to promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills, both
of which are key to academic success. But it has further uses that relate to
life skills: it is an essential part of personal development and prepares you for
the world of work, encouraging you to develop the habit of analyzing your
actions or events and considering the consequences. (Gillett, Hammond and
Martala, 2009, p.164)
❖ Reflection attempts to move beyond simply describing events. It aims to: •
be considered, thoughtful, analytical • be honest – even when this is difficult
or uncomfortable • be rational and distanced (Although it often deals with
feelings and emotions, we try to look at them dispassionately) • relate
experiences to wider contexts, other perspectives and theoretical
frameworks.

Self-reflection is a skill; the ability to be aware of yourself. It is a particular kind of

awareness that is applied to yourself on many levels:

1. Physical - The health benefits of physical activity

2. Mental - self-reflection — can spark insight, which can alter the way we
see ourselves and those around us.
3. Emotional - introspection is a process that involves looking inward to
examine one's own thoughts and emotions.
4. Spiritual - transforms our spiritual life, matures our faith, and improves
nursing practice by applying God's Word.
When we engage in self-reflection, we’re developing what is known as an inner
witness. This is the ability to look at yourself—even your own thoughts and even
what is beneath the thoughts and emotions—from a slight distance. It’s almost like
peering at your image in the mirror, except that the potential for self-reflection goes
much deeper than your outer appearance
Good Reflection

Requires critical and analytic thought, a clear line of argument, and the use of
evidence through examples of personal experiences and thoughts and often also
theoretical literature. You should aim for a balance between personal experience,
tone, and academic practice and rigor.

Philosophical Reflections
Human self-reflection is the capacity of humans to exercise introspection and the
willingness to learn more about their fundamental nature, purpose and essence.

Two Types of Reflections:

A. Primary Reflection
1. It refers to the process directed at deriving clear concepts about reality.
2. We discover, from an objective point of view, the various elements of a thing
– it’s shape, color, or function
B. Secondary Reflection
1. It is the realization of the unity of the situation and the individual which
provides us with a holistic view of reality

Having reflection and application in everyday life makes you a better person
because as you reflect you become more aware of your mistakes or on the side
where you need to improve and by applying it makes you a better version of
yourself.
 ENRICHMENT: Reflecting yourself

1. Organize your thoughts and ideas; describe some unforgettable or important

events that you experienced as a child.
2. How do you feel about yourself at this point of your life?
3. How do you feel about the significant people around you? (parents, relatives,
and friends)
4. What makes you happy now? Unhappy?
5. Click the link below to watch a video on youtube and give your reflections in
one paragraph five sentences.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKnb21pwESI&ab_channel=TheVoltaire