PHILOSOPHY OF MAN

Part One: Introduction

I. The meaning of Philosophy
A. DEFINITION OF PHILOSOPHY
Nominal Definition:
Etymological Meaning:
Two Greek words:
PHILOS/PHILIA LOVE
SOPHIA WISDOM/KNOWLEDGE
Philosophy means Love of Wisdom.
Real Meaning:
According to Aristotle Philosophy as thinking which aims at maximum connected truth
about all available experience.
This definition does not mean that the philosopher must discover a kind or degree of
connectedness or relationship; rather it obliges him to pursue the process of search and
discovery.
For Aristotle, the aim of philosophy was to explore connections of all accessible as
exhaustively and comprehensively as possible.
Philosophy has been defined by Bittle as the Science of beings in their ultimate
reasons, causes and principles acquired by the aid of human reason alone.
-

As a science because it based on knowledge, not on mere opinions, theory of

hypothesis.
Its major concern is the discovery of truth for the purpose of knowing it in advance in
order to do something about it.

Philosophy is similar to science in that it exhibits critical-and-open-mindedness,

persistence, willingness to abide by experience and reason, and impartial concern
for the truth.
The difference between the two fields lie in the scope and nature of their
concerns and in their approach. Philosophy deals with all aspects of mans
experience while sciences deal with restricted fields
.
Science of Beings it covers all things which can be apprehended by the human mind,
that is, anything that exist, is going to exist, can be thought of, or is known.

In their Ultimate reasons, causes and principles it is through reason that a thing is
known and understood; causes is something from which other things come. While other
sciences give the proximate or immediate cause of things, philosophy seeks for the ultimate
or final cause and principle. Finally, that the goal of philosophy can be acquired by the aid of
human reason alone means that philosophy bases its knowledge solely on the reasoning power
of human mind, not on any authority. Faith and Divine Authority have no place in
philosophical inquiry.
Material Object: All beings/things or everything that exist or has existence.
Formal Object: the ultimate reasons, causes and principles of very nature or essence
and their existence.

Five View of Philosophy which are supplementary to one another were given by Titus
and Smith
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

A personal attitude towards life and the universe.

A method of reflective thinking and reasoned inquiry.
An attempt to gain a view of the whole
The logical analysis of language and the clarification of the meaning of words and concepts
A group of problems as well as theories about the solution of these problems

a. Origin of Philosophy
Philosophy begins in Miletus says Reginald Ellen. The radix of the claim lies on
Thales: the acclaimed first philosopher.
Pythagoras coined the term philosophy
But by virtue of the point of origin of philosophy which is wonder (by the way, we do not
mean that Pythagoras didnt wonder, the thing is, Thales wondered earlier that Pythagoras) it is
Thales. This highlights the origin of philosophy.
b. Cause of Philosophy
The cause of philosophy not necessarily the ultimate cause is wonder; philosophy
starts at wonder.
c. Purpose of Philosophy
i.
enables us to understand ourselves better;
ii.
helps us understand others, our fellowmen;
iii.
helps us understand others way of thinking;
iv.
help us understand the world and our place and role in it;
v.
helps us understand the significance, meaning, value, and finality of human life;
and

vi.

helps us know and understand God in his nature, essence, activities, and
attributes.

DIVISION OF PHILOSOPHY
Division of Philosophy
General Ontology
Metaphysics
Philosophy

Special
Epistemology
Logic
Ethics

Cosmology
Theodicy
Psychology

The beginning of philosophical inquiry is traced to the Greek colony of Miletus in

about 600 B.C. From then on, philosophy grew and developed into various fields which may be
divided in to two major categories, the theoritical and practical.
Theoretical Philosophy
It directs to knowing things as they are without thinking of application. Its ultimate aim
is knowledge or truth. In theoritical philosophy, the person contemplates or reflects about
the truth of nature as well as the relation of things. Early philosophies were mostly of the
theoritical category in that their major concern was to know the nature and source of a natural
phenomena.

a. Metaphysics is a science that studies all beings in so far as they are beings.
Greek terms: Meta beyond
Physikon nature
which the word physics derived science concern with in natural
laws and processes and the physical world of nature.
Two Types of Metaphysics
1. Monism is a view that the universe has one and only one basic
feature
2. Pluralism which contends that there are more than one or two kinds
of fundamental realities, and that the universe has more than one
feature, either in quantity or quality
Ontology is a metaphysical study of all realities in so far as they exist
Greek term: Onta the really existing things

b. Cosmology is defined as a metaphysical science which studies the general nature of

the world
Greek term: Cosmos world or universe
c. Psychology as a metaphysical science which treats of mans nature as a being
endowed with reason and intellect
Greek term: Psyche soul, mind and spirit
Rational Psychology it deals with the vital principle of life called soul
d. Theodicy it is a philosophical field which studies the nature, being, goodness and
justice of God
Greek terms: Theos God
Dike Justice or right
Rational Theology- other name of Theodicy.
- it uses reason to attain its objectives.
e. Epistemology- is the study of the origins, presuppositions, nature, extent, and
veracity (truth, reliability, validity) of knowledge.
investigates knowledge and truth
Greek terms: Episteme knowledge
Logos study
Practical Philosophy
It directs its concern to things which are material or perceptible and useful. Its goal is
not just finding the truth but acting on it, applying the knowledge gained for the benefit of
mankind. Merely knowing the moral beliefs of a particular group of people is theoritical in
character, but translating these beliefs into laws with which the behavior of the individual or the
social group members in defined is practical.
a. Logic is the study of the nature and problems of clear and accurate thinking
and systematic or orderly argument.
studies correct processes of thinking
it is afundamental branch of philosophy
Greek term: logike or logikos ordered, systematized, thought of or
intelligible
b. Ethics the science of the morality of human acts
- is essentially the study of what is right and wrong in mans
behavior as well as the pursuit of the good life.
Greek term: ethos a characteristic way of acting
Latin word: Mos, Mores custom or way of life

c. Aesthetics is the philosophical field which studies beauty and art in

general.
Art has to do with mans creativeness and skill in making or doing
things that have form beauty.
Beauty refers to the quality attributed to whatever pleases the beholder
such as form, color and behavior.
Greek term: Aisthetikos one who is perceptive of things through his
sensations, feelings and intuitions
d. Axiology is a philosophical field which analyzes the meaning,
characteristics, origin, types, criteria and knowledge of values in general.
- is also known as the theory of value.
Greek term: Axios worthy or valuable
e. Semantics studies the meaning of words and linguistic forms, their
functions as symbols, and part they play in relation to other words, to human
thoughts and behavior.
Greek terms: Semantikos (noun) significance
Semainein (verb) to signify
Sema a sign, mark or token of identity
Productive Philosophy
a. Social Philosophy the study of man in relation to the family, the State, and
the Church.
b. Philosophy of Man is the inquiry into man and his dimensions as person
and as existent being in the world: his dignity, truth, freedom, justice, love,
death, his relations with others and with God.
c. Philosophy of Religion is to examine the intellectual questions that arise in
considering religious views.
d. Political Philosophy is to describe past and existing social organizations, in
which respect it seems to duplicate the findings of economics, political
science, anthropology, biology, and sociology; and in part to evaluate these
organizations, in which respect it is like ethics.
MEANING OF PHILOSOPHY OF MAN
A. Description
Philosophy of Man is an open-ended-cerebral-empirical activity. This implies that
philosophy of man is an endeavor which is not an end in itself but a means to an end.

This is why the course has a close linkage to Metaphysics, Ethics, Sociology,
Psychology, Theology, Epistemology, and Theodicy. It is connected with Metaphysics since it
studoes the being of man; with Ethics since it treats of man as being of action; with Sociology
since it considers the horizontal or social dimension of man; with Psychology since it studies the
nature of man as a being endowed with reason; with Theology since it inquires the avenue of
mans relatedness to God in the context of faith; Epistemology since it investigates the true
notion of the human substance; and with Theodicy since it provides an arena of questions about
human nature and human condition from the standpoint of the nature, essence, and activity of
God.
In general,
- Philosophy of man is ones desire to know who and what man is.
- Philosophy of man, man asks a crucial question about himself and gradually answers
the question himself.
- As a whole, philosophy of man is a course that delves into origin of human life, the
nature of human life, and the reality of human existence.
- Philosophy of man leads the students to look at the wholeness of their being since
thee course guides them to see themselves and their fellowmen as persons, subjects,
and center of values.
B. Objectives
The following are the primary objectives in studying philosophy of man:
- it gives us broader horizon in understanding ourselves, others, and God.
- helps us to identify the points of divergence and covergence between us and brutes
and between us and plants;
- exposes us to a thorough and deeper understanding of ourselves as unique dipartite
creatures that we are the substantial unity of body and soul;
- helps us understand better our nature, the meaning of our existence, our point of
origin, and our terminal point who is God; and
- enables us to encounter the diverse views of different philosophers concerning our
nature, our uniqueness, and our role in the whole spectrum of Gods creation.
C. Approach
The method that we use in studying the nature of man and the meaning or condition of
being human is basically Christian. But this requires a lot of analytic presentation of various
views about man.

THE PROBLEMS IN PHILOSOPHY OF MAN

A. What is the Nature of Man?
The meaning of th term human is obvious. It refers to anything which is exclusively
pertinent to man.
On the contrary, the meaning of the term nature needs ample elaboration. Per se, the
term is derived from the Latin word natus which means born or natura which means to

be born or being born. In this light, the general definition of nature is that it is the
ultimate principle of operation of a reality.
Applied to man, human nature would refer to anything exclusively human which man
intrinsically possesses right at his birth.
Human nature is one and immutable. It is one because it is absolutely present to all
those who are born humans; it is static because it remains as it is in every man from birth to
death. In effect, human nature is one and is elusive of change
a. Three Fold Level of Human Nature
a.1 Somatic Level- refers primarily to the body, substance, constitution or stuff of man
and secondarily to the bodily structure, color, etc. of man which are conditioned by mans culture
and environment.
When the human bodily substance is animated right at conception, it assumes the
potentiality to grow and develop into a living human flesh. When this occurs, the living human
body is capable of sensation. It is in this way where we can claim universality and staticity of
human nature in the somatic level. All men therefore bleed when pricked and laugh when tickled.
Nothing in one human body is foreign to another. The realities in the flesh of one human body is
true to all.
a.2 Behavioral Level- refers to the mode of acting of every man. Both in the abstract and
concrete nuances, man has a universal way of acting or conducting himself properly.
However, it may be true to suppose that some men behave or react in a given situation
differently from others.
a.3 Attitudinal Level- refers to the mental reaction of every man to a given stimulus or
the position of every individual man concerning his opinion, feeling, or mood.
Again, this level is universal yet not static. It is universal since every man has attitudes.
However, it is not subjectively static because it is dependent on human individually or
uniqueness. Every man has attitude, but every man has different attitudes.
B. What is Human Condition?
a. A-Being-Who-Quest-for-Meaning
Our task is not to show that human existence as such is meaningful, instead our task is to
show the fact of the human quest towards finding and realizing the meaning of human existence.
If experience is the indispensable ground where the state and meaning of being human
lies, then, mans consciousness of his existence should be present side by side with his
experience. In the philosophical parlance, consciousness and experience are correlative data.
Experience is experience only in the context of consciousness and vice-versa. And if
consciousness occurs as a correlative datum of experience then man should be conscious of his
distinctive existence so that he can strike a sense, purpose, and direction in his existence. Thus, it
can be necessarily inferred that finding meaning in human existence is an imperative to every
man.

Human existence is something that can be found and eventually realized in the actual
living and existing as a human being. The meaning of life will just manifest itself in mans actual
living of it. Thus, in this sense, the meaning of human condition cannot be reckoned with in the
objective basis of evaluation but in the subjective basis.
THE NATURE OF MAN
Knowing the nature of man is quite important in that it offers insights or explanations
why a person thinks and behaves in a certain manner, and why a person adopts a certain kind of
belief or philosophy.
Even mere assumptions about man, according to Rhinelander, are crucial, for they
determine many of the theories man ever conceived of. These assumptions influenced not only
political theory and history but also theories of knowledge, theories of value, theories of ethics,
theories of art, theories of language, and theories of religion.
Man As Viewed From Four Perspectives
Man according to:
- Composition
- Essence
- Origin
- Distinctive traits
To have a fuller understanding of man it is proper to view man from various perspectives.
One may look at him in terms of the elements with which he is made, his origin, essence or
fundamental nature, and in terms of certain traits or characteristics which distinguish him from
any other creation.
Man according to Composition
1. Monism- man is made of matter or body and nothing else.
- the mental and the spiritual is a mere product of the physical.
- The popular proponents of this view are the behaviorists who regard only the body
as functually real, and whatever appears to be other than the body are mere functions
of the body. Thus, the spiritual nature of man is the workings of the body.
This is the doctrine of Epiphenominalism.
Epiphenominalism- the mental or spiritual is a mere by-product of the physical.
- an individual who believes that man is purely a physical being is not expected to care
about what happens to him when he dies. Such a person can hardly be seen
participating in spiritual activities like Bible study, prayer meeting or worship, which
are founded on the belief that man has a soul which, upon the death of the physical
body, may reunite with his Creator.

2. Dualism- man is made of two irreducible elements- matter and spirit or soul.
Soul- as the principle of life in those things which we live.(St. Thomas Aquinas)
2 Opinions regarding the Dualistic Theory:
a. Man is matter and spirit- it implies that not only is man made of two elements but that
matter and spirit are two separate entities which interact regularly.
- As two separate entities, it is possible for the spirit to leave the body either
temporarily as when a person became unconscious or permanently as when the body
perished.
b. Man is matter-spirit- views man as a fusion of the two elements. To separate the two
elements will result to having two entities-matter and spirit- but not man.
- without a body the spirit is non-existent, particularly to those who believe that reality
is dependent on human perception.
3. Tripartite- man is made up of body, soul and spirit. (By: Early Christian Believers)
Body- outermost part of man, which can be perceived physically.
Soul- the inner part of man which cannot be seen.
- it consists of the mind, emotions and the will.
Spirit- innermost part of man by which he can commune with God.
- immaterial being- eluding the test of the biologist and chemist, essential part of
mans nature, the heart of all human life.
Man according to his Origin:
1. Theory of Evolution- asserts that man descended from simpler ancestors whose ancestry can
be traced back to an exceedingly simpler form of life.
Evolution-is the process of gradual growth or development of all forms of life, a single cell
organism (believed to be the ultimate beginning of all living things) by natural descent to various
forms of life which are structurally complex and have the increased range of functions of powers.
Man is the most complex product of the evolutionary development. This theory of evolution
is associated with Charles Darwin, a British naturalist who theorized that living organisms
developed through the process of natural selection.
Organic evolution or Darwinism is not; however, synonymous with the theory of evolution
since Darwinism is only one of the many explanations of how one specie may have descended
from another.
Charles Darwin- main proponent of the theory of evolution through the natural process of
selection
the survival of the fittest.
2. Theory of Divine Origin- asserts that man is created through Gods image and likeness.
(Gen. 2:7).

2 Theories of Divine Origin:

a. Mythological (Greek and Roman) the supreme being participates in the creation of man.
b. Judeo-Christian - believes that the whole being of man is created apart from the existence
of the Supreme Being.
- the man is of divine origin in the theory of the Judeo-Christians which is based on the
story of creation.
Man according to his Essence:
In terms of essence or fundamental nature, various opinions have been expressed. These
opinions can be grouped into three fairly distinct categories:
1. Rationalistic view- points out that mans capacity to understand and reason as his most
unique attribute which sets him apart from other living creatures.
- reason is the highest part of the soul- Plato
- it is independent and immortal and it is the only faculty which enables man to
penetrate the very nature of things.
- Asserts that man is to be understood primarily from the viewpoint of the nature and
uniqueness of his rational powers.
2. Religious view - stresses the Divine nature of man.
- man is a being created by God and made in Gods image.
- Mans spiritual elements enables him to transcend his physical limitations and the
natural conditions of life.
3. Scientific Views
a. Biological view- stresses that man is the highest form of life, man is the peak of evolution.
- man is a part of the physical order of nature, and, like other objects, he has size,
weight, shape, and color.
- He occupies space and time and is subject to the laws of physics, such as the law of
gravitation.
b. Behaviorist view- All men are similar in nature. They are empty organisms furnished
with the same neural and mechanical equipment, waiting to be formed by the forces around Him.
- sees man as a being that can be manipulated, formed, and developed in much the
same way as any other animal.
Mans Distinctive Traits (Ardales 1992)
Although, most scientists take man as a part of the physical order of nature, man is
distinctive in that he has life which makes him different from nonliving creatures and he has the
power to reason which sets him above the other species of animals.

The other traits which differentiate man from other higher form of animals are social,
cultural, and intellectual. Physically, mans posture is erect which enables him to use freely his
arms and hands for exploration and manipulation. He has free fingers and prehensile thumbs
which enables him to grasp objects. He has arms which has the capability to rotate gives him
freedom and flexibility. The most precious endowment of man is his large head and highly
organized and intricate nervous system.
Man as a part of the physical order of nature, man is distinctive in that he has life which
makes him different from nonliving creatures, and he has the power to reason which sets him
above the other species of animals.
1. Man uses propositional language, makes sentences and carries on conversations.
2. Only man is inventive; he makes tools, and builds machines
Ex. He builds machines
3. Man is a social and political creature who passes laws, establishes rules of conduct, and is
learning to cooperate in larger units.
4. Man is conscious of his history and has a cumulative cultural tradition.
5. Man has aesthetic appreciation. He creates beauty and enjoys it
6. Man is a religious being in the sense that he worships and engages in ritualistic or ceremonial
practices.
7. Man has a sense of right and wrong and of values. He is an ethical creature with a moral
conscience.