Rod
Read and reflect on the selection.
Bless the Lord, O my soul
0 Lord, My God, thou art great;
thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
“Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment:
‘Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
“Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters:
| Who maketh the clouds his chariot:
‘Who walketh upon the wings of the wind:
‘Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:
‘Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be
removed for ever.
__He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills
__He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied
with the fruit of thy works.
He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man:
that he may bring forth food out of the earth...
O Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all:
the earth is full of thy riches.
| Psalm 104: 1-5, 10, 1315, 24 LUNITHI; Philosophy and Man
+. What thoughts and ideas are conveyed by the psalm?
ul or spilt?
2. What are your personal thoughts on the $0
2. What are your personal thoughts on God?
Rees
‘At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:
discuss theories and perspectives on spirituality
1,
2, define the spirit and its characteristics
3. compare religious and philosophical views regarding the human spirit
<1 reeves how spirituality defines human nature and existenée
5. identify and discuss views regarding God and His role in their lives
compare and discuss arguments regarding God's exsten®!
F. diseass their personal reflections regarding the role of spirituality in their lives
Peer ee
What is the spirit?
‘Any discussion on the nature of the human pet
son inevitably leads to a discussion on the
nature of the human soul or spirit, the immortal, rnoncorporeal essence of man. The notion of
the cou prevalent in various cultures and religions. In particular, major monotheistic religions
such as Judaism, Islam, and Christianity believe that man js the only being with a soul, Other
religions such as Jainism and Hinduism, on the vither hand, recognize that other living beings also
possess souls. For animistic religions such 2s SShintoism, non-living things such as mountains and
rivers also possess a soul.
‘Embodiment isa central concept in discussing thenature ofthe human soul. This conceptis
primarily based on discussions on the nature sfluman consciousness Psychologists have defined
Pran’s embodiment as embodied cognition - that man iS able to perceive and experience reality
\a LESSON 5: Philosophy and Spittuality
through his physical body. A related theory, enactivism, states that cognition arises through
the interaction between an organism and its environment, For humans, the notion of the self
arises through the interaction between the individual and his environment, and such interaction
is influenced largely by the individual's particular physiology, Later studies and diseussions on
‘human embodiment have proposed that consciousness has both a physical and non-physical
nature,
‘The Christian doctrine holds thatthe sprit is created by God, and that itis embodied in the
human being, Upon the body's demise, the spirit continues to persist into the afterlife. The spirit
is also an essential element for the salvation of mankind, as the departed spirits will be raised
from the dead during the end times and shall receive the judgment of God.
‘The Ancient Greek philosophers have proposed varied ideas on the nature of the spirit.
Plato believed that the human spirit or soul is composed of three parts: logs (the mind or reason),
#hymos emotion), and eros (desire). For Plato, the human mind is immortal and persists after the
death of the body. Aristotle, on the other hand, regarded the soul as integrated into the human
body; the soul is the part of man's essence which enables him to achieve his ultimate purpose,
Later philosophers and thinkers focused on the relationship between the mind and body
in their discussions of the soul. Philosophers have long argued over the nature of the mind and
body, and the means by which they interact and influence each other. The mind-body problem
considers the question of how the mental or nonphysical are able to interact with the physical
body, and to what extent one influences the other. Earlier views on this included physicalism,
Which believes that physical processes determine the state of the mind. An opposite view,
idealism, holds that mental processes and thoughts are the only reality. Another view, monism,
Argues that the human being is composed of elements that are neither physical nor mental.
Still another view, dualism, believes in the distinctiveness of the physical and mental
‘nature of man. The Islamic philosopher Avicenna; for example, argued that self-awareness and
Consciousness exists even ifthe body is deprived ofits senses. This is echoed by Rene Descartes,
"who proposed that the mind and body exist ax two separate entities which interact with one
“another.
Religious philosophers also pondered on tke nature of man but placed more importance on
‘he spirit or soul asthe essential component of human existence. St. Thomas Aquinas believed
hat the soul is the “first actuality’ of the body; for there to be a body, there should first be a
Soul. For him, the soul has substance but has no physical or concrete form, and is able to exist.
‘without the body. St. Augustine, meanwhile, considered the soul the driving force which
the body and defines the human person. UNIT: Philosophy and Man
DISCUSS
1. How does embodiment explain the existence of the human spirit?
2. What are the various views regarding the relationship between the body and spirit?
How does the spirit define the nature of man?
Biblical scholars and theologians have proposed several explanations regarding the nature
and composition of man based on their studies ofthe Holy Seriptures. These views deal with the
“distinction between the physical and spiritual natures of man, and how these interact to define
the human being.
“The trichotomic view holds that man is composed of three essential parts: body, soul
and sprit, The soul is defined asthe component which gives man life and will, while the spirit
‘enables man to establish a connection with God. The dichotomic view gives no distinction
between the spirit and soul and views man as being composed of body and spirit. The final view,
peychosomatic unity, asserts that man is ofa single or unitary constitution, and that the body
and spirit are inseparable and integrated.
“The spiritual nature of man gives him a distinct nature and purpose among God's creation,
“The Catholic doctrine holds that the human person is the union of the body and soul, and that
man’s soul enables him to know and love God, and grants him the dignity of a person. It is
through the soul that man is able to share in God's life, and itis tis relationship with God that
defines his existence.
DISCUSS
‘How does the spirit define personhood and the self?
If the spirit exists, does God exist?
‘The spiritual aspect of human existence is a vital component of religious belief. The
belief in the spiritual embraces the concept of the divine, particularly the existence of God.
Philosophy examines spirituality in Theology, the study of God and other religious concepts,
“Theologists discuss the nature of God and use philosophical tools to define and understand)
the concept of divinity and religion. The growth of Christianity has greatly influenced the
In LESSON 5: Philosophy and Spirtuality
development of theology, and various Christian philosophers have put forth their ideas on
the nature of God.
God is acknowledged as the Supreme Being which governs all existence, and the center of
faith and devotion ofa religion. Theism is the belief in the existence of a God or several deities,
Christians believe in a single God (monotheism) who has the following characteristics:
Omniscience. God is all-knowing.
‘Omnipotence. God is all-powerful.
Omnipresence. God is ever-present.
Benevolence. God is perfectly good, just, and all-loving,
Divine Simplicity. All attributes are integrated and embodied by Him — God is not just
“good’; He is goodness itself,
Eternal. God is timeless and has no beginning and end
Philosophy has long debated the concept of God and divinity. Theologians have embarked
ona study of God through the analysis of sacred texts (revealed theology), while some have
employed reason to substantiate the existence of God (natural theology). Studies in natural
theology have given rise to several arguments on the existence of God.
The ontological argument contends that since man, a rational being, is able to conceive
the notion of a Supreme Being, then it holds to reason that such Supreme Being exists,
The teleological argument, meanwhile, focuses on the purpose a God would play in the
tniverse, It argues that a Supreme Being is necessary for the continued existence of an orderly
but complex universe.
‘The cosmological argument takes into account the nature of existence and the universe
and tecognizes the existence of God as an explanation of how things came to being in our reality.
St Thomas Aquinas proposed several arguments which point to God asthe “prime mover” the
“first cause of existence,” and the “source of being” of reality and the universe. The German
philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Leibniz, on the other hand, based the belief on the
existence of God on the “principle of sufficient reason.” For Leibniz, al facts and events must
have aa! explanation. The existence of the universe, therefore, must have an explanation and
the only sufficient explanation isthe existence of God. Related to these arguments isa view that
‘originated from Islamic theology ~ the kalam cosmological argument. This argument proceeds
along the following logical statements.
Everything that has a beginning has a cause,
The universe has a beginning.
Therefore, the universe has a cause
\n, LUNITII: Philosophy and Man
‘This argument proposes that God is the cause that brought about the beginning of the
universe.
“The moral argument holds that man's ethical nature is brought about by the existence of
God. God is the representation of the greatest ideal, ‘the greatest good,” and it is from Him that
all standards of goodness are based. This view was introduced during the early 20th century by
the Scottish philosopher William Sorley.
“These arguments consider God a necessary being for the universe and all existence to make
sense. Disproving God would call into question all existence, as well as other abstract concepts
such as goodness, morality, and even the spirit. Life itself would hold little significance without
God,
‘The existence of God is the subject of continuous debate among theologians, secular
philosophers, and intellectuals. The various viewpoints on this issue can be classified into three
distinct groups. Theism i the viewpointor belief in the existence ofa God or deities. Agnosticism
is the view which considers metaphysical concepts such as God to be inherently unknowable.
Finally, atheism is the rejection or nonbelief in the existence of God or any deity.
DISCUSS
1, What characteristics make God a “supreme being”?
2. How do philosophers justify the existence of God?
If God exists, what is His role in our lives?
God is the recognized Creator of the universe and continues to be present in all creation
and in His followers. God plays a central role in redemptive salvation ast is through Him that
saving faith is effected. God also takes an active rolein the human condition (divine providence)
through blessings, miracles, divine inspiration, and revelation. God's continuous presence in the
‘universe and within each human being is an aspect of His providence.
God's presence in this universe may be seen as either immanent or transcendent.
Immanence regards God as manifesting Himself in the world as a unique entity. Deities from
other world religions are considered to have taken physical form and are often depicted with
human features in iconography. Christian doctrine recognizes God's immanence through Jesus
Christ, who came into being as part of the plan of salvation, and suffered and died for mankind.
Upon Christ's resurrection and ascension, God's presence continues to guide humanity through
the Holy Spirit. LESSON 5: Philosophy and Spetualty
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