Professional Documents
Culture Documents
LP 2 in Philo of Human Person
LP 2 in Philo of Human Person
Department of Education
Content Standards
The learner understands the interplay between the individuality of human
beings and their social contexts
Performance Standards
The learner evaluates the formation of human relationships and how
individuals are shaped by their social contexts
Learning Competencies
7.1 Recognize how individuals form societies and how individuals are
transformed by societies PPT11/12-IIf-7.1
Learning Objectives:
Vocabularies:
CIVIL AUTHORITY - the moral power of command which the State exercises
over its members.
GENERAL WILL - a collectively held will that aims at the common good or
common interest.
HUMAN NATURE - fundamental dispositions and traits of humans.
INDIVIDUAL – that which has existence independently or distinct from other
people possessing their own needs and goals
SOCIAL CONTRACT - an agreement between (a) members of the community
or (b) members of the community and the Sovereign.
SOCIETY – an assembly of human beings who are united by a mode of
agreement that demands some common end, value, or interest.
SOVEREIGN - the legitimate head of state after the Social Contract: (a) a
person or group of persons, such as a monarch or a government,
or (b) the people representing themselves.
STATE OF NATURE - A pre-societal condition of human nature.
THEORY - set of beliefs that explains or accounts for a general philosophy or
specific philosophical concept imposed by your body.
Processing questions:
1. Are these also true with your community or government?
2. In what ways do you experience/recognize these attributes?
Learning Content
The question of the relationship between the individual and the society is the
starting point of discussions about society. Here you shall be learning the main
theories regarding the relationship of the individual and society.
Synthesis
The Social Contract Theories we learned presented the two essential and
principal elements of social contract where the relation of individuals play a
significant role to wit:
The first element is the presumption of an initial pre-social and pre-political
situation called a “state of nature”. These modern philosophers are one in the
contention that under this state of nature, all individuals are equal, they are all
situated proportionally relative to one another, and they all have some motivation to
leave the state of nature in favor of some benefits gained by coming into civil society.
The second element is a normative representation of the parties to the contract. The
parties of the contract are described as (1) motivated by self-interest, in as much as
they will only agree to the contract if they perceive that they will benefit from the
perceived social interaction; (2) the concern for the welfare of others, that is, only if
they recognize that the advantages they expect to derive from the social contract will
be conditional on their willingness to guarantee the same advantages to the other
end; and (3) with reasonable respect to the way they understand their interests, the
interests of others, and the just or moral principles that ought to govern their pursuit
of those interests.
Application
Imagine yourself into a state of nature and that there no rules or laws and
that each one is perfectly free to pursue her own self-interest during this time.
How are you going to maintain an ideal and livable society away from the state
of nature? What are the rights you are going to lay down or uphold? Make a draft of
your own version of social contract that you shall adopt.
To do this, refer to your answers in Learning Activity 1 and 2. These are the
contrasting situations from where you can take the conditions of your social contract.
You will be guided by the following beginning statements.
PREAMBLE
To form a more humane established society where Justice,
Tranquility, Security and General Welfare are the utmost concern,
and with the Blessings of Almighty God, we do ordain and declare:
The People:
The Leaders:
The Government:
Assignment
Complete the table below with the influence of the following community
figure in your personal and community experiences.
References:
Stumpf, Samuel Enoch and James Fisher. 2008. Socrates to Sartre and Beyond. New
York: McGraw Hills Publishing. International Edition.