INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

Intersubjectivity

I have my neighbour/ Ako ay may kapwa

Using Gabriel Marcel’s phenomenological reflection, the primary

reflection is I have my neighbor. In this statement, we can see that the “I” and
the “Other” are seen as separate beings. We acknowledge the fact that there is
a gap between yourself and your neighbor. In my opinion, this primary
reflection is the manifestation of apathy and selfishness because, according to
Martin Buber, it is an embodiment of the I-It relationship: the other serves
only as an object to one’s subject. Because the other serves only as an object, in
this reflection, it is a relationship based on having rather than giving. From our
past lesson in DISS, I learned that in Marxism, there is this concept of surplus
value wherein the value from the labor of the proletariat is extracted by the
capitalists. I think that the concept of surplus value precisely explains the
primary reflection on the “I” and the “Other.”

I am my neighbour/ Ako ay ang kapwa ko

In the secondary reflection, we can see in the statement I am my neighbor

that there is now a deeper sense of sympathy toward your neighbor because
the “I” connects with the “Other” as if they are of the same being. In this
reflection, it is emphasized that there is a union between you and your
neighbor. This is best reflected in the statement love your neighbors as yourself.
We view our neighbors on the same level we view ourselves. Relating this to
Sikolohiyang Pilipino, kapwa recognizes a shared identity. Therefore, it is the
extension of the self.

I am not just my neighbor; I am also for him/ Ako ay para sa kapwa ko

This is the highest form of relationship that we can have with our
neighbors because our sympathy extends into empathy. Our relationship with
the Other is elevated into something much deeper because you no longer view
your neighbour on the same level as yourself, but rather, on a higher level than
yourself. This relationship entails the giving of oneself to others. This is where
the concept of love comes in. According to the Phenomenology of Love by
Manuel Dy, love is a relationship built upon giving. It concerns both beings; the
relationship shows no dominance or possession. In this relationship, there is
no “I”, only “We.” This is also deeply rooted in the Filipino culture. Since
Filipinos are family-oriented, we tend to sacrifice our own needs for the sake
of the needs of the family. Relating it to the Phenomenology of Love, because
there is this emotional attachment to our family, we give ourselves for them,
sometimes at the expense of our own interests.