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ARCHDIOCESE OF LINGAYEN-DAGUPAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

URBIZTONDO CATHOLIC SCHOOL, INC.


URBIZTONDO, PANGASINAN
S.Y. 2021-2022

LEARNING MODULE
in
INTRODUCTION TO THE
PHILOSOPHY OF THE
HUMAN PERSON
MONTH of AUGUST

PREPARED BY:

GEMARD JEM P. GEÑEBRE


Subject Teacher

CHECKED BY:

JOE ANN V. DADUYA


SHS Coordinator

NOTED BY:

KIM ABIGAIL S. CAMACHO


SHS Principal
SUBJECT: INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 1 |Page
SUBJECT TECHER: Gemard Jem P. Geñebre
FB ACCT: Gemard Jem Geñebre CONTACT NO.: 0915-098-8150
ARCHDIOCESE OF LINGAYEN-DAGUPAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
URBIZTONDO CATHOLIC SCHOOL, INC.
URBIZTONDO, PANGASINAN
S.Y. 2021-2022

VISION STATEMENT

In communio, the ALDCS – Urbiztondo Catholic School, Inc. form Christian


steward through holistic Catholic Education and formation.

MISSION STATEMENT

To achieve the vision, ALDCS – Urbiztondo Catholic School, Inc. is committed to


the following mission:

Authenticity
To establish among member schools a Catholic identity rooted in Gospel values,
centered on the Eucharist and committed to faith formation, academic excellence
and service.

Leadership
To ensure an efficient operation of the schools through effective governance which
provides direction, authority and leadership.

Dynamism
To provide a clearly articulated rigorous curriculum aligned with relevant standards,
21st century skills, Gospel values implemented through effective instructions.

Community
To establish networking and linkages through communion with other schools, the
church and other social institutions.

System
To enact comprehensive organizational plans based on compelling mission for
Institutional advancement through academic instruction, promotion, enrolment
management, technology development and innovative stewardship.

CORE VALUES

Authentic Witnessing
Governance and Leadership
Excellence and Relevance
Responsible Stewardship
Communion / Community

SUBJECT: INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 2 |Page


SUBJECT TECHER: Gemard Jem P. Geñebre
FB ACCT: Gemard Jem Geñebre CONTACT NO.: 0915-098-8150
ARCHDIOCESE OF LINGAYEN-DAGUPAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
URBIZTONDO CATHOLIC SCHOOL, INC.
URBIZTONDO, PANGASINAN
S.Y. 2021-2022

CONTENT STANDARD
The learners should be able to understand the meaning and process of doing
philosophy.
PERFORMANCE STANDARD
The learner reflects on a concrete experience in a philosophical way.
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to:
a. Define the word Philosophy.
b. Explain the Nature of Philosophy and their branches.
c. Differentiate the meaning of philosophy as a body of knowledge and as
an intellectual activity d. Distinguish a holistic perspective from a partial
point of view
e. Recognize human activities that emanated from deliberate reflection
f. Apply a philosophical reflection on a concrete situation from a holistic
perspective
g. Realize the value of philosophy in obtaining a broad perspective in life
h. Apply their critical and analytical thinking skills to the affairs of daily life
UNIT I: Doing Philosophy
LESSON 1: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY
NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY
In a few years, you will gain new experiences in life that you may have never
dreamed of. Such experiences may excite or challenge you, while some can make
you rethink your life and decisions.
At your age, you may have already asked yourself important questions about
your life that cannot be directly answered through research or education, such as
“What do I want?” or “What will make me happy?”
If you have already asked yourself those big questions, then you have already
engaged in philosophy.
– What is Philosophy?
– Is it a way of life? Why or why not?
– How do you apply it in everyday life?
Find out the answers in this lesson!
DEFINITION
The Meaning of Philosophy and Philosophy of the Human Person
What is Philosophy? Philos – “Love”;Sophia – “Wisdom”
PHILOSOPHY – “Love of Wisdom”
SUBJECT: INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 3 |Page
SUBJECT TECHER: Gemard Jem P. Geñebre
FB ACCT: Gemard Jem Geñebre CONTACT NO.: 0915-098-8150
ARCHDIOCESE OF LINGAYEN-DAGUPAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
URBIZTONDO CATHOLIC SCHOOL, INC.
URBIZTONDO, PANGASINAN
S.Y. 2021-2022

What is Philosopher? Philosopher – “lover of wisdom”


✓ Philosophy meaning "love of wisdom," is a science where reason and logic
are used to understand reality and answer questions of knowledge,
morality, and human nature. It can be described as either a body of
knowledge or an intellectual activity.
✓ Philosophy is the attempt to think rationally and critically about life’s most
important questions in order to obtain knowledge and wisdom about them.
✓ Philosophy deals with problems that require a speculative rather than
experimental approach. Conceptual analysis or logical scrutiny of general
ideas (philosophy) vs. data gathering and experimentation (science)
✓ Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning
matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. It
is distinguished from other ways of addressing fundamental questions (such
as mysticism, myth, or religion) by its critical, generally systematic
approach and its reliance on rational argument. It involves logical analysis
of language and clarification of the meaning of words and concepts
Mysticism is the practice of religious ecstasies (religious experiences
during alternate states of consciousness), together with whatever ideologies,
ethics, rites, myths, legends, and magic may be related to them. It may also
refer to the attainment of insight in ultimate or hidden truths, and to human
transformation supported by various practices and experiences.
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives or stories that play a
fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths.
The main characters in myths are usually gods, demigods,
or supernatural humans.
Religion is a social-cultural system of designated behaviors and
practices, morals, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics,
or organizations, that relates humanity to supernatural, transcendental,
or spiritual elements.
✓ Philosophy is the knowledge of all things through their ultimate causes,
acquired through the use of “reason”.
THREE ASPECTS OF PHILOSOPHY
• MATERIAL OBJECT OF PHILOSOPHY - philosophy studies all things;
thus all aspects of reality can be the object of a philosophical study
• FORMAL OBJECT OF PHILOSOPHY - through their ultimate causes;
seeking the deepest explanations regarding the existence and nature of
beings.
SUBJECT: INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 4 |Page
SUBJECT TECHER: Gemard Jem P. Geñebre
FB ACCT: Gemard Jem Geñebre CONTACT NO.: 0915-098-8150
ARCHDIOCESE OF LINGAYEN-DAGUPAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
URBIZTONDO CATHOLIC SCHOOL, INC.
URBIZTONDO, PANGASINAN
S.Y. 2021-2022

• NATURAL SCOPE OF PHILOSOPHY - acquired through the use of


reason; seeking the ultimate explanations that can be arrived at by applying
reasoning to facts supplied by experience.
Philosophy as a body of knowledge provides methodologies and insights on how
societal questions, such as moral dilemmas of euthanasia or same-sex marriage,
can be answered.
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 instances, doing
philosophy is prescribed by logic, reason, and ethics leading to wisdom.
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.
Human Activities Emanated from Deliberate Reflection
In the process, one can learn more about himself or herself, including personal
beliefs, ideals, or values. Previous experiences may be seen as important aspects
of making reflections because they facilitate deeper thinking and understanding
of the self. Aside from knowing the self, many other activities also emanate from
reflection.
Examples:
• learning from your previous mistakes and not repeating them again
• evaluating and knowing the best choice from a set of options
• gaining a holistic point of view first before making any conclusion
MEANING AND PROCESS OF DOING PHILOSOPHY
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.
Holistic and Partial Points of View
Before engaging in philosophical inquiry, one must be able to distinguish
between a holistic and partial point of view. This is critical for anyone doing
philosophy because it sets a limit in coming up with conclusions about a given
situation.

SUBJECT: INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 5 |Page


SUBJECT TECHER: Gemard Jem P. Geñebre
FB ACCT: Gemard Jem Geñebre CONTACT NO.: 0915-098-8150
ARCHDIOCESE OF LINGAYEN-DAGUPAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
URBIZTONDO CATHOLIC SCHOOL, INC.
URBIZTONDO, PANGASINAN
S.Y. 2021-2022

Looking at the characteristics of holistic and partial points of view, it can be


concluded that using a HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE is more desirable in doing
philosophy than using a partial perspective. PARTIAL POINTS OF VIEW only
promote limited knowledge on the situation. This leads to wrong conclusions.
DISCIPLINES OF PHILOSOPHY
• Epistemology (Theory of Knowledge) – studies the nature of knowledge and
the rationality of belief; the means of production of knowledge.
• Ontology (Theory of Being) – studies and asks questions about the essence and
existence of a being
• Logic (Theory of correct inference) – concerned with “reasoning” or truth
• Ethics (Theory of Right Action)
• Axiology (Theory of Value) – concerns the matter of “value/morality”
• Aesthetics (Theory of Beauty/Art) – explores the nature and appreciation of art,
beauty and taste.
LESSON 2: THE BEGINNINGS OF DOING PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy as the Mother Discipline Before
Philosophy ever existed, the Ancient Greeks were so engrossed with their myths
about their gods and goddesses to such an extent that in order to please the gods
and grant their wishes, they would offer some token whenever they needed some
favor from these gods.
The Beginnings of Philosophy
• Philosophy started in Ancient Greece
• Pre-Socratics– the first group of Philosophers.
• Miletus (630 B.C) was a fishing village and center of trade and commerce
in Ancient Greece, was the ideal place for the first practice of Philosophy to
emerge.
PRE-SOCRATIC
• Thales of Miletus
- First person to explain the world and universe outside
mythological concepts
- He explained that the world was made up of “water”
- Teacher of Pythagoras
- Father of Western Philosophy
• Anaximander (610-540 B.C)
– he was a younger contemporary and a pupil of Thales
- He argued that the primary substance out of which all
these specific things come is an indefinite or boundless
realm (apeiron).
SUBJECT: INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 6 |Page
SUBJECT TECHER: Gemard Jem P. Geñebre
FB ACCT: Gemard Jem Geñebre CONTACT NO.: 0915-098-8150
ARCHDIOCESE OF LINGAYEN-DAGUPAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
URBIZTONDO CATHOLIC SCHOOL, INC.
URBIZTONDO, PANGASINAN
S.Y. 2021-2022

- He called this primary stuff to be an indeterminate boundless. --this original


substance separated heaven from the earth and he believed then that all life comes
from the sea.
• Anaximenes (588-524 B.C)
– he was a young associate of Anaximander.
- He considered Anaximander’s answer but dissatisfied with it.
For him, Anaximander’s notion was too vague and intangible.
- He designated air to be the primary substance from which all
things come. Air is a definite and tangible substance that can be identified.
OTHER PRE-SOCRATIC PHILOSOPHERS
• Pythagoras
- Ionian Greek Philosopher
- First person to name himself a philosopher or lover of wisdom
- Known for his Pythagorean Theorem in geometry
- The ultimate stuff is not some material element like water or
fire.
- All things are numbers and a correct description of reality must be express in
terms of mathematical formulas.
• Heraclitus
- - He believed that the world originated from the
fire element.

• Socrates
- First moral philosopher
- Known for his Socratic Method (elenchus)
- Teacher of Plato “Stresses that man must take good care of its
soul” “All human beings desire the good”
• Plato
- Student of Socrates and Teacher of Aristotle
- Founder of the Academy of Athens “the soul is immortal, even
the physical ceased to exist”
• Existence of abstract objects
- “Virtue is knowledge”
- The soul is the principle which explains all life
• Aristotle
- Student of Plato and Teacher of Alexander the Great

SUBJECT: INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 7 |Page


SUBJECT TECHER: Gemard Jem P. Geñebre
FB ACCT: Gemard Jem Geñebre CONTACT NO.: 0915-098-8150
ARCHDIOCESE OF LINGAYEN-DAGUPAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
URBIZTONDO CATHOLIC SCHOOL, INC.
URBIZTONDO, PANGASINAN
S.Y. 2021-2022

• Saint Augustine of Hippo


- Bishop of Hippus region of North Africa
- Combined Christian doctrine with Platonic ideology
- Believed that everything is connected with God
• Saint Thomas Aquinas
- “Believed that truth is to be accepted no matter where it is
found”

• Ibn al-Nafis
- First to describe the pulmonary circulation of the circulatory
system
- Believed that the soul is found throughout the entirety of the body,
not just one of its organs
• Rene Descartes
- Father of Modern Western Philosophy
- Father of Analytical Geometry
- - Cogito ergo sum (“I think therefore I am”) Believed that the
mind and body is distinct but closely joined

• Baruch Spinoza
- - One of the pioneers of the Dutch Golden Age

LESSON 3: APPROACHES OF DOING PHILOSOPHY


C.D Broad, in his article entitled The Main Tasks of Philosophy, differentiated two
main approaches in doing philosophy: Critical or analytic and speculative or
metaphysical philosophy
Two fundamental tasks of Analytic philosophy according to Broad:
1. The analysis and definition of our fundamental concepts
2. The clear and resolute criticism of our beliefs
ANALYTIC PHILOSOPHY: The Clear and resolute criticism of our beliefs
✓ There are many beliefs which are often based on our prejudices. A very good
example would be our bias against Muslims.
✓ Because of terrorist acts of a small group of bandits like Abu Sayyaf, many
Christians, especially those who are not exposed to Islamic traditions and live

SUBJECT: INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 8 |Page


SUBJECT TECHER: Gemard Jem P. Geñebre
FB ACCT: Gemard Jem Geñebre CONTACT NO.: 0915-098-8150
ARCHDIOCESE OF LINGAYEN-DAGUPAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
URBIZTONDO CATHOLIC SCHOOL, INC.
URBIZTONDO, PANGASINAN
S.Y. 2021-2022

in cities predominated by Christians, would carry their prejudice against all


Muslims and regard them as terrorists and troublemakers.
SPECULATIVE/METAPHYSICAL PHILOSOPHY
Tries to find an underlying explanation or general principle that could explain reality
in its entirety.
✓ As Broad put it,” speculative philosophy aims to reach some general
conclusions as to the nature of the universe; and as to our position and prospects
in it. It is an attempt to think synoptically of all the facts – the results might be
trivial but the process will remind us of the extreme complexity of the world.
✓ The attempt of the pre-Socratic philosophers to explain reality is an example of
this process.
✓ Abstraction – the process of extracting a unifying explanation from the
multiplicity of things around philosophers
REDUCTION AND HOLISTIC PHILOSOPHY
In an article by Willy Ostreng entitled “Reductionism versus Holism – Contrasting
Approaches”, he singled out the distinction between holism and reductionism in
doing philosophy.
REDUCTIONIST PHILOSOPHY
- A reductionist approach of doing philosophy refers to understanding complex ideas
by reducing them to their parts or individual constituents.
- Rene Descartes first introduced the concept of Reductionism during 17th century in
Part V of his treatise called Discourse on the Method
HOLISTIC PHILOSOPHY
- The word holism came from the greek word holos which means “all”,”whole” or
“total”.
- Holism is the idea that something can be more than the sum of its parts: more
specifically to the concept of reality
- Holism was summed up by Aristotle in Metaphysics in which he stated that, “The
whole is more than the sum of its parts.”
- The term holism was introduced into the language by South african Jan Smuts
Atomism – contends that everything can be broken down into smaller parts
- The primary focus of holism is the relationship between the parts or its
interconnectedness and interactions.
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF HOLISM:
1. Epistemological Holism
- also called confirmation holism.
- This type of holism claims a scientific theory cannot be tested individually,
SUBJECT: INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 9 |Page
SUBJECT TECHER: Gemard Jem P. Geñebre
FB ACCT: Gemard Jem Geñebre CONTACT NO.: 0915-098-8150
ARCHDIOCESE OF LINGAYEN-DAGUPAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
URBIZTONDO CATHOLIC SCHOOL, INC.
URBIZTONDO, PANGASINAN
S.Y. 2021-2022

since testing a single theory would always depend on other established theories
and hypotheses.
* Theory-laden approach (dependent on theory)
- Notion that evidence alone is insufficient to assert which kind of philosophy
is correct
2. Semantic Holism
- The idea behind semantic holism is that every word has meaning only in
relation to other words, sentences, or the language in which it is used.
- It is a doctrine in the Philosophy of Language which suggests that a certain
part of language, a term or a complete sentence, can only be understood through its
relations to a larger segment of language or possibly the entire language.

REFERENCE:
Maria Paula G. Sioco Ph. D. and Ignatius H. Vinzons, Introduction to the Philosophy
of the Human Person (Vibal Group, Inc.)

SUBJECT: INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 10 |Page


SUBJECT TECHER: Gemard Jem P. Geñebre
FB ACCT: Gemard Jem Geñebre CONTACT NO.: 0915-098-8150

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