INTRODUCTION TO THE

PHILOSOPHY
OF THE HUMAN PERSON
1st Quarter
Week 1

Development and Quality Assurance Team

Developer: Shelly L. Laguna

Evaluator: Ressil L. Tersona, EdD, Rolinda L. Vete & Faisal L. Siega
Disclaimer: This Learning Activity Sheet (LAS) is based from the Learner’s Materials, Textbooks and Teaching Guides released by DepEd Central
Office. Furthermore, utilization of duly acknowledged external resources is purely of non-profit, for educational use and constitutes fair use. All
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Learning Area Supervisor: Megenila C. Guillen, Ph.D.
Team Leader: Rosalinda Urbiztundo
Asst. Team Leader: Mirasol Taray

Illustration Credits:
Title Page Art: Marieto Cleben V. Lozada
Title Page Graphics: Bryan L. Arreo
Visual Cues Art: Ivin Mae M. Ambos

Competency:
Realize the value of doing philosophy by distinguishing holistic perspective
from partial point of view with philosophical reflection on a concrete
situation to obtain a broad perspective in life. (PPT11/12-Ib-1.1) ;
(PPT11/12-Ib-1.2); (PPT11/12-Ib-1.3)

Objectives: At the end of the week, you shall have to:

o Recognize the difference between holistic perspective and partial point
of view in obtaining one’s perspective in life;
o Demonstrate understanding on the significance of philosophical reflection
on a certain situation applying holistic perspective; and
o Reflect on the value of doing philosophy in daily life setting to obtain a
broad perspective in life.

Learner’s Tasks

Lesson Overview

The word Philosophy came from the two Greek words Philos (Love) and Sophia
(Wisdom) which literally means love of wisdom. The ancient Greeks used this term to
refer to “love of wisdom” and they soon applied it to the study or discipline that uses
human reason to investigate the ultimate causes, reasons, and principles which govern
all things. The two Greek words were coined by Pythagoras in 6oo BC thus the word
philosophy came from. Socrates claimed that the unexamined life is not worth living.

Philosophy in simple words is a way of thinking about the world, the universe, and
society. It works by asking very basic questions about the nature of human thought, the
nature of the universe, and the connections between them. The ideas in philosophy are
often general and abstract. Every day is full of events that raise philosophical questions:
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why do we eat the things we eat, work the way we work, go to the places we go? It is
all about our beliefs and attitudes about ourselves and the world. Doing philosophy,
therefore, is first of all the activity of stating, as clearly what we believe and what we
believe in.

Moreover, philosophy is a science that by natural light of reason studies the first
causes of highest principles of all things. It is a science because philosophy is systematic
and philosophers use his/her natural capacity to think, his human reason or the
so-called unaided reason. Studying all things sets the distinction of philosophy from
other sciences. Philosophy is not one dimensional or partial. In short, a philosopher does
not limit himself to a particular object of inquiry. He almost questions anything, if not
everything. It is multidimensional or holistic. Hence, first cause also must be familiar to
every individual because it will help determine and understand the nature of things by
these following principles.

1. Principle of Identity – What is it; and whatever is not is not; everything is what it is.
Everything is its own being, and not being is not being.
2. Principle of Contradiction – It is impossible for a thing to be and not to be at the
same time, and at the same aspect.
3. Principle of exclude middle – A thing is either is or not; everything must be either
be or not be; between being and not being, there is no middle ground possible.
4. Principle of sufficient reason – Nothing exists without a sufficient reason for its
being existence.

From here we could clearly understand that philosophy seeks to understand

situations in life in a holistic manner by first of course considering the partial perspective
of things. Doing philosophy helps you organize and understand yourself and what we
call the external world in context. It requires courage, because no one knows what one
will find at the end of a philosophical investigation; humility, because to do philosophy
one must always keep in mind how little one knows and how easy it is to fall into error;
and both patience and discipline, because philosophical inquiry requires long hours of
hard work.

The Difference Between Holistic Perspective and Partial Point of View

Before engaging into a philosophical inquiry or doing philosophy, one must be

able to distinguish between a holistic and partial point of view. This is critical for anyone
doing philosophy because it sets limit in coming up with conclusions about a given
situation. Below are the significant differences between a holistic perspective and
partial point of view.

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Office. Furthermore, utilization of duly acknowledged external resources is purely of non-profit, for educational use and constitutes fair use. All
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 Holistic Perspective Partial Point of View
•Looks at all aspects of the given •Looks at only a limited number of
problem or situation aspects of the given problem or situation
•All aspects are given importance when •Conclusions are made based on
making conclusions considering some, but not all, sides

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

concluded that using holistic perspective is more desirable in doing philosophy than
using a partial perspective. Partial point of view only promotes limited knowledge on
the situation. This leads to wrong conclusions. Remember, doing philosophy requires
learning to look into all available perspectives and work on their relationship to come
up with sound, logical, and valid conclusions.

Holistic perspective helps us understand what is going on and what we really

mean or refer to when we interact and communicate with each other. This helps you
focus on who you are in the moment, what are your values and purpose in life. It also
enables you understand the importance of questioning and reflecting about the
happenings inside and outside of yourself.

Connection of the Value of Doing Philosophy in Obtaining the Broad Perspective in Life

Human beings have unique facility to reason, it stems from our self-conscious
ability to know that we exist. We are not like computers which simply manipulate
information and are not self-aware. Philosophy involves thinking abstract ideas. This sort
of thinking helps us to ask questions that concern our existence in relation to our place
as individual in often puzzling world. First, it allows us to work out whether the question is
meaningful. Second, it helps us to work through the problem, obtain a conclusion and
decide whether that conclusion is valid. Whether or not the conclusion is true will
depend on the truth contained in the argument.

Doing philosophy is an attempt to reconcile the diverse intuitions found in human

experience (such as religious, scientific, aesthetic) into a coherent holistic one. This will
help us solve our problems by choosing better decisions using our critical thinking ability;
improves reasoning and thinking skills by the ability to think logically on certain life issues
and problems and proposed solutions in a broader perspective; and helps you ask
good questions and distinguish the worthwhile from the worthless questions. The skill is on
how to divide, prioritize and simplify questions. It helps broaden your perspective

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intellectually, spiritually and morally on the things around you and how you are going to
stand firm and defend your moral judgments on different issues and concerns.

Four Reasons Why Philosophy is as Relevant as Ever

1. Philosophy is the foundation of critical thinking - It encourages us to think critically

about the world. It is the foundation of all knowledge and when utilized properly, can
provide us with huge benefits.
2. Science can answer every question - We lean very heavily on science today. And
with good reason: Thanks to advancements in science and technology, we live in a
very different way to how we would without them. From fridges for our food to airplanes
for travel, there’s no denying that scientific advancements are vital to our survival as a
species. But science cannot determine human values. In short, science helps us live
longer, whereas philosophy helps us live better.”
3. Philosophy has particular meaning in the business world - In the solving problems in
the business world you need philosophy. These skills of rigorous analysis, sound argument
and critical examination are the bread-and-butter of philosophy: no subject trains our
ability for consistent, systematic thought better than philosophy.”
4. Ancient philosophers continue to influence humanity - Plato and Aristotle are often
credited with shaping future civilizations, and their influence is still felt today. It does not
just stand to change the world; it just might change your life.

When you are doing philosophy, you develop skills in verbal and written
communication, problem solving, clear and disciplined thinking, research skills and
analysis, along with persuasive argumentation. Doing Philosophy differs from most
disciplines because, in philosophy courses, you are not taught what to think but rather
how to think. This also helps you organize and understand yourself and what we call the
external world in context.

If you are in any way curious about the big picture of things, about the questions
that no one can easily answer, then philosophy is the best way to feed that curiosity.
Being a philosopher, when it comes down to it, is as simple as reading about or listening
to the ideas and questions other people have had, and thinking about them for
yourself. Therefore, broader perspective is something that you acquire from experience
and hard work. What’s more important is how you carry it along. The knowledge that
you procure throughout your course of life is limitless but the way you perceive it,
matters. There is no better way to broaden your perspective than to learn about the
world's wide variety of ideas pertaining to the broadest subjects and greatest mysteries,
and that's what philosophy is all about.

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Doing Philosophical Reflection

Philosophical reflection is the act of giving time to think about the meaning and
purpose of life. It is an important human activity in which people recapture their
experience, think about it, mull over & evaluate it. And it is a form of experience. There
are two types of philosophical reflection according to Gabriel Marcel namely primary
and secondary reflection.

Primary reflection is a kind of thinking that calculates, analyzes, or recounts past

events. In this way, primary reflection is a fragmented and compartmentalized thinking.
For Gabriel Marcel primary reflection cannot be a genuine thinking because it failed to
make sense of the whole, of the mystery of life. In other words, primary reflection is
selfish thinking because it is instrumental thinking. As we already know, instrumental
thinking is a “mean send” kind of thinking. Applied to human relations, instrumental
thinking thinks only of what it can practically get in a relationship. For example, one
may establish a relationship or friendship with somebody who is rich so that she may be
able to borrow money in times of need.

Secondary reflection, on the other hand, is characterized by the act recapturing

the unity of the original experience by gathering back together what has been
separated by primary reflection. Thus, secondary reflection allows us to think holistically.
In this way, secondary reflection enables us to integrate our fragmented and
compartmentalized experience into a coherent whole.

What we can infer from the above discussion is that philosophical reflection
provides us with a holistic picture of reality. Thus, philosophical reflection as a tool in
doing philosophy enables us to see the interconnectedness and interdependence of
peoples, actions and events, as well as our direct relation to them. Indeed,
philosophical reflection as a tool in doing philosophy allows as to deepen our
understanding of ourselves, as well as our role and place in the world.

How does one engage in reflection? Reflection requires a person to be willing to

examine one’s thoughts, feelings, and actions and learn more about one’s life and
experiences. Reflecting on situations, activities and decisions enables a person to gain
insights that will help in effective decision-making.

Importance of Philosophical Reflection

Philosophical reflection is the process by which a person undergoes a reflective

state or evaluates his or her experiences first before making any related action. This will
lead the person to look deeper into experience using holistic perspective and in effect
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actions are directed towards greater sources of wisdom and truth. Some examples of
this are the following; (a) Learning from your previous mistakes and not repeating them
again (b) Evaluating and knowing the best choice from a set of options and (c)
Gaining a holistic point of view first before making any conclusion.

Doing philosophical reflection can be applied in day-to-day activities and life

perspectives. Because it involves an evaluative process, doing philosophy allows a
person to make better decisions and act accordingly to situations with the help of
various philosophical skills. In the process of doing philosophical reflection, it is critical to
have a holistic point of view-the perception of looking at all aspects of situation first
before making a conclusion.

Activity 1.

Direction: Identify the following examples below whether it is holistic perspective or

partial point of view. Put a check (/) mark either in column 2 or 3 that corresponds to
your answer and state your reason on the next column. Write your answers in a
separate sheet of paper.

Situations Partial Point Holistic Reasons

of View Perspective
1. The people in Claveria sold
their lands to Mining Company
without proper consultation
from elders and thorough
examination of its possible
consequences.
2. Alix explored many options
first before deciding to leave
his job as a nurse to work
abroad.
3. Understand who you are
and what you are as a person
and your values.
4. Filipinos celebrate fiestas for
the sake of religion.
5. Maria went to her teacher
after knowing that she failed in
one subject and asked for

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help before doing some steps
in explaining it to her parents.
Activity 2.

Direction: Read and analyze the situations given; and provide possible action/s
applying holistic perspective.

Situation Holistic Perspective

1. You have been saving your allowance

in order to buy a new pair of fashion
shoes. However, your mother is asking
you to give your savings to your brother
for him to buy materials for his project.
2. One of your friends has uploaded
embarrassing pictures of another friend
on Facebook. It was supposed to be a
joke. Your other friend is angry for what
your friend did and is telling you to
befriend her.
3. Your mother told you to go to the
market, and several vendors are calling
you to buy the fish that they sell. You are
deciding which vendor you will choose
to buy fish.
4. You and your friends agreed to go
window shopping and you need to
decide which shop you will go first.
5. You opened your wallet and realized
that you only have P50.00 left from your
weekly allowance.

Scoring Rubric for Activity 2 & 3:

Category 3 2 1
Focus Clearly states the purpose of Implies but does not Does not state
the activity. clearly state the the purpose of
purpose of the activity the activity

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Content Demonstrate a thorough Demonstrate a No reflective
self-reflective analysis reflective analysis with analysis and
including the specific and supporting details details
illustrative details
Convention Use articulate and Use appropriate Lack the
appropriate sophisticated language, word choice, appropriate
language and words. sentence structure language,
Sentence structure Grammar Grammar Punctuation word choice
Punctuation Mechanics Mechanics and sentence
structure
Activity 3.

Direction: Complete the table below by filling in column 2 the appropriate action to be
done before doing the specific activity stated in column 1. Answer the guide questions
that follow and write your answers in a separate paper.

Activity Action
1. Playing computer/mobile games.
2. Posting your feelings and opinion in the
social media.
3. Asking permission to parents if you would
like to go out with friends.
4. Deciding where to study for college.
5. Going to mass or any religious activities.

Guide Questions
1. Is it helpful that you do this before making actions? Why or why not?
2. As a senior high school student, what have you realized about this activity?

(Please refer to the scoring rubric attached on page 7)

Formative Test

Direction: Select the letter of the correct answer from among the given choices.

1. What would happen if philosophical reflection is not applied among our leaders in
the country in terms of decision-making and learning from their past mistakes?
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 A. Our leaders will become the role model of fair judgement to the people.
B. Our leaders will become great and committed to serve our country.
C. Our leaders will make bad decisions based on their ideas and opinions on a
particular issue or problem.
D. Our leaders will make good decision based on their own judgment of the
problems in our country.
2. Which of the following ideas justify the characteristic of a partial point of view?
A. Clint decided to tell his parents that he could not graduate because of his
failed subjects in the second semester.
B. Mario chose to hold on to his beliefs on death penalty despite knowing the
moral implications of it.
C. Eddie informed his friends that he is moving to another school due to transfer
of residence.
D. Head Teacher Mark decided to suspend John after examining the written
reports from the Guidance Office.

3. Which example below best exemplifies this statement “Doing Philosophy helps
broaden your perspective intellectually, spiritually and morally on the things around you
and how you are going to stand firm and defend your moral judgments on different
issues and concerns”?
A. Maria decided to abort her baby inside her womb out of fear of rejection
from her family.
B. Elena and Carlo loved each other so much that they are against premarital
sex and are willing wait for the right time to enter into it.
C. Peter decided to cheat in the math exam as he was not able to study during
the night.
D. Lexter defended his rights as the sole inheritance of wealth left by his
grandmother.
4. Which of the following examples below shows an evidence about the characteristic
of holistic perspective?
A. The judge examines all reasons and evidences prior to making a conclusion
about his judgment of the case.
B. Ellen informed his parents beforehand about his failed subjects in school
before his parents find it out.
C. Mayor Morento decided to implement curfew hours after receiving reports of
abuses from the people of their municipality.
D. The principal of Love NHS decided to report the teacher to the district office
after recorded all his absences and tardiness in coming to school.
5. How would you attain a broader perspective in life in doing Philosophy?
A. Examine your past actions and reflect on how you can change for the better.

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 B. Constantly reflect on your past mistakes and on how these might affect your
life today.
C. Read some philosophical books and connect it to your life experience.
D. Live your life to the fullest, accept your mistakes in the past and move on with
it.

Answer Key

Activity 1.

Answers are expected to vary.

Activity 2.

Answers are expected to vary.

Activity 3.

Answers are expected to vary.

Disclaimer: This Learning Activity Sheet (LAS) is based from the Learner’s Materials, Textbooks and Teaching Guides released by DepEd Central
Office. Furthermore, utilization of duly acknowledged external resources is purely of non-profit, for educational use and constitutes fair use. All
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 References

Book

Fabre, Dyanna Rose L. Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person – Grade 12

(Module 1) Alternative Delivery Mode, DepEd-Regional Office 10, Cagayan de Oro
City, First Edition (2020)

Siega, Faisal L. Project PPE (Portfolio Predicate on Exemplar, DepEd-Surigao del Sur
Division, Tandag City, First Edition (2020)

Online Resources

(2016). Retrieved July 20, 2020, from Department of Education: The Philosophy of the
Human Person: https://www.depedvcatanduanes.com/files/11-Intro-to-PhiloAS-v1.0.pdf

(2010). Retrieved July 19, 2020, from slideshare.net:

https://www.slideshare.ent/mikethess/introduction-to-the-philosophy-of-the-human
person

Disclaimer: This Learning Activity Sheet (LAS) is based from the Learner’s Materials, Textbooks and Teaching Guides released by DepEd Central
Office. Furthermore, utilization of duly acknowledged external resources is purely of non-profit, for educational use and constitutes fair use. All
Rights Reserved.