INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

Core Subject

Class No.: _____ Date: _________________________

Name: ____________________________________ Module 7– 2nd Quarter – SY2021-2022
Grade and Section: __________________________ Teacher: ______________________

I. Title: The Human Person Towards an Impending Death

II. Objectives:
After accomplishing this module, you must be able to:
1. reflect and recognize on the meaning of your own life;
2. enumerate the objectives and projects you want to do life;
3. explain where all these life’s projects and plan will lead you.

III. Material/s:
For background information, watch these preparatory videos:
Man’s Search for Meaning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVhuCpgLCTE
Perspectives on Death https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjQwedC1WzI

IV. Time frame: Week 8

V. Concept:

Characterizing death as an impending human destiny. Defining death as part of life’s event is rather easy; it
is sufficiently described biologically as the cessation of life of a living organism; the lung, the heart or the brain
stop to function and the body begin to decay. Philosophically speaking, nobody experiences death as an event
personally, but only as an event to another. But, to those who are still alive, death can be understood as a
possibility – that which is still in the future (existentiality in the language of Heidegger) while at the same time a
reality every human person already has and could no longer change (facticity). According to Heidegger, there
are five existential features of death, namely:

1. “Death is certain.” Certainty refers to that quality of death that it will surely be actualized. It happened in many
occasions to different people in all places, it will surely happen to any human person without a doubt.
2. “Death is indefinite.” Indefiniteness speaks of death as possibility but as to when is yet to be determine. It
will surely happen but the timing is yet to be ascertained. Many people die after living many years, but some
die rather sooner than most.
3. “Death accepts no proxy.” Death is every person’s ownmost possibility. It means that a person’s death cannot
be given to someone else; nor someone can represent you in death.
4. “Death is beyond choice.” Death cannot be outstripped; no can decide to die or not when it is time. Death
sticks to the person and it is an inescapable destiny.
5. “Death is singular.” Death as a possibility is nonrelational. There can be no other person to face death with.
Every person will experience death as an individual. Lives can be lived with others, but death is faced alone.

Towards an Authentic Life. “What makes life meaningful? What is the purpose of life?” The question about the
meaning and purpose of life has been raised in every generation and philosophically investigated throughout the
history of the human reflective mind. There have been different views on this matter from different philosophers,
schools of thought and cultures. Our understanding of this fundamental question is important because it
appeases our deep-seated human aspiration and shapes our way of life. Answering this will be helpful as we get
closer to our impending human reality, death.

“Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life; the whole aim and end of human existence” (Greek
eudaimonia ‘happiness’). For Aristotle, to be an ultimate goal, a good that is sought by all man, must be self-
sufficient, final and attainable; and as such, happiness meets all these requirements. Desiring many things, like
wealth, pleasure and honor, are seen only important because of the belief that they make people happy.
Happiness or eudaimonia refers, therefore, to man’s ultimate value measured by how well he lives up to his full
potential as a human being. The question “what makes you happy?” now relates to “what gives life meaning?”.

Introduction.to the Philosophy of the Human Person – Module 7 Page 1 of 2

“Life is meaningful with God” - The Christian View. Thomas Aquinas argued that the goal of human life to be
deeply rooted in the design of God’s creatures; which are all oriented toward a good. It is important, then, to
understand what kind of creature humans are in order to investigate what they truly desire (object of appetite).
Here, he holds that since human beings are intellectual beings (rational creatures), their goal must be knowing
the ultimate good. Human life, therefore, is ordered to God because He is the ultimate good; the ultimate end in
man is the ultimate good who is God Himself; thus, ‘the ultimate end of man, of every intellectual substance, is
called felicity or happiness, because this is what every intellectual substance desire as an ultimate end, and for
its own sake alone. Therefore, the ultimate happiness and felicity of every intellectual substance is to know
God’; All other goods are sought as secondary goods (i.e. goods for the sake of something else).

“The fragility of existence is an invitation to authenticity” - Heidegger (Fragile = delicate, easily destroyed;
authentic = genuine, purposive, responsible) Martin Heidegger believed that existence or dasein is fragile;
everything that is, exist but such being does not last long, including humans. For him, people are unhappy
because human beings avoid thinking about that fragility, afraid of ‘Das Nichts’ (The Nothing/ Nothingness).
Commonly speaking, we know the nothing as death. To avoid it, we indulge in ‘Das Gerede’ (endless chatter;
non-sense talk). In a way, ‘endless chatter’ refers to our everydayness – common, ritualistic, shallow, trivial
matters that we say and do. Again, we do all of them only, to distract us from the fact of death that is always
around us. The result of this is inauthenticity – not genuinely living our lives. By ignoring what is the real nature
of the world which is temporary, we lose the true nature of ourselves that is fragile. Heidegger suggests ‘to take
advantage of the small time we all have’. All beings share this fragility; human beings should feel a sense of
unity with others while existence lasts. In short, people must be present and aware of our own and others
existence. According to him, ‘to recover authenticity we should spend more time in graveyards’; there, at
least, we realize how short time can be for us to experience and enjoy the richness of life, our very existence.

VI. Activity/ Evaluation: Extend your knowledge

A. Quiz 7: Identify which of the 5 existential features of death is BEST implied in the statements:

(For nos. 1 to 3) A) Certainty B) Indefiniteness C) Ownmost

________________ 1. “No one knows when are we going to die.”

________________ 2. “But, the end of time will surely come to you and me.”
________________ 3. “I will face my death; you will too!”

(For nos. 4 to 6) A) Nonrelational B) Ownmost C) Cannot be outstripped

________________ 4. “Doctor, help me! I do not want to die!”

________________ 5. “I cannot face your death for you; so decide on your own.”
________________ 6. “Faithful or not, each of us will face God’s judgment, one by one.”

(For nos. 7 to 10) A) Certainty B) Nonrelational C) Ownmost

________________ 7. “No one dies with you.”

________________ 8. “There is no proxy in death”
________________ 9. “We shall all face death as an individual.”
________________ 10. “Everyone dies in the end; our human destiny”

B. Task 7: ‘Death for Us”. Go online. Choose 1 famous quotation/ statement that best describe death
for you. Note the name of the author and write a short background information about him/ her. Answer
the guide question using the space provided below:

a) Quote : _______________________________________________________________
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Name & background _______________________________________________________________
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b) Guide questions: What do you think is the message that the author wants us to understand
about life? Do you agree with it or not? Why? How would you respond to its his/ her message?
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