Introduction to Philosophy of

the
Human Person
Quarter 2 – Module 4:
Human Person and Death

1
 What I Need to Know

In this module, learners like you will be philosophically oriented regarding a sensitive topic everybody does not like always to
talk about – death. Here, we will treat death in an academic way while also allowing our own takes and insights to interplay with the
discussions. However, you are advised to have an objective disposition regarding death to remove any negative impression that may affect your
readiness to understand death as a phenomenon.

Primarily, we will deal with the Phenomenological Notion of Death to give it definite characterization and the Relation of Death with Authenticity
upon which we will come to realize the value of understanding death as a way to establish a more meaningful existence.

Thus, after going through this module, you are expected to:

1. explain the phenomenological notion of death

2. give the characteristics of death
3. relate death with the concept of a good life based on authenticity
4. reflect on one’s own death
5. embrace death as a natural phenomenon

What I Know

Write TRUE if you agree that the statement is correct but write FALSE if you think the statement is incorrect and explain why the statement
is wrong in the space provided under each item.
______________ 1. Immortality can be achieved by man.

__________________________________________________________________

______________ 2. Death is impending.

__________________________________________________________________

______________ 3. We can always design how we will die.

__________________________________________________________________

______________ 4. Two persons can totally share same experience of death

__________________________________________________________________

______________ 5. Death is one of the surest thing in the world.

__________________________________________________________________

______________ 6. We can always say that there is still time.

__________________________________________________________________

______________ 7. We waste our lives by living the life we don’t want.

__________________________________________________________________

______________ 8. Following the society would mean a good existence.

__________________________________________________________________

______________ 9. Death comes at the time we expect it will come.

__________________________________________________________________

______________ 10. Though we don’t know when we will die, we can prepare for it.

__________________________________________________________________

Lesson 1 Death

What is your initial reaction when you read the title of this part of the module? Is death really a terrifying phenomenon? If death is a
dreadful thing, what makes it fearsome?

2
 On the other hand, death, as part of human reality, may have meaningful messages. At this junction, we will try to uncover the
mystery of death by rationalizing its phenomenon so that we get to understand it better, accept it as part of human nature, and treat it as a
condition that allows us to create a meaningful existence.

What’s In

THOUGHT EXPERIMENT: Imagine the scenario below. Answer the questions using 3-5 sentences only.

You are lying in a hospital bed. You have a stage 4 colon cancer. You have no problem in paying the bills since you are a
rich man. But nobody, except for the doctor and hospital staff, is with you. This is due to the fact that you despised your family for
not believing in you and left them to pursue your dreams.

One day, an angel appeared and told you, “You only have a week left to live. Within that span of remaining time, God is
giving you a chance to forgive your family in one condition: your life will end the moment you utter your forgiveness to your family. If
you do not forgive them, you will get additional week to live.”

You are about to respond to the angel, what would you say?

ANSWER:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

What’s New

INTERPRETATING THE STORY: Discuss the symbolisms in the short story and story’s possible meaning.

From Leo Tolstoy’s A Confession and Other Religious Writings

There is an old Eastern fable about a traveller who is taken unawares on the steppes by a ferocious animal. In order to escape
the beast, the traveller hides in an empty well, but at the bottom of the well, he sees a dragon with its jaws open, ready to devour
him. The poor fellow does not dare to climb out because he is afraid of being eaten by the ferocious beast, neither does he dare
drop to the bottom of the well for fear of being eaten by the dragon. So he seizes hold of a branch of a bush that is growing in
the crevices of the well and clings on to it. His arms grow weak and he knows that he will soon have to resign himself to the
death that awaits him on the either side. Yet he clings on and while he is holding on to the one branch, he looks around and
sees that two mice, one black and one white are steadily working on their way round the bush he is hanging from, gnawing away
at it. Sooner or later, they will eat through it and the branch will snap, and he will fall into the jaws of the dragon. The traveller
sees this and knows that he will inevitably perish. But while he is still hanging there, he sees some drops of honey on the leaves
of the bush, stretches his tongue and licks them.

INTERPRETATION AND MEANING OF SYMBOLS:

What is It

Phenomenological Notion of Death

According to Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) in his book Being and Time, death is (a) certain, (b) indefinite, (c) one’s property, (d)
non-relational, and (e) not to be outstripped.

Death is certain. As part of humanness, we are all born (in Heideggerian sense, we are “thrown”) in the world. The world is
governed by time. We, humans, are existing in time, thus, as being thrown in the world, we have beginning and since we are finite beings, we
also have end – death. Birth and death are two things we cannot remove from our existence. Whether we like it or not, we will die.

Death is indefinite. While death is sure to come, it is however indefinite as to when it will come. Death is impending, meaning to
say, it can happen anytime. We do not know exactly when. That is why, we should try to live the best life that we can for we never know the
day of our end.

3
 Death is one’s property. The death of the person belongs to him. Nobody can experience his death except himself. There can be no
proxies or substitutes for a person in experiencing death.

Death is non-relational. This means that when we die, we die alone. We have no choice but to face it on our own. Death also
removes all our relations to others. In contemplating death, we realize our own individuality and independence from the world.

Death is not to be outstripped. Death cannot be taken away from a person. Even the person himself cannot remove the possibility
of death in his life. One cannot make himself live forever. Even though we see in fiction movies the idea of immortality, death, in real life is a
definite reality which we nothing can be done to be outstripped.

What’s More

Death and Authenticity

What does death really mean? Is it just a reminder that human existence has a limitation? We may accept the reality of death as it is, but it
also reminds us that we have to value life while we have it.

Since we cannot control it, things that remain within our control are those which belong to life. While still alive, we have choices to take. The
question now is not focused on death but on how we live in the world. Let us ask ourselves before we die. Did we ever truly live?

Authenticity is an idea mostly used in existentialism which means having true and meaningful existence. According to Soren Kierkegaard, we
have to avoid the crowd – the majority of the society which we think that should be the pattern of our lives. For example, we see people
marrying, therefore, we also have to marry. But authenticity is not like that. We have to freely choose marrying. The intention to marry should
not come from the crowd as we usually hear but it should come from our deliberate choice.

Another reason why we fail to lead an authentic life is fear. Just because we are afraid of the possible consequences and what others might
say, we fail to pursue what we truly want in life. This challenge of authenticity is one of the important messages of death. As we accept death,
we realize the value of having a true life – an authentic life!

AUTHENTICITY PROJECT: List down the 3 things you truly want in life, the challenges you see in pursuing your goals and the possible
solutions to these challenges.

What I Have Learned

BEFORE AND AFTER: Write your previous knowledge (before reading this module) and your new understanding on death. Determine what
makes more sense and tell why.

4
 What I Can Do

REFLECTIONS. After realizing that death is certain and impending, we should at all times be ready for
death. It is just like a thief in the night so we have to prepare for it. Write an essay about your realizations and your insights
about death.

MY REFLECTIONS NAD INSIGHTS ABOUT DEATH

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Assessment

Write TRUE if you agree that the statement is correct but write FALSE if you think the statement is incorrect and explain why the statement
is wrong in the space provided under each item.

______________ 1. Death is one of the surest thing in the world.

_____________________________________________
______________ 2. Death comes at the time we expect it will come.
_____________________________________________
______________ 3. We can always say that there is still time.
____________________________________________
______________ 4. Though we don’t know when we will die, we can prepare for it.
__________________________________________________________________
______________ 5. Immortality can be achieved by man.
__________________________________________________________________
______________ 6. We can always design how we will die.
__________________________________________________________________
______________ 7. Following the society would mean a good existence.
__________________________________________________________________
______________ 8. We waste our lives by living the life we don’t want.
__________________________________________________________________
______________ 9. Death is impending.
__________________________________________________________________
______________ 10. Two persons can totally share same experience of death
__________________________________________________________________

Additional Activities

Watch this motivational video about death and give your reflection on your own existence:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjzJ8bO2x4U. Get a journal and write your realizations about death and meaning of life.