INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY OF THE

HUMAN PERSON
SESSION 3
John Cris Y. Cerafica
Faculty-in-charge
Session Objectives
I can...
• Recognize own limitations or
possibilities for one’s transcendence
• Evaluate own limitation and
possibilities for one’s transcendence
 Activity No. 1
Ako ay Ako
Anonymous
Kaya kong itapon o was akin ang hindi akma at panatilihin ang mga naaakma
at lumikha o kumatha ng mga bago, kapalit ng mga itinapon o winasak. Ako ay
nakakakita, nakaririnig, nakadarama, nakaiisip, nakapagsasalita, at
nakagagawa. Ako ay may kakayahan upang mabuhay at maging malapit sa
kapwa. Maging kapaki-pakinabang at makaimpluwensiya sa mga tao at mga
bagay. Ako ay nagmamay-ari sa akin, samakatuwid kaya kong pamahalaan ang
aking sarili, ako ay ako, at ako ay okay.

Text Source: Ramos, C.C. (2019). Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person. Second Ed.
THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN
EMBODIED SPIRIT
 Activity No. 2
Answer the following
questions:
 No. 1
He is what Indians consider as the God
from which all reality and souls
ultimately came from and will return.
 No. 2
In Buddhism, these are the steps to
eradicate human desire and pleasure.
 On Transcendence
• According to Thomas Merton (1948), there is no other way to
find who we are than by finding in ourselves the divine image.
• Transcendental and transcendence convey the basic ground
concept from the words’ literal meaning (from Latin), of
climbing or going beyond, with varying connotations in its
different historical and cultural stages.
Three Main Philosophies
on Transcendence
 Hinduism
• At the heart of Hinduism lies the idea of
human beings’ quest for absolute truth, so that
one’s soul and the Brahman or Atman
(Absolute Soul) might become one.

• Human beings have dual nature: the spiritual

Shiva
and immortal essence (soul) which is
considered real; and the empirical life and
character.
• Hindus generally believe that the soul is
eternal but is bound by the law of
Karma (action) to the world of matter,
which it can escape only after spiritual
progress through an endless series of
births.
 • Goal: Liberation
(moksha) of spirit (jiva).
• Ultimate Goal: Freedom
from rebirth.
• Hindu’s view of reality places a lot of emphasis on the
attainment of self-knowledge.

• One concept common to all expressions of Hinduism is

the oneness of reality.
Buddhism
• Gautama’s life was devoted to sharing his
“Dharma” or Law of Salvation – a simple
presentation of the gospel of inner
cultivation of right spiritual attitudes,
coupled with a self-imposed discipline
whereby bodily desires would be channelled
in the right directions.
FOUR
NOBLE
TRUTHS
• The way to salvation lies through self-
abnegation, rigid discipline of mind and
body, a consuming love for all living
creatures, and the final achievement of
that state of consciousness which marks
an individual’s full preparation for entering
the Nirvana (enlightened wisdom) of
complete selflessness.
• Buddhist practice the four states of
sublime condition: love, sorrow of others,
joy in the joy of others and equanimity as
regards one’s own joy and sorrows.

• Buddha insisted on freedom of thought

and intellectual independence in following
his teaching.
Christianism
• In the beginning, Christians do not see the
need to prove God’s existence.

• Later, Christian missionaries felt the need to

argue philosophically for the existence of God
when they were confronted by various
naturalistic philosophy.
• For Augustine (354–430 CE), philosophy is
amor sapiential (the love of wisdom)
whose aim is to produce happiness.

• For Augustine, Christianity, as presenting

the full revelation of the true God, is the
only full and true philosophy.
• There are three levels of existence which has been established, not by
turning outward through sensation to the external world, but by turning
inward to the soul itself:
▪ mere being;
▪ living being; and
▪ rational being.
 Limitations and Possibilities for
Transcendence
Forgiveness
• It frees us from our anger and bitterness caused by the actions and/or words of another.
• On the other hand, the hardness of our heart is reinforced by whole series of rational arguments.
Beauty and Nature
• There is perfection in every single flower.
• A hug, sunrise and sunset, eating together as a family are experiences of miracles which can be
truly moments of grace that touch us deeply and spontaneously lift our hearts.
Vulnerability
• To be vulnerable is to be human.
• We need to acknowledge the help of other people in our lives if we want to be true
with ourselves and live with meaning and direction.
Failure
• Failures force us to confront our weaknesses and limitations and to surrender to a
mystery or look upon a bigger world.
• Acceptance of our failures makes us hope and trust that all can be brought into good.
Loneliness
• It is our choice to live in an impossible world where we are always “happy” or to
accept a life where solitude and companionship have a part.
• Our experience of loneliness can help us realize that our dependence on other people
or gadgets is a possessiveness that we can be free from.
Love
• To love is to experience richness, positivity, and transcendence.
• Love can open in us something which takes us beyond ourselves.
 Activities

1. Compare the Hindu’s concept of Karma to the Filipino’s concept of Karma.

2. Based on the eightfold path, which is the most important for you to
cultivate in your life at present?
3. Relate to the class an experience that you were able to go beyond your
limitation.
4. Share with your classmate a moment in your life that you faced failures.

Guide Questions:
a. How do you view suffering (as a blessing or a curse)?
b. How do you acknowledge the help of others?
c. How can forgiveness free us from anger?