LESSON 5: FREEDOM OF THE HUMAN PERSON  The human person has the desire to be God: The desire to

exist as a being which has its sufficient ground in itself.

What is freedom?
 Principle “existence precedes essence.”
1. Freedom is an intrinsic and essential property of the
 Sartre emphasizes the importance of free individual choice,
human person.
regardless of the power of other people to influence and
• This means that the human person by nature is a free being
coerce our desires, beliefs, and decisions.
and that it is in his or her nature to seek freedom.
4. Thomas Hobbes – Political Freedom
• An important indication of human freedom is the ability to
• Law of Nature – a general rule established by reason that
make choices and perform actions.
forbids a person to do that which is destructive of his life or
• Freedom is also understood as the power to be what you
takes away the means of preserving the same and to omit
want to be and the ability to decide and create yourself.
that by which he thinks it may be best preserved.
2. Freedom is rooted in the human person’s self-
• The mutual transferring of rights is called a contract and is
determination and the exercise of intellect and free will.
the basis of the notion of moral obligation and duty.
• This means that a person’s every action is freely determined
5. Jean-Jacques Rousseau – Political Freedom
and these actions define him or her.
 Human being is born free and good but now is in chains
Freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one
and has become bad due to the evil influence of society,
wants without hindrance or restraint.
civilization, learning, and progress which resulted to
Types of freedom
dissension, conflict, fraud, and deceit.
1. Physical freedom - refers to the absence of any physical
 To restore peace, bring his freedom back, and returned to
restraint. The person has the freedom of mobility to go where
his true self, he saw the necessity and came to form the state
he or she wants to go. He or she is not impeded in his or her
through the social contract whereby everyone grants his
actions by any physical force.
individual rights to the general will.
2. Psychological freedom is also called freedom of choice.
The person is free to perform actions that he or she considers
What makes us free? How does freedom shape our
right and wise.
experiences?
A person is also free to act or not to act. Psychological
There are two elements that define freedom.
freedom is innate and cannot denied a person. No outside
1. Voluntariness refers to the ability of a person to act out of
force or influence can compel a person to take action against
his or her own free will and self-determination. This means
his or her will.
that a person may act even if he or she is not required or
3. Moral freedom refers to using freedom in a manner that
called to take action.
upholds human dignity and goodness.
2. Responsibility refers to the person being accountable for
Freedom is not an object that a person may use in whatever
his or her action and their consequences.
way he or she pleases. A person must use his or her freedom
 Taking responsibility can either mean a person voluntarily
to grow as a person. A person becomes free when he or she
taking responsibility for his or her own actions, or being held
uses freedom well, but becomes less free when he or she uses
responsible by other people.
it in a bad way.
 Voluntariness and responsibility go hand-in-hand in
Actions have consequences
determining a person’s freedom.
1. Aristotle–Intellectual Freedom
 Without these two elements, human freedom is diminished,
 The imperative quality of a judgment of practical intellect is
and the person make imperfect action and unwise decisions
meaningless apart from will. Human beings are rational and
which may have negative effects on the self and others.
reason is a divine characteristic, thus, humans have the spark
 The realization of voluntariness and responsibility in the
of the divine.
exercise of our freedom gives our actions and experiences a
2. St. Thomas Aquinas-Spiritual Freedom
whole new meaning.
 Human beings have the unique power to change themselves
 We can now reflect on our actions to better understand
and the things around them for the better. Human beings are
them and guide us toward making the best possible decision.
moral agent: both spiritual and material. The power of
 Another reality that we have to face as we exercise our
change, however, can only be done by human beings through
freedom is experienced through the act of making choices.
cooperation with God.
 Although human freedom gives us the ability to think of
Fourfold classification of law
countless decisions and possible actions, we only get to
1. Eternal law is the decree of God that governs all creation.
choose to enact one of these possible actions or decisions.
2. Divine law or revelation is a law ordering humans to
transcend his nature.  Freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one
3. Natural law is the human participation in the eternal law wants without hindrance or restraint.
and is discovered by reason.  The ability to exercise one’s freedom in any manner is
4. Human law is the natural law applied by government or called freedom of choice.
societies.  Having the ability to choose and enact a course of action
3. Jean Paul Sartre – Individual Freedom does not automatically mean that we should take action every
time.
 It is also possible that the choice not to take action may be
an acceptable and moral choice in a given situation.
 When we make the choice to do a particular action, we can
never go back and redo our actions and make another choice.
 Real life is not a movie where we can stop and rewind
events and get a second take on the situation.
 Therefore it is very important that we confronted with
choices, we exercise caution and prudence and reflect on our
possible courses of action.
 Prudence is the act of making a careful and good judgment
that allows a person to avoid risk.
 Self-reflection is vital in the proper exercise of human
freedom.
 As persons, we cannot allow ourselves to be slaves to
sudden emotions and moods whenever we act. As free and
rational beings, we must recognize the importance of
exercising freedom responsibly. This requires us to reflect on
our actions, consider their effects, and make the proper
choices regarding the most beneficial decisions or actions.
How can I exercise my freedom in a responsible and
beneficial manner?
 You may have heard the saying: “My freedom to swing my
fist ends where your nose begins.” The simple statement
points to the fact that human freedom, through essential, is
not absolute.
 Human freedom should be exercised with control and a
recognition of reasonable limits. We set limits to our own
freedom and learn to moderate or control our thoughts,
emotions, and actions depending on the situation.
 Limiting our personal freedom requires us to sacrifice
certain self-interest and accept certain realities that are
beyond our control.
 Our sense of right and wrong guides us in recognizing and
deciding on the limitation to our freedom.
 Our society also imposes restrictions on our individual
freedom.
 Freedom should also be exercised with regard for
knowledge and truth. As rational beings, it is natural for us to
think before we act. We use our freedom to act and acquire
more knowledge, and we use this knowledge in order to come
up with the decisions and courses of actions when confronted
with difficult situations.
 In exercising our freedom, we should also recognize and
uphold not only our individual freedom but also the freedom
of others. This view has led to the assertion that freedom is a
recognized and guaranteed right for all persons.
 Freedom should be exercised with due regard for the
welfare of other persons and one’s freedom should be
exercised not as a tool to restrict the freedom of others, but
as a means to enable others to fully enjoy their own freedom.
The consequence of making choices
 Because making choices involve various options, it should be
realized from the beginning that some things will eventually
be given up in exchange for another.
 Before coming up with a final decision, it is important to
weigh first the contributions and consequences that may arise
upon choosing a certain option. Nevertheless, all choices
result in a particular effect that you, as a decision maker,
should be ready to face.
Final note: the given and the chosen
 People often think that the fullness of freedom is found in
one’s ability to make decisions about one’s life.
 Choice is indeed an element of freedom, but freedom goes
beyond mere choosing.
 Freedom is not absolute, and in our lives, there are lot of
things that we could not choose.
 For example, we were not given a choice if we wanted to be
born; we were simply given life.
 We also did not choose our parents; some of our physical
traits and personal characteristics were simply genetically
handed down and already from part of us.
 We are not in control of everything around us, and we
sometimes find ourselves with very limited choices, such as
being stuck in traffic, getting mugged by someone on the
street, and having strong emotions for someone.
 Many things in life are given.
 Although some things are given, it does not mean that we
do not have freedom because we are not determined by
these forces or situations.
 We may not always have the best family, but it does not
mean that our future family will turn out the same way as our
current one.
 A person with an indifferent attitude may find it hard to be
motivated and excited about things in general, but it doesn’t
mean that he or she is incapable of being interested and
inspired to act passionately.
 These “givens” or predetermined things do not negate our
freedom but give us opportunities to exercise our freedom
when we determine ourselves.
 The key idea is that we should always act well in any given
situation because the self is determined by the self.
 We have given tendencies or inclinations, and the world also
exerts some forces over us, but we can transcend all of these
and determine ourselves in the manner we want because we
are free.
 As much possible, we must use our freedom in a good ways
so that we may become better people and better versions of
ourselves for our own sake and the sake of others.
LESSON 6: INTERSUBJECTIVITY
 Interpersonal relations are made possible when the self
becomes aware of the other, which includes everyone and
everything outside of the self.
 We are able to relate meaningfully with other human beings
because we consider ourselves as essentially the same.
 This notion of recognizing the self in the other is how
philosophers define interpersonal relations.
 The interaction between the self and the other is related to the
philosophical concept of intersubjectivity, which is the mutual
recognition of each other as persons. - It refers to the shared
awareness and understanding among person. It is made possible
by the awareness of the self and other.
 It carries the meaning of “ a unique relationship between
distinct subjects .” it refers to the characteristic of the human
person to engage in very intimate and personal relationship with
others who are different from him or her but who are also like
him or her.
Philosophers identify various levels of self-other interaction.
1.Existence of the other - we are aware that there are other
beings unique from us, and that they exist outside of our own
awareness or perception.
2.Self and the other- is the awareness of the self as being seen
by others.
3.Self in the other- is an important element in all other aspects
of interpersonal interactions. The way we act with other people
is often influenced by our ideas of how these people see us.
“Seeming” action refers to a way persons presents himself or
herself when dealing with others. Persons take on “roles” or act
out characters when dealing with certain people or when in
certain situations. This is considered as an unconscious, natural
act on the part of humans. Some people, however, engage in
seeming actions to deceive and manipulate others.
 Surely you have heard of the terms “plastic” and “sipsip.”,
which refer to manipulative behaviors that are done by some
people in pursuit of selfish interests.
The Social Dimension of the Self: Martin Buber and Karol
Wojtyla
 Both were influenced by religious background.
 They believed in the nation of concrete experience of the
human person.
 They think that one must not lose the sight of one’s self in
concrete experience.
 They view the human person as total, not dual nor a composite
of some kind of dimensions.
 For Wojtyla, the social dimension is represented by “we
relation”.
 For Buber, the interpersonal is signified by “I-You Relation”.
Martin Buber
 Is a Jewish existentialist philosopher.
 In his work, I and Thou, he conceives the human person in
his/her wholeness totality, concrete existence and relatedness to
the world.
 I and Thou Philosophy is about the person as a subject, who is
being different from things/objects. The human person
experiences his wholeness not in virtue of his relation to one’s
self, but in virtue of his relation to another self.
 Buber cites the I-It relationship, this is a person to thing,
subject to object that is merely experiencing and using; lacking
directedness and mutuality.
Karol Wojtyla (Saint Pope John Paul II)
 Born in Poland, elected to the Papacy on October 16, 1978
(264th) and was considered a great pope.
 He criticized the traditional definition of human as “Rational
Animal”. He maintains that the human person is the one who
exists and acts (has will, has self-determination).
 For him, action reveals the nature of human agent.
Participation explains the essence of the human person.
How can philosophy help you evaluate your relationship with
others?
 Meaningful and beneficial human relationships are founded on
the values of acceptance, openness, and respect. As human, we
are driven by our shared dignity to treat each other with respect
and acceptance.
Talents and Contributions of PWDs and Underprivileged
On PWDs
• Categories of PWD or persons with disabilities: hearing
impaired, diabetic, asthmatic, or cystic fibrotic persons.
• A spirited perceptive child will notice everything going on
around her but will be able to process that information quickly
and will be able to select the most important information to
listen to.
• An ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) child will
find it difficult to focus or complete a task, despite her best
efforts.
• Negative attitudes of the family and community toward PWDs
may add to their poor academic and vocational outcomes.
• Community sensitivity, through positive and supportive
attitudes toward PWDs, is also an important component.
• Various advocacies supporting PWDs;
Paralympics - an international sports competition for PWDs
World down Syndrome Day, World Autism Awareness Day,
International Day of PWDs
EO 417 law to protect PWDs
On Underprivileged
 They have less in terms of material possessions.
 Poverty is not one-dimensional but multidimensional.
 Each of these dimensions has the common characteristic of
representing deprivation that encompasses: Income, Health,
Education, Empowerment, Working condition
 The most common measure of the underprivileged is income
poverty.
 Another important measure of deprivation is poor health.
 Human rights are also relevant to issues of global poverty in its
focus on shortfalls in basic needs.
On the Rights of Women
• Jean Jacques Rousseau said that women should be educated to
please and be useful to men.
• For Mary Wollstonecraft, women must be united to men in
wisdom and rationality. Women should be allowed to attain
equal rights to philosophy and education given to men.
• Women must learn to respect themselves and should not allow
others to determine their value in terms of their physical beauty
alone.
• Women should oppose the gender role assigned to them by the
social order (reinforced by dominant patriarchal institutions like
the family, education, the law, and the media) and instead
advance the alternative image of the woman aspiring for
liberation.
• Women actively participate in movements that not only seek
empowerment for their sector but for other marginalized groups
as well.
Dialogue - A deep and genuine relationship between person.
 This is made possible when the self realizes that the other is a
genuine and unique individual.
 It happens when two person truly acknowledge each other’s
presence and treat each other as equals.
Genuine dialogue occurs when persons are willing to share
themselves with one another. The awareness of each other’s
presence a true person is defined by the acceptance of each
other’s uniqueness and differences. When each individual enters
into a dialogue with this mindset, then it is truly a dialogue
between equals.
Characteristics of meaningful and genuine & human
relationships
Empathy is an important aspect of intersubjectivity and is driven
by a person’s awareness of the emotions and thoughts of other
people. It enables a person to place himself or herself in the
shoes of others and lead to a greater understanding and
appreciation of others.
Availability refers to the willingness of a person to be present for
another and to render assistance to another.
Ethics of care is an ethics of care emphasizes the moral
dimension of human interactions. It believes that people have a
moral obligation to respond to the needs of others, and
encourages individuals to extend help to people in need.
Alienation - refers to a state when a person ceases to view the
other as a distinct and authentic person. Rather, the person
considers others as merely objects or means to satisfy personal
interest or desires.
Matapobre is used to describe well-off people who look down on
other people that they consider “poor.”
LESSON 7 : THE HUMAN PERSON IN SOCIETY
Aristotle – “Man is a Social animal.”
Individuals – are social animals who need society for food,
protection, education and other forms of support. They are
the building blocks of society. They take on various social
roles to ensure the smooth flow of social processes that
regularly occur within the community. However, it is the
collective action of individuals that mainly influence how
society is formed and structured.
Types of Individuals
Lower Class – experiences poverty, homelessness and
unemployment.
Working Class – constitutes blue-collared workers,
experiences low career opportunities and minimal wage.
Middle Class – consists of white collared workers. Typically
provides professional services as source income.
Upper Class – consists of individuals born from Aristocratic
families (Business and Ventures).
What is society? What drives human beings to establish
societies?
 The human person exists to relate with others.
 The person is by nature a social being because he or she has
a tendency to go out of himself or herself to form bonds and
relationships with others.
 Throughout a person’s life, he or she experiences a variety
of relationships that help shape him or her as a person.
 The pursuit of our goals is made easier by the fact that we
do not need to do our activities alone, that we can live our life
and pursue our happiness with other people by our side.
 The tendency to form groups is not exclusive to human
beings. Other animals also form groups for mutual protection
and survival.
Society – is an organized group of people whose members
interact frequently and have a common territory and culture.
It also refers to a companionship or friendly association with
others, an alliance, a community, or a union.
 Philosophers consider society the product of deliberate
actions by individuals who come together in pursuit of a
common goal.
 Society is considered unique among all other groups
because of the nature of the human persons that compose it,
as well as the relationship among its members.
 As individual persons, members of society are able to
transform themselves and attain development through their
interactions within society.
 In turn, humans are also able to influence society through
their actions.
 Society also makes possible the emergence of certain
individualities. The survival of a human being is essentially
rooted in society and human relations.
 This also leads the person to form other relationships or
groups
 Society and its various aspects provide support that ensures
the development of the human person.
 Society also provides you opportunities to further your
growth in the coming years.
 An evident influence of society on individuals is the
emergence of specific traits and characteristics unique to a
certain society.
 It is important to note that society is founded on the
concept of the common good.
 The common good refers to the social conditions which
enable persons and groups to fulfill their goals and achieve
well-being.
 Apart from this, human beings are compelled to come
together, establish relationships with each other, and work
together as united group because of the natural desire for
goodness.
 Human relations make up patterned interactive
relationships which are the most powerful unit of the social
system. Participation in these interactions establishes an
individual's social role and status in forming the collective,
intricate characteristics of the society. Without human
relations, institutions and the system itself would cease to
exist.
The Social Contract Theory
 Enlightenment philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John
Locke, and Jean Jacques Rousseau were among the most
prominent social theorist who tackled the origins of human
society.
 To fully understand the true character of society, they
imagined humans as living in a so-called “natural state,”
removed from modernity and civilization.
Thomas Hobbes
 Persons in their natural states are governed by their desires
and these often lead to conflict with their fellowmen.
 Society, therefore, is the means by which people seek to
control their natural tendencies and impose order.
 Individuals who establish societies enter into a “social
contract”- an agreement where individuals sacrifice an
amount of their freedom and submit to a higher authority.
 In this way, society is able to function and meet the needs
of the many, ensuring the survival of humanity.
John Locke
 He considered persons in their natural states as more
cooperative and reasonable, and that society is formed
through the consent of the individuals that organized it. This
concept is known as the consent of the governed.
 Locke’s social contract is a covenant among individuals to
cooperate and share the burden of upholding the welfare of
society.
 The authority to establish to run society should reflect the
ideals of the people who organized it.
 Should this authority fail to uphold its obligation, it will be
discarded and replace with a new one.
Jean Jacques Rousseau
 His ideas on the social contract led him to advocate the
concept of the “general will”.
 He believed that even if the people are the ones who
organized society and established an authority or
government, in extreme cases, the government is able to
impose its will on the people. This is based on the assumption
that the people have empowered the government to act on
their behalf, and that it is considered to be the best judge of
what is most beneficial for society.
John Rawls
 He redefined the social contract and explained that human
beings approach social cooperation in a rational manner in
order to meet their individual self-interests.
 He introduced a version of the natural state which he called
the original position to explain social formation.
 He imagined humans as having a “veil of ignorance,” or no
knowledge of one’s own characteristics such as anger, race or
social status. In this state, humans would naturally seek a just
and fair society in an effort to look out of their own interests.
David Gauthier
 He described people’s self-interest as a significant factor in
building and maintaining societies.
 People choose to cooperate since it is beneficial to meet
their self-interests.
 It is important to note that society is founded on the
concept of the common good. It refers to the social
conditions which enable persons and groups to fulfill their
goals and achieve well-being.
 Philosophers who discussed the origins of society traced the
emergence of society to the human desire to achieve the goal
of survival.
 Apart from this, human beings are compelled to come
together, establish relationships with each other, and work
together as a united group because of the natural desire for
goodness.
Different forms of societies
1. Hunting and gathering society
 This is recognized as the earliest and simplest form of
society.
 It is characterized by its small size and is composed mainly
of families.
 They are nomadic.
 Members are treated equally
 Decisions are arrived at through consensus
 Roles of its members and division of labor are not clearly
defined.
2. Pastoral society
 Is characterized by domestication of animals for food.
 Have larger populations and remain longer in one place.
 Produce surplus food and resources
 Relative prosperity enables the people to engage in other
activities which lead to the emergence of specialized tasks in
the community.
3. Horticultural Society
 Primarily engages in the small-scale cultivation of plants,
fruits, and vegetables and domestication of animals.
 Semi-nomadic which means that they travel to another
place when they have already depleted the resources in one
area.
 Roles and responsibilities are more clearly defined with
many tasks assigned according to gender.
 Individuals were often very family and clan-oriented and
their behaviors and actions were restricted by tradition.
4. Agrarian or Agricultural society
 Is a further evolution of pastoral and horticultural societies
 Agriculture involves the large-scale and long-term
cultivation of crops and domestication of animals.
 Is characterized by improved technology and the use of
tools to aid farming.
 Improved technology and farming methods result in
increased production.
 It leads to more structured social system that helps manage
resources and its members
 Complex social organization and growing importance of
territory often result in conflicts among neighboring societies
over resources and lands.
5. Feudal society
 Is based on the ownership of land.
 It arose out of developments in Western Europe during
Medieval times, when rival kingdoms were engaged in conflict
over resources.
 Rulers grant their followers or vassals the right to manage
parcels of land. Vassals, in turn, are served by peasant
workers who cultivate the land and tend to the animals in the
farms. In return for their services, they are provided military
protection.
 Members of the society are organized based on status.
 Social relations are characterized by dependence.
 It gives rise to individuals who value relations among family
members and with other members in the community.
 They are often traditional and are resistant to change.
6. Industrial Society
 Is based on the use of specialized machinery in the
production of goods and services.
 The advances in science and technology in the late 18 th
century resulted in the Industrial Revolution which gave rise
to new production and industrial methods, as well as
innovations in transportation and communication.
 Improved trade and commerce and better life condition.
 Work is done in factories and public education is more
prevalent.
 Is characterized by greater inequalities in wealth, power
and influence.
 Capitalist or business owners are considered the most
influential.
 Is characterized by cultural diversity and the presence of
bureaucratic forms of organization.
 Social relations are the workplace and impersonal
relationships prevail among individuals.
 Alienation is common in industrial societies, as people are
often seen as resources to be exploited.
7. Post-Industrial society
 Is marked by the establishment of societies based on
knowledge, information, and the sale of services.
 Led by the human mind and aided by highly advanced
technology, the trend has shifted from industry to the
generation, storage, manipulation, and sale of information.
 Information influences the behavior of people.
 Members have higher educational attainment, better
training and specialized roles.
 Virtual society–where people organize themselves through
communication technology and the Internet, is a product of a
post-industrial society.
How does society influence our development as persons?
 It can be said that you cannot think of a person outside of
society and you cannot think of a society without persons.
1. The person and the society have a very dynamic
relationship in which one cannot exist without the other.
 Because of this reality, it is important to consider society’s
role in the growth and development of a person, and the
person’s role in transforming society.
2. Society influences our development as persons in various
ways.
 Society influences the interactions of its members through
the establishment of norms, which are a set of traits and
behavior that society considers acceptable, and are
encouraged and passed on to other members.
 Laws are more formal and stringent norms that establish
and define acceptable behavior of citizens. These also
prescribe the consequences or penalties that will be imposed
on violators.
 Folkways are less formal norms that arise from tradition
and do not result in punishment when violated.
 Norms, laws and other rules regulate human interactions
give rise to a social system, which is an organized or
patterned set of relationships among individuals and groups
that compose a society.
 Each member is assigned a social role, which are actions
and behaviors expected of a certain individual.
 Individuals who share similar backgrounds or perform
similar roles are grouped together into social groups or social
classes.
 Certain groups that perform vital functions in society are
recognized as social institutions.
 A well functioning social system where all members,
groups, and institutions work in harmony will ensure that
society remains harmonious and continues to uphold the
welfare of its members.
3. Society also transforms human relations, which leads to
the transformation of its members.
 Another way society shapes us is through social values,
which are actions or ideals that are considered important by
society.
 Values such as cooperation, obedience to the law, concern
for others, and respect for others are considered vital to
maintaining an orderly society.
 A society that upholds positive social values will influence
its members to uphold these positive values.
 Other aspects of society that contribute to the formation of
the individual include language, religion and historical events.
How does society enable me to become a better person?
1. Society recognizes the capability of the person to develop,
and provides its members with opportunities to better
themselves.
 Effective and efficient public service, education, and the
maintenance of peace and order are some of the ways society
ensures that we are able to have productive lives and realize
our potentials.
2. Person can also undertake to contribute to society
through their decisions and actions.
 One important way a person can contribute to social
change is by enacting his or her social responsibilities well.
 An individual’s actions can also cause great changes in
society. We often equate social change to the actions of
heroes, political figures, and famous personalities. However,
the numerous opportunities provided nowadays by improved
technology and access to information have given ordinary
people the means to be sources of social change themselves.
 Another way that individuals can bring about social change
is by organizing themselves into groups that advocate certain
causes.
Social movement which is a large-scale action done by
various groups and organizations in pursuit of a common goal
to bring about change.
 In taking action to bring about positive changes in our
society, we are able to fulfill our purpose as human persons
who are living and interacting with our greater community
and working toward achieving the greater good.
LESSON 8 HUMAN PERSON AS ORIENTED TOWARD THEIR
IMPENDING DEATH
How does the reality of death define our lives?
Death is the end of bodily functions which signals the end of a
person`s life. It also refers to the separation of the body and
the spirit.
 Since we cannot do everything in our lifetime, we must be
able to reflect on what we need to do and identify the goals
we need to achieve so we can say that we have lived
meaningful existence.
How should I live my life before it finally ends?
 Accepting the fact that we have a limited time in this world
allows us to determine the course of our life – to paint a
picture of how our life will progress and how we envision it
to end.
 Given all these considerations, we may ask: what is the end
of this life?
 The term end can be understood in two ways.
 Some philosophers view end as a terminus which means the  Philosophy helps us understand how suffering defines the
full stop or end of a line. For them, life ends and nothing state or condition of the person before, during, and after
follows. the experience.
 It is important to remember that difficulties are not without
 Others, however, consider end as telos which means “goal,
reason. They can bring about good things even if we do not
purpose, or fulfillment.” fully understand our circumstances at present.
 Although we are oriented towards our death, death is not
the goal of life. The human person is not born into this How do happiness, suffering, and death give meaning to
world just so he or she could die. Man is put on this earth to
your life?
live a meaningful life, to be virtuous, and achieve
 The reality of death means that our existence is unique and
excellence.
that we will not always get another chance to do things we
want in this life.
The Significance and Meaning of Life
 Therefore, we should not easily give up on the pursuit of
 The meaning of life is incredibly significant because it is
good things.
believed to balance the good-evil relationship within the
 Reflecting on the reality of death enables us to think of how
self. It is established as a collective defense against
we can best live a meaningful life.
psychological problems like aggression and divisiveness.
 We also have the tendency to form bonds with others.
 The purpose of life is to praise God, worship Him, to
 This is our nature as human persons.
proclaim His greatness, and to accomplish His will;
 This also means that we also find meaning in life when we
therefore, it is in fulfilling those purposes that we can find
open ourselves to others.
meaning and satisfaction in our lives.
 Therefore, we have an opportunity not only to enrich our
 Research shows that one out of five people are convinced
loves but also to touch the lives of others.
that they are living their lives to the fullest and that
 A person lives a truly meaningful life when he or she lives in
majority of all people who want to live life to its fullest are
unity and harmony with others.
longing for excitement.

What makes you happy?

The Accomplishment of Personal Goals
 Ancient Greek philosopher considers happiness as an
 A bucket list is a list of all goals, dreams, and achievements
achievement and it must be gained by living a productive
one intends to attain before death.
and moral life.
 Below are some examples of adventurous ideas that may
 Religious philosophers consider happiness as a union with
be found in a bucket list:
God.
 Travel all around the world (dream/goal)
 Other contemporary views define happiness “whole-life
 Build a charitable institution (project)
satisfaction,” based on our evaluation of our overall life
 Strengthen spiritual life (purpose)
experiences.
 Ethics plays a significant role in defining the means to  Obtain the highest degree or diploma (achievement)
achieve happiness. Various philosophical views emphasize
the importance of setting worthwhile goals in life to achieve
personal happiness.
 As we understand ourselves better, we also come to
realized that Happiness is a state of being, not just an
emotional experience or a chosen mental attitude. We do
not choose happiness; we choose the means to achieve it.
A good is a source of happiness and it has three kinds.
1. A noble good is one which is pursued for its own sake; it is
good in itself.
2. A useful good is considered good so long as it serves as a
means to end; its goodness is found only from what it can
provide.
3. A pleasurable good is good so long as it provides some
form of pleasure, though it doesn’t have to be physical.

Why do we suffer?
Suffering takes place when we patiently endure
unpleasantness, discomfort, and pain.
Forms of suffering
1. Physical suffering – is when we experience physical
sensations such as discomfort, hunger, distress, and pain.
2. Mental suffering - which involves emotional and mental
states such as depression, anxiety, fear, loneliness, and
grief.