INTRODUCTION TO

THE PHILOSOPHY OF
THE HUMAN PERSON
INTRODUCTION TO
THE PHILOSOPHY OF
THE HUMAN PERSON
Doing Philosophy
Lesson Objectives
• Recognize human activities that emanated from
deliberate reflection
• Realize the value of doing philosophy in obtaining a
broad perspective on life
• Do a philosophical reflection on a concrete situation
Key Questions
• What is the importance of Philosophy?

• How does philosophy work in our daily life?

 Meaning of Philosophy
• “Philosophy” came from two Greek words:
▪ Philo which means “to love”
▪ Sophia which means “wisdom”
• Philosophy originally meant “love of wisdom.”
• Philosophy is also defined as the science that by natural light
of reason studies the first causes or highest principles of all
things.
▪ Science
It is an organized body of knowledge.
It is systematic.
It follows certain steps or employs certain procedures.
 Meaning of Philosophy
▪ Natural Light of Reason
It uses a philosopher’s natural capacity to
think or human reason or the so-called
unaided reason.
▪ Study of All Things
It makes philosophy distinct from other
sciences because it is not one dimensional or
partial.
A philosopher does not limit himself to a
particular object of inquiry.
Philosophy is multidimensional or holistic.
 Meaning of Philosophy
▪ First Cause or Highest Principle

Principle of Identity – whatever is; whatever is not is

not. Everything is its own being, and not being is not
being.
Principle of Non-Contradiction – it is impossible for a
thing to be and not to be at the same time.
Principle of Excluded Middle – a thing is either is or is
not; between being and not-being, there is no middle
ground possible.
Principle of Sufficient Reason – nothing exists without
sufficient reason for its being and existence.
 Meaning of Philosophy

• Early Greek philosophers studied aspects of the natural and

human world that later became separate
sciences—astronomy, physics, psychology, and sociology.
• Basic problems like the nature of the universe, the standard
of justice, the validity of knowledge, the correct application
of reason, and the criteria of beauty have been the domain
of philosophy from its beginnings to the present.
• These basic problems are the subject matter of the
branches of philosophy.
Activity 1
Guess the Word
Direction:
1. Write the correct words of each number on your
notebook.
A. TCOLISHI
B. RALPTIA
C. LUFL
D. STARP
E. LEOWH
 HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE

It considers the “BIGGER PICTURE”

when dealing with a particular
situation or problem. According to
Aristotle, the whole is greater than its
parts. It considers not only one
perspective but all other perspectives.
 PARTIAL POINT OF VIEW
It considers the parts rather than the whole when
dealing with a particular situation or problem. Rene
Descartes supported this idea by arguing that “the
world is like a machine, it’s pieces are like clockwork
mechanisms, and that the machine could be
understood by taking its pieces apart, studying them,
and then putting them back together to see the larger
picture.” The focus in Partial Point of View is to see a
single part of a situation/problem without considering
the other parts related to the problem or situation.
 SIMILARITY
HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE PARTIAL POINT OF VIEW

Considers the whole or Promotes the ability to Considers the parts rather
general aspect of the THINK than the whole.
situation or problem.
WHY IS HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE MORE
IMPORTANT THAN PARTIAL POINT OF
VIEW?
 HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE
• Focuses on all areas
• Has full understanding of the
entire situation/ problem
• Arrives at a more logical, valid,
and sound decision
• Has wider scope of knowledge
• Results in a fair judgement
• See things fully
• Objective
Example:
A teacher listens first to both stories of
his two arguing students before making
any conclusion about the issue
PARTIAL PONT OF VIEW
• Focuses on a specific area
• Has partial understanding of the
situation/ problem
• May arrive at a wrongful
decision
• Promotes limited knowledge
• May result to bias judgement
• See things partially
• Selective
Example:
A teacher scolds student A after
student B accused him of stealing her
pencil case. However, the teacher only
listened to the story of student B, and
not to student A, before deciding to
scold the student
Activity 2
Judge Me Not!
Directions:
Read and understand the story below and fill out the diagram that follows. Do this on a
whole sheet of paper.
The Youngest Favorite
by Jeson D. Balingbing
Mary is the only sister among 4 sibling in the family of a single parent, Mr. Mapanghusga.
Being the youngest, Mary is the favorite among the siblings.

One afternoon, when Mary got home, she went straight to her room to put her bag down
and proceeded immediately to the kitchen to take a snack. Then, she went back to the room
to work on her project. While she was planning to buy the needed materials for her project,
she noticed that her wallet is not inside her bag. Only she and her oldest brother john were
there. Then, Mr. Mapanghusga scolded John after Mary accused him of stealing her wallet.
He only listened to the story of Mary and not to John’s before deciding to punish him.
 Scenario/Problem: Judgement: Action:
(made by Mr. Mapanghusga to John) (made by Mr. Mapanghusga to John)

My thoughts/feelings towards My thoughts/feelings towards My thoughts/feelings towards

John Mary Mr. Mapanghusga
Process Questions

1. If you were the father, how would you respond to the

situation or problem? Justify your answer.
2. Is it important to listen to both sides of the story?
Explain your answer.
3. How do you assess the father’s decision and action
toward the problem? Is it Holistic or Partial? Why?
4. Is it important to be holistic in dealing with a
particular problem or situation? Defend your answer.
Assignment:

Make a brief research about the

Main Branches of Philosophy.
Group Activity: Each group must be consisted of 5-6 students.
Directions: Make a comic strip that illustrates the difference between a holistic perspective and a partial
point of view. The comic strip should demonstrate a situation where a holistic perspective is needed,
but a partial point of view is used instead. All comic strips must be uploaded in the google class.