Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human
Person essence freedom is self-determination- the capacity
Lesson 8 : Human Person as Oriented
Towards Their Impending Death
How does the reality of death define our lives ?
Death
- is commonly understood as the end of bodily for
function which signals the end of a person’s life.
Death also refers to the separation of the body and
the spirit. As mentioned earlier, the human person is
an embodied spirit.
The body, being material, is bound by the laws of
time and space and is subject to growth, death, and
decay.
-The spirit, being immaterial, will continue to exist
even after the body has passed
We must embrace the fact that death is an integral
part of our life. Once we have come to terms with
that, we can focus can not just on the quantifiable
aspects of life (e g.. Years lived, material thing owned)
but also on it’s quality.
How should I live my life before it finally ends?
Understand the person as a being-towards-death
bring us back to a very important topic:
freedom It has been discussed previously that the
to choose and act for one self. While there is no
freedom in the inevitability of death, a person can
still exercise freedom in choosing how to face the
reality
- The temporal existence of a person means that his
or her life is temporary: he or she is not a being who
exist permanently and for eternity.
- Temporarily changes us to make choices that will be
good for us and the people around us. It must also be
noted that since we have a body, we are always in the
moment- we exist in the here and now. The person is
always in the present although his spiritual nature
allows him to transcend the present. Whenever we
make a choice, we can’t undo that choice present
moment has now gone into the past.
Past present and future are not exclusive and isolated
moments in time, but they are experienced together
by the person because of the dynamism provided by
being embodied spirit.
What is the end of this life?
o The term end can be understood in two ways.
Some philosophers view end us Terminus
which means the full stop or end of a line. For
them, life ends and nothing follow. Others,
o However, considered end as Telos which
means “goal, purpose, or fulfillment
o
Although we are oriented toward our death is not
the goal in life. The human person is not born into
this world just so he or she could die, man is put on
this Earth to live a meaningful life, to be virtuous,
and achieve excellence. With this in mind, we can
look at two experiences which make us reflect on the befriending someone for academic career
meaning of life: happiness and suffering advancement) makes it only useful good.

What makes you happy? Why do we suffer?

o Ancient Greek philosophers consider Suffering

happiness as an achievement and it must be
gained by living a productive and moral life.
o Religious philosophers consider happiness as
a union with God.
o Other contemporary views define happiness
as “whole life satisfaction.” Based on our
evaluation of our overall life experiences.
Various philosophical views emphasize the
importance of setting worthwhile goals in life to
achieve personal happiness. Happiness also has a
social element, as we should not only be concerned
about our own happiness, but also the well being if
others.
As an embodied spirit, we must also consider the
good or source of happiness which are proper to a
person.
-takes place when we patiently endure
unpleasantness discomfort and pain.
It can form of physical suffering, when we
experienced physical sensations such as discomfort,
hunger, distress and pain. These are often caused by
injury, disease, and the lack of basic needs.
It can also be form of mental suffering. Which
involve emotional and mental states such as
depression, anxiety, fear, loneliness and grief. This
may be caused by unexpected situations in life as
sudden changes in lifestyle, loss of employment,
stressful situation, and grief caused by the death of a
loved one. The tension between what a person is and
what he wants to be may also be an experience of
suffering

o A noble good is one which is pursues for its

own sake; it is good so long as it serves as a
means to an end. Love and friendship are What causes suffering?
some examples..
o A useful good Is good is considered good for
so long as it serves as a means an end; it’s
goodness is found only from what it can
provide. For example money is good as it can
buy you something.
o A pleasure good is good so long as it
provides some form of pleasure, though is
does not have to be physical. For example,
friendships may be a noble good because it is
good to be a friend to someone. However,
pursuing it with incorrect intention ( e.g.,
We normally experiences difficulty in life, and how
we deal with them I often determined by our mindset
regarding suffering. Generally, suffering viewed as an
undesirable conditions, and what we naturally seek
pleasure and avoid pain. Those who adopt this
perspective often focus on the various means to avoid
suffering or eliminate it entirely from life. Another
view considers suffering as necessary because it
helps existence Without it, we are unable to grow and
improve, and our positive experiences lose meaning
and significance.
o Negative experience are part of our lives, We
cant shelter ourselves from suffering. But we
can be prepared to deal with it so it does not
break us.
o Philosophers help us understand how
suffering defines the state or condition of the
person before, during and the experience.
o It is important to tell member that difficulties
are not without reason
o Even if the outcome of a difficulty is
unfavorable, dealing with suffering can
improve our attitude towards life and other
people.
The reality of death means that our existence is
unique and that we will not always get another
chance to do things we want in this life. Therefore,
we should not easily give up on the pursuit of good
things.
Reflecting on the reality of death enables us to think
of how we can best live a meaningful life. We can
strive to leave behind a legacy either in the form of an
inheritance, a reputation, or a significant
achievement.
Because of our freedom how we choose to live our
lives is entirely up to us. Against the backdrop of
death, we are now called to use our freedom in the
best way possible to bring us closer to our happiness
and bring to others as well. Our lives are works in
progress stories in the process of being written, and
songs that are about to be sung. Life is a gift given to
each person and it’s important to turn this life into a
gift for others as well.

How do happiness, suffering, and death give

meaning to your life?

As we approach our death, we experienced both

happiness and suffering. Although these are distinct
experiences, the two are not really meant to complete
opposites, for there may be instances when they
enrich one another marks by difficulties and
discouragement.

If we are willing to suffer through adversities and

maybe even suffer cheerfully, it makes the pursuit off
happiness even more worthwhile. As a result, we not
only attain the happiness that we want, but we also
become better person’s in the process.