Philosophy • Later built the school Lyceum

• He opposed Plato’s theory of forms

-Philosophy or philosophia means “The love of
• For Aristotle, the forms can be achieved
wisdom”
through the senses. Thus, he maintained
Western Philosophy that things can be known and proven
using the sense and the faculty of reason
We focus on the three most renowned Greek
• St. Thomas Aquinas Said “Noting is in
philosophers, namely; Socrates, Plato, and
the intellect that was not first in the
Aristotle. These three prominent names of
senses.”
Western tradition introduced intricate ideas
concerning the rational capacities of man and
how these capacities can be used and developed.
The recognition that a human person is a Eastern Philosophy
thinking being fundamentally supports the idea Eastern Philosophies are centered on finding
that we all have the freedom to explore the the answers to the question “Who and what am
world. I?”. They focus on search for the meaning of
Socrates being human. The goal of their respective
philosophical enterprises is not only to
• Was born about 470 B.C. in Athens, understand human nature, but most importantly,
Greece to practice how to truly live as a human person.
• He appeared grotesque, short, thick-set,
It may be noted that eastern philosophy is
and ugly
often understood interchangeably with religion.
• “An unexamined life is not worth
Buddhism, for one, belongs to the top major
living”
religions of the world. For this reason, these
• His concern was to discuss with them
philosophies are actively practiced by its
profound ideas, such as justice, virtues,
followers. For them, philosophy and religion are
morality, life, and death. The philosophy
intimately connected.
of Socrates was focused on getting at the
answers to the questions that are Confucianism
important and relevant in everyone’s
• One of the greatest traditions in ancient
life.
china
Plato • Was started by Kongzi or Confucius
over 2500 years ago. He was born on
• One of the students of Socrates
551 B.C. in Tuo, and died about 479
• He was born on about 428 and died
B.C. in Qufu
about 347 B.C.
• This includes a wider scope of subjects,
• He served as a transcriber of the past
including morality, society, philosophy
• “Allegory of the Cave”
and religion, and practices and values.
• The real world and the unreal
• Aims to restore peace among men and
• “Stepping stones” nations
Aristotle • Confucius believed that if a leader set a
good example to his constituents, they,
• Was born about 384 B.C. in turn, will do the same.
• He studied under Plato
• Confucius is considered a social
philosophy that is grounded on the
assumption that proper social and
political behavior is cultivated in the
family.
Buddhism
• Is a living tradition whose roots can
be traced from the life and teachings
of Siddharta Gautama, who is also
known as the historical Buddha.
• Buddhism is anchored on the idea
that human person lives in suffering
and that he should overcome this.
• It contains the Four noble truths
1. The first noble truth is that
human life is pervaded by
suffering
2. Second, suffering is a result
of craving
3. Third, there is a state of
freedom from suffering
called Nirvana that we can
all attain by realizing that
we are not selves, thus
abandoning the craving
4. Fourth anyone can attain
Nirvana by following the
eightfold path
• “Karma and Rebirth”
• The buddha attained the three kinds of
“true knowledge”: First, knowledge of
past lives. Second, the cycle of rebirth is
governed by Karma. Third, the four
noble truths.
Indian Philosophy
• Responds to the question “Who am
I?”.
• This, questions the deeper meaning
of the self.
• Many scholars argue that, like
buddhis, Indian philosophy is
essentially spiritual
• Reminds us that the physical world
is not as important as knowing the
inner self and the right practices for
living.
• It is said that a human person is
conceived as spiritual in nature.
• The theme of all Indian philosophy
is to see the self
Opinion – a personal claim, a belief, or a
personal stance on a particular subject matter
Fact – It will always be true no matter what a
person thinks and speaks. Truth does not
change; an opinion, however, usually changes
through time. Thus, the truth remains, no matter
how convincing opinion is.
John Corvino (2015) - offers a philosophical
distinction between an opinion and a fact. For
him, a statement of fact has objective content
and is well-supported by the available evidence
Methods of Philosophizing
Socratic Method
• This is named after Socrates, who was
the teacher of Plato. This method refers
to a process of asking open-ended
questions that are committed to finding
the truth
• It usually takes the form of a dialogue in
which people discuss and analyze
specific subject matter
Dialectical Method
• Can be traced back to Socrates’ or
Plato’s method
• The “dialectics” is derived from the
Greek word dialego, which means to
debate or discuss
 • Although the dialectical method has its
roots in ancient Greek philosophy, the
dialectical method emphasized here is
the one developed mostly by modern
philosophers, such as Hegel and Marx.
• A thesis refers to a claim.
• An antithesis refers to a thesis that
negates or opposes the given thesis
• Synthesis is the result of the conflict of
the thesis and antithesis
actions, texts, and other meaningful
material
• Friedrich Schleiermacher has a
hermeneutics system called romanticist
hermeneutics
• The aim of hermeneutics is “to capture
the truth of the text”
The Human Person as an Embodied spirit

Phenomenological Method • Embodied – is that it is a quality of

being materialized or a
• The word phenomenology comes from
characteristic of possessing a body
two Greek words: phainomenon, which
• Spirit – we think of something
means appearance, and logos, which
immaterial
means study or reason.
• Embodied spirit – refers to the
• Investigates the essence of nature of the
inseparable union of the body and
things that appear to a person
the soul
• Edmund Husserl, phenomenology is
• Plato and Aristotle
“the science of the essence of
- attempted to explain the origin
consciousness”
of man.
• Husserl's phenomenological method is
- Their concept are influenced by
the most original or also called pure
the cosmogenic model of the
phenomenology.
world
Bracketing - This process is also called epoche
Plato’s Three Functions of the soul
which means abstain
• The body is material and is subject
Eidetic reduction – This is the movement from
to changes and destruction, while
fact to essence, a transcendental reality that
the soul is immaterial and
refers to the immateriality of things, such as
unchanging
thoughts, feelings, memories, etc.
• The body’s existence is dependent
Hemeneutics on the soul, while the soul is
independent of the body
• Is usually associated with the Greek
• The soul existed before the body,
god, Hermes, who was the messenger
for it was created by the gods and
between gods and humans.
was venerable in birth
• Which means interpreting or
interpretation Aristotle’s Three types of souls
• This process refers to the understanding
• The soul and the body is substantially
of a particular reality
united
• Offers a toolbox for efficiently treating
• Not only humans have souls. Aristotle
problems of the interpretation of human
identified three kinds of souls found in
plants, animals, and man. These three
 kinds of souls are characterized as
vegetative, sensitive, and rational.
THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE
HUMAN PERSON IN THE MEDIEVAL
PERIOD
• The period following the ancient
times is called the medieval period
or the middle ages. Also known as
“Age of Faith”
• This period centers on proving the
existence of God based on rational
methods.
St. Augustine
• Is from Hippo and had a deep interest in
Philosophy in his search for meaning in
the Christian faith
• He believed that God created the world,
and this includes the creation of the
immortal soul
St. Thomas Aquinas
• Known as a defender of Christian faith
and a Doctor of the Church
• He was greatly influenced by Aristotle’s
thoughts
Rene Descartes
• He explicitly said that animals have no
souls; they cannot think and are mere
bundles of instincts prepackaged by God
• “I think, therefore, I am” is his famous
dictum
• Like Plato, he believed that the
destruction of the physical body does
not mean the destruction of the mind
John Locke
• An empiricist, provided a systematic
philosophy that attempts to answer how
the human person thinks
• The human mind is a tabula rasa or
blank slates. Which means that
Knowledge is acquired only through
sensory experiences.
Transcendence – is the act of surpassing our
limitations
The Human Person and the Environment
Anthropocentrism
• Stems from the Judeo, Christian
tradition maintains that humans are the
chief stewards of God’s creation, while
non-human beings have no intrinsic
value since they are only valuable
depending on their utility to human
beings
Deep Ecology
• Coined by philosopher Arne Naess in
1973, sees humanity as an intrinsic part
of nature
• It emphasizes the interdependence of
humans, non-humans, and the
environment
Rainforestation
• Introduced by Visayas State University
in the early 1990s
• Addresses the rehabilitation of denuded
lands
• It focuses on planting native tree species
not commonly used in government
reforestation efforts in the Philippines
• Was initiated by the Philippine German
Applied Tropical Ecology project
Freedom of the Human Person
 • Complexity of Freedom: The text
acknowledges that while people
generally desire freedom and dislike
being coerced, the nature of freedom is
not straightforward.
• Freedom vs. Determinism: The
introduction introduces the classic
philosophical debate between freedom
and determinism. Some believe in
human freedom, while others argue that
human behavior is predetermined by
various factors.
• Limitations on Freedom: There is also
a discussion about whether human
freedom is absolute or limited. Some
argue for unlimited freedom, while
others acknowledge certain restrictions
on what humans can do.
• Importance of Freedom: Despite the
complexities and debates surrounding
freedom, the text emphasizes that
freedom is essential to the human
experience.
The main idea of the discussion is to explore the
concept of freedom in the context of human
existence and philosophy. Key points include:
1. Human Freedom is Vital: Freedom is a
fundamental aspect of human existence
that distinguishes humans from animals.
It involves the ability to choose and act
based on one's will.
2. Jean-Paul Sartre's Perspective: The
discussion draws ideas about freedom
from Jean-Paul Sartre. Sartre's
philosophy emphasizes that humans are
condemned to be free, and freedom is
ontological, focusing on the study of
being.
3. Freedom and Choice: Sartre argues
that human freedom means choosing for
oneself. Even when external influences
or recommendations play a role in a
decision, the ultimate choice is made by
the individual.
4. Limitations on Freedom: The
limitation of freedom is a product of
one's consciousness and choices. People
choose their limitations, even when they
believe external factors restrict them.
5. Responsibility and Freedom: Freedom
comes with responsibility. Every choice
carries consequences, and individuals
must own up to those consequences as
they are the authors of their choices.
6. Authenticity: Being authentic means
being true to oneself and accepting
responsibility for one's choices.
Authentic individuals project themselves
honestly and do not deny the
consequences of their actions.
7. Freedom and Consequences: The
consequences of human actions are
inevitable due to freedom. Choices
made during situations like the COVID-
19 pandemic are influenced by freedom,
and individuals must bear responsibility
for those choices.
8. The Paradox of Freedom: Human
freedom is both a gift and a burden. It
defines our essence but also entails the
responsibility for our choices.
Intersubjectivity
• Is a philosophical concept that explores
the mutual recognition of each other as a
person.
• It is the condition of man, a subject,
among other men, who are also subjects.
Paul Ricoeur

• Jean-Paul Gustave Ricoeur

• Born on February 27, 1913 at Valence,
France and died on May 20, 2005
• He is a French philosopher and historian
who studied various linguistic and
psychoanalytic theories of interpretation
• He Accentuated the idea of a “Text”

Martin Buber

• Was born on February 8, 1878 and died

on June 13, 1965
• He is a prolific writer, author, scholar,
and political activist.
• Differentiates the “I and It” and “I and
Thou”
- I-It relationship is when a
person views the other as an
object to fulfill his or her needs
- I-Thou relationship is when a
person who acknowledges the
“whole” in the other person and
view his or her partnership as
relational rather than
experimental

Emmanuel Levinas

• He was born December 30, 1905,

Kaunas, Lithuania and died on
December 25, 1995 in Paris, France
• He is a Luthuanian-born French
Philosopher renowned for his powerful
critique of ontology’s preeminence in
the history of wester philosophy
• “Ethics is the first philosophy because it
is only by acknowledging the command
in the ‘face’ of the other that we can
account for the sensitivity to the
normative distinctions that structure
intentional content.”