LESSON 8

The Human Person as Oriented

Towards Their Impending Death

GROUP 7

OBJECTIVES

1. Explain the significance of death in the existence of the person.

2. Recognize the meaning of their own lives;

3. Enumerate the objectives they want to achieve and the projects they want to do in life;

4. Explain where their lives will lead to; and

5. Reflect on the meaning of their lives.

Inquire and Discover:

We are temporal beings or "BEING ORIENTED TOWARDS DEATH"

Let's Ponder:

Happiness

Sorrow

Life

Happiness- an emotional state characterized by feelings of joy, satisfaction, contentment, and

fulfillment.

Sorrow- an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement.

Life- the aspect of existence that processes, acts, reacts, evaluates, and evolves through growth.

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 soul;

The human person is an embodied spirit or the unity of a body and a spirit. The body grows and dies,
while the soul continues to exist even after the body has passed.

This makes a person's life limited in time but no one really knows when life will end. This has given rise
to various expression such as #YOLO.

These attitudes are not necessarily bad but we must embrace the fact that death is an integral part of
our life and focus on the quantifiable aspects as well as its quality. The acceptance of our temporality
can bring about sense of freedom in us. It can also give us a clearer purpose and focus on our activities.

Nothing lasts forever (walang forever). The cycle of being born, growing up and growing old and dying is
a reality. We have limited time here on earth and whether we like it or not, we are bound to die. Death
is real. It is a part of our being. Death is commonly understood as the end of bodily functions. It also
refers to the separation of body and spirit. Everything that exists in this universe comes to an end and
we humans are not exempted. The acceptance of being a temporary individual in this world gives us a
clearer vision on how to live life to the fullest and understand the meaning of our existence. We have
the freedom to choose a well- lived life, doing good and doing what is right.

The reality about our human condition: "we are temporal beings or beings oriented towards death"

HOW SHOULD A LIFE BE LIVED BEFORE IT FINALLY ENDS?

While there is no freedom in the inevitability of death (given), a person can still exercise freedom in
choosing how to face the reality of death in their lives.

For example, though we cannot stop Covid 19 for causing death in the absence of vaccines, but we can
choose to properly observe health protocols to avoid being contracted by it that may cause our lives to a
sudden end. Also, we cannot stop ourselves from growing old, but we can choose to embrace aging
gracefully by doing good and reasonable things or choose to waste our lives in vain and go against what
is good

The temporal existence of a person means that our life is just temporary, we are not beings who exist
permanently and for eternity. Accepting the fact that we have 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. The key idea is that we all have a vocation to live a life in the best possible way that we can by
being excellent persons.
WHAT IS THE END OF LIFE?

The term end can be understood in two ways according to some philosophers

1. End as Terminus - "full stop" or "end of a line". Life ends and nothing follows.

2. End as Telos - "goal, purpose, or fulfillment". Although we are oriented towards our death, death is
not the goal of life but 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 the meaning of life happiness
and suffering.

WHAT MAKES US HAPPY?

Happiness is a state of being (over all physical condition of a person), not just only an emotion or a
decision. We do not choose happiness because we feel it, we do not choose happiness because we need
it but happiness is the totality of who we are as human beings. As an embodied spirit, we must consider
also the goods or sources of our happiness.

KINDS OF GOOD

1. Noble good- is one which is pursued for its own sake, example is love and friendship.

2. Useful good- is found only from what it can provide, example, money is good as it can buy you
something.

3. Pleasurable good- is good so long as it provides some form of pleasure, though it does not have to be
physical.

Whatever the source of our happiness right now, let us see to it that it is real and meaningful.

HOW DO HAPPINESS, SUFFERING AND DEATH GIVE MEANING TO YOUR LIFE?

As we approach our death, we experience both happiness and suffering. Although these are distinct
experiences, the two are not really meant to be complete opposites, for there may be instances when
they enrich one another. The pursuit of happiness requires that we go through the effort to achieve it.
Our efforts are often marked by difficulties and discouragement.

Example:
A person who wishes to to pass his or her exam must spend time to study and exert effort to perform
well in his or her academic tasks.

Athletes who wish to be come the best in their sport often experience hardship in training, injuries, and
several setbacks before they are able to gain victory.

WHY DO WE SUFFER?

Negative experiences are part of our lives. Without it, we are unable to grow and improve, and our
positive experiences lose meaning and significance. It's important to remember that difficulties are not
without reason. More often, our hardship brings about realizations and opportunities for us. Even if the
outcome of a difficulty is unfavorable, dealing with suffering can improve our attitude towards life and
other people

WHAT IS SUFFERING?

- takes place when we patiently endure unpleasantness, discomfort and pain. It can be experienced
physically or mentally.

WHAT IS PHYSICAL SUFFERING?

When we experience physical sensations such as discomfort, hunger, distress, pain

These are often caused by injury, disease, and lack of basic needs.

WHAT IS MENTAL SUFFERING?

Involves emotional and mental states such as depression, anxiety, fear, loneliness, and grief.

These may be caused by unexpected situations in life such as sudden changes in lifestyle, loss of
employment, stressful situations, and grief caused by the death of a loved one.

APPLICATION

Movies that relates to our topic:

FLATLINERS AMERICA

In Flatliners, five medical students, hoping to gain insight into the mystery of what lies beyond the
confines of life, embark on a daring and dangerous experiment. By stopping their hearts for short
periods of time, each triggers a near-death experience. As the investigation becomes more and more
perilous, they are forced to confront the sins of their pasts, as well as contend with the paranormal
consequences of trespassing to the other side.

DHOOM 3 (INDIA)

Dhoom 3 is a Hindi action thriller film and is the third installment of the popular Dhoom series. Sahir is a
Clown Thief who is trained by his father. He along with Aaliya form the antagonist duo who are pitted
against Jai and Ali.

WEIGHTLIFTING FAIRY KIM BOK JOO (KOREA)

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo tells the story of athletes on a college campus trying to achieve their
dreams and follows the weightlifting journey and first love experience of a young woman named Kim
Bok Joo.

METEOR GARDEN (CHINA)

An ordinary girl is admitted to the most prestigious school in the country where she encounters F4, an
exclusive group comprised of the four wealthiest and handsomest boys in the school - Dao Ming Si, Hua
Ze Lei, Xi Men and Mei Zuo.

Shan Cai is an 18-year-old girl from a family that's barely able to make ends meet. Due to a turn of
events, she gets accepted into a school that only accepts the upper class elites. She immediately clashes
with her classmates especially Dao Ming Si who is spoiled, arrogant and a bully. She remains defiant
even after becoming a target of a series of pranks intended to torment her and just when she's about to
give up, Hua Ze Lei always seems to show up to lend her a helping hand.

Eventually, the four boys begin to acknowledge Shan Cai's unyielding personality that is like her
namesake which is that of a weed that can never be brought down. She also begins to see the good in
the boys, which paves the way for friendship and an eventual romance.

PROBINSYANO (PHILIPPINES)
A police officer, Ador de León (Fernando Poe Jr.), was killed in a drug bust operation after he was
betrayed by his fellow police officer. His superior devises a plan for his twin brother, the provincial cop
Kardo (also played by Poe) to assume his identity. Kardo eventually outwits and captures the drug
syndicate and corrupt policemen responsible for his brother’s death.

End.

GROUP 7
Kyla Alar
Ann Beatrice Berrez
Janine Estigoy
Ruby Arcega
Mark Anthony Astrolavio