Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN

EMBODIED SPIRIT
The time has come! Let’s get started! Today’s journey will help us
identify and understand the Human Person as an Embodied Sprit
has something to do with defining Man, Human, Human Being,
Person, Personhood and Human Nature (Abella, 2016).

Man ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By definition, it is generally and commonly define to represent the
entire human race.

Human --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A term used to refer for various classifications and species. For a
living man, human is under the classification of Mamalia.

Human Being -----------------------------------------------------------------------

A term used to separate man from other Human Classifications like
animals.

Person --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Refers to an individual who possess self-awareness, self-
determination, rational mind, and the capacity to interact with other
and with himself/herself.

Personhood -------------------------------------------------------------------------
A general term refers to the state of being a person with unique,
sacred and ethical status within him/herself.

Human Nature ----------------------------------------------------------------------

A general term refers to the deepest and natural behaviour of a
person that distinguish human from animals. A collective traits that
formed and considered the very essence of humanity. Nobody can
be considered man without human nature.
Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

HUMAN PERSON
From the definition provided above, the human and the person,
respectively, are defined with classified origin of species and persons
with birth rights. Human person is someone with an exact origin of
his/her classification. From the biblical perspective, we came from
Adam and Eve. For Science, we came from an Ape under the Class:
Mamallia.

Human person from time after time learned how to live beyond what
was traditional through the various human evolutions from Hominid
to Homo Sapiens or the Modern Man people learn the concept of
power, politics and economics. These reasons served as basis which
led to a more structured political and economic system. Thus, rights
of an individual is considered. A human person is typically with a
body which is tangible and has a three components composed of
SOUL, MIND and SPIRIT. Also, he or she is entitled and granted
rights and privileges by the state which he or she legally belong.

There are two general kinds to distinguish a human person: The

Cognitive Self and the Physical Self.

Cognitive Self-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Cognitive Self (something within and cannot be physically seen)
is the essential components of a human persons that deals with THE
WHAT OF A PERSON which includes human persons’ belief, desire,
dreams, and intentions.

Physical Self-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The other is one is the Physical Self (something can be seen in
his/her physical appearance) which deals with the essential features
of the human way of life or THE WHO OF A PERSON which includes
his/her body type, strength and appearances.
Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

EMBODIED SPIRIT
Embodied spirit is an animating core living within each of us. It is
known to be the driving force behind what we actually think, do and
say. It is indeed the reflections of our total being by which our
sensations lead to our human feelings, emotions and decision. The
usual and known connotation that comes to our mind when we hear
the word “embodied” is always materialized or became flesh (with
physical form). Thus, when we say “embodied spirit”, we normally
believed and conclude of a spirit becoming flesh.

In the context and views of Christian philosophy, the embodiment of

the spirit particularly refers to the inseparable union of human body
and soul. Inseparable which also means the body and soul work
together at all times. Hence, we can safely say that “embodied spirit”
that the body is not separate from the soul, just as the soul is not
separate from the body.

HUMAN PERSON AS EMBODIED SPIRIT?

As an embodied spirit human beings demonstrate these following
qualities (Abella, 2016):

1. “Self- awareness
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
refers to person having a clear perception of oneself, including
his or her thoughts, emotions, identity, and actions (Abella,
2016).” It is the ability of one’s consciousness to look inward thus
discovering the presence of a self.

The self is the subject that thinks, feels and acts. It is your I am
(Wilber, ness 2006). The self enables a person to experience an
inner world of dreams, thoughts, imagination, fantasy (Abella,
2016). Thus, the self represents man’s interiority (loob in Filipino).
Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

2. Externality
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A human person is able to connect and interact with another
person, an animal or an inanimate object. We call this externality.
So even though human beings have interiority they are not
trapped inside their heads. They are able to go beyond their
limited selves and embrace others.

3. Self-Determination
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are not determined by others. Because we have interiority;
we can direct the course of our own life. This is what we call self-
determination which is “the capability of persons to make choices
and decisions based on their own preferences, monitor and
regulate their actions, and be goal oriented and self-directed”
(Abella 2016) Thus human beings are free.

However since our actions are based on our decisions we have

to realized that every decision has a consequence(s). There are
some actions that are good because they lead to good
consequences and some actions are bad because they lead to
bad consequences. The result of our freedom is morality which is
“the goodness or badness of an act” (Abella 2016)

4. Dignity
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally a human person has an inherent value and importance.
This is what we call dignity. That is why no amount of money can
equal the value of a human life. This is also the reason why
individual rights are absolute (Rand 1964). The American
Founding Fathers called rights as “inalienable” because it cannot
be separated from our humanity. If we are stripped off of our
rights we are stripped of our humanity. That is why slaves (who
have no rights) are not being treated as human.
Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

HUMAN TRANSCENDENCE
St. Thomas Aquinas, a philosopher and one of the greatest
theologian in the Catholic Church in the 13th century, said that “of all
creatures, human beings have the unique power to change
themselves and things for the better.” (Ramos, 2016). We have
encountered persons who complain of any given situations or accept
the reality or status in life as God-given thing. We heard a man
sighing on TV during the 14 0 0 early stage of Covid-19, “mahirap
maging mahirap.” Though it is true that poverty is not just personal
but also structural, as an individual person you know that you can do
something to change the situation. This power is your ability to
surpass your limits. This is the definition of Transcendence. You are
able to transcend your limit through your physical and mental
abilities. (Abella, 2016).

Religion and philosophy teaches human beings to overcome our

limits. In technological parlance, humans can upgrade themselves.
Take for example, Buddhism. Buddha realized that all people suffers.
Maybe in your case you just accept your own suffering as part of life
but not for Buddha. This reality ignited his curiosity to examine and
understand the word suffering. He left his royal life in the palace and
spent his life for 6 years in the wilderness to find answers for his
questions. And when he sat under the Tree of Enlightenment for 40
days, voila he finds the answers. The Four Noble Truths and
Eightfold Paths. For example, “The Eightfold Path” of Buddhism
shown below:

“THE EIGHTFOLD PATH” OF BUDDHISM

5. Right view
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
a correct understanding of the nature of things, specifically the
Four Noble Truths;
Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

6. Right intention
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
eliminating thoughts of attachment, detestation, and harmful
intent,

7. Right speech
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

abstaining from verbal offenses such as lying, divisive speech,

unforgiving speech, and irrational speech,

8. Right action
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
refraining from physical offenses such as murdering, thieving,
and sexual misbehavior,

9. Right livelihood
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
evading trades that directly or indirectly damage others, such as
trading slaves, weapons, animals for butchery, intoxicants, or
poisons,

10. Right undesirable effort,

forsaking states of mind that have already arisen, preventing
undesirable states that have yet to arise, and sustaining positive
states that have already arisen.

11. Right concentration,

single-mindedness.

12. Right mindfulness,

consciousness of body, feelings, thought, and phenomena.

If you notice this is a universal principle being taught not just by

Buddhism? These are the values what human person needs to
Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

succeed. These are examples of the power mentioned by St.

Thomas to change ourselves. If you can do the eightfold path even if
you are not a Buddhist, you can transform yourselves from your
present situation and transcend to what you desire you would be.
Just believe in yourselves. As the Star Struck of GMA7 adheres:
Dream, Believe and Survive.

LIMITATION AND
TRANSCENDENCE
LIMITATIONS
As defined in the Merriam dictionary, a limitation is “something that
controls how much of something is possible or allowed”. This means
that though the nature of the person as an embodied spirit provides
numerous opportunities to explore everything around us and even
within us, our human nature imposes limitations. It can be said that
the person is very biologically deficient being. We do not have the
natural ability to fly. We cannot breathe underwater without using
breathing apparatus. We cannot survive in certain environments like
other animals.

THREE CATEGORIES OF LIMITATIONS

1. Facticity --------------------------------------------------------------------------
refers to the things in our lives that are already given and did not
choose them. It also refers to all the details that surround us in
the present, including our environment, language, past decisions,
past and present relationships, and even our future death.

2. Spatial-Temporal --------------------------------------------------------------
is about being limited due to our being temporal. This means that
we will not live forever because we have a limited period of stay
in this world (we call this finitude). We are just passers of this
place. Our limitations here are based on time, ability, etc. (the not
yet and the no longer). Just like a five-year-old child cannot put
Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

on lipstick because she is still a child (the not yet), and a senior
citizen cannot bear a child because she is no longer capable of
reproduction. On the level of being spatial individuals, we are
limited by our bodies to be present in two or more places at the
same time. We are set to be in one place at a time. For example,
one cannot be in Manila and Cebu at the same time because his
body does not allow him to.

3. Body as Intermediary -------------------------------------------------------

is about having a body that links us to the world appears to be a
source of limitation because we can never really directly and fully
experience the world. We have established that we are our
bodies, but also more than our bodies. Our body then serves as
an intermediary between the physical world and us. It is because
of my body that I experience the world as my world and not the
world of others. For example, “I can always imagine myself living
like a rock star; but I will never really know how it is to be a rock
star unless I become one myself. I can never be you, or you can
never be me.”

TRANSCENDENCE
A very important tool that allows us to go through our physical limits
is our mind. Although we have these physical limitations, we can
transcend them because of our spiritual dimension. We have natural
tendencies and inclinations as a human person. Some of these are
felt bodily functions like hunger, fatigue, etc. Transcendence is the
ability to explore and surpass limits. This means overcoming oneself
or being in control even if the body reminds us of certain tendencies.
Although these tendencies are felt, the person can govern them and
ensure that they are exercised within the bounds of reason.

The presence of several limitations of being an embodied subject

may make us think that life is difficult and is very restricting. But, if
we come to think it, if we reflect on our personal lives, we could
come to the idea that the limitations that we have make our lives
Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

more colorful and challenging. Let us try to look at these limitations

and see how we could surpass or transcend our limitations, or
perhaps we could realize that there is no need to overcome it.

1. Facticity --------------------------------------------------------------------------
We understand that our facticity is the things already given to us
the moment we are born. With this, we could say that we really
cannot do anything about it, what we could do is to change our
attitude towards it. If we let our facticity define who we are then,
that makes it a limitation but, if we see our facticity as a chance to
challenge and explore ourselves then, we are making our facticity
a positive aspect of our life. As a free individual, we should
always think that it is us who could decide what we want to do
with our lives and that we are not limited to what nature has
initially given us. Facticity challenges us to be creative with our
life options and to maximize the possibilities that are given to us.
For example, Nick Vujicic is born with no arms and legs. But this
limitation he had, did not hinder him from become a successful
person. He had been known all over the world being a
motivational speaker, and he even builds his own family.

2. Spatial-Temporal --------------------------------------------------------------
Our being temporal being maybe one of the things that bother as
the most. Knowing that we are temporary being in this world often
times gave us fear to try and do things. We are more concerned
about what might happen tomorrow, next month or next year that
we forget to live our lives for today. We forget to cherish and
enjoy the present because we are too bothered about what might
happen next. If we appreciate how wonderful the present is, then
perhaps we could look at our temporality as a challenge, a
challenge on making our life more interesting, colorful, and
meaningful, and how we make most of the time given to us. In
relation to our being spatial being in one place at the same time
may be a limit to us, but if we take a look at it – it also helps us
overcome our temporality. Because being in one place at a time
Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

gives us the opportunity to appreciate more the things and people

around us. It gives us the chance to be more connected to one
another. We should appreciate always what is present in our
space because sometimes we only appreciate things or people
when it’s already gone.

3. Body as Intermediary -------------------------------------------------------

Having a body as an intermediary to the world may only allow us
to experience the world base on our point of standing thus,
limiting us to fully experience the world. But, if we take a closer
look at it, it is somehow our privilege to experience the world
uniquely. Our experience of the world is unique and distinct from
other beings. Therefore, it gives more meaning to our
experiences and how we live life as a whole. Although our body
often conceals or restrict what emotions we wanted to convey,
somehow it became our protection for there are a time that we do
not want others to know what we truly feel and think. The body
may pose some limitations, but these limitations serve as our
advantage as well.

Each individual carries within himself or herself the possibility of

transcending his or her limits. Most of our limits often involve
facing a challenge or overcoming a weakness. Through the study
of Philosophy, we can explore our limitations and possibilities for
transcendence. The essence of transcendence is to acknowledge
our limitations, identify possibilities for development, and change
ourselves for the better. Another aspect of transcendence is
opening yourself to new experiences and ideas. Our capacity for
transcendence allows to work toward becoming better versions of
ourselves.

HUMAN PERSON AND THE

ENVIRONMENT
Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

AIR POLLUTION
Polluted air is a public health threat that cannot be avoided"
(Gesellschaft, 2020). In 2015, air pollution caused 8.8 million global
premature deaths. According to Jos Lievel, director of the Max
Planck Institute for Chemistry, he said that, "Air pollution exceeds
malaria by a factor of 19, exceeds aggression by a factor of 17, and
factor of 9 exceeds HIV/AIDS given the enormous impact on public
health and globalization".

In addition, there are several studies and articles conceming air

pollution that had a huge impact to our health and being a human
person we must to act on what are the possibilities of reducing the
damages that we have done. Not only air pollution we also consider
other things that damages our environment.

WATER CONTAMINATION
is another environmental problem caused by oil spill, acid rain, and
other harmful water-mixed chemicals. Diarrhea is caused by the use
of contaminated water, inadequate hygiene and poor sanitation. It is
a significant contributor to children's death rates worldwide. Acid rain
occurs as toxic gasses such as nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide that
are detected. Because of that many people get sick and don't have
enough water resources to live (Philo Notes, 2017). More so, the
world is changing as mentioned by Heraclitus and because of that,
global warming takes place through climate change (Philo Notes,
2017). (3)

CLIMATE CHANGE
refers to a rise in global mean temperatures. If we think about global
warming and climate change there should be a reason behind such
calamity. Take a look at the mountains do you see any plants or trees
that can help us breathe fresh air? What is the main cause of global
warming and climate change?

DEFORESTATION
Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

is an environmental problem that relates to tree cutting for

agricultural, industrial, residential or urban use. In 2014 is the
warmest year ever recorded in the civilization of earth's history.
Ozone depletion is also a seemingly overlooked ecological epidemic.
That's why there is climate change leading to global warming.

Recently, we have encountered so many environmental calamities

such as earthquake, flooding, landslide and other disasters. Have
you ever realized the destruction of the human person in his
environment?

(10) BETTER WAYS OF PROTECTING THE WORLD

Consequently, there are ten (10) better ways of protecting the world,
too.
1. More walk and less drive.
2. Buy a new eco-friendly vehicle.
3. Carry shopping bags of fabric.
4. Buy recycled / recyclable goods.
5. Reuse recyclable materials.
6. Reduce waste by composting.
7. Conserve water.
8. Put some plants inside your house.
9. Grow some trees.
10. Teach the kids well about the importance of our environment.

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

suggested that in a society, there are four cardinal virtues: prudence
which is the mother of all virtues, temperance or frugality in
expenditure or conscientious use of resources, justice and fortitude.
Justice for Aquinas means giving a full life to each person, and to
each one of their creatures, their due and what they need to live. The
principle of justice requires us to respond and requires us to act
reasonably in order to promote a just relationship between people
and our planet (Ariola, 2016).
Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

We must follow some preventive measures to every calamity that

might happen in the future. As a human person we must acquire true
virtues in loving and caring for our environment. The following are
important virtues that every human should acquire.

Prudence------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First, Prudence as the analytical practice of wisely determining the
means required to achieve the goal you are striving for. The idea of
accountability is a modern concept of prudence. The importance of
prudence in fighting climate change is paramount. This virtue is not
only important in living morally good lives for individuals, but is also
vital to the spiritual welfare of the greater society.

Temperance or frugality---------------------------------------------------------
Second, Temperance or frugality which defines as the use of
resources can better be understood as restraint or self-control. The
virtue exists in contrast with the greed and materialistic ideals of our
society.

Justice---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Third, Justice that pertains to acts of order and equality. Lastly,
Fortitude or bravery is described more commonly as courage. The
vocation to strive for some meaningful change to the world pushes
one to maintain an attitude of hope. That kind of optimism,
embedded in our mental and heart patterns, is exactly what we need
to introduce to circumstances where the atmosphere is exploited in
the courts. The person with virtue feels an obligation to act and
believes that by communicating, nevertheless, tentatively virtue in
practice, one's character is improved (Ariola, 2016).

FREEDOM OF THE HUMAN

PERSON
THREE KINDS
Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

1. Physical Freedom
This is the first type of freedom that comes into mind when talking
about freedom. It refers to the absence of any physical restraint
and the freedom of mobility to act and go whatever, whenever and
wherever he or she pleases.

2. Psychological Freedom
It is also called the freedom of choice. The person is free to
perform actions that he or she considers right and wise. A person
is also free to act or not to act. Psychological freedom is innate
and cannot be denied a person. No outside force or influence can
compel a person to take action against his or her will.

3. Moral Freedom
This refers to using freedom in a manner that upholds human
dignity and goodness. Freedom is not an object that a person may
use in whatever way he or she pleases. A person becomes freer
when he or she uses freedom well but becomes less free when he
or she uses it in a bad way. Humans have a natural inclination for
what is true and good and when a person uses his or her freedom
to do acts that violate human dignity and goodness, he or she
dehumanizes himself or herself and effectively negates human
freedom.

Another reality that we have to face as we exercise our freedom, is

the fact that it is experienced through the act of making choices.
Although human freedom gives us the ability to think of countless
decisions and possible actions, we only get to choose to enact one
of these possible actions or decisions. Having the ability to choose
and enact a course of action 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.
Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

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 when
confronted with choices, we exercise caution and prudence and
reflect on our possible courses of action.

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 in a given situation. 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.

We just learned and answered the question, "what makes us free?"

Now we proceed to answering the second question, "how can we
exercise our freedom in a responsible and beneficial manner?"

1. 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. A
person can even choose to limit his or her own freedom or even
surrenderit entirely if it will result in greater benefits. Limiting our
personal freedom requires us to sacrifice certain self-interests
and accept certain realities that are beyond our control. Our
sense of right and wrong guides us in recognizing and deciding
these limitations to our freedom.
 Example: You may have the freedom to pursue a degree in
medicine but, realizing that your parents do not have the
means to send you to medical school, you decide to take a
less expensive course.
Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

2. 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 inorder to come up with decisions and courses of
actions when confronted with difficult situations.

The ability to acquire information and truthful knowledge

regarding a particular situation is very important, since it aids us
in making wise and informed choices.

Determining the proper information needed before we choose the

best course of action is not easy, but is a necessary step to
ensure that our choices, decisions, and actions are proper,
reasonable, and just. If we make a choice and act on false or
incomplete information, we may end up making decisions which
will bring harm to ourselves and others. It is therefore necessary
to cultivate the intellectual virtue of prudence, and use it as our
guide in making sound choices.

3. We should also recognize and uphold not only our personal

freedom, but also the freedom of others.
Many societies identify certain freedoms that should be enjoyed
by all, as these contribute to the quality of life of the individual
and the welfare of the society. These include the freedom to live
and determine one's identity; freedom from slavery and other
constraints; freedom of speech; and freedom of thought,
conscience, and religion. 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.

FINAL NOTE (THE GIVEN AND THE CHOSEN)

People often think the fullness of freedom is found in one's ability to
make decisions about one's life. Choice, is indeed, an element of
Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

freedom, but freedom goes beyond mere choosing. Freedom is not

absolute, and in our lives, there are a lot of things that we could not
choose from. We are not in total control of everything around us.
Many things in life are given. Although some things are given, it does
not mean that we do not really have freedom. On the contrary, there
are instances when we can exercise our freedom because we are
not determined by these forces or situations. Difficult situations may
not always be avoided, especially if we happen to be victims of
circumstances. But, we may take these difficult situations positively
or negatively. 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 it ourselves. The key is that we should

INTERSUBJECTIVITY
INTERSUBJECTIVITY
It refers to shared meanings constructed by people in their
interactions with each other.

Intersubjectivity is philosophical concept of "other" interaction

between the "self" and It is the mutual recognition of each other as
persons.

It refers to the shared awareness, and understanding among

persons. It is made possible by the awareness of the self and the
other.

JEAN-PAUL SARTRE
Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

Jean-Paul Sartre, explains that when you look at a person, the act of
objectification allows you to capture that person's freedom to be what
he or she wants to be. That is, you are limiting a person's
possibilities by a look.

This is evident when you stereotype or label a person based on his

or her appearance or certain actions.

TOTALIZATION
TOTALIZATION occurs when one limit the other to a set of rational
categories, be they racial, sexual or otherwise. One totalizes the
other when one claims he/ she already knows who that person is
before they can even speak to.

EDMUND HUSSERL
Edmund Husserl believes that intersubjectivity is more than just
shared understanding, but it is the capability to put oneself in the
place where the other is.

Intersubjectivity occurs when people undergo acts of empathy

because an intersubjective experience is highly empathic. This
happens when people put themselves in the shoes of others.

EMPATHY
the ability to share emotions. This emotion is driven by a person's
awareness that the other is a person's thoughts and feelings

Empathy enables us to experience another person's emotions, such

as happiness anger, and sadness.

Sympathy is "feeling with", while empathy is "feeling in”

AVAILABILITY
the willingness of a person to be present and be at disposal of
another
Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

ETHICS OF CARE
The Ethics of Care is an ethical theory that emphasizes the moral
dimension of relationship and interactions.

This moral perspective encourages individuals to help other people,

most especially the vulnerable

RENE DESCARTES
An advocate of individualism.

As a proponent of the doctrine of individualism, he resolved to doubt

absolutely everything that could possibly be doubted--in the hope of
thereby finding something that was beyond doubt. ("Doubt
everything that can be doubteď")

According to him there is one thing that cannot be doubted, and that
is thinking

SEEMING
actions where an individual presents himself or herself in a certain
way when dealing with others. Persons take on "roles" or act out
characters when dealing with certain people or when in certain
situations

There may be instances when people behave a certain way in order

to intentionally deceive or manipulate other people.

Most human interactions, however, are not based on deception.

Since our human nature derives us to uphold dignity and goodness,
our interactions with others are also geared towards what is good
and beneficial.

These lead human to strive to achieve deeper and more substantial

interactions and relations with other people
Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

This deeper and more genuine interaction is called dialogue.

DIALOGUE
an interaction between persons that happens through speech,
expressions, and body language

Dialogue is not confined to words alone, actions, gestures and other

expressions may be used to convey a person's inner life.

A dialogue occurs when two persons "open up" to each other and
give and receive one another in their encounter.

II-RECOGNIZING AND RELATING TO OTHERS

Martin Buber ------------------------------------------------------------------------
a Jewish philosopher had a great interest in the study of relating
ourselves to others

He said that "I" or yourself, can only be realized through recognition

of "others.

The "I" cannot be aware of its uniqueness and existence without

encountering the "other.”

SEVERAL WAYS BY WHICH WE RELATE TO OTHERS

(ACCORDING TO BUBER)
The "I-I" relationship--------------------------------------------------------------
“I-I" relationship in which people make themselves the center of their
world

Talking to other people do not interest them and if they talk to others,
it is the "I" who will be the center of the conversation

They don't really listen to what others are sharing

Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

"I-It" relationship-------------------------------------------------------------------
“I-It" relationship is the second type of relationship

There are people that treat the other people into the status of an
object-an it.

Examples:
1. Researchers who have indigenous people as their participants.
They are very prone to reducing the other into mere it,
i.e. as mere objects of investigation
2. In the medical field when practitioners look at their patients as
objects of investigation.

There are also "I-It" relations where the I clearly has bad intent on
the other. treating the other as mere It or object.

Examples:
1. How oppressive employers treat their workers like machines or
robots who are immune to physical, verbal, psychological, and
emotional abuse
2. Any relationship which has one party reducing the other to a status
of an object:
a) bully who treats a person with disability as an object of his
amusement
b) a liquor company using body of women as their advertisement
to improve sales,
c) partners or friends treating each other as objects and means to
satisfy their self-interest and desires in so-called "friends with
benefits" type of relationships.

This kind of relationship results into what we call alienation

Alienation
It happens when human relationships are inauthentic deceptive and
exploitative. It arises when a person ceases to view the other as a
Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

distinct or authentic person and merely considers the other person

as a mere object or a means to satisfy personal interests

Alienation is a disorientating sense of exclusion and separation and

if left unaddressed, will discount the humanity and dignity of a person
that leads to dehumanization.

“l-Thou’’ relationship -------------------------------------------------------------

It is in this kind of human relations that genuine sharing of one
another takes place

It is in this type of relationship that the other is treated as distinctly

other, the treats the person as a Thou (You)--as another person who
is different from the I; one has a different set of interests, visions,
beliefs, values, and characteristics

The center of this relationship is a genuine form of conversation: a

dialogue

Authentic DIalogue
Authentic dialogue is a form of interpersonal communication which
occurs when people recognize that they are part of a greater whole
and can relate with others within the whole.

In some cases, non-verbal dialogical relations are not only the more
appropriate means of conversation, but considered as a more
profound form of conversation.

I-Thou relationship for Buber

is the experience of being through conversation in communion with
the other; and here, the other may not necessarily be a human
being. It could be your dog, or your tree, or God.
Anthony Bryant S. Daga 12-Quezon Date: .

In line with this, we must remember that a privileged form of

relationship is the I-Thou relationship. This relationship involves
effort.

Martin Heidegger argued that humankind is a conversation.

Conversation is more than just a simple talk but rather a dialogue. It
means that humanity is gradually accustomed to communication
about Being.
Language, as one of the controls of human, creates human world.
Language is a tool for communication, information, and social
collaboration.
For Heidegger, all conversations are really one conversation, the
subject of which is Being. A conversation is creative, expressive, and
profound that allows humanity to exist as more than objects. We are
human beings who sincerely care more than acquiring information
and satisfaction.

Paulo Freire’s “Pedagogy of the Oppressed”

According to Paulo Freire’s “Pedagogy of the Oppressed”, dialogue
is the encounter between men, mediated by the people in order to
transform the world.

For him, dialogue is not just simply an interaction between people to

explore the world together, it is also a sign of freedom, equality, and
responsibility in discovering and transforming the world of every
human being.

True dialogue cannot exist unless the partners engage in love,

humility, faith, trust, hope, and critical thinking. Therefore, dialogue
becomes the sign and the central concept of the true education,
“without dialogue there is no communication, and without
communication, there can be no true education”.