WELCOME

PHILOSOPHY OF MAN

Jayson U. Garcia,MAEd
Asst. Dean, College of Education
What Philosophy Is
What Philosophy Is
What Philosophy Is
What Philosophy Is Not
What Philosophy Is Not
What Philosophy Is Not
 Formal Definition of Philosophy
Pythagoras once argued that it is really
impossible for human being to know
everything because this possibility is only
available to God. With this limitation, he says
that man can only befriend wisdom or
somehow love wisdom. From then the words
philia and sophia were used to name the
lovers of wisdom...the philosophers.
 Formal Definition of Philosophy

Formally, Philosophy is
an act of questioning and
searching for the meaning
of his existence and of the
things around him.
 6 Important Parts of the
Meaning of Philosophy
 Human – according to Aristotle, man by
nature has the desire to know as
embedded on man’s rationality.
 Act – it is not a content to be memorized
rather it is an activity to be done or
practice. It cannot be done by one person
for the sake of the other.
 6 Important Parts of the
Meaning of Philosophy
 Question – it is an inquiry which starts with
wonder and curiosity with the basic and
ordinary experience in life.
 Search – after asking the right question, the
search for the answer follows. The search is
the process of selecting the appropriate
rational explanation on something and then
thinking also the possible weakness of one’s
answer.
 6 Important Parts of the
Meaning of Philosophy
 Meaning – it is the end and direction of
every activity. The meaning to oneself and
to everyone constitutes this unending
search.
 Everything – nothing is outside the bounce
of philosophical discussion. Even those which
are not yet known are already part of it.
 Things to Consider in the
Definition of Philosophy
 Philosophy is a science because it is a unique
realm for investigating things. It is a science
that has the ability to construct or
deconstruct itself.
 Philosophy is not an exclusive science. It
encompasses all things.
 Philosophy investigates things inside and
outside of the phenomena. It starts to pour
out gripping questions where science ends.
 Things to Consider in the
Definition of Philosophy
 Philosophy uses the mind by necessity. The
philosophers goes outside the box. The
philosopher uses something that signifies
the reality.
Who are the Philosophers?
 Who are the Philosophers?
 Everyone who is capable to question and
search for meaning will be considered a
philosopher.
 In the strict sense, philosophers are those
who have courage to question and rethink
the meaning of the common and ordinary
things which most of the time are explained
through the rule of common sense and the
rule of the many.
The couple Mario, a civil engineer, and Katrina,
a nurse, who are both from families of
professionals are happily married. On the
second month of their marriage, Katrina got
pregnant. But during the check-up they are
informed that Katrina has an ectopic
pregnancy- a pregnancy which develops
outside the uterus or womb. This situation
means that if Katrina continues her pregnancy
the baby might be live but it might result to her
death. If she will undergo an operation she can
recover but entails the death of the baby. What
then is the right decision for this situation?
 The Branches of Philosophy
 Metaphysics – deals with the origin of being
or everything. It talks about the existence of
things both material and immaterial.
a. Theodicy – talks about the certainty
and nature of the divine.
b. Cosmology – deals with the origin,
laws and nature of the universe.
 The Branches of Philosophy
 Epistemology – studies the certainty of
human knowledge.
a. Philosophy of Science – clarifies the
certainty of scientific knowledge.
b. Philosophy of Mind – deals with the
nature and functions of the mind.
c. Hermeneutics – deals with the
interpretation of the meaning of text, action
and events.
 The Branches of Philosophy
... Under Epistemology
d. Psychology – deals with the behavior
of man being composed of body and mind
(soul).
 The Branches of Philosophy
 Logic – it is the study of the systematic
thinking and argumentation.
a. Aristotelian (Traditional or
Formal) – the study of syllogistic arguments
in word together with the written and
spoken fallacies.
b. Symbolic – focuses with the study
of argument using symbols and numbers.
 The Branches of Philosophy
 Aesthetics – deals with the criteria of what is
beautiful.
 Ethics – deals with the act being good or
bad. This is also known as Moral Philosophy.
a. Bio-ethics – tackles moral questions in
the medical profession.
b. Business ethics – deals with the
question of doing good in the enterprise
where everyone is driven by self interest and
 The Branches of Philosophy

... Under Ethics

c. Environmental Ethics – discusses the care
for the environment amidst the drive for
development.
d. Political and Social Philosophy – seeks
about the best way to rule and serve the
people.
 The Branches of Philosophy

e. Philosophy of Man – questions the

identity of man as man, being, and
living with the others in the world.
 Why study Philosophy?
 Only a few opt to study philosophy, they
are those: a) preparing for priesthood, b)
preparing for law school, c) driven by
curiosity and last d) who are forced to study
philosophy.
 What then is the value of studying
philosophy?
 Value of studying Philosophy
 Practical
 Personal
 Professional
 Moral
 Aesthetic
 Socio-Political
 Economic
 Method of Study
 No one can teach anybody the best way on
how to philosophize. There is no single
method for this activity.
 The method of studying philosophy varies
from every individual.
 Apply philosophical survey to humbly develop
and cultivate one’s own ideas while
respecting the strength and weakness of
others ideas.
 Points for Human Perfection
 No one can escape from thinking.
 Learning philosophy is a personal decision.
 Studying philosophy is not living with the
ideals of others; rather it is knowing their
ideals, sustaining what is helpful and
denouncing those that are worthless.
 Activity 1
 My Pledge To Learning
 Oral Discourse
 Historical Approach

Human Nature
“Madaling maging Tao,
Mahirap Magpakatao”
 What makes a man, man?

 “What is human and what is not?”

 What really is it that makes human,

human?
 Preliminary Quest for Human
Nature
 Philosophy of Man is a question of human
nature.
 Human nature is the identity which separate
man from other creatures. It is man’s
distinct characteristics or quality which
makes him man, where in the absence of
this thing then one cannot be categorized as
man.
 The Question
 Is there anything in nature which separate
man from the other?

 If there is, then, What is this nature?

First Answer
Second Answer
Third Answer
Fourth Answer
 The End Question

“What makes man a man?”

 Paradigm

 A paradigm is a set of fundamental principles

that guides the thinking process. It is rooted
on everyone’s biases and prejudice.
What’s your paradigm?
 The Different
ANCIENT
Views About
PRE- Man
SOPHISTS

SOCRATIC

ASIAN
MIDDLE PHILO
AGE
PHILO

MAN

MODERN FILIPINO
PHILO PHILO

EXISTENT
POST IAL MAN
MODERN (LIFE
PHILO LOVE
DEATH..)
 Challenge of the Study
 Survey all the answers to the question “What
makes a man, man?”.
 What is most important here in finding the
answer is not the answer itself rather the
process of finding the answer.
 The process of thinking is philosophy and
philosophizing itself.
 Points for Human Perfection
 Any search must start in finding the right
question, before looking for the right
answer.
 Everyone has his own prejudice and bias. So
it is important to be open-minded of all the
choices before selecting one idea. There is
no selection without choices.
 Respect is the secret in the world of
differences.
 Words to Ponder

“MAN cannot discover new OCEANS unless he

has the COURAGE to lose sight of the
shore.”

- Andre Gide
 Activity 2
 “Me” in the eyes of the other.
 Oral Discourse
 Pre-Socratics

MAN AND THE

MANY
Truth springs from argument amongst friends.
- David Hume
 Backgrounder
 Poet-theologians were the authority in
explaining things before the coming of the
philosophers.
 Myths and fables were primarily used on
their explanations which are centered
basically on the concept of the gods.
 During the time of the philosophers
explanation shifted to rational discourse.
The Beginning of the First
Philosophy
THALES 624-546 B.C.

The history of thought became different when Thales calculated an eclipse and he
challenged the prevailing belief at that time, that this event will occur at a
particular time not because of the will of the gods but because it is mathematically
possible. The people of Miletus waited for the event with bated breath and
anticipated Thales’ humiliation, but the eclipse occurred. From then on, reason
claims its place in human history. This also signals the beginning of Philosophy.
Thales was considered the first philosopher and one of the Seven Wise Men of
Greece.
 The Problem of One and the
Many
 Thales became widely recognized after he
predicted the eclipse and was asked “What
the origin of everything was?”.
 Thales believed that water was the source of
everything. This was based on his
observation from living in an island.
 He also believed that human life starts and
ends with water.
Anaximander (610-546 B.C.) He proposed
that everything
was made out of
aperion or
boundless. This
is based on the
belief that there
is a series of
causes which
will end up to an
endless search.
Anaximenes (585-528 B.C.)

He believed that air is the origin of everything.

Convinced by the idea of Thales, Anaximenes
says that every water will end up as air in the
end.
Heraclitus (504-501 B.C.)

He believes that what is common and basic foundation of nature is

change. For him nothing will last forever. The only thing that will
remain in this world is change. The end of one signals the beginning
of the other. He suggested that human relation is not excluded from
this reality. He said that “One cannot step on the same river twice.”
Empedocles (490-430 B.C.)
He declared a cessation to Heraclitus’ claim by saying that if
there are things that start with water, air, fire and earth,
then let these four stand as the origin of everything. He tried
to end the dispute by simply acknowledging the idea of
everyone.
 Points for Human Perfection
 Risk is very important before all changes
happen.
 Criticisms and suggestions are very
important aspects of development. They
acknowledge the strength of any idea and
reveals points for improvement.
 Innovation symbolizes development.
 Activity 3
 Let us Help Each Other
 Oral Discourse

 Our SHORTCOMINGS are the EYES with

which we see the IDEAL.
- Freidrich Nietzsche
 Sophists

MAN AND RHETORIC

The real fault is to have FAULTS and not to amend them.
-Confucuis
Sophists
 The sophists are basically the teachers
of the Ancient Greek. Before the
establishment of the schools, colleges
and universities, formal education is
basically dependent on the travelling
teachers- the sophists. They just walk
from place to place to teach whoever is
willing to learn from them.
 The Birth of Sophistry
 Sophists are equated to those teachers or
thinkers who are into a free and neutral
enterprise of thinking simply to attain
knowledge for the sake of wisdom. They
would teach virtue for the sake of good and
no other things in return. For them,
certainty or truth is necessary and
attainable.
 The Birth of Sophistry
 Sophists deals with those teachers who are
into teaching as a profession as they teach
for free. These new brand of teachers
shifted their attention to human relation.
They offer they students the techniques on
hw to be successful, gain power, and
prestige . To them, authentic knowledge is
unattainable, what is important is how to
manipulate one’s learning to attain one’s
goal in life.
 Protagoras (490-420 BC)
Of all the available teachers in Athens that time,
Protagoras holds the position highest in rank. He is
considered the torch bearer of the new brand of
sophism.
 Protagoras’ Arguments
 Man is the measure of all things.
 A good argument can be made worse
and a worse argument can be made
good.
 We cannot prove or deny the existence
of god.
 Georgias (485-380 BC)
In the absence of the best sophist who is Protagoras, Georgias is the
next in line.
He was also suspicious of the presence of truth.
He denied the presence of truth in different forms as created by man.
 Georgias’ Arguments
 Nothing exists.
 If anything existed, it cannot be known by
man.
 If it cannot be known, it cannot be
transmitted and explained to others.
 Trasymachus (459-400 BC)
Focused more on human relation.
For him, justice is created in the service of those who are powerful.
Justice, therefore, is not an ally of the common good.
 Fallacies
 Fallacy is derived from the Greek word
fallere which means to deceive.
 Fallacies are used to win an argument or to
get the attention of the crowd in any
gathering or assembly.
 Structural fallacy deals with the pattern and
structure of the argument.
 Fallacies of content focus more on the
content or presentation of the message.
 Appeal to emotion  Slippery slope
 Prestige Jargon  Fallacy of the
 Misuse of Authority composition
 Rationalization  Fallacy of division
 Argumentum ad  Appeal to ignorance
Baculum (use of  Two wrongs make
threat) right
 Argumentum ad  Confident manner
Hominen (argument
 Lifting out of the
against the person)
content
 False Dilemma
 Argument of the
Beard
 Points for Human Perfection
 There is always something good which will
come from any experience.
 Being familiar with the fallacies does not
open us to the possibility of using such. It
keeps us reminded and alert when someone
is already employing it.
 Language is not a mere play of sounds. It
conveys message that has truthfulness of
the language used.
 SOCRATIC

THE REFLECTIVE
MAN
 Socrates (469-399 BC)

“All I know is that I know nothing”

 Socrates (469-399 BC)
 Was considered the wisest man who ever
lived.
 He acknowledged that a man has limitations
and cannot know infinite knowledge.
 His main contribution is the dialectic or the
Socratic method.
 Reason for him is what separates man from
the beasts.
Reasons for being summoned
to courts
 Denying the traditional gods – for him
reason is the highest ideal, so God must
be in the form of reason.
 Corrupting the minds of the youth
 IDEA ABOUT MAN
 man has rationality which is very distinct
and unique.
 Knowing is doing – on how to be a good
man, “if you know the good then do good”
 Rationality is humanity – know thyself,
regulate and control oneself against wordly
desires. “unexamined life is not worth
living”, reflection and examination is
important.
Plato (427-347 BC)
 One of the best students of Socrates.
 Built the school Academy which became the
pioneer and model of the formal schools of
today where the youth stay and study.
 “let no one enter here without the
knowledge in Geometry”
 Idea about Man
 It is necessary to deal with metaphysics first
before dealing with the theory of man.
 There are two types of reality- the world of
forms and the world of particulars.
 What is real is found in the world of forms
or in the ideas of god. It is unchanging and
perfect.
 What we have at present is the world of
particulars- changing and imperfect.
 Man is composed of form (soul) and of
particular (body).
 Soul is unchanging and perfect and real.
 The body is changing and is sharing its
perfection to the reality of the soul.
 The soul is immortal in nature.
 How to be a GOOD MAN?
 Body and soul are two distinct realities.
 Man is purely soul before it united with the
body.
 Soul is imprisoned in the body which is
prone to sensible pleasure, passions and
ignorance.
 The purpose of man is to free the soul from
the body.
 The fullness of life of man will be attained
only when the soul as the essence of man is
freed from the body.
 Man is composed of three faculties:
REASON, SPIRIT and APPETITES
REASON Drive to reach genuine wisdom
wisdom

SPIRIT Impulse towards beauty Courage

and goodness

APPETITES Drives for pleasures of temperance

the body
 Reason must be the superior in order to
free the soul from the body.
 Man must have wisdom as superior to
control reason.
 Courage is to direct one’s spirit
 Temperance is to control pleasure seeking
drive of the body embedded on his
appetites.
 Man and society have the same
components that need the same virtue to
attain harmony.
MAN VIRTUES SOCIETY

REASON WISDOM Leaders/Politicians

SPIRIT COURAGE Soldiers/Guardians

APPETITE TEMPERANCE Workers/Laborers

Aristotle (384-322 BC)
 After Plato’s death, he left the Academy.
 Devoted his time to teaching and the study
of the natural sciences.
 He was summoned by Philip of Macedon to
educate his son, who became one of the
greatest conquerors who ever lived-
Alexander the Great.
 Founded “Lyceum”, in honor of Apollo
Lyceus, which became the rival of the
“Academy”
 Idea about Man
 The sensible world is the real world- the
practical one.
 Everything is composed of form and matter.
 The matter is capable of changing because it
is composed of many accidence.
 The principle of actuality and potentiality.
 Actuality and Potentiality
 Actuality is the current state or form,
while potentiality is the capability of
becoming a matter.
 3 Functions of Life
 VEGETATIVE – refers to the capacity to
reproduce, develop, and grow
 SENSITIVE – refers to the capacity of the
operation of senses, feelings and
movements
 INTELLECTIVE – refers to the capacity to
think, reason out, contemplate and choose
 The Perfect Man
 For Plato, the perfect man is in the world of
ideas.
 For Aristotle, the perfect man is the one
using his intellect.
 Man as we see in experience is the real man
for Aristotle. His intellect is the form, while
his body is the matter. Changes in the body
are due to potentiality within him, but
doesn’t change his essence of being man.
 How to be a GOOD MAN?
 Intellect is equated to virtue.
 If man uses his intellect, the result or end
(telos) will be good.
 The highest act of the intellect is not just
understanding the natural world but
contemplating the divine, to get near to his
origin.
 In human relation, man must follow the
“virtue of the mean also know as the
middle.”
 Man must avoid the extremes.
 Any deprivation and excess is bad.
 Is it alright to rob a
bank provided that the
robber will get just
what is appropriate for
his needs?
 Points for Human Perfection
 One should not boast about one’s learning
or achievement because the real sign of
wisdom is humility.
 It is good to look for what is ideal in life or
to change others. But it is better if one
starts with himself the good and change
what he wants others to do.
 Points for Human Perfection
 Man must have the capacity to think for
human perfection.
 In respecting someone, we are not only
respecting his current human status but also
the potentiality within him.
 In the virtue of the mean, all excess, defects
and deprivation is a sign of weakness.
 Medieval

The Man in the Image

of God
 The Medieval Era
 Is the period between the ancient and
modern period.
 Commonly known as the Christian Age
because it marks the rise of the church.
 Brilliant Moro or Muslim scholars also
emerged.
St. Thomas Aquinas , The Angelic Doctor
 He is from a wealthy family in Aquino,
Rome.
 His family was against his decision to
enter the seminary and be a priest.
 He was kidnapped by his own family
and brought to a far away place to
disconnect him from his religious
undertakings
 His teachings are mainly embodied in
his two monumental works: the Summa
Theologica and Summa Contra Gentiles
 Aquinas followed the teachings of Aristotle,
but saw farther beyond the vision of Aristotle
who relied on the natural powers of human
reason and experience in his search for
truth.
 There are truth that cannot be known by
human reason alone and which can be
received only by the aid of light of divine
revelation.
 The Two Truths
 Those known through reason, and
 The divinely revealed truths can never
contradict each other, because they
emanate from the same source, God,
who is TRUTH itself.
 Idea about Man
 “God created man according to his image
and likeness.”
 The Four Implications
 FIRST – God exists. Knowing God is both
available through faith and reason. He
believes that it is not only in faith that the
nature of God can be conceived.
 If someone is looking for a rational
explanation for God’s existence one should
consider his five proofs of the existence of
God.
 Argument from Motion – movement is the
indication of life. Life and motion is
everywhere. There should be a movement
from the start. Such movement should be
caused by the Unmoved Mover who is God.
 Argument from Cause – in nature,
everything comes from something. But there
couldn’t be a series of infinite cause. There
must be the cause of the first cause. Since
infinite series of causes is impossible, there
must be a God who is the Uncaused Cause.
 Argument from possibility and necessity –
there are things that are present yet not
necessary. Like man, it could be there is no
man yet there is man. So knowing that they
are not necessary, there must be knowledge
of what is necessary which is not a
possibility but a necessity. If that necessary
is a necessity, then such Necessary Being is
God.
 Argument from the gradation of Being – we
experience a person whose knowledge is
unbelievable. After a while we will find
another who is more knowledgeable than
the previous man we’ve met. One who
possesses a superlative degree of quality,
one who is the best, he must be the perfect
being who is God.
 Argument from design – looking at the
beauty of the universe is a source of
amusement and inspiration for some. There
is not a hint of irregularity in this otherwise
harmonious universe. There must be great
designer, the Governor of the world who is
God.
 SECOND – Man exists. Man is created by
God. In all occasions, the creator is higher
than the created. Therefore man is not God.
The creation of man by God is not a right
but a privilege or a gift given to him by his
creator.
 THIRD – Man As a Special Creature – man is
created in the image and the likeness of
God. This makes man higher than other
creatures. Since God is good, his creation is
also good. God gave man the freedom of
choice to will and act according to his
rationality.
 FOURTH – Man and His Duty
According to St. Thomas, it is the role of
man to bring back to God all these gifts.
The purposes of man therefore are to:
know, love and serve God.
Question: In what way can man love and
serve God?
 How to be A Good Man?
 Responsibility: Human Act and Act of Man
 Human Act Components:
 1. Knowledge
 2. Freedom
 3. Voluntariness
 Act of man – is the omission of any of the
criteria of Human Act fueled by sensation.
 Modifiers of Human Act
 Ignorance – the absence of knowledge
 A. Vincible Ignorance – absence of
knowledge of what should be known which
can be easily be solved through the light of
reason.
 Invincible Ignorance – the absence of
knowledge about what should be known but
cannot be easily solved by reasoning.
 Affected Ignorance – it happens when the
agent voluntarily wants to be ignorant to
escape from possible sanction
 RULES:
 1. V.I does not destroy but somehow
lessens the voluntariness and responsibility
of the agent.
 2. I.I destroys the voluntariness of an act.
 3. A.I does not exempt the agent to the
consequence of his action. It basically
increases the culpability of the agent.
 CONCUPISCENCE (PASSIONS)- these are
strong bodily tendencies and emotions such
as anger, happiness, excitement, love,
hatred, desire, horror, delight, hope,
despair, bravery and fear.
 1. Antecedent – happens spontaneously
with an event that it paralyzes the
judgment of reason.
 2. consequent – is present when a
traumatic or undesirable event planned
something to avenge such experience
 FEAR – is the heightened emotion brought
about by a foreseeable danger. It is
separated from passion because with the
apprehension of the mind of the coming
danger, there is already a mental
reasoning.
 It could be a an act with fear or in spite of
fear- when one willfully performs an act
even if he is afraid.
 An act done from fear or through fear-
when a person does an act because of a
possible danger to be done to him or to
others.
 VIOLENCE – is the application of force on a
person compelling him to do things against
his will.
 Acts out of violence is always involuntary.
 HABIT – is the repetition of the same
activity over time. If the act is positive, it is
considered virtue, if it is negative, then it
belongs to vice. Time seems to be a culprit
on the aspect of habit because it seems
that the longer a person does an act it
appears the act is acceptable and good. But
in reality, time has nothing to do with the
goodness of an act.
 Habit is always involuntary.
 When is an act good or bad?
 An act is good if it is an accordance with
reason, and bad is against reason. Reason
is the characteristics of man which
separates him from other creatures.
 Object (act itself) must be in accordance
with reason
 Intention (end) the end the agent wants to
achieve
 Circumstances are the conditions
surrounding an act.
 Principle of Double Effect
 A graduating student found out that she is
pregnant. She has to decide if she will
continue pregnancy (which according to the
doctor is very sensitive) or abort the baby.
If she will continue the pregnancy, the baby
will live but her studies will be sacrificed. On
the other hand, if she will abort the baby,
she can focus on her studies, but the baby
will be greatly affected
 Conditions
 The acts must be good in itself or at least
indifferent
 The good effect must precede the evil
 The intention must be good
 There must be a proportionate grave act
reason in doing the
 Aquinas’ Philosophy of
Happiness
 Aquinas taught that man naturally longs
for perfection and happiness and that this
longing can be realized on earth with the
full and optimal development of all man’s
powers, - rational, moral, social, emotional,
physical.
 The immortality of the human soul which
all men seek can be found in God alone.
 Transcendental Vision of Man
 According to St. Thomas and the Christian
teaching, man in his present state of
existence on earth is mortal, finite and
imperfect; but with the attainment of his
supreme purpose and union with God, he is
elevated to the rank of the Divine. The
Immortal. The Perfect.
 The immortality of the human soul.
 Modern

Man and Reason

 Prevailing Conditions During the
Ancient and Medieval Periods

 Production of books is simply done by

writing manually
 Discussion and exchange of ideas were
limited
 The nobles and the priests were
authorities in the search for truth
 Rene Descartes
(1596-1650)

René Descartes was a French

philosopher, mathematician, and writer
who spent most of his adult life in the
Dutch Republic. W
Born: March 31, 1596, Descartes,
Indre-et-Loire, France
Died: February 11, 1650, Stockholm,
Sweden
Nationality: French
Education: Prytanée National
Militaire,University of Poitiers
Parents: Joachim Descartes, Jeanne
Brochard
 Rene Descartes is considered the Father
of Modern Philosophy.
 He is a scientist and mathematician by
profession.
 He considered the ancient and medieval
period as pathetic.
 He asked for the foundation of truth
which is certain and cannot be falsified
in whatever case.
 Idea about Man
 “cogito ergo sum” – I think therefore I
am.
 Cogito or the thinking being is the
foundation of truth. It is the only truth that
is certain and cannot be doubted.
 Descartes’ Conjecture
 When you are thinking then one thing is
for sure, that there is someone who is
thinking.
 So, if you doubt that you are thinking, the
process of doubting is a proof that you are
thinking. Therefore, someone is thinking.
 If someone is thinking, then he is existing.
 What is existing is the mind, will or
consciousness.
 The Modern Man is the thinking being.
 The Mind and Body Problem
 The dichotomy between the mind and body
evolved from the discovery of self in the
philosophy of Descartes.
 The mind or consciousness can exist even
without the body.
 The mind and the body are two distinct
substances.
The Pineal Gland
 The pineal gland is a pine cone shaped gland of the endocrine system.
A structure of the diencephalon of the brain, the pineal gland produces
several important hormones including melatonin. Melatonin influences
sexual development and sleep-wake cycles. The pineal gland is
composed of cells called pinealocytes and cells of the nervous system
called glial cells. The pineal gland connects the endocrine system with
the nervous system in that it converts nerve signals from the
sympathetic system of the peripheral nervous system into hormone
signals.
 Function:
 The pineal gland is involved in several functions of the body including:
Secretion of the Hormone Melatonin
 Regulation of Endocrine Functions
 Conversion of Nervous System Signals to Endocrine Signals
 Causes Feeling of Sleepiness
 Influences Sexual Development
 Location:
 Directionally, the pineal gland is situated between thecerebral
hemispheres, attached to the third ventricle.
 Implications of Descartes’
Discovery
 The body has been labeled inferior to
the mind.
 What you are and what you can are
determined by what you know.
 The new man has a big mind but with
a weak body.
 How to be a Good Man?
 Modernism talks about reason and certainty.
It has opened the doors to the development
of science. Everything is measured to the
decree of scientific method. Outside the
scientific method lies falsity.
 To be a good man is to use one’s reason,
and be rational.
 One needs to be exact and specific.
 Something which cannot be measured and
observed is questionable.
 Acts done without reason is a malicious
act.
 Believing is measured according to
evidences and not on the basis of impulse
of emotion.
 Man has to earn a degree.
 John Locke
(1632-1707)
John Locke FRS, widely known as
the Father of Classical Liberalism,
was an English philosopher and
physician regarded as one of the
most influential of Enlightenment
thinkers.
Born: August 29, 1632, Wrington,
United Kingdom
Died: October 28, 1704, Essex,
United Kingdom
Nationality: British
Education: Westminster
School,University of Oxford, Christ
Church, Oxford
Parents: Agnes Keene, John
Locke
 Modern Philosophy has been a wrestling
match between the rationalists and the
empiricists.
 Descartes laid the foundation for the
rationalists.
 John Locke is the forefront of the
empiricists.
 Locke’s works cover ideas in medicine,
science, politics, religion, and
philosophy.
 On Human Knowledge
 Locke is convinced that the human brain is
in a blank state or “tabula rasa” from the
moment of birth. A direct contradiction to
Descartes’ belief that there is an innate
knowledge on human soul planted by God.
 Locke conjectured that there is nothing in
the intellect that was not previously in the
senses.
 Through experience, mind acquires
ideas which are later turned into
knowledge or what we know.
 Ideas are any materials brought about
by experience to the mind.
 Experience has two aspects: first are
the sensation of everything and process
outside the mind. Second is a reflection
which is all about the mental process
that makes everyone to be conscious
and see the connections of ideas.
 Idea about Human Nature
 Man for Locke is basically good and driven
by his natural inclination to reason.
 Man’s rationality makes him aware of his
rights.
 Locke believes that man is capable of ruling
himself because he is naturally good.
 His reason is sufficient enough to look for
what is good for himself and the common
good.
 Self-rule does not pertain to anarchy.
 Locke acknowledges that government is still
necessary to regulate man, but government
is not an authority powerful than people,
instead it is just a contract created by the
people by submitting some of their rights so
that regulation for the sake of the common
good will be attained.
 The will of the people stands higher than
any form of government
 How to be a Good Man?
 Since mind is in the state of blank slate or
tabula rasa, it is very important for Locke to
be cautious in the process of educating the
youth.
 Experiences during the infancy and younger
years are very important because they set
the foundation of ones’ self.
 The youth will be easily corrupted without
proper guidance in education.
 Immanuel Kant
(1774-1804)
Immanuel Kant was a German
philosopher who is widely considered to
be a central figure of modern
philosophy. He argued that human
concepts and categories structure our
view of the world and its laws, and that
reason is the source of morality.
Born: April 22, 1724, Königsberg,
Germany
Died: February 12, 1804, Königsberg,
Germany
Nationality: German
Education: University of Königsberg
Parents: Johann Georg Kant, Regina
Dorothea Reuter
 Immanuel Kant is a man who practices what
he preach.
 He advocates coherence, validity and
rationality.
 “The Philosopher’s Walk” is a street named
after Immanuel Kant.
 His philosophy states that there is really
truth which can be known through the
senses which is called “phenomena.”
 Things which cannot be known by the
senses are called “noumena” or the thing in
itself.
 He is bridging the claim of the rationalist
that knowledge is innate and can be
deduced through reason alone and that of
the empiricist that knowledge is known
only in the aspect of experience.
 On the other hand, he is saying that man
can’t know, such as God, immortality and
freedom.
 Though some things are not knowable, it
is important also to maintain the belief on
them for the sake of morality.
 Idea about Man
 Man has gift of reason and free will.
 Man has knowledge to decide what to do
and what not to do.
 Man should be treated as equal. Equality
should be based on the dignity of man
himself. Man should be treated fairly
independent of his height, color, family and
other attributes.
 How to be a Good Man?
 Only acts preceded from reason is moral.
 Anything done and should be done out of
rational decision is good.
 Categorical Imperative – the rational act
based on duty to do what is good for the
sake of good.
 Doing good is good because it is man’s duty
and it is what his nature dictates as natural.
 Categorical Imperative
 Laws of Universality – something is good if
whoever in such position will do the act.
That, whatever is the case, the act is still
good.
 Rape as an act
 Giving water to the thirsty as an act
 Man is always an End – every act shows
the dignity of the actor as rational so his
act must be directed to the good of a
fellow dignified individual.
 It is not good to use someone just a
means in attaining an end.
 Prostitution
 Helping townsfolk in return of votes
 The good Samaritan
 Self Autonomy of Man- since categorical
imperative is universal it is important to
specify a criteria about who are subject to
it and how it should be applied.
 The criterion is not written in any holy
book but with every nature of man.
 Man has moral duty.
 The denial of one’s nature.
 Categorical imperative is rooted on man’s
reason and goodwill.
 Post Modernism

Man and Society

 Post Modernism Period
 This is an era in the western history of
thought which the main project is
questioning the validity, truth, and meaning
of thing believed.
 Everyone is called to be suspicious and
everything must be clarified and put into
question.
 It deconstructs the dogmatic style of the
medieval and the arrogance of reason of
the modern.
 This time in the history of thought open
the ground to the idea of the others.
 Recognized pluralism and indeterminacy
which is in contrast with the advocacy
of the modern.
 The Masters of Suspicions were born in
this era.
 Karl Marx (1818-1883)
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher,
economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and
revolutionary socialist.
 Marx’s Concept
Period in Ancient Medieval Modern Post-Modern
History

Means of Land Land Capital Capital-

Production Information

Owner of the Common King/Queen Businessmen Businessmen

Means of Property Priests
Production

Abused None Commoners Workers Workers

*coming of the
machines

Effects to There is the King and Still the gap There is a

Humanity equal Queen holds between rich culture of
distribution of the power, and poor is inclusion and
wealth uneven overwhelming exclusion in
distribution of coming of
wealth information
and money
 For Marx, economics is the driving force of
history. That is why whoever is the owner of
the means of production is also the one
holding the direction of history.
 Marx is convinced that the world is divided
by the ‘those who have’ and the ‘those who
have not’.
 Those ‘who have’ are the bourgeoisie or
the owner of the means of production.
Those who have not are the proletariat or
the workers.
 With the play of power, Marx is suspicious
of the super structure in the society such as
the government, church, academe, and the
media. He called these institutions as
instruments of those ‘who-have’ to legitimize
their power and property.
 These structures are called the Ideological
State Apparatuses (according to Louis
Althusser). This ensure power of the
bourgeoisie over the means of production.
 The government legitimizes the ownership
of one hundred hectares of land by a
certain business man.
 The church holds the moral ascendancy to
convince the workers that it is not good to
get the wealth of another, whatever is the
case. She conditions the mind of the people
to focus on the heavenly.
 Marx called the church as the ‘opium of the
people’.
 The academe provides information to create
needs, and conditions the minds of the
workers to support the capitalist society.
 Education is only for those who can
afford. Those who study, create their
own business or work in the higher
positions are also those who are rich.
 Marx says that there is something
wrong in the society.
 Human Nature and Alienation
in Capitalism
 Human labor is what makes and gives man
dignity and worth.
 Man’s work, place of work, time of work,
and nature of work determine his humanity.
 Marx is suspicious of capitalism by simply
saying that this style alienates man from his
nature on the following ways:
 Alienation to self

 In any business establishment, the workers

are called in numbers or codes, reducing
them to a piece of material in a workplace.
 Alienation of Nature
 Man is a social being. He is rational. But in
the workplace man is not allowed to talk or
chat with each other.
 A call center agent will work from 5 pm to 2
am. After working will go home and eat. If
he has wife, will have sex and he will sleep.
After waking up he’ll work again. Man is
reduced to a working animal.
 Alienation to others

 In the workplace, individual productivity is a

must. Socialization is not an option.
 The social animal is domesticated to be
alone, separating him from the rest of the
society.
 Alienation from the product of
Labor
 For Marx, everyone is an artist. The product
of his labor is the manifestation of his
creative art.
 One can feel the pride by looking at the
product of his work.
 In the capitalist assembly line there is the
distribution of work. One stays at the his job
alone and one cannot see the product of his
labor.
 What is a Good Man?
 If labor or work gives the essence of being a
man, it is necessary to make everything
related to work desirable.
 The first step is to secure that man is free
from the four aspects of alienation.
 He must be given a work that will not reduce
him to a machine.
 He must have time to socialize with others
even at work.
 He must recognize the fruit of his labor at
the end of the day.
 He should be given time to develop his full
potential and fulfill his responsibility as a
worker, as a citizen, family man and a
human being.
 For Marx, if the conditions are not satisfied
in the workplace, it is the duty of the
workers to unite.
 “workers of all nations unite, you have
nothing to lose except your chains”
 Friedrich Nietzche (1884-1900)

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a German

philologist, philosopher, cultural critic, poet
and composer.
 The height of postmodernism started when
Nietzche declared that “God is dead.”
 It has opened the ground for new
philosophy because God is equated to the
center of the standard such as (Nature in
ancient, God in medieval, Reason in
modern) which dictate the truth and good
in history.
 For Nietzche, these centers are simply
founded by those individuals who are
pursuing their will to power before and
have no absolute or unchanging foundation.
 According to Nietzche, there is no need for
center now. No one needs to dictate the
truth. Everything could be a center,
everyone can tell the basis of truth so as
long as the person is pursuing his will for
power.
 For Nietzche, the tales of creation and the
saga of salvation are not viable stories
anymore.
 He believes that religion is something to be
destroyed because it simply bars man from
developing his full potential.
 Man and the Will to Power
 Will to power is the principle in which
everything is to be understood and finally to
be reduced in Nietzche’s philosophy.
 It is the fundamental value and essence of
life of every being.
 ‘where there is life is there will, not will to life
but will to power’, a struggle for domination
of one’s self and of the others.
 It starts with the fulfillment of one’s potential
and the assertion of one’s will towards life.
 There is no point in human history where
there is no play of power.
 Everything manifests power. Everything
asserts itself for power and dominance.
 The whole world is a will to power.
 It is not self preservation that matters most
rather the will to power in human relation.
 People risk their lives just for the sake of
power.
 The will to power is not only for the noble,
strong, and the aristocrats, even the weak.
 The will of the strong can be easily seen,
and the will of the weak manifests itself in
hidden and subtle ways.
 Everyone is driven by the desire for power.
 Hidden in every act of the weak is the will
to dominate and to overpower the strong.
 Critic on Religion
 Nietzche regarded religion, specifically
Christianity, as the most fatal and seductive
lie that has ever existed.
 Religion disabled man’s drive for power and
drive for self development.
 Through religion, man created someone
[God] greater than him and gave his future
to this created one.
 Nietzche denounces religion as he say “ I
beseech you my brothers remain faithful to
the earth, do not believe those who speak
of other worldly hopes.”
 “God is dead” doesn’t mean that God once
existed and died. It simply means that the
idea of God as the powerful, giver and
saviour of mankind is not anymore needed.
 There is no one supreme powerful God;
rather there is only the will of man which
created this Supreme Being.
 According to Nietzche, it is therefore the
right time for man to set higher ideals for
himself and achieve the fullest of his
potential which was corrupted in the
coming of god.
 Religion is nothing but a means of
attaining one’s will power too.
 There is nothing in Chriatianity which is not
used by the priests to foster their will to
power.
 The priests have taught the kind of
morality which considered them as the
highest type of men. Men must follow the
priests who found the perfect status of
being man.
 The elevation of themselves [priests]
means the temperament to maintain their
power and their position.
 Religion only fosters two choices: follow
and be saved or disobey and suffer from
eternal damnation.
 According to Nietzche, fear is the principle
behinf the gist of religion’s doctrine. This
can make nay man what they want him to
be.
 Critic on Morality
 The collapse of religion is also the collapse
of morality.
 The denial of the existence of God is also the
denial of the existence of truth and of the
foundation of good.
 There is nothing now that the morality can
claim as its basis and foundation, which is
unchanging.
 Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist who
became known as the founding Father of
psychoanalysis.
 Psychoanalysis
 Psychoanalysis is the method of
psychological investigation, in which it
attempts to elucidate repressed mental
impulses in a patient.
 This theory proposes the solution to mental
problems through the process of talking or
“talk cure” as initially known.
 Man and His Nature

 There are three elements in man as a

combination of body and Psyche.
 The id, ego and super ego.
 The id
 The id is the basic man’s desire for pleasure.
 Sex is the most fundamental, that even the
development of man is rooted on his sexual
drive.
 For Freud, sexual drive is not necessarily of
the opposite sex but basically for everyone.
 The super ego
 Super ego focuses on the morality
recognized by the society.
 It is the drive to follow the demands of the
society.
 For Freud, this drive controls the basic
inclination of man.
 Society is detrimental to man and might
cause him unhappiness because of
unnecessary laws and guidelines.
 The ego
 The ego is the rational aspect of man which
the main function is to balance the tug of
war between the drive and the moral
ascendancy.
 it follows that man is good only if his
rational aspect has the power to control the
demand of the society and to balance it with
his personal desire.
 Points for Human Perfection
 Man’s work has something to do with his
dignity.
 Attaining one’s full potential is the project of
everyone.
 One should be suspicious of the demand of
the society.
 Eastern Philosophy

Man and Nature

 Eastern Philosophy
 Asian or Oriental Philosophy
 The thoughts and traditions on the
eastern side of the globe, which is Asia
 Mohammed and the Arab
Expansion
 Mohammed (AD 570-
632), a native of Mecca,
provided the religion that
became the immediate
stimulus to Arab
expansion.
 As a young man, he
made his living as a
camel driver and a petty
merchant. During his
travels, he learned a few
but fundamental Judaism
and Christian beliefs.
 Hegira or the flight to Medina marked the
beginning of the rapid expansion of
Mohammedism, for a short period of time,
Mohammed became the ruler of Medina, and
by the time of his death, he won control of
his native Mecca.
 The Caliphs, successor to the Prophet, united
Arab tribesmen for the conquest of Syria and
Mesopotamia. Seized the eastern provinces of
the Byzantine Empire and conquered the
Persian Empire.
 Almost half of the Old Roman Empire fell
under Arab might.
 Islam
 Muslim is the term used to denote those who are
believers of Islam.
 They considered Allah as their supreme being.
 Muhammad is considered the last prophet of
Islam.
 He was approached by Angel Gabriel who handed
him down the Koran or the Holy Book and gave
him task to propagate the teachings of the Koran.
From then on, he started to preach and formed
the first Islam community in Medina.
 The very word Islam means peace, purity,
submission, and obedience.
 In religious sense, Islam means submission to the
Will of Allah and obedience to His Law.
 It follows that every Muslim should abide to the
said principle and teaching.
 The “Hamurabi Code”, which follows the rule ‘an
eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’, made it
hard for Mohammed to preach and propagate
Islam.
 Islamic Beliefs and Practices
 The Five Pillars of Islam
 There is no God but Allah and Mohammed the Prophet.
 A Moslem must pray at designated hours of the day, facing
Mecca.
 he must, if possible, make a pilgrimage to Mecca once in
his lifetime.
 He must give alms to the poor and needy.
 He must fast from sunrise to sunset during the month of
Ramadan- the ninth month of the Moslem year.
 Like Christians, there will be the DAY OF
JUDGMENT when Muslims will be judged on the
basis of their deeds while on earth and will attain
reward of Paradise or punishment in Hell.
 They do not believe that Christ or any individual
can atone for another person’s sin. Hell is where
unbelievers and sinners spend eternity.
 The Koran, 98:1-8 states ‘ the unbelievers
(infidels) among the People of the Book and the
pagans shall burn for ever in the fire of Hell. They
are the vilest of all creature.’
 The Nature of Islam
 Misconceptions on “Allah”
 Muslims like the Jews reject the Christian
belief of the Trinity and the Divine
Incarnation.
 Judaism, Christianity and Islam all claim to
be “Abrahamic Faiths” and are all
‘monotheistic’
 The Arabic and Muslim
Philosophy
 The Arabs revived the Greek philosophy and it was through
Kindi, Avicenna and Averroes that the West learnt about
Aristotle, Plato and Socrates.
 The Abbasid Caliphate provided the most accommodating
atmosphere for the development of classical learning.
 The Caliph Harun-ar-Rashid had some of the works of
Aristotle translated in Arabic.
 Mamun-ar-Rashid founded the well-known Darul Hukama
(House of Wisdom).
 Al-Kindi (d/873 AD) – the ‘greatest philosopher’ of the Arab
race. “Divine intelligence” is the “Cause” of the existence in
the world.
 Zakariya Al-Razi (865-925 AD) – the eminent physician and
an Islamic scientist composed a number of metaphysical,
philosophical and ethical works which profess the existence
of five eternal principles- Creator, the soul, matter, time
and space.
 Avicenna (Ibn Sina)(980-1037 AD) –the doctrine of
immortality. ‘the soul and knowledge emanante from Active
intelligence, and that soul is an indivisible and eternal
substance.
 Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali (1058-1111 AD)
 Averroes (Ibn Rushd)(1126-1198AD) “The Incoherence of
the Incoherence”
 What Makes a Good Muslim?
 The 5 Pillars of Islam
 Shahadah (Declaration of Faith)

 Salat (Prayer)

 Zakat (Alms Giving)

 Saum or Siyam (Fasting and Abstinence)

 Hajj (Pilgrimage)
Buddhism
 Siddhartha Gautama
 Is the founder of Buddhism.
 He was born prince in India and was
expected to be a political leader.
 He was given everything he ever wanted in
life.
 One life-changing experience altered the
course of his life.
 On his way to the park, he
encountered these four:
 An old man
 Sick man

 Dead man

 Monk

 At the age of 29, he left the palace and lived

an acetic life.
 After 6 long years he went down from the
mountain with his discovery.
 The Fourfold Noble Truth
 Life is a suffering (DUKKHA)
 Suffering has cause (SAMUDAYA)
 Suffering can cease (NIRODHA)
 There is a path to the Cessation of Suffering
(MAGGA)
 The Eightfold Path

 Right View  Right Livelihood

 Right Aspiration  Right Effort
 Right Speech  Right Mindfulness
 Right Action  Right Contemplation
 Karma and Interdependent
Origination
 Karma is the underlying principle in all Buddhist
thought.
 It states that any voluntary action has its effects.
 Karma is both positive and negative.
 It may happen within this life or to the next life to
come.
 Karma sets the condition for the future life.
 Karma operates within the cycle of the present,
past and future which is commonly known as the
interdependent origination.
 Interdependent origination means
everything and everyone is a web of
interconnection, and every part of the web
expresses and reflects every other part.
 Ignorance is the beginning of this
origination.
 ‘ignorance is the root of all evil, unless
ignorance is overcome, man will never be
able to free himself from dukkha, because
it is the root of all evil, dukkha folllows
inevitably where ignorance reigns.’
 12 Stages of the Cycle of
Origination
 Ignorance  Feeling
 Volitional formations  Craving
 Consciousness  Clinging
 Mind-and-form  Becoming
 Sense-bases  Birth
 contact  Old-age-and-death
 Confucius
 Or Master Kung was a justice minister
during his time.
 He was worried because people were not
concerned with the welfare of the society
China was disintegrated.
 “what you do not like when done into
yourself, do not do unto others”
 Idea about Man
 To live and be a man is a blessing for
Confucius
 Goodness can be fully realized in a society.
 The society must be established to create a
conducive nature for human relation.
 For him, the society should be comprised of
three elements: people, wealth and
education.
 Jen – or the basic goodness of man.
No man is born bad and indifferent,
even the worst person has the
goodness within. Only when every one
acknowledges the goodness within,
there will be no problem in the society.
 How to be a Good Man?

 Rule of Propriety (li)

 Rule of Righteousness (yi)
 Filial Piety (Hsiao)
 Rectification of Names (Ching Meng)
Taoism
 Lao Tsu

 Is considered the founder of Taoism.

 Tao Te Ching is the book which
contains all his teachings/
 Tao is interpreted as the “way or path”
Yin-Yang
 Everything in the universe is within the
complementary principle of yin and yang.
 The symmetrical disposition of the dark Yin and the
light Yang suggest interdependence of the two
principles.
 Yin is the negative power which is associated with
the earth, in human relation, yin is female, who is
quiet and intuitive.
 Yang is the positive which is associated with heaven.
 Other characteristics of Yang are male, strong and
creative.
 There is an eternal cycle between heaven and earth,
male and female, or hot and cold.
 Dots indicate that within each is the seed of the
other.
 How to be a Good Man?
 Taoism advocates that the body is the microcosm of the
universe. Thus, the body needs to be aligned with the
harmony of the universe.
 Man should learn to exist naturally and without effort.
 Man should practice the ‘wei-wu-wei’ or the virtue of
‘doing without doing’ or the ‘effortless action or acting
without acting’
 When one is acting or influencing others without forcing
himself on others.
 Modelling by example.
Three Jewels of the Tao
 Comapssion

 Moderation

 Humility
 Points for Human Perfection
 There are many ways on how to do
what is good, but in the end these ways
are simply pertaining to one good
divided by different names and symbols
 There is goodness in everyone.
 Respect in another’s belief is in the rule
of cultural diversity.
 Activity 16
 One With the World
 Man is not the superior of all creations. He is
just one of them.
 Direction: Make a haiku about your belief
regarding man’s place in the universe.
 Activity 17
 Select 3 quotations from the given statements and clearly
explain each by applying in real life situations.
 A superior man i s modest in his speech, but exceeds in his
actions. –Confucius
 The mind is everything. What you think you become. –
Buddha
 You will not be punished for your anger, you will be
punished by your anger. – Buddha
 He knows that enough is enough will always have enough.
–Lao Tzu
 The journey of a thousand miles begin with one step. –Lao
Tzu