UNIT II

AN EMBODIED
SPIRIT
COEXSISTING
WITH THE
 LESSON 1:
DISCOVERING THE
SELF:
WHO AM I?
Human being is the source of many
question.
When confronted with the question “Who
Am I”, it directly unveils his/her existence,
he/she is pushed to the limit of silence.
Rizal believes that because human being is
endowed with reason, he/she wonders and
questions everything including his/her
existence.
The source of question is now in question.
Questions that was considered obvious and
ordinary becomes the center of his/her ,mental
activity.
For Rizal and Kant, being endowed with reason
humans has find it difficult to deal with a simple
question “Who Am I” with certainty.
Jaspers asserts that human being “is more than
what he knows about himself”.
It seems that such ordinary and obvious
questions do not need critical and logical
analysis.
However, as human beings stops from
various activities and things he is doing,
and seriously deal with the question
“Who Am I” he would discover that such
question is very difficult to answer.
 HUMAN BEING’s
ENCOUNTER WITH
EXISTENTIAL
LIMIT SITUATIONS
In existence, human beings are always in concrete
situations, and he is always confronted with various
situations.
Karl Jaspers said these situations are boundary
situation which are inescapable and inevitable.
These situations lead human being to a deeper
consciousness and experience of his limitation and
finitude.
Moreover, the one who is formulating the questions is
now the main content of the question.
 LESSON 2:
VARIOUS WAYS IN
DEALING WITH THE
QUESTION “WHO AM I?”
IN THE COURSE OF
HISTORY
I. DUALITY OF BODY
AND SOUL
A view held by those who believe that our
body is separate and distinct from our
soul.
The soul or the spirit is philosophically
discussed as the mind since mental
capacities and abilities are attributed to it.
For dualists, the mind (mental) is not to
be mistaken for the brain (physical).
Plato is one of those who argued for the
dualism of body and soul.
Plato theorized that the soul exists prior to
the body and even after the body is long
gone.
Rene Descartes also recognized dualism and
expressed this in his Meditations.
The mind/soul is simply difficult to reduce
to something physical.
II. UNITY OF BODY AND
SOUL
Monism avoids many and unresolved
questions.
To say that the body and soul together
make one entity does not require much
proof as opposed to offering a dualist
view.
Among those who did not subscribe to
dualism is St. Thomas Aquinas.
Aquinas claimed that the body is the matter and
the soul is the form.
A being is one even though it consists of many
parts.
Christians believe that man is created body and
soul by God.
Christians speak of the salvation of souls and at
the same time look forward to Judgment Day
when souls will be united again with their
bodies.
 III. HUMAN
CONSCIOUSNESS AND
EXISTENCE
John Locke was the first to point out
that all thoughts are conscious.
Moreover, our consciousness is the
criterion for personal identity.
As a thinking being, the self we refer
to consists of those thoughts and
sensations of which we are conscious.
Immanuel Kant is also interpreted by
philosophers of mind as providing the
basis for a rationalist approach.
Phenomenologists expounds on
intentionality of consciousness.
Existentialists explores the feelings
that are awakened by consciousness.
 IV. HUMAN
FACULTY OF
REASON
Humans have a mental faculty or capacity that
enables them to think, to reason, to understand, to
compare, to analyze, to associate ideas, and so on.
Philosophers are in agreement that human beings
have the this faculty of reason.
Reason is contrasted by some from faith; while
others would claim that reason includes the heart.
The important point, however, is that human being
possesses a faculty of that enables him/her to survive
and endure life.
 LESSON 3:
REFLECTION
ON
“MY BODY”
THE RELATION OF I AND
THE BODY
I HAVE MY BODY
A human being is conscious that he is
limited because he is constantly
connected with his body.
The body is the main basis for
reflection and self-consciousness.
Human being’s consciousness of it’s
existence is manifested through his
body.
There are two ways or levels of
experience in reflecting on “my
body”.
1.The body is seen as a separate
entity from the self.
2.The body as a mystery.
The experience of the oneness of my body
and I is manifested in the claim “I Have My
Body”.
It affirms the existence of the body, and it is
not apart from me.
The claim “I Have My Body” implies
possession.
Nonetheless it does not only show authority
over it, but also a great responsibility.
I AM MY
BODY
The union between the body and I is not
just a mere relationship of two organism or
entities.
For Marcel, this union means existential
existence to my body and myself.
Your relationship with your body is not the
same as your relationship with other things
that you possess.
Your body is not a mere instrument
for “You are your body”/”I am my
body”.
Our body as a material reality acts
and does things with inherent power.
My body reveals my truth, my
thought, my feeling, and my self-being;
for my body and I are one.
TRANSCENDENCE AND MY
BODY
The relationship between my body and I reveals
an encounter with other subjectivity or I.
Marcel points that my body ceases to be
intermediary with other subjectivity or with
other I when I do not conceal myself through
my body.
Every time my body relates with other
embodied beings, I am directly and immediately
relating with subjectivities or with I’s.
MY SELF AND THE WORLD
My existence is existential. I appear to the
world and relate with it through my body.
My constant relation with the world
through my body, the world becomes my
world.
On the other hand, I can also refrain from
affecting the world by concealing from the
world through my body.
 LESSON 4:
FINITUDE AND HISTORICITY
OF HUMAN BEING
HUMAN BEING IN TIME
One of the limit situations of human being
is the situation where he is in time and in a
certain place.
His being in time and in a concrete place
are always part of his historicity.
Human being is constituted by his past,
present and his future.
His presence was, is, and will be part of his
historicity.
HISTORICITY OF HUMAN
BEING
 The human being is a historical being.
 He is where all boundaries meet, human being experiences
all the boundaries of existence through his body.
 He experienced these boundary situation in the past, he
experiences these boundary situation in the present, and he
will experience these boundary situation in the future.
 As historical beings, human establishes relationships with
other human being.
 For Marcel, such situations help human being establish his
unique being.
 The historicity of a human is also established through
shared meanings.
 LESSON 5:
HUMAN BEING’S
ENCOUNTER WITH
THE
WE ABUSE LAND BECAUSE
WE SEE IT AS A COMMODITY
BELONGING TO US. WHEN
WE SEE LAND AS A
COMMUNITY TO WHICH WE
BELONG, WE BEGIN TO USE
A THING IS RIGHT WHEN IT
TENDS TO PRESERVE THE
INTEGRITY, STABILITY, AND
BEAUTY OF THE BIOTIC
COMMUNITY. IT IS WRONG
WHEN IT TENDS
I. HUMAN BEING’S
PERSPECTIVE ON
ENVIRONMENT
The kind of relationship the being establishes
with the environment depends on how he
perceives it.
Human being sees and considers the
environment as an erratic and disorderly thing
that needs to be analyzed, reformed, and
reshaped.
The environment is considered as a commodity
or property to be used and disposed.
Human being sees the environment as something to
be exploited.
These are the effects of on-going environmental
crisis.
- Species and ecosystem destroyed.
- Approximately 50,000 species go extinct each
year.
- Climate change has rapidly accelerated.
- Multiple rivers and tributaries have been
converted as dumping sites for wastes.
II. HUMAN BEING’S
APPROACHES TO
ENVIRONMENT
 A. “INSTRUMENTAL
APPROACH”
In this approach to environment,
human being affirms the protection
of the environment as long as it
possesses value or importance for
human being.
 B. “AXIOLOGICAL
APPROACH”
In this approach to environment,
human being recognizes the
intrinsic value of the environment.
This demand him to protect and
take care of it.
 C. “ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACH”
In this approach, the primary concern of
human being is to unveil his being as human or
what being human ought to be. The focus of
establishing relationship with the environment
is not environment itself, but his “being”. Such
approach considers environment as an object
without any consciousness of its own. It can be
manipulated and controlled for human being’s
disposal.
 D. “UTILITARIANISM”
This approach focuses on the
consequences of human action,
whether it is wrong or right. Our
action is ethically right when it
produces greatest happiness for the
greater number of people, otherwise
the action is ethically wrong.
 E. “NATURAL LAW ETHICS”
There is goodness in human nature to do
good which is rooted in the goodness of
God; the God who created everything
according to His Divine plan. The human
being as the summit expression of God’s
goodness, and who possesses intellect and
reason, has a greater responsibility to care
for the environment and not to destroy it.
F. “VIRTUE ETHICS PERSPECTIVE”
The development of our virtue of
care and respect for the
environment is a habitual
performance of caring and
respecting non-human beings.
III. SACREDNESS OF THE
ENVIRONMENT
The recognition of the sacredness of
environment is based on the creation of all
things.
The environment shall always have an
inherent relation with the creator.
This shows that the environment
“would have a relation to Him because were
it not the creative work of God”.
 LESSON 6:
THE INFLUENCE AND EFFECTS OF
HUMAN ACTIVITY TOWARD
ENVIRONMENT
A HUMAN COMMUNITY THAT
LIVES IN A MUTUALLY
BENEFICIAL RELATION WITH
THE SURROUNDING EARTH IS A
COMMUNITY, WE MIGHT SAY,
THAT LIVES IN TRUTH.
(DAVID ABRAM)
THE SPIRIT OF STEWARDSHIP
Human being is part of creation. He is not
the author of his existence.
Human being has the responsibility to take
care , protect, and cultivate his
potentialities, faculties, and functions. But
this responsibility is not limited to his own
self, but it extends to his external world, the
environment.(TIMBREZA 1982)
As part of creation human being’s
choice and action influences and
affects the unfolding of
phenomena in the environment.
Human being’s must not distort
the nature of things, but helps it to
its realization and sustainability.
As a steward, the human being
has to take care of the
environment, and not destroy it;
as a steward, he is responsible for
the well-being and harmony in the
environment, and not to subdue it
as an enemy.
HUMAN BEING AS THE SUMMIT
OF CREATION
Rationality makes human
being different from each other
created beings.
According to St. Augustine, the
human being bears and reveals
the divine image of the creator.
But being the summit of creation, it does
not mean that having the freedom and
authority to control creation, the
environment for its expense.
As being with intelligence and reason,
human being must use environmental
resources with love and care. This is a
responsibility, and it shall be infinite.
 LESSON 7:
THE COMPLEMENTARITY BETWEEN
HUMAN BEING AND ENVIRONMENT
 THE SPIRIT OF
NONCOEXISTENCE
WHAT IS GOOD AND JUST
FOR MAN IS TO LIVE IN
HARMONY WITH NATURE.
(MARCUS AURELIUS)
The non-coexistence between human
being and the environment when one is
being objectified by the other one
makes the other as an object.
A human being does not recognize the
consciousness and the systems that set
natural movements and occurrences in
the environment.
The problem with non-coexistence
between human being and environment is
not coming from the environment.
Another source of problem of non-
coexistence between human beings and
environment is when a human being
focuses on development and progress at
the expense of the environment.
THE SPIRIT OF COEXISTENCE
Coexistence between human being and the
environment is shown every time human being
recognizes his dependence upon the latter.
Human being should establish harmonious
relationship with the natural environment to
experience goodness in life.
Human being should recognize the inherent
consciousness and wisdom that pervade the
whole of creation.
 LESSON 8:
DIALOGICAL RELATION BETWEEN
HUMAN BEING AND ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENT AS AN OBJECT
OF HUMAN BEING’S
EXISTENCE
In I-IT relation, human being sees the environment
through the lens of his own needs and perception.
The progress of technology has contributed to the
widespread of the I-IT attitude towards environment.
Consequently, human being engages in the over
exploitation of the environment.
These situations contribute to ecological imbalance.
ENVIRONMENT AS A SUBJECT
IN I-THOU RELATION
Human being in the I-THOU relation
treats the environment as a Thou, as a
subject not a mere object, in its
wholeness.
This relation demands respect and
genuine acceptance of the possibilities
and consciousness of the environment
as a THOU.
For Buber, in this kind of relationship
between human and environment,
characterized by a genuine dialogue, human
existence is fully realized.
Since it is only in I-THOU relationship with
the environment that human realizes his
being as a relational being and becomes
fully human, he treats environment with
care and respect.
HUMAN BEING’S ETHICAL
RESPONSIBILITY TOWARD
ENVIRONMENT
The relationship between the self and the
other depends on how human interprets the
other.
I-IT and I-THOU relationships come into
being when the human interprets and sees
the environment either as a thing or as a
Thou.
MARTIN BUBER popularized this concept
of I-THOU relationship against the I-IT.
In the I-IT attitude, the human does not
interpret the other as having any
possibilities beyond those which he/she has
determined for it.
On the contrary, in I-THOU attitude, a
human being recognizes that the
environment has possibilities of its own
beyond those which he/she expects or
imposes on it.
A human being recognizes the being and the
otherness of the environment, if he/she
relates with the environment as a subject.
Human being can be in relation with any
entity he/she comes to encounter with,
including plants and nonliving, and natural
entities in the environment.
For MERCADO the mutuality between human
being and these entities is possible.
The environment is more than the human being
can frame in his/her mind.
Human being cannot capture the millions of
possibilities that are inherent in the
environment. Such demands respect and care
for the environment, thus giving justice to the
otherness of the environment.
Activity: Debate
• Mechanics
1. Two leaders will be selected (two students with the
highest prelim grades.)
2. They will select their teammates one-by-one through
draft picking.
3. Each group will be given 10 mins. preparation.
4. Each debater will be given 2 rounds with maximum of
1 mins. each round.
Activity:
• Economy vs Environment
•Would you sacrifice the
sanctity of Environment
for Economic
development?
Activity:
Choose an environmental problem on
the video presentation.
On your notebook, write a paragraph
that has 10-15 sentences that proposes
solutions to that specific environmental
problem you chose which makes
yourself a steward of our environment.