INTRODUCTION TO THE

PHILOSOPHY OF THE
HUMAN PERSON
QUARTER I – MODULE 1
 INTRODUCTION

• WHO ARE YOU?

• DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE?
• HOW DO YOU DEFINE LIFE?
• ARE THESE DIFFICULT TO ANSWER?
• HAVE YOU THOUGHT AND WONDERED ABOUT THESE QUESTIONS?
• IF YOU DO YOU WILL SURELY ENJOY THIS SUBJECT!
This lesson will enable you to learn more about Philosophy, and
how we are engaged in reflecting on our actions, which we perform
in our day to day lives. You will be able to gain more knowledge
on the differences between holistic and partial thinking, and how
we are using these two views in our day to day actions. Moreover,
you will also gain a deeper understanding of how these views
highly affect the decisions that we constantly make in our daily
lives.
 OBJECTIVES

• DISTINGUISH THE HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE FROM A PARTIAL POINT OF VIEW(PPT

11/12-Ia-1.1)
• REALIZE THE VALUE OF DOING PHILOSOPHY IN OBTAINING A BROAD
PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE (PPT 11/12-Ib-1.2)
• DO A PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTION ON A CONCRETE SITUATION FROM A
HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE. (PPT11/12-Ib-1.3)
 ACTIVITY

• “THE BLIND MEN AND ELEPHANT” by American poet John Godfrey Saxe
• Learners will be grouped into six and will read a story
• After reading they will answer the follow-up questions and present their output in front of the
class.
 GUIDED QUESTIONS
• What happen in the story when each blind men “sees” the elephant? Why were there are six different ideas
about the elephant? Were any of them right about the elephant? Were any of them completely wrong?
• What did the blind men learn from the king? What does the storyteller want us to learn from this tale?
• Do problems like this happen in real life? Think of the times when arguments or misunderstandings have
occurred because people saw situations from different point of view? Describe what happened.
• How does it feel when another person doesn’t “see” something the way you do? How can you address
those differences in perceptions?
• What if the men in this story were not blind? Would they still have different perceptions about elephants?
Why or why not?
• Does the story give you any ideas about how these problems can be solved? What are some steps you can
take to understand why another person doesn’t see things the way you do?
THE PROCESS OF DOING PHILOSOPHY
 PHILOSOPHY
• Philosophy is coined from the Greek word
“philos” - love,
“Sophia” – wisdom
This study uses HUMAN REASON to investigate the ultimate causes and principles which govern
all things.
It is a quest for knowledge and truth
From the time we started to ask questions we already philosophize
we seek answers to our questions and sometimes questions our answers
a series of never ending questions and answers until we arrive at truth
Philosopher use scientific inquiry in the investigation and analysis of things.
 BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY

 CAN YOU TELL ME THINGS THAT YOU THINK IS CORRECT OR TRUE?

 HOW SURE ARE YOU THAT IT IS TRUE OR CORRECT?

1. EPISTEMOLOGY
 IS THE STUDY OF KNOWLEDGE,
 IT INVESTIGATES THE ORIGIN, STRUCTURE, METHODS AND INTEGRITY OF KNOWLEDGE .

THE BASIC QUESTIONS DISCUSSED IN EPISTEMOLOGY

 HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT WE KNOW
 HOW CAN WE FIND OUT WHAT WE WISH TO KNOW
 HOW CAN WE DEFFERENTIATE TRUTH FROM OPINIO OR FALSE INFORMATION
  DO you believe in God?
 Is God true?
 If God is true where is He?

2. METAPHYSICS
deals with questions regarding reality and existence
THE BASIC QUESTIONS DISCUSSED
 questions like how do ideas exists
 what is reality made of
 ask about identity and change of objects and the likes
3. AESTHETICS
is a study of the value in the arts and inquiry into the feelings, judgements or standards of
beauty and related concepts
THE BASIC QUESTIONS DISCUSSED IN EPISTEMOLOGY
 how do we find things beautiful
 are our aesthetic judgement objective or subjective

• IS Dyre action or decision right or wrong?

4. ETHICS
which deals with the study of rightness and wrongness of actions and also the kinds of things
which are good and desirable and whether action are praiseworthy or blameworthy
SCENARIO:
AJ saw a black cat on his way to school. He failed on his exam that day. Therefore, black
cats are bad luck.

5. LOGIC:
from the Greek word LOGOS ( argument, reason, idea, thought and so on,)
is the study of methods and principle of distinguishing correct from incorrect reasoning.
what is being discussed in logic is the use of correct reasoning
DISTINGUISH HOLITIC PERSPECTIVE FROM
PARTIAL POINT OF VIEW

• PARTIAL THINKING IN PHILOSOPHY

• HOLISTIC thinking
 SCENARIO
ZIA’S CHILDREN HAD A FIGHT AND THE YOUNGER SON CRIED.

RESPONSE A RESPONSE B
Zia scolded the older brother without hearing • Zia listens to both her children's story before
his side of story making a conclusion
IF WERE GOING TO ASSOCIATE IT TO OUR
LESSON RESPONSE A IS AN EXAMPLE OF
PARTIAL POINT OF VIEW
 PARTIAL POINT OF VIEW/THINKING

• focuses on specific aspects of a situation. The partial view is an

important component of analytical thinking, as an individual focuses
on certain areas or aspects of a problem in order to understand it.
Though partial thinking is useful, philosophy utilizes holistic
thinking in making sense of problems and issues related to the human
experience.
 HOLISTIC THINKING

• refers to a perspective that considers large-scale patterns in systems. This is often described as
looking at the “big picture” when describing and analyzing a situation or problem. A holistic
perspective requires an individual to have an open mindset and an ability to get the general sense
or impression regarding a situation. A holistic view also means that one does not confine one’s
understanding of the world to one’s own perspective, but also includes the perspective of others.
The view also enables a person to better appreciate his or her experiences as vital
• Between the two which do you think is being used in philosophy?
In the process of doing philosophy it is very important to understand the holistic perspective
and that is looking at all sides of the problem before making a conclusion.
SITUATION:
How do you usually react when somebody has gone viral because of some scandalous act? Do
you condemn them and do you usually reserve your judgement until you get all the facts. If you
were you used the two perspective, which of the two will be your reaction.
A holistic perspective does not only encourage us to be critical but also to be more considerate
in dealing with others.
 REFLECTION
• requires a person to be willing to examine one’s thoughts, feelings, and actions
and to learn more about one’s life and experiences. One can reflect on almost
any subject. For instance, the moment you wake up, you can already reflect upon
the things that you plan to do for the day. This will enable you to set your daily
goals and set you on the path of thinking of ways to achieve them. Seemingly
simple or mundane actions take a whole new meaning when one engages in
reflection. When buying clothes, for example, think of the questions that you ask
yourself as you consider buying the t-shirt or blouse you are holding. You may
start with the simple questions: “Will this fit me?” “Do I look good in this
color?” these are the usual questions any buyer would ask for himself or herself.
But since we are in a reflective and philosophizing mood, let us now try and
think of “deeper” questions and reflect on the situation. You may find yourself
asking the following questions: “Do I even have to buy a new t-shirt today?”
“Am I better off spending my money on other things?” “Do I see myself wearing
this shirt often, or am I just going to wear it once?”. Notice the difference when
you engage in reflection. The simple task of buying a shirt becomes something
much more. If you concentrate only on simple questions, you would just buy
that shirt immediately. But reflection allows you an opportunity to think more
deeply about your action, your motivation for doing such an action, and even its
possible consequences. Reflection also helps us understand ourselves and our
actions better. When we reflect, we can judge whether our actions or decisions
are reasonable or not. Taking time to analyze your decision and actions is one
vital skill that will greatly help you as you encounter more challenges in life.
APPLICATION
1) Based on your answers in Task 3, what must be done before
making actions?
2) Is it helpful that you do this before making an action? Why or
Why not?
3) As a Grade 11 student, what have you realized while doing this
activity? Reflect and explain your answer.
 ASSESSMENT

Test I. Direction: Write True if the statement is correct and False if it is wrong with the
word or words that make it incorrect. Write your answers in your notebook.

1. A holistic view helps us understand a situation from different vantage points so we can
see it more partially.
2. People tend to apply analytical perspective when looking at problems or situations.
3. Holistic thinking refers to a perspective that considers small-scale patterns in systems.
4. An individual uses a partial point of view when he/she looks at only a limited number
of the given problem or situation.
5. A holistic
perspective cannot enable a person to step back and consider the
general aspects of a certain problem.

Test II. Direction: How are you going to show a holistic point of view to a
situation wherein two of your closest friends dispute about something?

Criteria: Content-15 Structure/ Organization-5 Total-20

 ASSIGNMENT
• Make a reflection journal where you will write your answers to the following
questions: Write your answers in your scrapbook.
1. Describe a situation in your life where you were able to engage in philosophy.
What circumstances or dilemma brought you to philosophize? How did
philosophy help you address your situation?
2. Reflect on your life so far. Can you say that you have lived a meaningful life,
considering all your experiences and achievements? What do you consider as the
“highlights” of your life? What things are you looking forward to in the future?
Criteria: Content- 10 Structure/ Organization- 5 Total: 15