LESSON 1:  The human person must relate  The human person must also

Doing Philosophy himself to a wider society---the relate himself to his

world environment and its effect on
 The human person begins his 5 determinants on how the human health. Environment is all
relation at birth and continues person relates himself to the world: around the human person.
throughout life.  GENETICS Environment includes the home,
It play only a small role in human school and the community.
 Some of the behaviors and person relationship with the world.  The environment can be
values of these people are There are good qualities and harmed by pollution.
ACCEPTED, ADOPTED and characteristics as well as things he  The human person must
INTERNALIZED and form his doesn’t like that were inherited. protect the environment
PERSONALITY and When it comes to personality and because it gives him clean air,
CHARACTER character issue, he must work on land or water.
his own weaknesses; when it comes
 The human person learns to talent, he must go with this THE VALUE OF DOING
through LISTENING, strength. PHILOSOPHY
OBSERVING and  SELF-IMAGE The main purpose in the study
IMITATING. A human person with negative of Philosophy of the Human Person
self-image will expect the worst, is to see human life as a meaningful
 The human person does not damage relationships and find whole or in its holistic perspective.
only relate himself to other others similarly negative. The Philosophy of the Human
people, but also to the society On the other hand, those who have Person seeks to obtain a unified and
in which he is living. positive self-image will expect the consistent world view of the human
best for themselves. person.
3 reasons: Those who have both positive and “What is certain in life?”
 SURVIVAL negative self-image are likely to be According to Mark Twain, an
No Man is an Island highly successful, see others, the American writer, it is death and
- John Donne society and the world is potentially taxes.
successful. On the other hand, Bernard
No one can live alone  LIFE EXPERIENCES Rusell , a British philosopher stated
The care, support and protection The human person responds to that what is certain in life is
extended by society are significant what he is prepared to believe. uncertainty itself– that there is very
factors for survival. The human person may choose the little , if anything can be considered
experience he has now. certain.
 GREGARIOUSNESS Examples: The most enduring value of
People flock together for emotional He chooses his careers. studying Philosophy of the Human
warmth and belongingness. He chooses when to marry. Person lies in the “visions of things
The need for understanding , The human person cannot undo his large enough to generate a life plan,
approval and support to which the past experiences, but he can a direction” on the purpose and
human person belong is a reprogram himself using new ones. existence of the human person. We
psycho-social need.  ATTITUDES AND CHOICES all become philosophers at any
Among Filipinos, the feeling of The human person has limited crucial moment in life.
gregariousness is found in all levels control over his experiences but he The general framework of
of society, especially among the has complete control over his beliefs and values we profess, the
lower socio-economic classes. attitudes. world view that impregnate our
The more the human person is His attitudes will make or unmake a experiences with meaning makes us
needy, the more he craves human person. It’s all his choice. distinctly human.
sympathy and understanding from Our philosophical reflection is
someone else. “I may not be able to change the an important part of our
world I see around me, but I can self-fulfillment, happiness and
According to Merriam-Webster, change what I see within me.” professional growth.
gregarious is tending to associate  FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES
with others of one's kind. Friends shape the human person. SPECIFIC VALUES OF
The people he chooses to spend PHILOSOPHY:
Moreover, it is already stated time with will change the human
that it is marked by or indicating a person. 1. Philosophy as a subject
liking for companionship. The way he views the world is enables the student to study,
determined by who the person is, no learn and master the various
 SPECIALIZATION one can get away from this truth. If branches and divisions of
Professional and Non-professional the human person change himself philosophy and the theories
groups form societies and and become the kind of person he and beliefs of philosophers.
associations to promote and protect desires to be, he will begin to view 2. Philosophy helps the student to
their own interest. others in totality and that will change develop the ability to form
the way he interact in all his opinions and beliefs .
relationships to the world. 3. Philosophy helps the student to
be resilient and philosophically
 calm in the face of disorder and  OPINION: statement of belief
doubts, uncertainty, Philosophers might be tempted or feeling. It shows one’s
indefiniteness and chaos. to draw this contrast by identifying feelings about a subject. Solid
4. 4. Philosophy deepens the facts as states of affair- occurences opinions, while based on facts,
student’s self- awareness. that are there in the world someone’s view on a subject
5. In relation to deepening regardless of what anyone may and not facts themselves.
self-awareness, philosophy think about them, while on the other
also increases the student’s hand identifying opinions as beliefs Evaluation of Opinions
self-awareness and awareness (or some other mental state) about Distinction between opinions and
of the world. the states of affairs. truth had several advantages.
6. Philosophy helps the students According to this approach, we can  They capture some of the
to be creative. separate facts from opinion by using concerns that lead people to
7. Philosophy helps the students Perry Weddle has called the insist on the fact/opinion
to be imaginative. “Whose?” test: It always makes distinction in the first place - in
8. Philosophy helps the students sense to ask “Whose opinion is it?” particular, the concern that
to develop clear concepts and but never “Whose fact is it?” claims not be accepted without
value system. good evidence.
9. Philosophy provides the For among the beliefs that  They explain why some
student with better intellectual people have about the world, there objectives matters - in
perspective and outlook. are some that people tend to put in particular, controversial matters
10. Philosophy gives the student the fact column and some that they such as God's existence or
personal freedom—the tend to put in in the opinion column. predictions about the future.
freedom from the biases, That is, they contrast factual beliefs  They avoid the sloppiness of
prejudices and convictions, and from opinion beliefs, and it is quite some of the earlier proposals.
tyranny of customs that have appropriate to ask “Whose belief”?
grown up in his mind. In either case. LESSON 3:
11. Philosophy helps the student The same goes for expressions THE HUMAN PERSON AS
to refine his power of of belief: We can talk about EMBODIED SPIRIT
analysis—the power to think statement of facts vs. statement of
critically, reason, evaluate, opinion, or factual claims vs. opinion Is the living animating core within
theorize and justify. claims. each of us, the driving force behind
all that we think, say and do.
Suppose, then, we narrow our Sometimes feelings, insights, and
LESSON 2: inquiry to statements, so that when fancies-all these private and, except
Opinion Vs. Truth we ask, “What is the difference through symbols and at second
between facts and opinions?” what hand, incommunicables.
 “Truth” is an accepted we’re really asking is “What is the
statement. difference between statement of According to Monica Shy and may
 No / insufficient evidence facts and statement of opinion.?” Malvar, “Every embodied spirit is
means statement is an opinion. doomed tosuffer and enjoy in
 Expressing opinions as if they 1. A. There is beer in my solitude”.
are facts constitutes a failure to refrigerator
“respecting others opinion.” B. Wine Tastes better than ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
 Things that are socially beer. - his own total vision of man
undecided are opinions. would be “embodied spirit”.
Opinions are putative facts. 2. A. The earth was created by an -human being is by nature a
 Truth comes from the heart. omnipotent God. finite embodied spirit, in search of
 Truth requires courage. B. The earth revolves around the infinite, in social solidarity with
 Truth is always real. Reality is the sun. its fellow human beings, on a
not always true. historical journey through this
 The finality of the truth can The fact/opinion distinction varies material cosmos towards its final
summed up by, “So, yes, by all independently of the true/false trans-worldly goal, a loving union
means, keep it real, but always distinction. with God as the infinite fullness of all
seek the truth. goodness.
 Others say that factual
When debating ethics and statements are “concrete” ARISTOTLE
other controversial topics, one rather than “abstract” -a human person is a personal
frequently hears the claim “That’s  The difference between facts being, possessing its intellectual
just your opinion”. It is a pernicious and opinions is that factual nature is joined in a natural unity
claim, devoid of clear meaning and statements are uncontroversial. with a material body.
it should be consigned to flames. In  FACT: statement of actuality or
calling something an opinion, one occurrences. It is based on This unity called “man” is a “rational
presumably wants to contrast it with direct evidence, actual animal”.
something that is not an opinion, experience or observation. It
and the obvious candidate for the can be proven true. A human being is a biosocial being
contrast class is “fact”. and represents the highest level of
develepment of all living organism is not full, that life is going to be  THE CONCEPT OF
on earth, the subject of labor, of the full, to be whole, to be complete CONSCIENCE
social forms of life, communication and to be perfect. His conscience plays a primarily
and consciousness.  This means that the human role in recovering from being “lost or
person is capable of fallen” in the world. Thus, the human
SPIRIT VS. SOUL transcendence. He can go person through his conscience has
The SPIRIT consists of our mind, beyond what is actually his to rise up again from from his
will and emotions. It is our limitations. guilt-feeling.
personality, thoughts, attitudes and
what makes us unique. It is the EVALUATION OF LIMITATIONS  THE CONCEPT OF
immaterial part of a human being AND POSSIBILITIES FOR THEIR RESOLUTENESS
regarded as immortal. TRANSCENDENCE Resoluteness is man’s readiness to
 The human person is not just be called by conscience (Babor
The SOUL is the real person inside embodied spirit. He has to 2001). It is resoluteness that the
us, it is our life force, and it gives life established a relation to others. human person resolved to accept
to the body. It has no feeling and  He is the man himself and make up his mind to
cannot think. The part of us that being-with-others-in-the world. exist in the way he can call his own
never dies, that is eternal, infinite This does not mean, however, and understand himself.
and limitless. that he has to depend in others
in terms of realizing his  THE CONCEPT OF
HUMAN PERSON’S LIMITATIONS existence. TEMPORALITY
AND POSSIBILITIES  According to Heidegger, if the Temporality imposes limits to one’s
human person “falls” to “others”, human body. The human person’s
It is a must that the human he will lose his own identity. life is temporal. He is not in time but
person must find meaning in his he is time and this “time” is an event
existence. He must be conscious of HOW THE HUMAN PERSON or happening that is extended right
his distinctive existence so that he BODY IMPOSES LIMITS AND at his birth until his death. Thus, the
can strike a sense, purpose and POSSIBILITIES FOR human person has a beginning (an
direction in his existence. TRANSCENDENCE event in the past) and he has an end
(an event in the future). In between
Finding meaning to one’s  THE CONCEPT OF DREAD the past and the future is the
existence is an important mission to Dread is not fear or anxiety. This present event or happenings, which
every human person. The meaning means that the man is simply is very crucial in making life
of his existence can be found and thrown into the world and is left meaningful.
eventually realized in the actual alone to face what he can do
living and existing as a human because he did not will for it. He  THE CONCEPT OF DEATH
being. must therefore starts from nothing to The human person’s temporal
achieve someting. existence will find its end or death.
Because of a massive He has to admit that he is subject to
advancement of science and  THE CONCEPT OF death because death is the final
technology in this contemporary BEING-OTHERS-RELATED direction of man’s existence. Death
world, the human person is His existence as a “Dasein” (man) is is one of human person’s
“devoured of homelessness”, lost in not an “alone-existence forever. He possibilities but it is always a
the darkness of his life, existentially has to establish relationship with possibility that surely happen. It
devastated, a value-less being and others – in the world”. does not come only in old age, but is
is already uneasy with his life. He intrinsically present in everyone.
has no “self”.  THE CONCEPT OF
CONCERN
The existentialists, such as Human person’s relatedness to LIMITATIONS AND POSSIBILITIES
Heidegger and Kierkegaard, entities is basically things which he OF THE HUMAN PERSON
stressed the difference between encounters in the world. He is ACCORDING TO PHILOSOPHERS
existing and living. To them, the always “together” with others. Thus,
contemporary human person is only humans existence is always without Other than Martin
living and not existing. human person Heidegger, there are other views of
philosophers on the limitations
LIMITATIONS AND THE  THE CONCEPT OF and possibilities of the human
POSSIBILITIES FOR THEIR GUILT-FEELING person.
TRANSCENDENCES In philosophy, guilt-feeling is
 The human person is only kind something that is lacking or missing Soren Kierkegaard
of being that exists, according in a person. Thus, he has no will. He is the father of
to Heidegger. Only him has His will is missing and this prevents existentialism. According to him,
existence because he is the the person to decide for things. This there are no real human beings in
only kind of being who knows makes the human person guilty of this present age because the
he exists. his existence. individual “man” has taken refuge in
 Existence is always a starting a bigger collective group or masses.
point – a beginning. Existence
 The human person must 1. Love pulls the human person to deplete the soil of its nutrients
struggle to exist by disconnecting do certain possibilities that and make it virtually lifeless.
himself from the “crowd existence”. others cannot. 5) Effluence from industries,
One’s existence can only become 2. He said that love is the ultimate fertilizer run off, and oil spills all
signiicant, when one realizes his and highest goal to which a damage fragile ecosystems.
personal freedom, his subjectivity, man can aspire. 6) Burning of fossil fuels and toxic
commitment and responsibility. 3. Love can save the human gases produced in factories
person from meaninglessness causes pollution.
Jean-Paul-Sarte in life. 7) Wildfires that start
Sarte is an atheist who spontaneously in dry areas
believed that God’s existence or LESSON 4: destroy large areas of forest
non-existence cannot affect man’s The Human and the animals and the
freedom. He emphasized that man Persons in insects living inside them.
is intrinsically free and therefore Their Environment 8) Waterways get clogged up with
responsible for himself. the accumulation of natural
Since the human person is DISORDER IN THE debris and excessive plant
thrown in life and the world, he is ENVIRONMENT growth and by waste dumping.
condemned to freedom-and this Our natural environment becomes 9) Adulteration of food causes
freedom pressures him to be unbalanced and unsustainable several health problems.
responsible for everything he does when it’s polluted and stripped of its 10) High doses of radiation can be
and responsible for his own natural resource by harmful or fatal.
existence. over-consumption.
HOW CAN WE ORGANIZE IN OUR
Victor Frankel Our lives are at stake as we find our AESTHETIC WAY THE DISORDER
He is known for his LOGO health IN THE ENVIRONMENT?
THEORY. This means that the being affected by environmental
human person is searching for the toxins in the air, water, and foods God has endowed humanity with
meaning of his existence; that he we consume. reason and ingenuity that
strives to find the meaning of his life distinguish us from other creatures.
and striving for the meaning of Our planet Earth is a fragile planet
existence which serves as a with limited resources. Ingenuity, creativity, and aesthetic
motivation that makes him the will to sense have enabled the human
live. An increase in population make person to make remarkable
Furthermore, Frankel believed excessive demands on resources, advances and can help address the
that by doing a good deed, a person and increases the demand problem of global climate change.
can make his life meaningful. It is he on agriculture and livestock.
alone, and not others, who can Global climate is by its very nature a
satisfy his existence meaningful by Removing trees and other part of the planetary nature of
assigning a task or responsibility to plants to increase areas of things.
himself. cultivation, housing settlement, and
road widening causes habitat loss The melting of ice sheets and
Karl Jaspers and threaten the survival of several glaciers, the destruction of rain
Jaspers and Sarte are opposed plant and animal species. forests, and the pollution of waste in
to their ideas of the existence of some other places can have
God. While Sarte (The Atheist) HUMANS ARE THE MOST environmental impact elsewhere.
advocates the idea of the POLLUTING SPECIES.
non-existence of God, Jaspers on Pope John Paul II has said that
the other hand, recognizes the THINGS THAT ARE NOT IN THEIR “men cannot interfere in one area of
existence of God. PROPER PLACES CAUSE the ecosystem without paying due
A human person, to Jasper i DISORDER IN THE attention both to the consequences
one who is related to others in an ENVIRONMENT. of such interference in other areas
essential manner so that he really 1) The use of chemical fertilizers, and to the well-being of future
exert as himself. The “others” play a insecticides, and herbicides to generation.”
vital role in men’s self-existence. increase production but
The human person, for Jasper is not pollutes the air, soil, and water Responses to global climate change
a self-sufficient separate entity, but with toxic. must reflect men’s interdependence
is constituted of the things he makes 2) Removing trees and plants to and common responsibility for the
his own. increase areas for cultivation, future of the planet.
housing and road widening.
3) Waste generated in farm and Freedom and capacity for moral
Another way of finding meaning in meat processing plants can decision making are central to what
life is through the VALUE OF LOVE. affect the water quality in the it means to be human.
areas.
VALUE OF LOVE 4) Nuclear waste generated from We believe economic freedom,
nuclear reactions and weapons initiative, and creativity are essential
to help our nation find effective ways fostering natural family planning and 49. Use rechargeable batteries.
to address climate change. the education 50. Share!
of women and men rather
In the Philippines, our Catholic than coercive measures of 10 GREAT WAYS
traditions speak of a “social population control or government TO HELP THE
mortgage” on property, and in this incentives for birth control that ENVIRONMENT
context, call us to be “good violate cultural and religious norms. (http://stores.ebay.com)
stewards of the earth.” 1) WALK MORE. DRIVE LESS.
50 WAYS TO SHOW Driving less can be as easy as
True stewardship requires changes YOUR CARE FOR parking in a central location or
in human actions-both in moral THE ENVIRONMENT carpooling with several
behaviour and technical (INTERNET SOURCE) friends/family members. The less
advancement. time you spend driving, the less
1. Change your light. carbon dioxide is released into the
Our religious tradition has always 2. Turn off computers at night. atmosphere.
urged restraint and moderation in 3. Don’t rinse.
the use of material goods. 4. Do not pre-heat the oven. 2) BUY A MORE EFFICIENT
5. Recycle glass. CAR.
Pope John Paul II has linked 6. Diaper with a conscience. If you must drive a lot, drive/buy a
protecting the environment to 7. Hang dry. more efficient car. There are plenty
“authentic human ecology”, which 8. Go vegetarian once a week. of fuel efficient/enviro-friendly
can overcome “structures of sin” 9. Wash in cold or warm. vehicles to choose from. There’s a
and which promotes both human 10. Use one less paper napkin. fuel-efficient car out there for just
dignity and respect for creation. 11. Use both sides of paper. about any budget.
12. Recycle newspaper.
Technology, innovation, and 13. Wrap creativity. 3) USE CLOTH GROCERY
entrepreneurship can help make 14. Rethink bottled water. BAGS.
possible options that can 15. Ban bathe time. Even though they say they are
lead us to a more environmentally 16. Brush without running water. biodegradable, plastic garbage
benign energy path. 17. Shower with your partner. bags are not. Use your own cloth
18. Take a shorter shower. garbage bags, they don’t rip and
As stewards of this heritage, we 19. Plant a tree. they’re better for the environment.
have an obligation to respect future 20. Use your cruise control.
generation’s dignity and to pass on 21. Second-hand doesn’t mean 4) BUY RECYCLED/
their natural inheritance, so that second best. RECYCLABLE GOODS.
their lives are protected and, if 22. Buy local. Only buy goods that are recyclable,
possible, made better than our own. 23. Adjust your thermostat. or made from recycled material. The
24. Invest in your own cup of coffee. more we reuse, the less we have to
CARING 25. Batch errands. take from our planet.
FOR THE 26. Turn off lights.
ENVIRONMENT 27. Greener lawn care. 5) THEN RECYCLE THEM
28. Picnic with a marker. This one is no-brainer; the more we
Population and climate change 29. Recycle old cell phones. recycle, the less we waste. Make an
should be addressed from the 30. Maintain your vehicle. effort to recycle as much as you
broader perspective of a concern for 31. Recycle unwanted wire hangers. can.
protecting human life, caring for the 32. Recycle aluminium and glass.
environment and respecting cultural 33. Telecommute. 6) COMPOST
norms and the religious faith and 34. Keep your fireplace damper Composting not only reduces waste,
moral values of people. closed. but it also helps improve the
35. Cut down on junk mail. environment by improving the soil.
Historically, the industrialized 36. Choose matches over lighters. Setting up a small compost bin in
countries have emitted more 37. Let your fingers do the your backyard is a simple project
greenhouse gases that warmth the walking-online. and can even be profitable. You can
climate than have developing 38. Give it away. sell your composted material to
countries. 39. Go to a car wash. neighbours if you do not have your
40. Plastic bags suck. own use for it.
A more responsible approach to 41. Fly with an E-ticket.
population issues is the promotion 42. Download your software. 7) SAVE WATER
of “authentic development”, which 43. Stop your answering machine. Use low flow showerheads, dual
represents a balanced view of 44. Skip the coffee stirrer. flush toilets, and other water
human progress and includes 45. Find a better way to break the efficient appliances. Make sure you
respect for nature and social ice. only do laundry or dishes when you
well-being. 46. Use cotton swabs with a have full load.
paperboard spindle.
We should promote a respect for 47. Pay bills online. 8) HOUSEPLANTS
nature that encourages policies 48. Stop paper bank statements.
Houseplants add beauty to homes, If the environment is healthy in the critical habit to develop for those
but do you know that you can use sense of promoting active who are seeking a more sustainable
houseplants for air purification transportation such as walking, world.
instead of air fresheners. bicycling, or roller boarding for Another word for prudence is
transportation, people will get more farsightedness. This would suggest
9) PLANT A TREE exercise than they will if they ride in that we take precautionary actions
Plant a couple of trees, they absorb a motorized vehicle. now, and assume the responsibility
carbon dioxide and help reduce for environmental protection, rather
cooling bills during summer, plus More energy conservation helps than push problems off on future
they are really nice to look at. reduce healthier humans because generations.
the most common forms of energy The responsibility principle is a
10) TEACH YOUR CHILDREN production also produce major contemporary expression of
WELL. pollution. For example, coal-fired prudence. The virtue of prudence is
Teach your children the importance electrical generation creates a paramount in addressing climate
of taking care of considerable amount of air pollution. change cause it is not only
our environment and teach necessary for individuals in leading
them ways they can preserve it. Air pollution is thought to lead to morally good, but also vital to the
ozone depletion and global warming moral health of the larger
DO YOU KNOW THAT THESE each of these can harm human community.
SITUATIONS ARE CRITICAL? health if no adaptations are made. It allows us to discern what
HERE ARE SOME FACTS TO constitutes the common good in a
CONSIDER: Lastly, we’ll simply mention that given situation. Prudence requires a
 We use 50% of Earth’s land biodiversity, which means having a deliberate and reflective process
area for food production and wide variety of health species of that aids in shaping the community’s
50% of the Earth’s available plants and animals enriches many conscience. It is a thoughtful,
fresh water for drinking. people’s lives and gives them deliberate, and reasoned basis for
 The main source of water satisfaction- certainly a healthy taking and avoiding action to
pollution is now chemical waste experience. achieve a moral good.
but excrement of farm animals.
 About 70% of the world’s DEVELOPING ENVIRONMENTAL 3. Temperance or Frugality
marine species are at risk of VIRTUE ETHICS Temperance or frugality can be best
extinction. understood as restraint or
 By the year 2100, extinction Virtue ethics can be particularly self-control in the use of resources.
may reach one third (1/3) of all helpful for any kind of leadership This virtue exists in tension with our
species now living. because they nurture the formation culture’s appetite and materialistic
 Animals raised for food of character, the lasting habits of the values. Many countries of the world
currently generate between 15 heart and mind necessary to effect like US and Philippines have high
and 20% of methane emissions positive change in the world. per person level of consumption
globally. such that people around the globe
 Every ton of recycled office 4 CARDINAL VIRTUES IN AN have destroyed ecosystems
paper saves 380 gallons of oil. ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT supporting life.
 Around 30 million tons of As old fashioned as
papers are consumed annually 1. Justice “temperance” sounds, this virtue is a
by people more than 850 Justice for Aquinas means giving highly relevant ethics that can be
million trees are cut down. each person, and each its creature, used to moderate consumption.
 Each year, over 63,000 square its due, in other words, what it Temperance is the antidote to greed.
miles are destroyed resulting in needs to life is a full life. Voluntary simplicity is an expression
more than half the world’s This is an appropriate virtue to of the virtue of temperance.
tropical forest being lost. develop as we consider the global
extinctions of endangered species 4. Fortitude or Bravery
Cleaner air, resulting from fewer as well as the hundreds of millions Fortitude or bravery is more
emissions from cars, buses, of people who lack the commonly described as courage.
industrial processes, and so forth, environmental resources necessary The vocation of working for any
improves human health through to live a life of dignity. positive environmental change
lesser incidence of lung disease, challenges us to cultivate an attitude
asthma, and allergy-like symptoms. 2. Prudence of hope.
Prudence is the intellectual habit Virtue ethics challenges us to move
Clean drinking water, reasonably that wisely assess the means beyond our negative feelings and
clean water for bathing are very necessary to accomplish the end of focus on what kind of person we
important in preventing certain which you are aiming. Another more want to be, what kind of character
disease and symptoms such as common word for this might be will help us to live at our
chronic diarrhea. In this context, wisdom. Prudence and commitments. Courage can give us
“clean” means lacking in obvious environmental ethics invites us to the perseverance to struggle for
pollutants, such as human and consider those means, to have the justice in the face of
animal waste. capacity to make wise judgements discouragement.
in complex trade offs. This is a