LESSON 5: THE FREEDOM OF THE HUMAN – Through spirituality, we have conscience

PERSON whether we choose to be good or evil becomes

our responsibility.
FREEDOM
– the human capacity to act or not to act as we + JEAN PAUL-SARTRE (INDIVIDUAL
choose or prefer without any external compulsion FREEDOM)
or restraint. – Existentialism is a philosophical movement
– intrinsic and essential property of a person known for its inquiry on human existence, which
– an important indication of human freedom is the means “to exist”
ability to make choices and perform actions. – for him, the human person builds the road to the
– our freedom to act sets us apart from other destiny of his/her choosing, she/he is the creator.
beings. – He emphasizes the importance of free individual
choice, regardless of the power of other people to
influence and coerce our desires, beliefs, and
Animals Human Beings
decisions.
– responds to – can choose the – “Existence precedes essences”
commands course of action to take – Freedom means exercising our capacity to
– trained and when given a stimulus make decisions, change our life path and direct
conditioned to perform or faced with a certain the course of our lives through our own steering.
– act instinctively situation.
– Freedom is something that is exercised through
(actions are
predetermined our choices
responses to certain
stimuli)
+ THOMAS HOBBES, JEAN-JACQUES
ROUSSEAU AND JOHN LOCKE (THEORY OF
Philosophers’ Perspective towards the SOCIAL CONTRACT)
Freedom of the Human Person – they define the freedom of an individual in the
context of having a government to rule them
(contract), which is the basis of the notion of moral
+ ARISTOTLE (POWER OF VOLITION) obligation and duty.
– volition in this sense is the faculty or power to – Social Contract, an agreement where individuals
use or discharge one’s will sacrifice an amount of their freedom and submit to
– if there is no intellect, there would be no will. a higher authority.
The will of humanity is an instrument of free – it is a necessity that we must assure the
choice. government and people to work as one, from this
– It is within the power of everyone to be good or understanding also arises certainty that we have
bad, worthy or worthless. freedom.
– For Aristotle, being human is rational.

ABSOLUTE FREEDOM
+ ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (FREEDOM IS – no form of hindrance that would prevent you
SPIRITUALLY AND LOVE) from doing what you want.
– Freedom, for St, Thomas Aquinas, is the matter
of intellectual beings seeking universal goodness. SHOULD FREEDOM BE ABSOLUTE?
– consider human beings as a moral agent. – definitely no, freedom always has its limitations,
– our spirituality separates us from animals; it freedom is always coupled with
delineates moral dimensions of our fulfillment in RESPONSIBILITY.
an action.
 LESSON 6: INTERSUBJECTIVITY ● AVAILABILITY – the willingness of
a person to be present and be at
INTERSUBJECTIVITY disposal of another.
– It refers to shared meanings constructed by ● ETHICS OF CARE – is an ethical
people in their interactions with each other. theory that emphasizes the moral
– is the philosophical concept of the interaction dimension of relationship and
between the “self” and the “other”. It is the interactions. This moral
mutual recognition of each other as persons. perspective encourages
– It refers to the shared awareness, and individuals to help other people,
understanding among people. It is made possible most especially the vulnerable.
by the awareness of the self and the other.
RENE DESCARTES
JEAN PAUL SARTRE
– An advocate of individualism
– Jean Paul Sartre, explains that when you look
at a person, the act of objectification allows you – As a proponent of the doctrine of individualism,
to capture that person’s freedom to be what he he resolved to doubt absolutely everything that
or she wants to be. That is, you are limiting a could possibly be doubted--in the hope of
person’s possibilities by a look. thereby finding something that was beyond
– This is evident when you stereotype or label a doubt. (“Doubt everything that can be
person based on his or her appearance or doubted”)
certain actions. – According to him there is one thing that cannot
● TOTALIZATION – occurs when one limit be doubted, and that is thinking.
the other to a set of rational categories, ● SEEMING – actions where an individual
be they racial, sexual or otherwise. One presents himself or herself in a certain
totalizes the other when one claims he/ way when dealing with others. Persons
she already knows who that person is take on “roles” or act out characters
before they can even speak to them. when dealing with certain people or when
in certain situations.
EDMUND HUSSERL
– Edmund Husserl believes that intersubjectivity DIALOGUE
is more than just shared understanding, but it is – an interaction between persons that happens
the capability to put oneself in the place where through speech, expressions, and body
the other is. language.
– Intersubjectivity occurs when people undergo – Dialogue is not confined to words alone,
acts of empathy because an intersubjective actions, gestures and other expressions may be
experience is highly empathic. This happens used to convey a person’s inner life.
when people put themselves in the shoes of – A dialogue occurs when two persons “open up”
others. to each other and give and receive one another
● EMPATHY – the ability to share in their encounter.
emotions. This emotion is driven by a
person’s awareness that the other is a RECOGNIZING AND RELATING TO OTHERS
person's thoughts and feelings.
– Empathy enables us to experience MARTIN BUBER
another person’s emotions, such as – a Jewish philosopher had a great interest in the
happiness, anger, and study of relating ourselves to others.
sadness.Sympathy is “feeling with”, – He said that “I” or yourself, can only be
while empathy is “feeling in” realized through recognition of “others.”
– The “I” cannot be aware of its uniqueness and – In some cases, non-verbal dialogical relations
existence without encountering the “other.” are not only the more appropriate means of
conversation, but considered as a more
Several ways by which we relate to others profound form of conversation.
(according to Buber)

The “I-I” relationship ● Martin Heidegger

– “I-I” relationship in which people make – argued that humankind is a
themselves the center of their world. conversation.
– Talking to other people does not interest them – Language, as one of the controls of
and if they talk to others, it is the “I” who will be humans, creates the human world.
the center of the conversation. Language is a tool for communication,
information, and social collaboration.
– They don't really listen to what others are – A conversation is creative, expressive,
sharing. and profound that allows humanity to
exist as more than objects. We are
The “I-It” relationship human beings who sincerely care more
– “I-It” relationship is the second type of than acquiring information and
relationship. satisfaction.
– There are people that treat other people into
the status of an object—an It. ● Paulo Freire
Examples: – dialogue is the encounter between men,
1.Researchers who have indigenous people as mediated by the people in order to
their participants. They are very prone to transform the world.
reducing the other into mere It, i.e. as mere – For him, dialogue is not just simply an
objects of investigation. interaction between people to explore the
world together, it is also a sign of
2.In the medical field when practitioners look at
freedom, equality, and responsibility in
their patients as objects of investigation.
discovering and transforming the world of
every human being.
The “I-Thou” relationship
– “without dialogue there is no
– It is in this kind of human relationship that
communication, and without
genuine sharing of one another takes place.
communication, there can be no true
– It is in this type of relationship that the other is
education.”
treated as distinctly other, the I treats the person
as a Thou (You)—-as another person who is
Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and
different from the I; one has a different set of
Underprivileged Sectors of the Society
interests, visions, beliefs, values, and
characteristics.
PERSONS’ WITH DISABILITIES (PWD’s)
– The center of this relationship is a genuine form – According to the United Nations (UN)
of conversation: a dialogue. Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, the term “persons with disabilities” is
AUTHENTIC DIALOGUE used to apply to those persons who have
– Authentic dialogue is a form of interpersonal long-term physical, psychological, intellectual, or
communication which occurs when people sensory impairments which in interaction with
recognize that they are part of a greater whole several unreasonable or discriminatory barriers
and can relate with others within the whole. may obstruct their full and active participation as
equal members of the society.
 ● Paralympics – a series of international Cogencia and was participated by 100
contests for athletes with disabilities that Philippine-based companies, not a single Filipino
are associated with and held following the company has any implementing policy that will
summer and winter Olympic Games. protect their employees who are members of the
LGBT community from various forms of
discrimination within the working environment.
UNDERPRIVILEGED SECTORS OF THE – It is also important to promote inclusivity- the
SOCIETY practice or policy of providing equal access to
opportunities and resources for people who might
– The underprivileged is being described as the otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as
group of people that is suffering from different those having physical or mental disabilities or
forms of social deprivation such as denial of the belonging to other minority groups.
enjoyment of a similar level of comfort and/or
fundamental rights as most of the members of a
civilized society due to several economic and LESSON 7: THE HUMAN PERSON IN THE
social circumstances. SOCIETY
– This group is less in terms of material
possessions and basic social benefits, like FORMS OF SOCIETY
education and health services, in comparison to
most of the people in a certain society. + PRE-INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY
– Furthermore, this group of individuals is facing
various dimensions of poverty, such as income > HUNTING AND GATHERING
poverty, health deprivation, human rights - recognized as the earliest and simplest form of
violations, gender inequity, and many more. society.
– Globally, women and children are being - nomadic (no permanent settlement)
subjected to oppression and different forms of - members are generally treated equally and
exploitation, such as prostitution and decisions are based on consensus.
pornography that assault human dignity and
violate human rights. > PASTORAL SOCIETY
– They have turned into slaves of these criminal - characterized by the domestication of the
activities because of different social and animals for food for a more stable and
economic conditions like poverty and lack of predictable food supply.
opportunity. - pastoral societies often produce surplus food
and resources.
- leads to the emergence of specialized tasks in
LGBTQI++ COMMUNITY the community.

– The members of the LGBT community are also > HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
victims of different types of violence. Many of - primarily engages in the small-scale cultivation
them are experiencing numerous adverse of plants, fruits, and vegetables and the
treatments like bullying, discrimination, physical domestication of animals.
violence, and even sexual assault because of - semi-nomadic
their sexual orientations and gender identities. - the assignment of tasks and occupations were
– They are also facing work-related issues. often based on gender.
Based on the first-ever Corporate SOGIE
Diversity and Inclusiveness (CSDI) Index, a
study that was administered by the Philippine
LGBT Chamber of Commerce and research firm > AGRARIAN OR AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
- involves the large-scale and long-term
cultivation of crops and domestication of animals. “How does society influence our
- characterized by improved technology and the development as persons?”
use of tools to aid in learning.
- give rise to a growing population and a more - the person and the society have a very dynamic
structured social system. relationship in which one cannot exist without the
other.
> FEUDAL SOCIETY - society influences our development as persons
- based on the ownership of land in various ways.
- originated during medieval age in western - society influences the interactions of its
Europe members through the establishment of norms -
- members of society are organized and based sets of traits and behavior that society considers
on status. acceptable.
- social relations are characterized by - when members of society do not conform to
dependence. established norms, one can experience negative
- Medieval age, period where the church is the consequences, such as punishment or social
dominant institution, and considered rebellious stigma.
because of its attack on the church’s dominance
“How does society enable humans to become
+ INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES a better person?”
- based on the use of specialized machinery in
the production of goods and services. - we have a freedom to rise above circumstances
- “Industrial Revolution” and make ourselves into something different or
- technological advances in this period resulted in better.
improved trade and commerce. - society recognizes the capability of the person
- work is done in factories to develop, and provides its members with
- lead to greater inequalities in wealth, power, opportunities to better themselves.
and influence. - persons can undertake to contribute to society
through their decisions and actions.
+ POST-INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY - Social Movement, a large-scale action done by
- marked by the establishment of societies based various groups and organizations in pursuit of a
on knowledge, information, and sale of services. common goal to bring about change. (e.g,
- trend has shifted from industry to the environment, youth, clean governance)
generation, storage, manipulation, and sale of
information.
- “virtual society” LESSON 8:
- a “digital citizen” is a person who is HUMAN PERSONS AS ORIENTED TOWARDS
knowledgeable and responsible enough to THEIR IMPENDING DEATH
effectively use different social platforms on the
internet. They often engage in useful topics and How does the reality of death define our
issues that will help build a better society, politics, lives?
and government. – Death is commonly understood as the end of
bodily functions which signals the end of a
person’s life.
– it also refers to the separation of the body and
the spirit

ADDTL’ NOTES
– the body, being material, is bound by laws of its goodness is found only from what it
time and space and is subject to growth, death, can provide (Example: money)
and decay. ● Pleasurable good – is good as long as it
– we are born into human life, we grow and age, provides some form of pleasure, though it
and we eventually die. This paradox defines the does not have to be physical
uniqueness of human existence. Why do we suffer?
– Suffering takes place when we patiently
How should I live my life before it finally endure unpleasantness, discomfort, and pain.
ends? ● Physical suffering (discomfort, hunger,
– Self-determination is the capacity to choose distress, and pain)
and act for oneself. A person can still exercise ● Mental suffering (depression, anxiety,
freedom in choosing how to face the reality of fear, loneliness, and grief)
death in their lives. – suffering are necessary, without it, we are
– we can choose to spend our lives doing good unable to grow and improve
and reasonable things. The person is the author How do happiness, suffering, and death give
and protagonist who determines the meaning to your life?
development and conclusion of his/her story. – The pursuit of happiness requires that we go
through the effort to achieve it. Efforts are often
● Terminus, which means the full stop or marked by difficulties and discouragement.
end of a line. For them, life ends and – The reality of death means that our existence is
nothing follows. unique and that we will not always get another
● Telos, which means “goal, purpose, or chance to do the things we want in this life.
fulfillment”. Death is not the goal of life. Therefore, we should not easily give up on the
pursuit of good things.
– Man is put on this earth to live a meaningful – Reflecting on the reality of death enables us to
life, to be virtuous and achieve excellence think of how we can best live a meaningful life.
– we can look at two experiences which make us – We can strive to leave behind a legacy either in
reflect on the meaning of life: happiness and the form of an inheritance, a reputation, or a
suffering. significant achievement. Because of our freedom,
how we choose to live our lives is entirely up to
What makes you happy? us.
– ancient greek philosophy considers happiness – Life is a gift given to each person and it is
as an achievement and must be gained by living important to turn this life into a gift for others as
a productive and moral life well
– Happiness is a “whole-life satisfaction” based
on our evaluation of our overall life experiences ADDITIONAL NOTES:
– Happiness is a state of being and not merely ● For Pope John Paul II, actions reveal the
an emotional experience or a chosen mental nature of the human agent. Relationships
attitude explain the essence of the human person.
● Feudalism was a way of life during Medieval
Source of Happiness ages.
● Noble good – is one which is pursued for ● The revival of classical learning, interest in
its own sake; it is good in itself (Example: beauty and art and literature returned during
love and friendship) the Renaissance period.
● Useful good – is considered good as ● St. Thomas Aquinas fourfold classification of
long as it serves as a means to an end; law: Eternal, Natural, Divine, and Human Law.
● St. John Paul II is also known as Karol
Wojtyla