PHILOSOPHY OF

HUMAN PERSON
SIR. RUSTY D. GUTIERREZ
 CONTENT STANDARDS
◦ AT THE END OF THE UNIT, THE STUDENTS BE ABLE TO:
◦ UNDERSTAND THE MEANING AND PROCESS OF DOING
PHILOSOPHY
◦ DEMONSTRATE VARIOUS WAYS OF DOING PHILOSOPHY
◦ UNDERSTAND THE HUMAN PERSON AS THE EMBODIED
SPIRIT
◦ UNDERSTAND THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN HUMAN AND
THEIR ENVIRONMENT.
LESSON 1: DOING PHILOSOPHY
◦ TO ASK QUESTIONS
◦ TO REFLECT
◦ TO FORMULATE
◦ AND EVALUATE ARGUMENTS

◦ “PHILOSOPHY BEGINS IN WONDER”

◦ ACCORDING TO SOCCRATES
◦ ONE BEGINS TO THINK
◦ ONE BEGINS TO PHILOSOPHIZE
In Doing Philosophy one needs to master in
important skills.
◦ It is the Philosophical Reflection
◦ According to Gabriel Marcel
◦ The Philosophical Reflection means is the act
of giving time to think about the meaning and
purpose of life.
TWO TYPES OF PHILOSOPHICAL
REFLECTION:

◦PRIMARY REFLECTION
◦FRAGMENTED AND
COMPARTAMENTALIZED THINKING

◦INSTRUMENTAL THINKING
TWO TYPES OF PHILOSOPHICAL
REFLECTION:

◦SECONDARY REFLECTION
◦ INTEGRATES THE FRAGMENTED AND
COMPARTMENTALIZED EXPERIENCE INTO A COHERENT
WHOLE.

◦ PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTION=SECONDARY REFLECTION

 DEFINITION OF PHILOSOPHY
◦ ETYMOLOGICALLY SPEAKING THE TERM PHILOSOPHY
◦ CAME FROM TWO GREEK WORDS:
◦ PHILOS = LOVE
◦ SOPHIA= WISDOM
◦ THUS PHILOSOPHY IS DEFINED AS THE “LOVE OF WISDOM”
◦ LOVE= STRONG DESIRE FOR A PARTICULAR OBJECT.
◦ WISDOM= CORRECT APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE.
 PHILOSOPHY
◦ SCIENCE THAT STUDIES BEINGS IN THEIR ULTIMATE CAUSES,
REASONS AND PRINCIPLES THROUGH THE AID OF HUMAN
REASON ALONE.
◦ BEING/BEINGS = ALL THINGS THAT EXIST: MATERIAL OR
IMMATERIAL
◦ MATERIAL EXAMPLES ARE: STONE/ROCK, TREES, CARS,
HUMAN BEINGS ETC.
◦ IMMATERIAL = THE NOTIONS OF GOD , SOUL, SPIRIT.
 BASIC QUESTIONS OF PHILOSOPHY
◦ WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THE WORLD OF EVERYTHING THAT EXIST?
◦ WHY DO THIS THINGS IS EXIST RATHER THAN NOT EXIST AT ALL?
◦ IS THERE GOD? IF SO HOW CAN WE JUSTIFY THE GOODNESS OF
GOD IN THE FACE OF EVIL?
◦ WHAT IS THE MEANING AND PURPOSE OF LIFE? WHY DO WE HAVE
SUFFER?
◦ IF ONE IS SUFFER FROM AN UNBEARABLE PAIN, SUCH AS
CANCER , IS IT MORALLY RIGHT TO RESORT TO EUTHANASIA OR
ASSISTED SUICIDE?
ACCORDING
TO KARL
JASPERS
QUESTIONS ARE MORE
IMPORTANT THAN
ANSWERS BECAUSE
ANSWERS THEMSELVES
WILL IN TURN BECOME
QUESTIONS!
CORE BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY
◦ PHILOSOPHY AS A FIELD OF STUDY AND AS A
DISCIPLINE HAS FOUR CORE BRANCHES:
METHAPHYSICS, EPISTIMOLOGY, ETHICS
AND LOGIC. THESE BRANCHES HAVE THEIR
OWN FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION.
 METHAPHYSICS = FOUNDATION OF
PHILOSOPHY
◦ DERIVED FROM THE GREEK WORD:
◦ META = (BEYOND/ AFTER)
◦ PHYSIKA = (PHYSICAL/ NATURE)
◦ METHAPHYSICS – STUDY OF THINGS BEYOND THE PHYSICAL ;
CONCEPTS OR THINGS THAT CANNOT BE EXPERIENCED
◦ ACCORDING TO ARISTOTLE: METHAPHYSICS IS THE FIRST PHILOSOPHY
◦ METHAPHYSICS SUBDIVIDED IN TWO:
◦ GENERAL METHAPHYSICS
◦ SPECIAL METHAPHYSICS
 METHAPHYSICS
◦ GENERAL METHAPHYSICS
◦ REFERRED TO ONTOLOGY
◦ SPECIAL METHAPHYSICS
◦ COSMOLOGY
◦ PSYCHOLOGY OR ANTHROPOLOGY
◦ NATURAL THEOLOGY OR THEODICY
 ONTOLOGY
◦ ONTO = (BEING OR THAT WHICH IS)
◦ LOGOS = (KNOWLEDGE OR STUDY)
◦ = STUDIES BEINGS IN THEIR ULTIMATE CAUSES, REASONS
AND PRINCIPLES THROUGH THE AID OF REASON ALONE.
◦ BASIC QUESTIONS IN ONTOLOGY:
◦ WHAT IS BEING?
◦ WHY DO THINGS EXIST RATHER THAN NOT EXIST AT ALL?
◦ WHAT IS THE MEANING AND NATURE OF REALITY?
◦ IS THERES NOTHING?
 COSMOLOGY
◦ KOSMOS = WORLD
◦ LOGOS = STUDY
◦ STUDIES THE WORLD (OR UNIVERSE) INCLUDING THE ITS ORIGIN,
DYNAMICS, AND CHARACTERISTICS, AS WELL AS THE LAWS THAT
GOVERNS ITS ORDER.
◦ BASIC QUESTIONS IN COSMOLOGY:
◦ WHAT IS THE ORGIN OF THE WORLD
◦ WHAT IS THE BASIC MATERIAL OF WHICH THE WORLD IS FORMED?
◦ HOW DO THINGS ARISE?
◦ IS THE WORLD OR UNIVERSE INFINITE?
 PSYCHOLOGY
◦ PSYCHE = SOUL/ MIND
◦ LOGOS = STUDY
◦ STUDY OF THE NATURE AND DYNAMICS OF THE HUMAN PERSON
AS A WHOLE WITH EMPHASIS ON THE WAY THE PERSONS MIND
FUNCTIONS AND THE WAY SHE BEHAVES.
◦ BASIC QUESTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGY
◦ WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THE HUMAN PERSON?
◦ IS THERE SUCH THING AS HUMAN NATURE?
◦ WHAT IS THE MEANING AND PURPOSE IN LIFE?
 THEODICY
◦ THEOS = GOD
◦ STUDY OF GOD
◦ JUSTIFICATION OF THE GOODNESS OF GOD IN THE
FACE OF THE EXISTENCE OF EVIL.
◦ BASIC QUESTIONS IN THEODICY
◦ IS THERE GOD?
◦ WHAT AND WHO IS GOD? IF HE EXIST AT ALL?
◦ HOW DO WE PROVED THE EXISTENCE OF GOD?
 EPISTEMOLOGY
◦ EPISTEMOLOGY
◦ EPISTEME = KNOWLEDGE
◦ LOGOS = STUDY

EPISTEMOLOGY – STUDY OF THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF KNOWLEDGE

AND JUSTIFIES BELIEF.

BASIC QUESTIONS IN EPISTEMOLOGY;

WHAT IS KNOWLEDGE?
WHAT DO WE KNOW?
HOW IS KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED?
WHAT MAKES JUSTIFIES BELIEFS?
 LOGIC
◦ LOGOS- Science of Correct Thinking
◦ Study of the principles and criteria of a valid argument.
◦ Distinguish sound or good reasoning from unsound or bad reasoning.

Basic questions in Logic:

What is correct reasoning?
How can we detect a fallacy argument ?
What are the Criteria in determining the validity of an argument?
What are the types of logic?
 ETHICS
◦ ETHOS = CUSTOM OR HABIT
◦ MORALITY OF HUMAN ACTION
◦ HOW HUMAN PERSON OUGHT TO ACT, AND THE SEARCH FOR A
DEFINATION OF RIGHT CONDUCT, AND GOOD LIFE.
◦ BASIC QUESTIONS IN ETHIC:
◦ WHAT IS THE RIGHT CONDUCT AS THAT WHICH CAUSES THE
REALIZATION OF THE GREATEST GOOD?
◦ HOW DO WE DETERMINE A RIGHT CONDUCT?
◦ IN OTHER WORDS, WHATS MAKES A RIGHT CONDUCT?
◦ WHAT IS A GOOD LIFE AND CAN WE ATTAIN IT?