COURSE CODE: CORE8

COURSE TITLE: INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN

PERSON
COURSE TYPE: CORE
PRE-REQUISITE: NONE
CO-REQUISITE: NONE
QUARTER: FIRST
COURSE DESCRIPTION: An initiation to the activity and process of philosophical
reflection as a search for a synoptic vision of life. Topics to
be discussed include the human experiences of embodiment,
being in the world with others and the environment, freedom,
intersubjectivity, sociality, and being unto death.

MODULE 1

DOING PHILOSOPHY
This module provides an introduction to philosophy as a discipline. The essential
question that this chapter would clarify is: “What is philosophy?” This includes the
meaning of philosophy, branches of philosophy, nature of philosophy, and the
importance of studying philosophy.

LEARNING COMPETENCIES

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Distinguish a holistic perspective from a partial point of view
2. Realize the value of doing philosophy in obtaining a broad perspective on life

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “Philosophy”? Write your answers
in the given space below:
1. _______________________
2. _______________________
3. _______________________
4. _______________________
5. _______________________
After listing down your answers, why do you think it is beneficial to have a
“Philosophy” in life?
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 LEARNING CONTENT

The Meaning of "Philosophy"

Philosophy can be defined in its etymological (where the term is derived) and real
meaning. Etymologically, philosophy is derived from the Greek word “philos” or
“phileim” (to love, to desire) and “sophia” (wisdom), Putting the two words together, we
have “philo” + “sophia” or love of wisdom. Thus, a philosopher is a lover of wisdom.
Wisdom in philosophy is in how you help yourself think more clearly, precisely and
systematically.
It was Pythagoras (580-500 BC), a Greek mathematician and philosopher who coined
the word “love of wisdom”. In one of his travels in an ancient Greek kingdom, he was
asked by the king if he was a sophos (a wise man), he said that he was not but only a
“lover of wisdom”. Philosophy in its real meaning has been defined by various authors
according to what they think, what they believe, and what they think ought to be done
in the subject.
Philosophy is the sum of all men’s beliefs and views about the world which guide their
actions (Ariola 1989). The dictionary defines philosophy as the love or pursuit of wisdom,
the search for basic principles. According to Encyclopedia America (2013), philosophy
is rationally critical thinking of a more or less systematic kind about the conduct of life,
the general nature of the world, and the justification of belief. According to Pinion (1995),
philosophy is the science of things by their ultimate principles and causes, as known
by natural reason alone. Philosophy is the only science that investigates all things in
their ultimate causes, views, and principles through reason alone.

Meaning of “Person”
The term “person” is defined in many ways based on one’s purpose. In law, it refers to
a corporation, organization, partnership, association, or other entity construed to be
governed by a particular law. In grammar, a person is any of the three groups of
pronouns with corresponding verb inflections that distinguish the speaker (first person),
the individual addressed (second person), and the individual or thing spoken of (the
third ° person). In Christianity, it is any of the three separate individualities constituting
the Trinity: the first person (The Father), the second person (The Son), and the. third
person (The Holy Spirit).
In philosophy, a person is a being that has certain capacities or attributes. It is a
composite of characteristics that make up an individual a “self”. St Thomas Aquinas
defines, person as an individual substance of material nature.
In ancient Rome, the word persona (Latin) or prosopon (Greek) referred to the masks
worn by actors on stage. The various masks represented the Various “personae” in the
stage play.
The plural persons is often used in philosophy and law whereas the word persons or
“people” is often used in sociology and government to refer to an entire nation or ethnic
group.
 Meaning of "Human"
Human is defined as rational being endowed with composite characteristics (physical,
mental, moral, spiritual, and emotional) as distinct from lower animals. The human
person is used together to distinguish it from other kinds of persons such as a corporate
person, ecclesiastical person, person in grammar, etc.

Meaning of "Philosophy of the Human Person”

Based on the above definitions, what then is the meaning of the philosophy of the
human person? Philosophy of the Human Person is the love or desire of a rational being
endowed with wisdom. It is one’s desire to know who and what a human person is.
Thus, we ask the question “Who is he?” The focal point of the study is the human person,
the meaning of his existence, his destiny, and his relation to others, society, and the
world.
Broadly speaking, the philosophy of the human person is a course that deals with the
study of the human person as an embodied being, immersed in society, the world, and
the environment and oriented towards death. Thus, the human person’s life existence
is fulfilled in various relationships; his relationship with himself, relationship with
others, relationship with society, relationship with the world and environment, and his
impending death.
The philosophy of the human person started when the methods of philosophy is applied
to find answers to the questions and mysteries of human existence. The human person
which is formerly used as the man (in the philosophy of man) is the more applicable
term to avoid confusion in a word that applies to both sexes.
What is then the object inquired and studied by the philosophy of man? The British
philosopher Sir Karl Raimund Popper (1902-1994) theorized that man (now human
person) concurrently exists in three distinct worlds: namely (1) the physical world of
nature (that properly belongs to natural/ physical sciences); (2) the internal world of
ideas, thoughts, and emotions, and the (3) social world of inter-subjectivity, Number
two and three worlds belong to the jurisdiction of philosophy. Hence, the philosophy of
- the human person also includes investigations into such a person’s internal ~ world
of ideas, thoughts, and emotions as well as such person’s social world.

EXERCISES

ACTIVITY 1:
DIRECTIONS: Reflect on the phrase shown below and fill the table with your answer.
“My insights on the meaning of Philosophy of the Human Person”

New meaning I Philosophical How can I use Why should I

learned Values I Got them in my apply them?
student life?
 LEARNING CONTENT

BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY

A. METAPHYSICS
Metaphysics is only an extension of the fundamental and necessary drive in every
human being to know what is real. What is reality, why does reality exist, and how does
it exist are just some of the questions pursued by metaphysics. The question is how to
account for this unreal thing in terms of what you can accept as real. Thus, a very big
part of a metaphysician’s task is to explain that part of our experience, which we call
unreal in terms of what we call real. This means the concept of thought, idea, existence,
reality, being, and other abstract ideas of life are understood and analyzed using what
is physically seen in the world and vice versa.

In our everyday attempts to understand the world in terms of appearance and reality,
we try to make things comprehensible and sensible in the ordinary way of
understanding the world by simplifying or reducing the mass of things we call
appearance to a relatively fewer number of things we call reality. Reality here is referred
to in metaphysics as “true reality,” meaning, it is the fundamental source and basis of
all reality in the world and in existence. Metaphysics assumes that the reality we see
with our eyes is just a temporary cover of the true reality that exists beyond what our
senses could perceive.

For instance, for Thales, a Greek philosopher, everything is water. He claimed that
everything we experience is water – which we call “reality.” Everything else is
“appearance.” We then set out to try to explain everything else (appearance) in terms of
water (reality). Clouds, for example, or blocks of ice do not look like water, but they can
be explained in terms of water. Thales believed that the principle beyond all existence
and reality can be best explained by the analogy of water. In fact, water for Thales is the
fundamental shape and movement of all things in the universe.

Plato, Socrates’s most famous student, is a good example of a metaphysician who drew
the sharpest possible contrast and division between reality and appearance. Nothing we
experience in the physical world with our five senses is real, according to Plato. Reality,
in fact, is just the opposite. It means that reality is an invisible but concrete true
representation of all physical reality that the eye can see. It is unchanging, eternal,
immaterial, and can be detected only by the intellect. Plato called these realities as ideas
of forms. These are meanings which universal general terms refer to, and they are also
those things we talk about when we discuss moral, mathematical, and scientific ideals.

B. ETHICS
Ethics is the branch of philosophy that explores the nature of moral virtue and evaluates
the morality and virtue of human actions. Ethicists who study morality from the
perspective of philosophy appeal to logical arguments to justify claims and positions
involving morality. They use ethical theory in the analysis and deliberation of issues.
Whereas religion has often helped motivate individuals to obey the laws and moral code
of their society, philosophy is not content with traditional or habitual ethics but adapts
a critical perspective. It insists that obedience to moral law be given a rational
foundation.
 C. EPISTEMOLOGY
Specifically, epistemology deals with the nature, sources, limitations, and validity of
knowledge. Epistemological questions are basic to all other philosophical inquiries.
Epistemology explains: (1) how we know what we claim to know; (2) how we can find out
what we wish to know; and (3) how we can differentiate truth from falsehood.
Epistemology addresses varied problems; the reliability, extent, and kinds of knowledge;
truth; language; and science and scientific knowledge. How do we acquire reliable
knowledge? Human knowledge may be regarded as having two parts.
D. LOGIC
Reasoning is the concern of the logician. This could be reasoning in science and
medicine, in ethics and law, in politics and commerce, in sports and games, and in the
affairs of everyday living. The term “logic” comes from the Greek world logike and was
coined by Zeno the Stoic (c. 340-265 BC). Etymologically, it means a treatise on matters
pertaining to the human thought. It is important to underpin that logic does not provide
us knowledge of the world directly, for logic is considered as a toll, and, therefore does
not contribute directly to the content of our thoughts. Logic is not interested in what we
know regarding certain subjects. Its concern, rather, is the truth or the validity of our
arguments regarding such objects. Aristotle was the first philosopher to devise a logical
method. He drew upon the emphasis on the “universal” in Socrates, negation in
Parmenides and Plato, and the reduction to the absurd of Zeno of Elea. His philosophy
is also based on claims about propositional structure and the body of argumentative
techniques.
E. AESTHETICS
Aesthetics is the science of the beautiful in its various manifestations – including the
sublime, comic, tragic, pathetic, and ugly. To experience aesthetics, therefore means
whatever experience has relevance to art, whether the experience be that of the creative
artist or of appreciation. As a branch of philosophy, students should consider the
importance of aesthetics because of the following:
1. It vitalizes our knowledge. It makes our knowledge of the world alive and useful. We
go through our days picking up a principle as fact, here and there, and too infrequently
see how they are related.
2. It helps us live more deeply and richly. A work of art – whether a book, a piece of
music, painting, or a television show – helps us rise from purely physical existence into
the realm of intellect and the spirit. As a being of body and soul, a human being needs
nourishment for his higher life as well as his lower. Art, therefore, is not something
merely like craft or applied arts, but something of weight and significance to
humankind.
3. It brings us in touch with our culture. Things about us change so rapidly nowadays
that we forget how much we owe to the past. We cannot shut ourselves off from the past
any more than we can shut ourselves off geographically from the rest of the world. It is
difficult that the great problems of human life have occurred over and over again for
thousands of years.
 EXERCISES

ACTIVITY 2: COMPLETE ME
DIRECTIONS: Complete the following open-ended questions.
1. Philosophy is like……
2. Philosophy is important because…....
3. Thinking makes us…….
4. Knowledge help us to…..
5. Wisdom is…….
6. Humans are like……
7. Metaphysics deals with…….
8. Beauty is ………
9. Logic proves ……..
10. Reality is ……..

ACTIVITY 3: COMPLETE THE TABLE

DIRECTIONS: Complete the table below about branches of Philosophy. Give two
Philosophical questions for each branch.

Branches of Philosophy Philosophical Questions

1. Metaphysics

2. Epistemology

3. Ethics

4. Logic

5. Philosophy of Religion

6. Politics

ANSWER THIS!

DIRECTIONS: In the space provided, answer the following questions.

1. What do you think are the reasons why people philosophize?
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2. What are the practical uses of philosophy in our lives?
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 LEARING CONTENT

Why Study Philosophy?

According to Brown University (2020), this question may be understood in two ways:
Why would one engage in the particular intellectual activities that constitute
philosophical inquiry? And how might the study of philosophy affect my future career
prospects? Philosophy as an intellectual activity may have a number of motivations:
• Intellectual curiosity philosophy is essentially a reflective-critical inquiry motivated
by a sense of intellectual “wonder.” What is the world like? Why is it this way, rather
than another? Who am I? Why am I here?
• Interest in cultural and intellectual history: as a discipline, philosophy pays a great
deal of attention to its history, and to the broader cultural and intellectual context in
which this history unfolds.
• Sharpening thinking skills: the study of philosophy is especially well suited to the
development of a variety of intellectual skills involved in the analysis of concepts, the
critique of ideas, the conduct of sound reasoning and argumentation;
• Sharpening writing skills: the writing of philosophy is especially rigorous insofar as
it demands a high level of clarity, precision, and organization.
• Philosophy might affect future career prospects in a number of ways: Some
philosophy concentrators go on to graduate school to earn a PhD in philosophy. Most of
those become professors of philosophy, which means that their professional lives are
devoted to research and teaching in philosophy.
• A philosophy concentration is not limiting: in fact, the skills it develops and
sharpens are transferable to a wide variety of professional activities. Obvious examples
include the application of reasoning and argumentation skills to the practice of law

READ THIS!

DIRECTIONS: Read the story below and answer the guide questions.
The Story of the Blind Men and an Elephant
One day blind men agreed to analyze an elephant to find out what it was. Reaching out,
each touched it in a different spot. One man touched the side, one, an ear, one a leg,
one a tusk, and one the trunk. We now know that the elephant is like a wall, said the
one who touched the side. I believed you are mistaken, sir, said the one who touched
an ear. The elephant is more like a large fan. You are both wrong, said the leg man. The
elephant is obviously being like a tree. A tree? Questioned the tusk toucher. How can
you mistake a spear for a tree? What? Said the trunk feeler. A spear is long and round,
but anyone knows it doesn’t move. Couldn't you feel the muscles? It is definitely a type
of snake. A blind man could see that said the fifth blind man. The argument grew more
heated for they had a misunderstanding regarding the truth of an elephant
Guide Questions:
1. What is the story all about?
2. What is the source of argument among the blind men?
3. How can blind men come up with a common understanding of an elephant?
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LEARNING CONTENT

FROM A HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE AND PARTIAL POINT OF VIEW

Discussions on the distinction between holistic perspective and partial points of view
remind one of the stories of “The Six Blind Men and the Elephant.” Briefly, the story
narrates how six blind men came to ‘know’ what an elephant is just by touching a certain
part of the animal’s body. The one who happened to touch the trunk came to the
conclusion that an elephant is a snake; the one who touched a foot concluded that the
animal is a tree; the one who was near an ear said that the elephant is a huge fan, and
so on. The conclusions they made were based, obviously, on their own perception of the
animal concerned: They based their claims on their own partial ‘points of view, so to
speak. Because they did so, their conclusions are all erroneous. They were off the mark.
Such is a partial point of view. It is only focused on certain aspects of the whole, so
much so that the whole is, in most cases, ignored, if not downright - forgotten. It views
the little details of things but forgets, or tends to ignore, the bigger picture. It is like, as
some fondly say, failing to see the forest because of focusing so much on the trees.
Moreover, it tends to make the perceiving subject the standard or basis of reality. Others’
points of view become necessarily inferior. Because of these, a partial point of view is
very much limited.
A holistic perspective, on the other hand, is the opposite of a partial point of view. While
a partial point of view is focused only on certain parts and thereby loses the bigger
picture, a holistic perspective examines each component part and how it is connected
with other component parts to form a cohesive whole. It looks at the totality rather than
at certain aspects only. It focuses on the bigger picture rather than on the finer details.
Rather than just looking at individual trees, it sees the whole forest. This is not to say
that one has to ignore certainly. aspects and finer details. On the contrary, one has to
focus on these things for a - deeper knowledge or mastery of them. However, these
certain aspects have to be looked at as parts of a far greater whole. The finer details
have to be viewed as part of the whole picture. The whole, after all, is greater than the
sum of its parts.
Furthermore, a holistic perspective does not make the perceiving subject ‘the measure
of all things so to say. Instead, it emphasizes such humble recognition that while one’s
personal take about something may be true, definitely it is not the absolute truth and
that others’ take on the same thing is also probably true. This is not about saying that
one’s personal view on things is unnecessary and entirely erroneous. It is simply about
 accepting the fact that personal points of view cannot account for the truth. No one
holds the monopoly on truth, after all. ~
The elephant, when viewed from the limited and partial points of view of each blind man,
is far from what a true elephant is. An elephant is obviously more than an ear or a leg
or a trunk. It is absolutely not a fan, nor a tree, nor a snake.
Incidentally, being holistic is one of the characteristics the scholars have attributed to
the postmodern ages. On a rather grand stage, considering the proliferation of so many
theories and ideas, there is now a call for everyone to suspend his or her personal and
partial take on things in favor of listening to what others have to say. This is not about
just accepting others’ points of view and rejecting one’s own. Rather, it is an opportunity
to compare one’s view with that of others and thereby generating a more holistic view of
things. Two sets of eyes see a lot more than one set can, after all.

ASSESSMENT

A. DIRECTIONS: Identify whether each item states truth or falsity. Write true or
false on the space provided after each item.
______1. A holistic perspective looks only at certain aspects of things.
______2. A holistic perspective is a subjective point of view.
______3. A holistic perspective focuses on the details instead of the bigger picture.
______4. A holistic perspective is focused more on an aspect rather than on its connection
with the rest.
______5. A holistic perspective is like looking at a single tree and, in the process, losing
the whole forest.
______6. A partial point of view is basically objective.
______7. A partial point of view considers the whole picture, not the finer details.
______8. A partial point. of view rather looks into the interconnectedness of things.
______9. A partial point of view makes the perceiving subject the standard of truth.
______10. A partial point of view is looking at the forest rather than at a single tree.

B. DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions in the given spaces below.

1. Look back on your previous experiences and ask yourself. Was there a time in
your life wherein you had a partial point of view in giving judgments in any
situation? How did it affect you and others?
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2. On your point of view, discuss the various activities and concrete situations from
a holistic perspective of the Philosophy of the human person. Be able to give
examples.

a. The human person relates himself to others

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b. The human person relates himself to the society where he lives
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RUBRICS:

CRITERIA POINTS
Structure/Logic 15 points
Content 25 points
Word Choice 10 points
TOTAL 50 points

APPLICATION

DIRECTIONS: Cite one of the prevalent and recurring problems in your own locality,
e.g garbage, and human waste, drug addiction, unruly behavior, premarital sex, etc. Do
a philosophical analysis, i.e. ask what really is the problem, dig into the root, evaluate
the pros and cons of the problem, and apply the holistic perspective rather than the
partial point of view.
RUBRICS:
5 (25pts) 4 (20pts) 3 (15pts) 2 (10pts) 1 (5pts)
Shows a Shows a good Presents a Attempts to Shows
thorough understanding satisfactory address the understanding
understanding of the theme understanding theme, but little of the theme
of the theme of the theme vague and
inaccurate
Addresses all Addresses more Addresses some Develops a Totally wrong
the aspects of aspects of the aspects of the faulty analysis analysis of the
the task task task of the task concept
Shows Shows Ideas almost Ideas are Ideas are vague
coherence and coherence and coherent incoherent
unity of idea unity of ideas
Correct spelling, Spelling, Spelling Spelling, Spelling,
punctuation, punctuation, punctuation and punctuation, punctuation,
and grammar and grammar grammar are and grammar and grammar
are mostly somewhat are mostly are mostly
correct correct. wrong wrong.

Prepared by:

Homer T. Negrite
CI TECH FACULTY

References:
Ariola, M.M. & LL.B. (2016). Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person. Unlimited
Books Library Services & Publishing Inc.
Joven, J.R. & Perez, R.C. (2016). Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person. Books
Atbp. Publishing Corp.
Atacador R.B., Cayogyog A.O., Kiamco RT.T., Oroc R.P. & Ramirez CL.R. (2016).
Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person for Senior High School. Mutya
Publishing House, Inc.
Ramos CC.R.(2016). Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person. Rex Book Store,
Inc.

Online References:
Loveshade, R. (2022). Reverend Loveshade’s Five Blind Men and an Elephant. Discordia.
http://discordia.loveshade.org/apocrypha/elephant.html