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SEMIFINAL IN INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

The embodied Spirit PLEASE DO REFER THIS LINK: https://youtu.be/ENFOjMRzDJk?

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I think therefore I am – Rene Descartes

In today’s world, we are bombarded with “fake news” that deceives and sways our opinions, making
it hard to pinpoint which of these reflects the truth.

The seventeenth century French philosopher René Descartes once had the same problem. Known
as the Father of Modern Philosophy in the West, Descartes sought to challenge the truth value of
his beliefs.

This constant doubting resulted in Cartesian doubt.

It is a process where Descartes systematically and methodically disbelieved everything until he

could get at a point of which there was absolutely no doubt.

Despite his doubt, Descartes arrived at his aha! or eureka moment.

He could be deceived by his senses and by an evil genius, but he could not doubt the fact that he
was doubting:

Cogito, ergo sum or I think, therefore, I am.

In our desire to know more about ourselves and how we relate to the world, it is important to keep in
mind that our search for answers should be grounded in truth. We would do not only ourselves but
everyone else a disservice if we base who we are on qualities or characteristics that are not really
true.

Just like Descartes, we owe it to ourselves to be as honest as possible in our journey of self-
discovery.

Aristotle believed that all beings have a certain essence that makes them what they are. That is,
there exists in each being a set of core properties that are necessary for an object to be what it is.
This is what we call Essentialism.

Example:

A) A rock will always be a rock, regardless of its mass or shape, since it has the essence of
“rockness.”

B) Two knives—one with a handle made of wood and another with a handle made of steel—are still
knives as long as they have a blade with which to cut objects. Take away the blade, and the knife
ceases to be a knife, as it has lost the essential property tied to its being.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, Existentialism flourished.

Existential philosophers believed that, rather than having a predetermined essence or essential
quality, man first and foremost existed and was then tasked with determining his own essence.
 In effect, they believed in existence before essence.

Each one of us has the responsibility to find our own purpose, to give our lives our own sense of
meaning. As a Subject, you are an actor and not just a spectator. Experiences do not just happen;
rather, you partake in their occurrence.

However, it is important to remember that this implies that you have to believe that there are no
answers or standards. In effect, as the Subject, you live in a state of absurdity—a state where you
search for answers in a world that does not have the answers.

Put yourself in the shoes of an existentialist philosopher. If you really believe that existence comes
before essence, how would you go about finding and creating meaning in your life? Does this mean
you have lesser or more freedom than before?

How does a person live existentially?

For the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, to exist is to realize oneself through free choice
and self-commitment.

Kierkegaard believed that existing means becoming freer in the sense that you strive to be more and
more an individual and less and less a member of a group. That is, you are truly free if you
transcend universality in favor of attaining individuality.

Though many existentialist philosophers were atheists, Kierkegaard was a firm Christian. He
believed, first and foremost, that though man had the responsibility to create meaning in his life, he
was ultimately finite. God, on the other hand, was infinite.

For him, it was man's responsibility to make their way back their creator. Kierkegaard outlined three
stages.

1. Aesthetic. The stage where man is governed by human impulses and emotion
(e.g., passion about love, sports, and music)
2. Ethical. The stage where, despite knowing that he is full of impulses and emotion, he chooses to
accept moral standards as a way to guide his everyday life
(e.g., A bachelor enters into a loving and committed marriage and still has passion about music and
traveling, yet he knows he can no longer engage himself in casual relationships.)
3. Faith. The stage when man should exist by moving towards God
(e.g., Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac)
 4. While it may be tempting to think of Human Subjectivity as having absolute freedom to not
only create meaning but to act as we wish, we must not forget that the freedom to live for
something is often more worthwhile than simply living free from restrictions.
5.

6. To be the Subject in the world is to perceive and to act upon the world. This means that we
are innately free. Probably more important, however, is what we choose to do with our
freedom.
7. How do you choose to live your life?

1. Meaning: The realization that one is moved by one’s passions and emotions
Example: Staying up late to binge-watch your favorite series

1. Meaning: The decision to follow or live by moral standards

Example: Choosing to donate some of your wages to the church as tithe

1. Meaning: The decision to trust God/the infinite fully and completely

Example: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

While it is possible to understand the world through reason and thought alone just like what
Descartes did, majority of what we know about the world and about ourselves is through our sense
experiences.
It is through our bodies that we come to know and interact with the world around us.

Since it is our bodies that allow us to experience, it is important that we should look into it with the
help of the 17th century English philosopher John Locke. He argued that being can be known via
its primary qualities and secondary qualities.

Primary qualities are the qualities that objects have in themselves. That is, their meaning does not
come from a subject or a perceiver such as an object’s weight or dimensions, how hard it is, or how
it is shaped.

Example:
A banana is, by itself, already has a certain length and width and thickness.

Secondary qualities are the qualities that subjects perceive in the object. In this regard, things such
as taste, smell, texture, and color are assigned by the different subjects such that it isn’t surprising
when people have different opinions and answers.

Example:
The banana may have a set weight and length, but for one person, it may taste slightly bitter and
unripe, while for another it’s just right. Someone may say it’s bright neon yellow in color, but
someone else will argue that it’s more of sunflower yellow.

It is through our senses that we most often come to interact with the world. Knowing ourselves
through our bodies gives a certain sense of empowerment and also humility—we know that others
perceive us and give their own meaning for who we are. Though we can’t control these things, we
know more than to let the opinions of every single person affect us. After all, worrying about what
others think of us will only lead to stress and wrinkles.
1. Primary: Size, length, weight
Secondary: Taste, color
2. Primary: Size, length, matter composition
Secondary: Shape
3. Primary: Duration, characters involved
Secondary: Entertainment value
1. Primary Qualities – Qualities that are present in the objects themselves
2. Primary Qualities – Qualities that are present in the objects themselves
3. How do I live in the world as both a Subject and an Object?
4. Gabriel Marcel, a 20th century French philosopher, chose to reflect on the meaning of being
and what it means for the self to exist in the world.
5. He focused on the body and our experience.
6. Marcel used two stages of reflection:
7. Primary reflection is where he considers the body as if it were a thing studied by the
sciences. In this reflection, the individual places himself outside of what he is observing.
8.

9. In the second stage, secondary reflection, the individual is challenged to place himself
within the very framework of what he is observing, such that he experiences and
understands it in a way only he can. In this way, I observe that this “my body” is strictly mine
alone. It is unique and there is none other like it.

However, there is a certain paradox when considering the relationship of the self and the body:

I have my body vs. I am my body

To make sense of this paradox, I can understand my body as:

 intermediary between myself and the world with which I interact

 in a state of intersubjectivity
 the appearance and expression of my Subjectivity
  It is difficult to think of man as just some “rational animal” above other animals if you consider
the wealth of meaning he can create and be a part of. As both a Subject and an Object in the
world, man is both free and responsible for his actions. He is capable of giving meaning to
the world and enriching it in his everyday actions. Simply being a good friend or an obedient
child is one way of appreciating your role as part of this dynamic world.

Provide possible primary and secondary reflections for the following experiences:

1. Giving birth to your firstborn son

Primary Reflection:
Secondary Reflection:

1. Spilling your milkshake on the floor before having a chance to drink it

Primary Reflection:
Secondary Reflection:

1. Primary: The newborn has a certain weight, heartbeat, hair color and is of a certain gender, etc.
Secondary: My child looks somewhat like a mix of me and my spouse, etc.

1. Primary: A mixture of milk, sugar, water, and other ingredients is on the floor.
Secondary: I wasted both my time and energy buying a milkshake that I didn’t even get to try.

Primary Reflection – Taking a stance outside of an experience when reflecting

Secondary Reflection – Taking a stance in the position of the individual going through the
experience when reflecting