INTRODUCTION TO THE

PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN Principle of Sufficient Reason

PERSON - Nothing exists without a sufficient
reason for its being and existence.
Philosophy- the love of wisdom
- Philo- to love Western Philosophy
- Sophia- wisdom Socrates
Philosopher - lovers of wisdom - “I know that I know nothing”
- unexamined life is not worth living.
4 principles of philosophy Plato
Science - “The unexamined life is not worth
- Systematic. organized body of living.” living a life without any aim
knowledge just like any other or thirst to become noble and
sciences. sublime.
- Natural Light of Reason. uses - Theory of Forms asserts that the
natural capacity to think. human physical world is not really the 'real'
reason alone or the so-called unaided world; instead, ultimate reality exists
reason. beyond our physical world.
- Study of All Things. Not one - The Republic: importance of being
dimensional. a philosopher does not just in the world
limit himself to a particular object. - Phaedrus: enigmatic text
He questions almost anything, if not - Allegory of Cave: shows how
everything. characters can free themselves from
- First Cause or Highest Principle. intellectual darkness through
Break down complicated problems enlightenment and the bravery to
into basic elements then reassemble experiment with new ideas
them. Aristotle
- all people by nature desire to know.
First Cause or Highest Principle But how should we examine our lives
Principle of Identity - Aristotle's Poetic: emphasizes how
- Whatever is is; whatever is not, is spiritual growth can be achieved
not. only by working on yourself
Principle of Noncontradiction everyday
- It is impossible for a thing to be and - Theory of poetry: based upon two
not to be at the same time, at the main propositions: the first, that
same respect. poetry is imitation and the second,
Principle of Excluded Middle that it aims at universality.
- Between being and not-being, there - On the Soul: “the actuality of a body
is no middle ground possible. that has life”
Eastern Philosophy ● Rebirth. All life is a cycle of death
Confucianism and rebirth.
- considered a social philosophy that is
grounded on the assumption that Indian Philosophy
proper social and political behavior - The physical world is not as
is cultivated in the family. important as the knowledge of the
- Respect elders. inner self.
- HOLISTIC THINKING It refers to
● Jen (ren). Human heartedness, a perspective that considers
which denotes a compassionate large-scale patterns in systems. This
person is often described as the “big
● Yi. righteousness, which consists of picture”
doing things in the right manner. - PARTIAL THINKING It focuses on
Buddhism the specific aspects of a situation.
- anchored on the idea that a human focuses on certain areas of a problem
person lives in suffering and that he in order to understand it.
should overcome this.
The Four Noble Truths Framework. is a way of thinking about the
1. Life is pervaded by suffering. world and is composed of the views and
2. Suffering is a result of craving. beliefs of a person.
3. There is a state of freedom from suffering - Internal Questions
- called Nirvana ( final emancipation of the - External Questions
soul)
4. Anyone can attain Nirvana by following Branches of Philosophy
the Eightfold Path Metaphysics.
- deals with questions regarding
The Noble Eightfold Path reality and existence.
1. Right understanding (Samma ditthi) - mind and matter.
2. Right thought (Samma sankappa)
3. Right speech (Samma vaca) ● Ontology. the science of what is, of
4. Right action (Samma kammanta) the kinds and structures of objects.
5. Right livelihood (Samma ajiva) seeks the classification and
6. Right effort (Samma vayama) explanation of entities.
7. Right mindfulness (Samma sati) ● Natural Theology. study of God,
8. Right concentration (Samma nature of religion and the world,
samadhi) existence of the divine, questions
about the creation, and the various
● Karma. Good and bad actions are other spiritual issues.
like seeds that, if planted, will bear
fruits in the future.
 ● Universal Science. study of the first Domains of Truths
principle of logic and reasoning such Scientific/ objective. Truths are tested
as the law of non-contradiction. against empirical evidence.
Logic Social. Truths are tested against its
- deals with correct reasoning. acceptability to a particular group
- not interested in what we know Personal. Truths are tested against the
regarding a certain subject. consistency and authenticity of the person
Epistemology who claims it.
- It deals with nature, sources,
limitations, and validity of Methods in Philosophizing
knowledge. Socratic Method
1. How we know what we claim - method refers to a process of asking
to know open-ended questions that are
2. How we can find out what we committed to finding the truth.
wish to know Dialectical Method
3. How can we differentiate - ‘Dialectics’ - Greek word dialegoz
truth from falsehood - which means to debate or discuss.
Aesthetic Believes that reality is in constant
- science of the beautiful in various conflict.
manifestations including the sublime, Analytic Tradition
comic, tragic, pathetic, and ugly. - Language is socially conditioned.
Ethics Philosophical problems, puzzles, and
- explores the nature of moral virtue errors are rooted in language.
and evaluates human actions. - founded by Gottlob Frege in the late
Political Philosophy 19th century.
- the philosophical study of Phenomenology
government - focuses on careful inspection and
description of phenomena or
Methods of Philosophizing appearances. investigates the essence
Opinions of nature of the things that appear to
- a personal claim, a belief a person.
- anchor it with truth Husserl’s Phenomenology
- change it when presented with facts ● Bracketing. a person's experience,
Knowledge beliefs, and learnings are bracketed
- It is the clear awareness and or 'set aside' to see the thing in itself.
understanding of something. ● Eidetic Reduction. movement from
Claims fact to essence, a transcendental
- These are statements that need reality that refers to the
further examination to know whether immateriality of things.
it is true or false.
Existentialism ● Appeal to the Tradition. idea is
- Search for truth might be based on presented as acceptable because it
one’s attitude or outlook. Jean-Paul has been true for a long time
Sartre ● Fallacy of Composition. someone
Logical and Critical assumes that what is true of a part is
- They serve as paths to freedom true for the whole.
Thinking from half-truths and ● Fallacy of Division. someone
deceptions. Critical thinking helps assumes that what is true for the
uncover bias and prejudice. It whole is true for its parts.
accounts for two major reasons:
inductive and deductive. Human Persons as an Embodied Spirits
Fallacy Man. It is the term for the entire human
- error in reasoning. It is also used race.
even more broadly to indicate any Person. It refers to a human being granted
false belief or cause of a false belief. recognition of certain rights, protection,
Types of Fallacies responsibilities, and dignity, above all.
● Appeal to Pity (Argumentatum ad Human nature. It refers to the
misericordiam). Argument attempts characteristics that distinguish humans from
to persuade someone by provoking all other creatures.
irrelevant feelings of sympathy.
● Appeal to Ignorance Self-awareness. refers to the person having
(Argumentatum ad ignorantiam. a clear perception of oneself including his or
you argue that your conclusion must her thoughts.
be true, because there is no evidence Self-determination. refers to the capability
against it. of persons to make choices and decisions
● Against the Person based on their own preferences.
(Argumentatum ad hominem). Free will. enables us to do actions whenever
someone attacks the person or some we want to and makes self-determination
aspect of the person who is making possible.
the argument instead of addressing Consequence. a discussion on
someone's argument or position. self-determination and free will eventually
● Appeal to Force (Argumentatum leads to a discussion
ad baculum). someone uses a threat Morality. refers to the goodness and
or an undesirable event to advance badness of an act.
an argument. Blackmailing. Externality. refers to the capability of a
● Appeal to the People person to reach out and interact with others
(Argumentatum ad populum). idea and the world.
is presented as acceptable because a Dignity. It refers to person’s innate right to
lot of people accept it. be values and respected
Plato’s Functions of the Soul Evaluate Limitations and Possibilities for
- Rational Transcendence
- Passion - Forgiveness
- Appetitive - Vulnerability
Aristotle’s Functions of the Soul - The Beauty of Nature
- Vegetative - Failure
- Sensitive - Loneliness
- Rational - Love

Medieval Period The Human Person and the Environment

St. Augustine of Hippo Anthropocentrism.
- created the world, and this includes - focuses on the significant role of
the creation of the immortal soul. humankind in the world and
Philosophy is the love of God; it is considers nature as the means by
then, religious. which humans are able to meet their
St. Thomas of Aquinas needs and survive.
- Philosophy and Theology are - Humans are the most important
complementary. believed that the species on the planet and they are
soul is dependent on the body, in the free to transform nature and use its
same way as the body is dependent resources.
on the soul. Biocentrism
- believes that humans are not the only
Modern Period significant species on the planet, and
Rene Descartes that all organisms have inherent
- A rationalist who identified man on value and should be protected.
top of the other animals. believed - drives the activities of humane
that the individual is responsible for organizations that advocate the
himself. Humans are completely ethical treatment of animals.
different from others because of - R.A. 8485 or "The Animal Welfare
self-examination and contemplation. Act of 1998".
John Locke Ecocentrism
- An empiricist who believed that a - puts the ecosystem first and assumes
human mind could not attain any that the natural world has intrinsic
knowledge without perceiving it value
first. He introduced “tabula rasa”. - land will be considered not an
“No man’s knowledge here can go instrumental mode of production but
beyond his experience.” will be preserved with integrity,
stability, and beauty.
Environmental Aesthetics.
- believes maintaining order in the
environment will bring out the
natural beauty of the surroundings
and contribute to the well-being of
the people and other organisms
living in it.
- We benefit greatly from a clean and
orderly environment.

Environmental ethics. This is a moral

approach that analyzes the relationship
between humans and the environment.

1. Environmental integrity
- maintaining the state of the
environment.
2. Economic efficiency
- refers to prudence in
decision-making regarding
the use of resources to ensure
that there is minimum to zero
waste.
3. Equity
- demands that we use our
natural resources in such a
manner that these are
conserved so that the next
generation will be able to use
them.