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“The School of the Future”
Module in Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person

Month of _________

PRELIM

LESSON 1: PURSUING WISDOM AND FACING CHALLENGES IN THE 21ST CENTURY

TOPIC I: INTRODUCTION: DOING PHILOSOPHY

Diversity, difference, and choice—or other proposals that create distinct educational paths for various
groups or individuals—are essential components of many educational reforms. Diversity includes differences in
biology, ethnicity and culture, family life, beliefs, geography, experiences, and religion, among other things that
make each individual special.
Because they are different from us, we can find it difficult to accept others at times. However, this kind
of behavior can limit one's opportunities or cause one to feel left out or resentful. The 21st-century educational
challenge is ensuring that students do not participate in any kind of harassment and that they are able to deal
with cultural and racial diversity in an appropriate manner (Kurcinka 2006).
This book was written with a specific framework for opposing radical changes in education. The
Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, also known as Republic Act No. 10533 (signed on May 15, 2013),
curriculum is based on a more holistic and less disciplinal approach, which is the basis for the revision of the
General Education Curriculum for Philippine higher and basic education. Thus, it is imperative that the book
serve as the foundation for philosophical inquiry in general. Upon graduation, grade 12 students are required to
have attained the knowledge and skills covered in this book.

1.1 The Meaning of Philosophy

The word philosophy derives its etymology from two Greek words: philo, which means "to love," and
sophia, which means "wisdom." The original meaning of philosophy was "love of wisdom," and in a broad
sense, wisdom remains the aim of philosophy.

Another definition of philosophy is the science that investigates the ultimate principles or initial causes
of all things using the natural light of reason. This definition calls for the following four considerations:

a. Science. The methodical nature of the investigation is why it is called science. It uses specific procedures or
adheres to specific steps. Stated differently, it is a systematic body of knowledge, much like any other science.

b. Natural Light of Reason. Philosophy is the study of things by the use of human reason alone, or what is
known as "unaided reason," not any other laboratory instruments or investigative tools, nor on the basis of
supernatural revelation, since this would turn it into theology. Rather, the philosopher employs his natural
ability to think.

c. The Study of All Things. This establishes what makes philosophy unique from other sciences. Every other
branch of science focuses on a specific area of study. For instance, anthropologists study how people relate to
society; sociologists study society's form, structures, and functions; botanists study plants; linguists study
language; theologians study God; and philosophers study, among other things, people, society, religion,
language, God, and plants. Philosophy is not partial or one-dimensional, which is the reason. To put it briefly, a
philosopher is not constrained to a single field of study. He asks questions about practically everything. It is
comprehensive or multifaceted.

d. First Cause or Highest Principle. A principle is the starting point from which anything can proceed in any
direction. The First Principles:
  The Principle of Identity states that whatever is is; and whatever is not is not; everything is what it is.
Everything is its own being, and not being is not being.

 The Principle of Non-contradiction states that it is impossible for a thing to be and not to be at the
same time, and at the same respect. This usually refer to polarity.

 The Principle of Excluded Middle states that a thing is either is or is not; everything must be either be
or not be; between being and not-being, there is no middle ground possible. It’s not necessary for the
two ideas to be contradictory. Example: you can’t have blue and pink as your number one color
because they are two different colors. They’re not necessarily opposite, they’re just different from one
another.

 The Principle of Sufficient Reason states that nothing exists without a sufficient reason for its being
and existence.

Since its beginnings, however, the scope of philosophy has changed. The natural and human sciences
that later developed into distinct fields of study, such as astronomy, physics, psychology, and sociology, were
studied by early Greek philosophers. However, philosophy has always addressed a few fundamental issues,
including the nature of the universe, the standards of justice, the reliability of knowledge, the proper use of
reason, and the standards of beauty.
The five disciplines of philosophy—metaphysics, ethics, epistemology, logic, and aesthetics—are
devoted to these issues. The following section will cover these branches.
There are also special branches of philosophy like philosophy of science, philosophy of state,
philosophy of politics, philosophy of mathematics, philosophy of education, philosophy of law, philosophy of
language, and others.
Ultimately, emptying is necessary to achieve wisdom. Learning to let go can be intellectual. The Taoist,
for example, views an empty cup as being more beneficial than one that is filled. This denotes modesty and
simplicity. It's possible to be spiritually empty.
Compassion is synonymous with poverty of spirit in Christian philosophy. Moreover, emptying is physical.
Buddhists emphasize a single, cohesive whole by abstaining from misusing the senses (Elgin 2009). Students
will only study knowledge-based philosophy in part without the virtue of emptying; that is, they will not acquire
wisdom through the psychological, social, emotional, and moral facets of human existence.

1.2 Recognize Human Activities that Emanated from Deliberate Reflection

This section first looks at definitions of philosophy before separating its branches based on the
recognition of different human activities that resulted from intentional reflection and dialogue. There are still
many unanswered questions and ongoing debates surrounding many of philosophy's most important topics.
However, a true understanding of all the most varied points of view and genuine sympathy are among
the most important requirements for anyone seeking "wisdom" (holistic perspective). A partial perspective, or a
narrow provincialism of mind restricted to the beliefs and viewpoints of one party or one era, is completely at
odds with the true philosophical attitude.

The Branches of Philosophy:

1.2.1 The Branches of Philosophy

A. Metaphysics
Metaphysics is really only an extension of a fundamental and necessary drive in every human
being to know what is real. The question is how to account for this unreal thing in terms of what can
accept as real. Thus, a very big part of the metaphysician’s task is to explain that part of our experience,
which we call unreal in terms of what we call real.
 In our everyday attempts to understand the world in terms of appearance and reality, we try to
make things comprehensible by simplifying or reducing the mass of things we call appearance to a
relatively fewer number of things we call reality.
For instance, for Thales, a Greek philosopher, everything is water. He claims 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. When water evaporates, it becomes a
cloud, and when water freezes, it becomes ice.
Both the idealist and the materialist metaphysical theories are similarly based on unobservable
entities: mind and matter. We can see things made of matter such as a book or a chair, but we cannot see
the underlying matter itself. Although we can experience in our minds thoughts, ideas, desires, and
fantasies, we cannot observe or experience the mind itself that is having these thoughts, ideas, and
desires. It is this tendency to explain the observable in terms of the unobservable that has given
metaphysics a bad name to more down-to-earth philosophers.
Plato, Socrates’ most famous student, is a good example of a metaphysician who draws the
sharpest possible contrast 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 is unchanging,
eternal, immaterial, and can be detected only by the intellect. Plato calls these realities as ideas of forms.
These are meanings which universal, general terms refer to, and they are also those things we are talking
about when we discuss moral, mathematical, and scientific ideals.

Reflections, Meditations, and Conversations that Rocked the World:

By What Values Shall I Live in the World?
Plato

This leads up to the famous simile of the cave or den. According to which, those who are destitute of
philosophy may be compared to prisoners in a cave who are only able to look in one direction because they
are bound and who have the fire behind them and the wall in front. Between them and the wall, there is
nothing; all that they see are shadows of themselves and of objects behind them casted on the wall by the
light of the fire. Inevitably, they regard these shadows as real and have no notion of the objects to which
they are due (Price 2000). At last, a man succeeds in escaping from the cave to the light of the sun; for the
first time, he sees real things, and becomes aware that he had hitherto been deceived by shadows. He is the
sort of philosopher who is fit to become a guardian; he will feel it is his duty to those who were formerly his
fellow prisoners to go down again into the cave, instruct them as to the sun of truth and show them the way
up.
However, he will have difficulty in persuading them, because coming out of the sunlight, he will see
shadows clearly than they do and will seem to them stupider than before his escape.
Plato seeks to explain the difference between clear intellectual vision and the confused vision of sense
perception by an analogy from the sense of sight. Sight, he says, differs from the other senses, since it
requires not only the eye and the object, but also light. We clearly see objects on which sun shines; in
twilight, we see confusedly; and in pitch-darkness, not at all. Now the world of ideas is what we see when
the sun illumines the object; while the world of passing things is a confused twilight world. The eye is
compared to the soul, and the sun, as the source of light to the truth or goodness (Mitchell 2011).

B. Ethics
How do we tell good from evil or right from wrong? Ethics is the branch of philosophy that
explores the nature of moral virtue and evaluates human actions.
Ethics is generally a study of nature of moral judgments. Philosophical ethics attempts to provide
an account of our fundamental ethical ideas. Whereas religion has often motivated individuals to obey
 the moral code of their society, philosophy is not content with traditional or habitual ethics but adopts a
critical perspective. It insists that obedience to moral law be given a rational foundation. In the thought
of Socrates, we see the beginning of a transition from a traditional, religion-based morality to
philosophical ethics (Landsburg 2009).

Reflections, Meditations, and Conversations that Rocked the World:

What Constitutes a Human Person?
Plato Socrates Aristotle

For Socrates, to be happy, a person has to live a virtuous life. Virtue is not something to be taught or
acquired through education, but rather, it is merely an awakening of the seeds of good deed that lay dormant
in the mind and heart of a person. Knowing what is in the mind and heart of a human being is achieved
through self-knowledge. Thus, knowledge does not mean only theoretical or speculative, but a practical one.
Practical knowledge means that one does not only know the rules of right living, but one lives them.
Hence, for Socrates, true knowledge means wisdom, which in turn, means virtue. The Greek word arete,
which we translate as virtue, seems originally to have been associated with valor in battle and may be
connected with the name of the Greek god of war, Ares, whom we know better under his Roman name,
Mars. Both the Greek word arete and its English equivalent, virtues, have connotations of machismo and
manliness. So when Socrates came to define virtue, he thought of courage as one of its prime components,
and he came up with the proposition that courage, therefore, as virtue is also knowledge.

Reflections, Meditations, and Conversations that Rocked the World:

How Much Freedom Should We Have? Who Should Decide?

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (1868-1963) raised the “problem of the Negro.” He sees himself as the
part of this problem. His mother was descended from a West African slave. He was an African-American
who wanted equal rights for blacks, Du Bois believes that the blacks must assert themselves in the African-
American community. He put his ideas into political action and helped organized various initiatives for the
advancement of the colored people, published researches, and taught in Atlanta University. He was the first
African-American to received a PhD in Harvard (Rifkin 2009).
To understand Du Bois’ philosophy is to understand Hegel’s dialectic. Whenever a thesis of freedom is
asserted, it is opposed by an antithesis. These are then both overcome by a synthesis that incorporates the
best of both (Mitchell 2011).

Thesis Antithesis Synthesis

(White Oppression) (Black Soul) (Black’s Consciousness of Freedom)

C. Epistemology
Specially, epistemology deals with nature, sources, limitations, and validity of knowledge
(Soccio 2007). 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.
1. On the one hand, he sees, hears and touches; on the other hand, he organizes in his mind
what he learns the senses. Philosophers have given considerable attention to questions about the
sources of knowledge. Some philosophers think that the particular things seen, heard, and touched
are more important. They believe that general ideas are formed from the examination of particular
 facts. This method is called induction, and philosophers who feel that knowledge is acquired in this
way are called empiricists (e.g., John Locke). Empiricism is the view that knowledge can be attained
only through sense experience. According to the empiricists, real knowledge is based on what our
sight, hearing, smell, and other senses tell us is really out there, not what people make up in their
heads.
2. Other philosophers think it is more important to find a general law according to which
particular facts can be understood or judged. This method is called deduction; its advocates are
called rationalists (e.g., Rene Descartes). For instance, what distinguishes real knowledge from mere
opinion, in the rationalist view, is that real knowledge is based on logic, the laws, and the methods
that reason develops. The best example of real knowledge, the rationalist holds, is mathematics, a
realm of knowledge that is obtained entirely by reason that we use to understand the universe
(Soccio 2007).
A newer school, pragmatism, has a third approach to these problems. Pragmatists, such as
William James and John Dewey, believe that value in use is the real test of truth and meaning. In
other words, the meaning and truth of an idea are tested by its practical consequences.

Reflections, Meditations, and Conversations that Rocked the World:

Women’s Equal Rights
Mary Wollstonecraft

The spirit of modern philosophy is an outburst of discovery. Rationalism (17 th century) and empiricism (18th
century) both relied on human discoveries such as of the world, of thought, and of humanity in all sorts of
conditions. Knowledge, however, was male-dominated. Mary Wollstonecraft envisioned an education for
women. In her work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), Wollstonecraft dictated that women
were to be more than just wives and caretakers; they were to educate children, and to act not as slaves to
their husbands, but as companions (Rifkin 2009).
As technology enter the larger conversation of humanity, students should understand that education is not
just simply browsing the Internet but emphasizes the concept of progress, which asserts that human beings
are capable of improving their constantly changing environment.

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 mundane affairs of everyday
living. Varied kinds of reasoning may be used, and all are of interest to the logician.
The term “logic” come from the Greek word logike and was coined by Zeno, the Stoic (c.340-
265BC). 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
tool, 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 philospher 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.g., legal reasoning and geometrical proof).
Aristotle understood truth to mean the agreement of knowledge with reality; truth exists when
the mind’s mental representations, otherwise known as ideas, correspond with things in the objective
world. Logical reasoning makes us certain that our conclusions are true, and this provides us with
accepted scientific proofs of universally valid propositions or statements. Since the time of Aristotle, the
study of lies or fallacies has been considered an integral part of logic.
Zeno of Citium is one of the successors of Aristotle. He is also the founder of a movement
known as Stoicism, derived from the Greek Stoa Poikile (Painted Porch). The Painted Porch referred to
the portico in Athens where the early adherents held their regular meetings. Other more influential
authors of logic then are Cicero, Porphyry, and Boethius, in the later Roman Empire; the Byzantine
scholar—Philoponus and Al-Farabi, Avicenna, and Averroes in the Arab world.
 Even before the time of Aristotle down to the present, the study of logic has remained important.
We are human beings possessed with reason. We us it when we make decisions or when we try to
influence the decisions of others or when we are engaged in the argumentation and debate. Indeed, a
person who has studied logic is more likely t o reason correctly than another, who has never thought
about the general principles involved in reasoning.
Reflections, Meditations, and Conversations that Rocked the World:
Artificial Intelligence
Allam MAthison Turing

Turing was an English mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst, and computer scientist. He was highly
influential in the development of computer science, providing a formalization of the concepts of “algorithm”
and “computation” with the Turing machine, which played a significant role in the creation of the modern
computer. Turing is widely considered to be the father of computer science and artificial intelligence (AI)
(Carr 2009).

E. Aesthetics
When humanity has learned to make something that is useful to them, they begin to plan a dream
how to make it beautiful. What therefore is beauty? The establishment of criteria of beauty is the
function of 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:

 It vitalizes our knowledge. It make our knowledge of the world alive and useful. We g through our
days picking up a principle as fact, here and there, and too infrequently see how they are related. It
is the part of a play, a poem, or a story to give us new insight, to help us see new relationship
between the separated items in our memories.
 It helps us to live more deeply and richly. A work of art—whether a book, a piece of music,
painting, or a television show—helps us to 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 something merely like craft or applied arts, but
something of weight and significance to humankind. It is what Schopenhauer meant when he said,
“You mus treat a work of art like a great man. Stand before it and wait patiently until it designs to
speak.” (Scruton et al. 1997)
 It brings us in touch with our culture. Things about us change so rapidly today that we forget how
much we owe 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. The answers of great minds
in the past to these problems are part of our culture.

Hans-Georg Gadamer, a German philosopher, argues that our tastes and judgements regarding
beauty, work in connection with one’s own personal experience and culture. Gadamer believes that our
culture consists of the values and beliefs of our time and our society. That is why a “dialog” or
conversation is important in interpreting works of art (White 1991).
A conversation involves an exchange between conversational partners that seek agreement about
some matter at issue; consequently, such an exchange is never completely under the control of either
conversational partner, but is rather determined by the matter at issue. Conversational and understanding
involve coming to an agreement. In this sense, all understanding is, according to Gadamer, interpretative
and insofar as all interpretation, involves the exchange between the familiar and the alien, so all
interpretation is also translative.

1.3 Why Become a Philospher? On Attaining a Comprehensive Outlook in Life

 One of the key elements in many educational reforms is diversity, difference, and choice or other
proposals that establish separate curricular routes for different groups or individuals (Castells et al. 1999).
Diversity, is the difference that makes each person unique (I.e., biology, ethnicity and culture, family life,
beliefs, geography, experiences, and religion). Sometimes, we have difficulty in accepting others because they
are different from us. Such behavior may cause us to limit a person’s opportunities or can make the person feel
rejected or resentful.
Thus, educational challenge in the 21 st century entails appropriate acceptance of cultural and racial
multiplicity. One does not engage in harassment of any form. This section introduces the various viewpoints of
philosophy: the western and non-western, with emphasis on our very own Filipino indigenous beliefs and
finally, going beyond the logical and the technological imperatives of existence.
A. Expanding Our Philosophical Frames: Western and Non-Western Traditions
Many philosophers hold that there three great original centers of philosophy in the world—Greek
(or Western), Indian, and Chinese. All three arose as critical reflections on their own cultural traditions.
Historically speaking, Asian classics of the Indians and the Chinese predate the oldest of Western
classics. Indian and Chinese philosophers of note also lived earlier than their Greek counterparts (Quito
1991). during the first centuries, there was more philosophical activity in the East than in the West.
Before the Greek period, there was hardly an activity in the West. Greeks before Thales did not have
philosophy (Velasques 1999).
From the time of the Greek triumvirate (Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle), there was a reversal. The
Western thinkers started to indulge in feverish philosophical speculation, whereas the Asian thinkers
began diminishing philosophical activity. In our present century, almost all the major philosophical
ideas emanate from Western thinker (Quito 1991).
This section underpins that the challenges of the global information age cannot be understood by
oversimplification. One size does not fit all. There are multiple culture and there are different types of
states in terms of modern economic modernization (Nye 2013). Certainly, the culture of the “East” is
very different from that of the “West” (primarily Europe and North America), but that does not mean
each culture is incapable of understanding certain features of the other.
As the worlds becomes “smaller”, it is increasingly important to develop an understanding of
culture centers around the globe that are very different from our own. Each society or culture has its own
ideas of itself, a definition of what is important in life, and its own notions of what the world is like in
general terms; thus, each society or culture can be said to have its own “philosophy” (Quito 1991).
For Quito, there are three attitudinal imperatives that we must bare in mind if we are to
appreciate either the Oriental or Eastern thought vis-a-vis the Occidental or Western mindset and to
situate them in their proper perspective:
 In contrast to the propensity of the West to think in a linear manner, that is, in terms of
beginning and ending in a straight line, Oriental thought runs in a circular manners in which
the end conjoins the beginning in cyclic style. In a manner of speaking, nothing actually
begins absolutely or end absolutely. A man may have been born at a precise time and may
have died at a precise time, but it cannot be said that his existence can be congealed at a
specific time, and when he dies, his life continues in another form. This is indispensable to the
understanding of samsara or rebirth. There is a cycle of rebirths within the various sphere of
life, the vegetative, animal, and human. The world, in fact, did not have an absolute beginning
but was merely a continuation of an earlier world in an earlier time. There is, therefore, a
succession of worlds and a succession of lives.
 The attitudinal imperative is the assumption that the East does not make vigorous distinction
between religion and philosophy. Basic philosophical concepts are shrouded in religious
beliefs and myths. However, it is a false conclusion that Eastern philosophies, such as Chinese
and Indian, are not sufficiently philosophical to be considered philosophy but are more
properly called “religion” or “mythology”. In the East, Philosophy is Religion and Religion is
Philosophy. The Oriental does not cut off philosophy that is thought, from religion that is life
in action.
Life for oriental thinkers is translation of thought; it is philosophy in action. Orientals
believe that life must be the extension of thought, its fruit, and its application. For Quito
(1991), it is not accurate to judge that Asia is poor because of religion. Rather, it is poor
 because it cannot accept the polarization or division of theory and practice, of philosophy and
religion, of its way of thinking and its way of living. Quito suggested that only if Asia could
fines a means of adjusting its vision by making religion and speculation go together, by
reconciling elusive theory with practice, then Asia, too, could become progressive like the
West.
 The third attitudinal imperative is the acceptance of the validity of intuition and mysticism, the
readiness to revert to extra logical, if not illogical modes of thinking. Orientals are perceived
of transcending the limitations of the human intellect and treading on a no-man’s land where
verification of one’s premise is not possible. Oriental thought does not follow structured
mode. By its very nature, it cannot but be intuitive and mystic.

The West has but to theorize and speculate; no application to life is necessary. Such are the
Platonic, Hegelian, Kantian, and Fichtean theories to which the Western philosophers render lip service;
their application to practice is still being contested by other Western philosophers (Mitchell 2011).
As Quito (1991) remarked:
The concept of all-at-once-ness which is the hallmark of the mind of Asia is annoying to the
Western mind which cannot shake off its structural mode of thinking in terms of beginning and eng, of
before and after, of then and now and later. This is no doubt applicable to individual things and events
which the Asian mind does not reject, but when the line of reasoning and understanding is raised from
the fragmentary to the total, from the piecemeal to the whole, from the part to that all of the world of
things, the Asian mind balks at the “illogic” of applying the same principles pertaining only to the
fragments to that of the Whole.

The Knower and the Known: East and West Distinction

Knower
Knower Known
Known

Eastern Version Western Version

For the Eastern version, life becomes illusory if we are attached to the world and in which we are ensnared
is not what is. In terms of knowledge, our everyday experience of the world presents us with dualistic
distinctions —me/you or subject/object. However, this is artificial; our egos fool us into seeing separation.
The distinction between knower and known is essentially for the Eastern version.

If logic is no longer able to solve a life problem, Asian mind resorts to intuition. From the very
fact that it thinks in a cyclic all-at-once-ness, it must resort to means other than the usual mental
processes applicable to the piecemeal and fragmentary. One should not therefore be surprised at its
propensity to mysticism, at its use of super-consciousness, or of the existence of a third eye or a sixth
sense. When the situation demands, it reverses the logical patterns (Mitchell 2011).

B. Filipino Thinking: From Local to Global

It may sound presumptuous to speak of “Filipino Thought” for the reason that the Philippines
could not very well speak of tradition such as that of China, India, or Greco-Roman. Yet, for the
Filipino, there has to be “Filipino Thought” or none at all. Like any other people, the Filipino must
eventually take consciousness of his own particular life and his world, his society and his gods in the
light of Truth, and thereby realize his proper being (Reyes 19990). However, the pioneering attempts to
formulate a Filipino philosophy share the fate of most pioneering works: the lack of refined tools and the
lack of predecessors upon whom to stand (Mercado 1992).
Nevertheless, Filipinos do have their own philosophy. This section draws out elements or draw
sketches of the general lines of Filipino philosophy. The three dimensions of Filipino thought are: Loob,
Filipino Philosophy of Time, and Bahala Na. These attitudes and values constitue the hidden springs of
the Filipino Mind.
1. Loob: Holistic and Interior Dimensions
Kagandahang-loob, kabutihang loob, and kalooban are terms that show sharing of one’s
self to others. For Mercado (1992), interiority manifests itself in freedom. Loob puts one in touch
with his fellow beings. Great Philippine values, in fact, are essentially interpersonal. The use of
intermediaries or go-betweens, the values of loyalty, hospitality, pakikisama (camaraderie,
conformism), and respect to authority are such values that relate to persons. In short, the Filipino
generally believes in the innate goodness of human being. Filipino ethics has an internal code
and sanction that flow from within itself. This ethics is more constant than other legalistic moral
philosophies that are rather negative. The Filipino, who stresses duties over right, has plenty in
common with his Oriental neighbors such as the Chinese and the Indian.
In short, the Filipino as individual looks at himself as holistic from the interior dimension
under the principle of harmony. The Filipino looks at himself as a self, as a total whole—as a
“person”, conscious of his freedom, proud of his human dignity, and sensitive to the violation of
these two (Mercado 2000).

2. Filipino Philosophy of Time

Moreover, the Filipino—whether Ilokano (Ti tao kasla kulintaba, no agtayab, ngumato,
bumaba), or Kapampangan (Bie keti ang yatu, mengari yang ruweba, mibabo, milalim, ing Dios
nung buri na) (A human being is like a bird who flies up and goes down)—proves that he
believes in the gulong ng pala (literally, “wheel of furtune”) and hence, looks at life as a series of
ups and downs (Timbreza 1992). this philosophy of life makes the Filipino an unmitigated
optimist. When the so-called wheel of life is on the downtrend, he looks to the future with hope
because life’s wheel cannot stay down forever. When one weeps, one will surely smile. The
Filipino looks upon every event, fortunate or unfortunate, as fleeting or tansitory.
Life may be sorrowful, but precisely because suffering is ultimately salutary, there is
hope beyond suffering (Timbreza 1996). floods, earthquakes, EDSA revolutions, continuous
poverty—all these were seen to be transcended hoping that one day, the sun would shine and
nature would heal itself. As a saying goes, “If one has reached the lowest ebb, there is no way to
go but up.” Time is considered cyclic. Gulong ng palad nonetheless blends well with foreign
philosophical ideas in the Asian region. It approaches karma of the Indians and yang and yin
thought of the Chinese. Pakikisama, on the other hand, is close to the Chines and Japanese
philosophy of “living in harmony with nature.”
Often, Filipino Time is mistakenly interpreted as always delayed in the committed time of
arrival. This notion can be misleading since the Filipino farmers are early risers to go to their
field and waste no time for work. The concept of “siesta time” or “power naps” is also important
for Filipino culture that must not be necessarily considered negative.

3. Bahala Na
The pre-Spanish Filipino people believed in a Supreme Being, Batula or Bathala.
However, in this regard, the originality of Filipino thought will probably be precisely in his
personalistic view of the universe (Timbreza 2002). In his personalistic view of the world, the
Filipino seems to signify that ultimately in life, we have reckon not only with nature and human
nature, but also with cosmic presences or spirits, seen to be the ultimate origin to the problem of
evil.
Bathala is not an impersonal entity but rather a personal being that keeps the balance in
the universe. Unlike the Indian and the Chinese, a human being can be forge some personal
relationships with this deity because Bathala is endowed with personality. The Filipino puts his
entire trust in this Bathala who has evolved into the Christian God (Mercado 2000).
The Filipino subconsciously accepts the bahala na attitude as a part of life. Bahala na
literally means to leave everything to God who is Bathla in the vernacular. The bahala na
philosophy puts complete trust in the Divine Providence; it contains the element of resignation.
Thus, the Filipino accepts beforehand whatever the outcome of his problem might b (Mercado
2000).
 Bahala na (come what may) nonetheless, is one of the most outstanding Filipino virtues.
It is in one aspect perceived as courage to take risks. For instance, it could be accounted that not
only poverty but also because of bahala na why millions of Filipinos are working abroad in
complicated and high-risk environment and places. From war-torn to besiege countries, Filipinos
will risk their lives just to be able to support their families back home.
Bahala na, on the other hand, is seen as fatalistic; sort of leaving everything to God or to
chance—such is the uncertainty of life. On the other hand, fatalism is universal. The will of
God/Allah, tao to the Chinese, rta to the Indians and fate in buddhism—all signify, in one way or
another, fatalism.

4. Filipino Thought and Values: Positive and Negative Aspects

It is believed, however, that the Philippine values and system, in line with Filipino
philosophy, are in dire need to be used as positive motivation. Beyond his family group, the
Filipino sees himself belonging to a small, primary group in a dyadic, pyramidal fashion. In other
words, he does not identify horizontally with his class that cuts across the whole community but
vertically with its authority figures distinguished by their wealth, power, and age. He receives
protection and other favors from above and should be ready to do the same toward his ties below.
Reciprocating debts of gratitude between coordinates and subordinates holds the whole group
together—superordinate and subordinate (utang na loob).
However, as we consider our duty, it should not be bounded by utang na loob (indebtedness to
patrons) but to help to uplift the life not only of one’s own family (micro perspective) but of others as
well (macro perspective). The Filipino gives great value to endurance and hard work as means to
economic self-sufficiency refers not to individual self, but to the family to which one owes a special debt
of gratitude for having brought him life and nurtured him.
In this vein, we should stress other positive Filipino values such as bayanihan or helping others
in times of need. Bayanihan is another moving spirit of the Filipino people. Deep down in the Filipino
psyche, there exists the belief that whatever good one has done will rebound to one’s benefit because a
Supreme Judge will dispense just compensation whether in this life or in the next (Mercado 2000). In
short, despite the Western imposition of dualism, Filipino philosophy should continue to strive for
harmony with nature and the absolute.
Whether and indigenous philosophy or mere sociological values, it depends on one’s definition
of philosophy. Hence, in the Philippine context, it is always so difficult to determine the place of
philosophy in the formal or institutional educational structure of the country that a distinction is called
for. Filipinos may not be able to formulate or articulate this philosophy but it is nonetheless evident in
all their transactions and in their everyday existence. This indigenous philosophy may be said to be an
elan or a spirit that permeates the Filipino as Filipino, and without which, he feels certain dissatisfaction.
There was a consensus that Asia, being the seat of the world’s oldest civilizations, does have a
philosophical character all on its own but that it will not surface unless local philosophers dig to the
roots of their own indigenous culture (Gripaldo 2000). The nationalist challenge is still relevant today.
In this vein, Gripaldo (2000) believes four important items to be considered:
1. Replacing colonial consciousness with a nationalist consciousness thereby doing away with
colonial and crab mentality;
2. Creation of super industrial society;
3. Utilization of education as the means of realizing the image of the future as super industrial
society and;
4. Choosing not just for one’s self but for all humanity, for the nation as a whole.
Eventually, Gripaldo argues that once economically strong, the Philippines will transcend
nationalism to internationalism. This action is one step toward globalism where economic choices to be
made are choices not for oneself but for humanity.

C. Philosophy: Transcending and Aiming for a Life of Abundance

Abundance comes from the Latin term, “abundare” (Aguilar 2010) meaning, “to overflow
nonstop.” In Aguilar’s The Gift of Abundance, abundance was given a new spiritual, even Buddhist
 paradigm. Abundance is out flowing than incoming. It is not about amassing material things or people
but our relationship with others, ourselves, and with nature. Aguilar (2010) asserts that our very life
belongs to God.

Abundance is not what we gather but what we scatter.

Often, abundance is equated with materialism, but it is when we raise our empty hands and
surrender, when we do not grab, when we are unattached to anything or anyone, when we offer oneself
—all these are abundance. Only if we have empty hands can we receive full blessings.

Abundance is not what we keep but what we give away.

To live an abundant life, one must pursue one's desires and inner self. One must go after what
fulfills, before making more money. It is truly paradoxical because to be able to have, we must first let
go. To be able to acquire, we must first control ourselves.
Aguilar (2010) believes that to be abundant, we must learn to control our appetites and desires,
for they have impact on other people. Harsh words, pollution, and eating unhealthy foods are some
examples where our choices influence or affect not only ourselves but others as well. In other words,
there is karma in our thoughts, words, and actions.

Abundance is not what we hold but what we share.

Undoubtedly, money counts in our globalized society. However, Aguilar (2010) reminds us that
money should not matter much, for every moment is a blessing, even if one does not have money.
Abundance comes to the one who has money and heart, money and values, money and relationships,
money and deeper happiness. The author agrees with Aguilar's claim that abundance is more than our
ambitions; there are more precious things such as people that matter.
When the author was deciding in pursuing her PhD, she realized that with her decision, she may
not necessarily become rich. However, with her genuine interest in the course, she decided to finish the
course. Blessings came from her choice. She was able to write two books; one regarding philosophy and
the 'other on globalization and technology. Further, she was able to share her genuine love and interest
to teaching and philosophy with others.

Abundance is a choice.
The author also realized that in pursuing her dreams, there are people emotions, and people
should be avoided. As we aspire for our dreams, we should who can be negative regarding her efforts
and successes. Negative thoughts, try our best to be positive in our thoughts, motives, and efforts. A
friend once said that when we look down, we only see our misfortunes but when we look up, we realize
that we are more fortunate than others.
Abundance is more of an effort of the heart than mind alone (Aguilar 2010). For Aguilar, to
achieve, one must commit. However, Aguilar theorizes that only the heart can commit. Abundance,
therefore, is a choice which translates to commitment, determination, and perseverance.
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne offers a similar idea, which claims that we have our dreams, and
regardless of who we are, the universe will answer our wishes. According to "The Secret", our dreams
come true because we attract them. We achieve our dreams if we cooperate with the Power of Dreams
Himself or God God will grant our wishes in his due time.

Abundance is to evolve into a higher being.

It becomes clear that the concept of abundance covers both external and internal life. We cannot
truly live without material considerations, but externals are not all there are; values, for instance, matter.
Thus, to live in abundance means evolving to a higher being in following one's mission; a
deliberate or conscious desire to act upon what can make us and others happy. As we are bombarded by
negative people and moods, it becomes our choice to adopt an abundant disposition.

Summary
 The contents of this book are contextualized based on the internal and external conditions of Philippine
education that value ʼbig-picture thinking' amid the complexity of life and the massive explosion of knowledge
across all fields.
Philosophy, by its definition covers a great deal of conceptual, complex, and value- laden processes.
Lessons to be learned go beyond and rise to daunting challenges of modern experience. This book believes that
doing "partial "philosophy is limiting our views about the human person within the anthropocentric frame and
tradition of western philosophy. A more holistic approach that this book presents signals even the non-
anthropocentric and ecocentric (Payne 2010).
In short, a broad understanding of philosophy stressed not just the humans but other living beings.
Though philosophy has many branches and special branches, philosophical introduction goes beyond partial
(i.e., individualism) but stresses holism; beyond mind but the body as well; beyond global/technological to local
and indigenous. The final section highlighted the students' various methods of concerns and ways of thinking
through their own philosophical reflection.