Course Title : PHILOSOPHY OF MAN WITH LOGIC

Instructor : Ms. Annalene Ramores Olit

CHAPTER 1 - PHILOSOPHY OF MAN
Definition of Term:
Philosophy is a science whose essence is found on reason, experience, reflection,
intuition, meditation, imagination , and speculation that leads to CRITICAL
THINKING which embraces questioning , analyzing , criticizing, synthesizing,
evaluating, and judging a given phenomenon
Philosophy of the Human Person
o Deals with the origin of human life, nature of human life, and the reality of
human existence
o In Philosophy it is concern of the meaning of human nature and nature of
the human self. It explores human nature itself, to know his essence, form
which makes human unique. It discusses the essential or uniqueness
about the term Man as being.
o The essential question that can be asked is Who am I? It challenges and
evaluates his being, his relationship to the World and relationship to his
Creator.
o Some topic of Philosophy of Human person: Historicity, Man as Embodied
Spirit, Man as Being-in-the-world, Man lives in time, I-It relationship, I-Thou
relationship, I-Thou (eternal) relationship, Death and Immortality and his
highest activity is love.
Certain Philosophies of Man: Greek Philosophers
GREEK PHILOSOPHERS believes that what constitutes the world is also that
constitutes human.
o THALES - WATER is the world of stuf
Somatic level of human nature: it is a scientific knowledge that the
human brain contains 80% water and 70% in the human body.
o

o
o
o

ANAXIMENES AIR
Human: body condensed air
soul rarefied air
PYTHAGORAS
soul is immortal, divine
PROTAGORAS
ultimate criterion of truth:
man is the measure of all things
SOCRATES
Human THINKS and WILLS. Human soul is more important than the
body.
PLATO
DUALISTIC
nature : body material,
ergo,
mutable and
destructible; Soul immaterial, ergo immutable and indestructible.
Three components of the soul

Rational soul mind and intellect

Spirited soul will or volition

Appetitive soul emotion or desire

According to Plato values are chosen; Choice is volitional

It means that the development of the character and

intelligence like the body is open to human choice.
o ARISTOTLE no dichotomy between body and soul.
Body and soul are in a state of unity
o STOICS the soul is matter and has seven parts
Five senses
The power of speech
The power of reproduction
Another Stoic view is that the human nature is part of determined
universe. Man must be the subject of the will of God and to the
law of nature
Certain Philosophies of Man: Medieval Philosophers
MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY is THEODICY
o ST. AUGUSTINE

God created human with a mortal body with an immortal soul and
gave him free will.
o ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

He claims that the human person is substantially united body and

soul.

Soul is united with the human body principle of life

Soul requires the body as the material medium for its operation
particularly perception

Soul has operative functions which do not need a material

medium: they are humans intellect and will.
o RENE DESCARTES

idea of substance; man is a machine and a thinking being, a thing

that thinks

Thinking substance human can know and think apart from the
body

Extended substance human assumes life and move through the

animal spirits and not through soul
o KARL MARX

Human nature is derived from labor since its totality is human

activity.
o THOMAS HOBBES

humans are physical objects, sophisticated machines

Sensation involves a series of mechanical processes operating

within the human nervous system

Human nature emphasizes our animal nature leaving each of us

independently of everyone else acting only his self-interest without
regard for others.

This produces state of war a way of life that is certain to prove

solitary, poor, nasty
MARTIN BUBER

social being

He applied the principle of personalism

Theory of humans interrelatedness to others

I-it, Thou-he/she

I-Thou is the highest level of human relationship

This relationship happens when the I and the Thou are bound
together in the context of love

MARTIN BUBER

According to Martin Buber there are types of relationships these are I-it, I-Thou and
I-Thou eternal relationship.

Through these relationships we create communication and at the same engaging

the other as a whole being. In I-it relationship the way they relate to and
experience each other as objects or means to an end. Communication cannot
happen in the I-it relation.

For Buber, the I-Thou relationship represents the world of relationships. This kind
of relationship happens between the I and Thou.

When we place in relation to one another, I is shared and Thou is accepted as well.
When I and Thou would have a constant communication, they find meaning
because this is the start of no pretensions and true connection takes place.

How do we make I-Thou relationships as opposed to I-it relationships? Is Thou

something that we go looking for us? Is Thou made or is Thou discovered?

Buber explains I-Thou is not to be discovered but it is met through our beautiful
journey. When we begin to start searching to execute a role for us, we are setting
up a tendency for an I-it relationship.
I believe that I experienced I-Thou
relationships with some of my close friends. I enjoy being with them, who accept
me of who I am and vice-versa. To be with my close friends companies I feel safe
and I can share the truth with them. We could make mistakes and sometimes we
let each other down. The good side we do not hold grudges and we know how to
forgive with one another. The I must allow the Thou to be authentic and real. The
Thou is discovered when there are no anticipation or no hopes.

The I-Thou relationship is by allowing to be true and freely to one another. For an IThou relationship happen, there should be no end goal.

Martin Buber explains love is the response of an I to eternal Thou. The I must
introduce himself, speak to the other, the Thou. The important belief of love is that
the Thou has reached out and spoken first. The act of love is truly a response. The
ultimate Thou is God. In I-Thou relation there are no pretensions and we could talk
to God freely. Being one with Thou can be express sharing our time and presence
with God. The I-Thou relation can stand in union with his nature, sharing of ideas,
of dreams and being true to each one of us.

The I-Thou relationship is by allowing to be true and freely to one another. For an IThou relationship happen, there should be no end goal.

Martin Buber explains love is the response of an I to eternal Thou. The I must
introduce himself, speak to the other, the Thou. The important belief of love is that
the Thou has reached out and spoken first.
The act of love is truly a response. The ultimate Thou is God. In I-Thou relation
there are no pretensions and we could talk to God freely. Being one with Thou can
be express sharing our time and presence with God. The I-Thou relation can stand
in union with his nature, sharing of ideas, of dreams and being true to each one of
us

Certain Philosophies of Man: Modern Philosophers

JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU
o Human is unique in the world, ones being, ones existence, is diferent
from all others
o State of nature human are basically good and they tend to
compassionate to each other
o In his political theory, instead of being bound together, people should be
linked by social contract, a pact in a political order to which reasonable
persons would freely give their allegiance
o He believed that God is the source of all justice.
JEAN PAUL SARTRE
o Human existence is found in human exercise of freedom and responsibility
Certain Philosophies of Man: Existentialist Philosophers
MARTIN HEIDEGGER
o Human existence can only attained when the human person lives his life
authentically
o Authentic existence requires human to do the f:

Human has to free himself from his inauthentic existence

Human owns his existence, he has to project his possibilities;

human has to make himself

Human person has to experience dread, care, concern, guilt

Humans resolute decision to live authentically, human has to

accept death as his own most inevitable possibility.
VICTOR FRANKL
o human can find meaning in his existence in a three-fold:

By doing a life-project

By experiencing value

By finding meaning of sufering

SOREN KEIRKEGAARD

human can achieve a meaningful existence when human liberates himself

from his/her crowd existence
KARL JASPERS
o The attainment of human existence is possible when he is seen as whole or
as the Encompassing. Human can be the Encompassing when he sees
as an existent being, as a conscious being, as a spirit and as an existence.
JOHN STUART MILL
o utilitarianism
o Pain or even sacrifice of pleasure is warranted on Mills view only when it
results directly in the greater good of all.
o

JEREMY BENTHAM
o Utilitarian value: actions are right in proportions as tend to promote
happiness, wrong as they tend to produce pain. By happiness are intended
pleasure, and the absence of pain
o The principle of utility, defines the meaning of moral obligation by
reference to the greatest happiness of the greatest number of people
DAVID HUME
o He believed that our beliefs and actions are the products of custom or
habit.
o According to him, it is our feelings that exert practical influence over
human volition and action.
o All human actions flow naturally from human feelings without any
interference from human person
FRIEDRICH NIETZCHE
o
no rules for human life, no absolute values, no certainties on which to rely;
rejects religion

Nature of the human person

THREE-FOLD LEVEL OF HUMAN NATURE
1. Somatic level body, substance, constitution
2. Behavioral level - mode of acting
3. Attitudinal level mental reaction to a given stimulus; position of every
individual concerning his/her opinion, feeling or mood.

Human being is the substantial union of body and soul.

Humans are social beings.
Humans are historical beings
Humans are acting beings.

Meanings of values
Values
o Latin word valere vigor, a power to do specific thing
o Refers to interests, pleasures, likes, duties, preferences, moral obligations,
desires, wants, goals, needs, aversions and attractions.
Two Kinds of Values
1. Absolute Moral Values those which are ethically and socially binding to all
men, at
all times and in all places
Characteristics: Objective
Universal
External
Moral Values

Refer to the qualities of an act, which are performed by an

individual freely and knowingly. It is founded on human person,
love and freedom
2.

Behavioral and Cultural Values are inner

personal
incentive, which prompt a person to a certain way
Characteristics:
Subjective
Societal/Situational

Meaning, Nature, Purpose and Norms of Morality

Morality
o Human Acts
o Acts of Man
Classification of Human Acts
o Moral Actions
o Immoral Actions
o Amoral Actions

responses

or