Course Title : PHILOSOPHY OF MAN WITH LOGIC

HAND OUT NO. 1

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.
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 stuff
Somatic level of human nature: it is a scientific knowledge that the human brain contains 80% water and
70% in the human body.
o ANAXIMENES AIR
Human: body condensed air
soul rarefied air
o PYTHAGORAS
soul is immortal, divine
o PROTAGORAS
ultimate criterion of truth: man is the measure of all things
o SOCRATES
Human THINKS and WILLS. Human soul is more important than the body.
o PLATO
DUALISTIC nature : body material, ergo, mutable and destructible; Soul immaterial, ergo immutable
and indestructible.
Three components of the soul

Rational soul mind and

Appetitive soul emotion or

intellect
desire

Spirited soul will or volition

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
1

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
o

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 I-Thou 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 I-Thou 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 different 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 ff:

Human has to free himself from his

Human person has to experience

inauthentic existence
dread, care, concern, guilt

Human owns his existence, he has to

Humans resolute decision to live

project his possibilities; human has to
authentically, human has to accept
make himself
death as his own most inevitable
possibility.
VICTOR FRANKL
o human can find meaning in his existence in a

By experiencing value
three-fold:

By finding meaning of suffering

By doing a life-project
SOREN KEIRKEGAARD
o human can achieve a meaningful existence when human liberates himself from his/her crowd existence
KARL JASPERS

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
Human being is the substantial union of body and soul.
2. Behavioral level - mode of acting
Humans are social beings.
3. Attitudinal level mental reaction to a given
Humans are historical beings
stimulus; position of every individual
Humans are acting beings.
concerning his/her opinion, feeling or mood.
1.
2. 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
3.
4.
5.

2.

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
6.

Behavioral and Cultural Values are inner personal responses or incentive, which prompt a person to a certain
way
7.
Characteristics: Subjective
Societal/Situational

8.
9.
10. 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