Introduction to Philosophy

of the Human Person

Quarter 2 – Module 4:
Human Person and Death
 What I Need to Know

In this module, learners like you will be philosophically oriented regarding a

sensitive topic everybody does not like always to talk about – death. Here, we will
treat death in an academic way while also allowing our own takes and insights to interplay with
the discussions. However, you are advised to have an objective disposition regarding death to
remove any negative impression that may affect your readiness to understand death as a
phenomenon.

Primarily, we will deal with the Phenomenological Notion of Death to give it definite
characterization and the Relation of Death with Authenticity upon which we will come to realize
the value of understanding death as a way to establish a more meaningful existence.

Thus, after going through this module, you are expected to:

1. explain the phenomenological notion of death

2. give the characteristics of death
3. relate death with the concept of a good life based on authenticity
4. reflect on one’s own death
5. embrace death as a natural phenomenon

Lesson

1 Death
What is your initial reaction when you read the title of this part of the module? Is death
really a terrifying phenomenon? If death is a dreadful thing, what makes it fearsome?

On the other hand, death, as part of human reality, may have meaningful messages. At this
junction, we will try to uncover the mystery of death by rationalizing its phenomenon so that we
get to understand it better, accept it as part of human nature, and treat it as a condition that
allows us to create a meaningful existence.

What’s In
THOUGHT EXPERIMENT: Imagine the scenario below. Answer the questions using 3-5
sentences only.
You are lying in a hospital bed. You have a stage 4 colon cancer. You have no problem in
paying the bills since you are a rich man. But nobody, except for the doctor and hospital staff, is
with you. This is due to the fact that you despised your family for not believing in you and left
them to pursue your dreams.
One day, an angel appeared and told you, “You only have a week left to live. Within that
span of remaining time, God is giving you a chance to forgive your family in one condition: your
life will end the moment you utter your forgiveness to your family. If you do not forgive them, you
will get additional week to live.”
You are about to respond to the angel, what would you say?

ANSWER:
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What’s New

INTERPRETATING THE STORY: Discuss the symbolisms in the short story and story’s possible
meaning.

From Leo Tolstoy’s A Confession and Other Religious Writings

There is an old Eastern fable about a traveler who is taken unawares on the steppes
by a ferocious animal. In order to escape the beast, the traveler hides in an empty well,
but at the bottom of the well, he sees a dragon with its jaws open, ready to devour him.
The poor fellow does not dare to climb out because he is afraid of being eaten by the
ferocious beast, neither does he dare drop to the bottom of the well for fear of being
eaten by the dragon. So, he seizes hold of a branch of a bush that is growing in the
crevices of the well and clings on to it. His arms grow weak, and he knows that he will
soon have to resign himself to the death that awaits him on the either side. Yet he clings
on and while he is holding on to the one branch, he looks around and sees that two
mice, one black and one white are steadily working on their way round the bush he is
hanging from, gnawing away at it. Sooner or later, they will eat through it and the branch
will snap, and he will fall into the jaws of the dragon. The traveler sees this and knows
that he will inevitably perish. But while he is still hanging there, he sees some drops of
honey on the leaves of the bush, stretches his tongue and licks them.

INTERPRETATION AND MEANING OF SYMBOLS:

What is It
Phenomenological Notion of Death

According to Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) in his book Being and Time, death is (a)
certain, (b) indefinite, (c) one’s property, (d) non-relational, and (e) not to be outstripped.

Death is certain. As part of humanness, we are all born (in Heideggerian sense, we are
“thrown”) in the world. The world is governed by time. We, humans, are existing in time, thus, as
being thrown in the world, we have beginning and since we are finite beings, we also have end –
death. Birth and death are two things we cannot remove from our existence. Whether we like it
or not, we will die.

Death is indefinite. While death is sure to come, it is however indefinite as to when it will
come. Death is impending, meaning to say, it can happen anytime. We do not know exactly
when. That is why, we should try to live the best life that we can for we never know the day of
our end.

Death is one’s property. The death of the person belongs to him. Nobody can experience
his death except himself. There can be no proxies or substitutes for a person in experiencing
death.

Death is non-relational. This means that when we die, we die alone. We have no choice
but to face it on our own. Death also removes all our relations to others. In contemplating death,
we realize our own individuality and independence from the world.

Death is not to be outstripped. Death cannot be taken away from a person. Even the
person himself cannot remove the possibility of death in his life. One cannot make himself live
forever. Even though we see in fiction movies the idea of immortality, death, in real life is a
definite reality which we nothing can be done to be outstripped.
What’s More

Death and Authenticity

What does death really mean? Is it just a reminder that human existence has a limitation? We
may accept the reality of death as it is, but it also reminds us that we have to value life while we
have it.

Since we cannot control it, things that remain within our control are those which belong to life.
While still alive, we have choices to take. The question now is not focused on death but on how we
live in the world. Let us ask ourselves before we die. Did we ever truly live?

Authenticity is an idea mostly used in existentialism which means having true and meaningful
existence. According to Soren Kierkegaard, we have to avoid the crowd – the majority of the society
which we think that should be the pattern of our lives. For example, we see people marrying,
therefore, we also have to marry. But authenticity is not like that. We have to freely choose
marrying. The intention to marry should not come from the crowd as we usually hear but it should
come from our deliberate choice.
Another reason why we fail to lead an authentic life is fear. Just because we are afraid of the
possible consequences and what others might say, we fail to pursue what we truly want in life.
This challenge of authenticity is one of the important messages of death. As we accept death, we
realize the value of having a true life – an authentic life!

AUTHENTICITY PROJECT: List down the 3 things you truly want in life, the challenges you see
in pursuing your goals and the possible solutions to these challenges.

GOALS CHALLENGES SOLUTIONS

What I Have Learned

BEFORE AND AFTER: Write your previous knowledge (before reading this module) and your new
understanding on death. Determine what makes more sense and tell why.

Previous Knowledge about Death New Understanding about Death

What makes more sense?

What I Can Do
REFLECTIONS. After realizing that death is certain and impending, we should at all times be
ready for death. It is just like a thief in the night, so we have to prepare for it. Write an essay about
your realizations and your insights about death.

MY REFLECTIONS NAD INSIGHTS ABOUT DEATH

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