INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

ACTIVITY 1 (MODULE 1)

METHODS OF PHILOSOPHIZING MAIN PROPONENT/S

1. DIALECTICE METHOD  This method was conceived by the
Greek Philosopher Socrates and
modernized and treated in different way
by George Wilhelm Hegel.
 Dialectic method was conducted
through dialogue between one or more
persons. Accordingly, its name dialectic
which has the root word of dialect and is
associated with language which means, it is
regulated with conversation through one
another. In this method, the people will likely
to develop theories based on observation
and participation of real life struggles and
testing the theories of reality.
 Rely on this example for better
understanding.

A. The president is the most

intelligent in the country.
B. The president in the most
powerful in the country.

: Dialectic method involves both fact and

opinion. Therefore, the statements above
undergone dialectic method as the two
statements came from the observations of
facts and opinions of the society. Because as
we can understand, if we would base on
opinions of the people, the president can be
the most intelligent in the country. But, there
are only number of people that would say so.
On the contrary to statement A, the president
is the most powerful in the country and that is
a statement of fact.

 Thus, dialectic method is often

studied by thesis, antithesis and synthesis.
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2. PRAGMATIC METHOD  The Pragmatic Method was

Initiated by the evolutionary thoughts of
Hegel and Darwin. It is started by Charles
S. Pierce, popularized by William James
and institutionalized in American culture
by John Dewy.
 This method aims to promote the test
of science nor the beliefs of a person or a
group of person who’s going to conduct a
study. Contrary to the aim of philosophy that
offers a set of beliefs about human beings,
pragmatic method has no beliefs to offer.
Wherein according to pragmatists, this is
purely a method, not a substance. They
make results or outcomes from the
practicality of their conduct, just a mere
method. Therefore, pragmatists seek to
conduct a study to make philosophy have its
relevance in solving real life problems.
 According to William James, we must
draw a distinction between meaning and
truth.

3. PHENOMENOLOGICAL METHOD  The Phenomenological method

was conceived by Edmund Husserl.
 This method raises unbiased
philosophizing which studies not the
practicality of science but the natural
phenomena of the surroundings.
Thus, to have a successful
philosophy, this method limits our
own beliefs to focus on what you
need to study. According to Husserl,
there is a process in which he calls
phenomenological epoche which
means bracketing. Wherein he says
that, bracketing is different from
ignoring. Because these beliefs that
we have will serve as our biases that
we need to set aside in order to
formulate an unbiased result in the
phenomenological method.
 This method only sees the facts
themselves that are given in actual
experience and intuition.
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REFLECTION

1. I learned that truth is most vital knowledge that a human can have. The

definition of truth states that, it is SIMPLY telling facts about something or someone. And
from that word simply, it hits people a lot. Why is there a word simply when in some
situation, people thinks that telling the truth was the most difficult thing to do?
One thing that I also learned from the truth is that, there are times that people can’t
stand for it. The living example of this situation is the cases in the Department of
Justice, wherein, they uphold the truth by examining the accused and the
defendant. In law, there are two sides of truth, the truth told by the accused and
the truth told by the defendant. In that reason, the judgement of the honorable
judge were the factor that matters. And in court, the truth is examined through
INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

inquiry and questions to both sides which makes it enough for the whole court to
know who says the real truth.
The main lesson to sum up this is that, the truth has its relevancy in the existence of life,
therefore, people should stand for it no matter what happens. Because surely, the
goodness and effectiveness of the decision is what comes next to it.

2. I feel that truth is important because it opens our senses to the better
understanding of knowledge. We are happened to be a human, to have a true
knowledge in our existence and in the world that we surround. Therefore, the truth
helps us broaden our knowledge. It is said that we can achieve the truth by asking
questions and inquiry. In the reason that, curiosity drives us to meet the satisfying
knowledge that we need to fulfill.

Knowledge seemingly likes to be told in a true manner. Therefore, without the truth and
knowledge, human won’t function well in the society. These two were dependent with
each other. With that, ignorance is very dangerous, for we can be easily manipulated by
false information, and we will likely take the first piece of information given to us as fact
rather than question it, and come to our own conclusions. If people don’t seek truth and
knowledge, we run the risk of becoming intellectually blind in ignorance. Society should
seek truth and knowledge, because, without those traits we are unable to tell the
difference between misinformation and what is true, hence imprisoning ourselves in
ignorance due to lack of knowledge.

In philosophy, truth is what’s important as it serves as their power engine to drive

them for what they want to search for. Philosophers has different beliefs that they
want to prove as true. In that reason, the truth was the justified belief, on the other
hand, the beliefs that’s not justified were the one we called as opinion.

3. I commit to uphold the truth by thinking of the goodness and kindness

that I
can get for standing with the truth and nothing but the truth. In this age of life, experience
and situations that were getting in was harder, which makes it also difficult for us to
make decisions. And I consider decision making in situations was harder than choosing
what course you would pursue in college.

Making a decision which you would fight for the truth and uphold it until the end wasn’t
easy as it looks like. It takes a lot of courage and sacrifice. Therefore, to uphold the truth,
focus yourself and mind on your main goal, to what is the reason why you want to stand
for the truth. In real life, we cannot forge the truth by using money or wealth just like what
they do in the Court of Law or on dramas.

Personally, I chose to uphold the truth by focusing my mind and thinking critically
to what this decision is going to pay off my sacrifice. I always think that every
situation that I am at, was worth it. I always assume that every truth that I chose to
INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

uphold would give me the goodness that I asked for. Because this is the reality of
life, the truth of our existence.

REFLECTION

1. In relation to freedom, what do you think does your drawing mean?

There are two objects that symbolized freedom. The bird serves as the people who
are caged by their limitations. According to this module, human have their freedom to
do actions in the way that they want. Human make choices in their own will. In that
reason, we are similar to a bird wherein they always do what they wanted to do.
They flew as high as they can and they flap their wings as far as they wanted to.

Birds were seemingly not afraid to fly and use their wings to go farther. That’s what
human think, that birds are eager but they’re not. Birds travel far but only to places
that they know that they can survive. If we think that they flap their wings unlimitedly,
on the contrary, they are not because they also get tired of doing so. Therefore, all
creatures have their limit in the so-called freedom.

As human, God has given us all the freedom He could give. But being a
person is what limits the freedom that He gave. Therefore, the bird in the cage
tells us that everyone in this human race have the same free will with limitations. For
instance, in this life that we have, the existing evidence that limits our freedom
are the Republic Acts or the Laws that the world has. This laws do not take
away our freedom but only restrict us to do actions above our limit.

The bird was not restricted to fly; the cage only serves as its limit. Human
sees cages and limits as something that they cannot live with when in fact we
are all a bird in the cage. Our life was not taken, the cage just secured it.

2. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE DIFFERENCE IF THE BIRD IS INSIDE THE

CAGE AND IF IT’S OUTSIDE?

Birds were the most dreamed animal in this world. In the reason that, they are free
and they can fly far and high. There are two main points that I understand in the
question. First, the delight of life and second was security.

The bird outside the cage has their lives in their own hands. They could fly as high
as they can. They could go as far as they can. T he free bird floats on the back of
the wind, dips his wings in the orange sun rays and claims the sky as his own.
They think of another breeze through the trees and dreams of good eatables
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REFLECTION
INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

1. What do we exactly mean by embodied spirit?

Human were created with body and spirit. We believed that God made us with
his Spirit. In today's spiritual circles, the term "embodied spirituality" has
become a catchphrase, yet the concept has yet to be fully explored.
When we say spirituality is "embodied," what do we truly mean? Is this
expression based on a certain understanding of the human body? In practice,
what separates "embodied" spirituality from "disembodied" spirituality? What
does it mean to take embodiment seriously in terms of spiritual practice and
aspirations, as well as our approach to spiritual liberation?
Embodied spirituality, on the other hand, sees all human dimensions, body,
vitality, heart, mind, and consciousness as equal partners in bringing self,
community, and world closer to the Mystery from which everything emerges.
A fully embodied spirituality, I suggest, emerges from the creative interplay of
both immanent and transcendent spiritual energies in complete individuals who
embrace the fullness of human experience while remaining firmly grounded in
body and earth. To be sure, religious attitudes toward the human body have
been profoundly ambivalent, with the body being regarded as a source of
bondage, sinfulness, and defilement on the one hand, and as the locus of
spiritual revelation and divinization on the other. Our religious history houses
tendencies that fall along a continuum of disembodied to embodied goals and
practices.

2. What are your limitations as a person? What are the thing that you
considered as difficult or hard for you to accomplish or believe in?
I would propose that you should dream large and look into any limiting
beliefs you may have. Setting properly defined limits, on the other hand, is
a crucial step in reaching your goals and making your aspirations a reality.
Limits, after all, aid in the definition, shaping, and substance of your
fantasies. I've set numerous boundaries for myself over the last few years
INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

that have shown to be really useful in achieving my objectives. I'm going to

show you nine of them so you may think about using them in your own life.
Now, one of my realization is that materialism and commercialism affect
the manner in which you live your life. Advertising programs us to desire
many things and to feel unhappy in the absence of those. Putting your
happiness in material belongings creates a shallow sense of possession and
accomplishment. You’ll have no idea how to feel truly and deeply satisfied
in the absence of those things. Making belongings the center of your
universe is as toxic as putting your happiness in the hands of another
person. Limit your material possessions and refocus on the spiritual. Build
relationships, learn new things and find your calling in life. 
However, we know that it is very hard not to believe that there are persons
that is not materialistic. Being engaged to a material that catches our
attention wherein the first thought that comes to our mind is that we want
to buy that. Therefore, it is hard to believe that no person is not
materialistic, they just set the action in different ways.