HUMAN PERSON IS ORIENTED

TOWARDS THEIR IMPENDING

DEATH
INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
HOW DOES THE REALITY OF DEATH
DEFINE OUR LIVES?
 Death is commonly understood as the end of
bodily functions which signals the end of a
person’s life.
 It also refers to the separation of the body and
the spirit
 The body, being materials, is bound by laws of
time and space and is subject to growth, death,
and decay.
HOW DOES THE REALITY OF DEATH
DEFINE OUR LIVES?
 We are born into human life, we grow and age
and we eventually die. This paradox defines the
uniqueness of human existence.
HOW I SHOULD LIVE MY LIFE BEFORE IT
FINALLY ENDS?
 Self-Determination is the capacity to choose and
act for oneself. A person can still exercise
freedom in choosing how to face the reality of
death in their lives.
 We can choose to spend our lives doing good and
reasonable things. The person is the author and
protagonist who determines the development and
conclusion of his/her story.
HOW I SHOULD LIVE MY LIFE BEFORE IT
FINALLY ENDS?
 WHAT IS THE END OF THIS LIFE?
 1. Terminus which means the full stop or end of a line. For
them, life ends and nothing follows
 2. Telos which means “goals, purpose, or fulfillment”.
Death is not the goal of life
 Man is put on this earth to live a meaningful life, to be
virtuous and achieve excellence
 We can look at two experiences which make us reflect on
the meaning of life: happiness and suffering.
WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?
 Ancient Greek philosopher considers happiness as
an achievement and must be gained by living a
productive and moral life
 Happiness is a “whole-life satisfaction” based on
our evaluation of our overall life experiences.
 Happiness is a state of being and not merely an
emotional experience or a chosen mental
attitude.
THE GOOD SOURCES OF HAPPINESS
 Noble good is one which is pursued for its own sake: it is
good in itself (examples: love and friendship)
 Useful good is considered good so long as it serves as a
means to an end: it goodness is found only from what it
can provide (example: money)
 Pleasurable good is a good so long as it provides some
form of pleasure, thought it does not have to be physical
(examples: Netflix subscription, mobile legends)
 Real happiness can be found in more permanent and
meaningful things
WHY DO WE SUFFER?
 Suffering takes place when we patiently endure
unpleasantness, discomfort, and pain.
 It may come from:
 1. physical suffering (discomfort, hunger, distress and
pain)
 2. Mental suffering (depression, anxiety, fear, loneliness
and grief)
 Sufferings are necessary, without it, we are unable to
grow and improve.
 Remember that difficulties are not without reason
HOW DO HAPPINES, SUFFERING AND
DEATH GIVE MEANING TO YOUR LIFE?
 The pursuit of happiness requires that we go
through the effort to achieve it. Efforts are often
marked by difficulties and discouragement.
 The reality of death means that our existence is
unique and that we will not always get another
chance to do the thongs we want in this life.
Therefore, we should not easily give up on the
pursuit of good things.
HOW DO HAPPINES, SUFFERING AND
DEATH GIVE MEANING TO YOUR LIFE?
 Reflecting on the reality of death enables us to think of
how we can best live a meaningful life.
 We can strive to leave behind a legacy either in the form
of an inheritance, a reputation, or a significant
achievement.
 Because of our freedom, how we choose to live our lives is
entirely up to us.
 Life is a gift to each person and it is important to turn this
life into a gift for others as well.
COURSE OUTLINE

 DOING PHILOSOPHY (HOLISTICS THINKING, CRITICAL THINKING)

 METHIDS OF PHILOSOPHIZING ( EPISTEMOLOGY, FALLACIES)
 THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED SPIRIT
 THE HUMAN PERSON IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT
 FREEDOM OF THE HUMAN PERSON
 INTERSUBJECTIVITY
 THE HUMAN PERSON IN SOCIETY
 HUMAN PERSON AS ORIENTED TOWARDS THEIR IMPENDING DEATH