CHAPTER 5
contract” an agreement where individuals sacrifice an amount of their
Freedom- The ability to make choices and perform those choices.The
ability to be what we want and to decide and create oneself.
Freedom itself- it is the quality or state of being free.
Free will-allows us to decide on things we do depending on the
situation.
KINDS OF FREEDOM:
1. Physical Freedom-refers to the absence of any physical restraint
2. Psychological Freedom- is also called freedom of choice. The person is
free to perform actions that he or she considers right and wise.
3. Moral Freedom- refers to using freedom in a manner that upholds
human dignity and goodness.
There are two elements that define freedom:
1. Voluntariness -It is the ability of a person to act of his or her own free
will and self-determination. A person may decide to do things or not to
do it according
2. Responsibility- refers to the person being accountable for his or her
action and their consequences.
Prudence-is the ability to govern and discipline oneself with the use of
reason; it is having caution and giving good judgments in making
decisions.
Self-reflection-allows us to be more rational in making choices, because
sometimes human beings tend to be slaves by their emotions and
moods whenever they act certain things.
CHAPTER 6
INTERSUBJECTIVITY- Is a coined word from the prefix “Inter” which
connotes “among and between” and the philosophical term “Subject”
that is equivalent to a conscious being.A unique relationship between
distinct subjects. It refers to the characteristics of the human person to
engage in a very intimate and personal relationships with others who
are different from him/her but also the same in some ways
What Philosophers say about Intersubjectivity :
Confucius (551-479 B.C.E. ) – It is a virtue central to man that can be
found in his sociality or intersubjectivity. In his philosophy, Confucius
stresses order and harmony in the world.
Martin Buber (1878-1965) – Is a Jewish philosopher who the “I-Thou”
and “I-It” relationships to embody his philosophy of intersubjectivity. For
Buber, we have to treat another person as a subject (a being different
from things or objects).
Karol Wojtyla (1920- 2005) – human action is the foundation of our
being. But human reality is about being with others, so our actions are
also directed towards others.This form of action is now called
“Participation”. In the theory of participation, man has the capacity to
share himself to thers.
Interpersonal Relations- Are made possible when the self becomes
aware of the other that includes everyone and everything outside the
self. The notion of recognizing the self in the other is how philosophers
defines interpersonal relations.
DIALOGUE – The deeper and more genuine interaction between people.
Is an interaction between persons that happens through speech on the
use of words, expressions, and body language.
Aspects of Intersubjectivity :
EMPATHY – Is the ability to share emotions, is the important aspect of
intersubjectivity. This emotion is driven by a person’s awareness that the
other is a person with thoughts and feelings. Empathy enables us to
experience another person’s emotions such as happiness, anger, and
sadness.
AVAILABILITY – Or the willingness of a person to be present and be at
the disposal of another.
ETHICS OF CARE – Is an ethical theory that emphasizes the moral
dimension of relationships and interactions.
ALIENATION – Is the separation or estrangement of human beings from
some essential aspect of their nature or from society, often resulting in
feelings of powerlessness or helplessness.
CHAPTER 7
No man is an Island”-John Donne-The human person exists to relate
with others. The person is by nature a social being as they have a
tendency to go out of themeselves to form bonds and relationships with
others.
The Social Contact Theory- fully understand the true character of the
society, they imagined humans as living in a so called “ natural state”.
THOMAS HOBBES-individuals who establish societies enter into a “social
freedom and submit to a higher authority.
JOHN LOCKE- also known as the “consent of the government”. Is a
covenant among individuals to cooperate and share the burden of
upholding the welfare of the society.
DAVID GAUTHIER-described people’s self-interest as a significant factor
in building and maintaining societies.
JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU’s-ideas on the social contract lead him to
advocate the concept of the “general will”.
JOHN RAWLS-Rawls introduced a version of the natural state which he
called the “original position” to explain social information.
Common good -refers to the social conditions which enable persons and
groups to fulfill their goals and achieve well-being.
Hunting and Gathering Society-a type of subsistence lifestyle that relies
on hunting and fishing animals and foraging for wild vegetation and
other nutrients like honey, for food.
Pastoral Society- a nomadic group of people who travel with a herd of
domesticated animals, which they rely on for food.
Horticultural society-people subsist through the cultivation of plants for
food consumption without the use of mechanized tools or the use of
animals to pull plows.
Agrarian society-any community whose economy is based on producing
and maintaining crops and farmland,seeing how much of a nation’s total
production is in agriculture.
Feudal society-is a military hierarchy in which a ruler or lord offers
mounted fighters a fief (medieval beneficium), a unit of land to control
in exchange for a military service.
Industrial society-is a society driven by the use of technology and
machinery to enable mass production, supporting a large population
with a high capacity for division of labour.
Post-industrial society-is the stage of society's development when the
service sector generates more wealth than the manufacturing sector of
the economy.
Society-is the backdrop by which we adopt the prevailing culture,
identity, values, ideas and knowledge of the persons, group, and
communities that surround us.
CHAPTER 8
Death-is the end of a person's physical body but also refers to the
separation of the spirit from the body.
WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?
Noble Good- Is one which is pursued for it's own sake; it is good in itself.
Useful Good- Is considered good as long as it serves as a means to an
end; its goodness is found only from what it can provide.
Pleasurable Good- Provides some form of pleasure; though it doesn't
have to be physical.
WHY DO WE SUFFER? Suffering is universal. All creation suffers
(Romans 8:22). And in our interconnected world, we know about
suffering all over the world.
WHY DO WE SUFFER?
We ask in desperation, “If God is good, why do I suffer? If God is all-
powerful, why doesn’t he deliver me?” We find it difficult to reconcile
the fact of our suffering with our faith in God.
WHY DO THE INNOCENT SUFFER? Being a good person does not protect
us from difficulties