USC – SHS North Campus

Philo 01: Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person

First/Second Semester
A. Y. 2023 - 2024

MODULE 8
Human Persons as Oriented towards their Impending
Death

I. What will you learn from this module?

After studying this module, you will be able to:
1. enumerate the objectives you really want to achieve and to define the
projects you really want to do in your life; and
2. reflect on the meaning of your own life.

II. Lesson Introduction

Let’s recall the previous modules we have discussed so far throughout
the semester. The logic of the course lies in the ordinary dynamics of the life of
the human person – learning how to do philosophy using its methods,
understanding the nature of the person as an embodied spirit, being in the
world as a dweller of nature, being in relationships with other people, and in
the context of the society – ended by death itself.
This last module intends to do two things: first, aid the students to
examine the incorporeity of life and the certainty of change and, second, help
them recognize the meaning of their own life. The latter includes the goals they
hope to construct, understand, express, and accomplish in life as they look
forward to their imminent end.
The following discussion therefore covers the essential theme of this
subject: the inevitability of death and the challenge to find meaning despite a
transitory existence.

III. Let’s Check What You Already Know

ACTIVITY
Instructions: The class is given 5 minutes to write the 10 craziest, yet possible
things they want to do before they die. After 5 minutes, break the main call
into small breakout rooms and share their individual answers with the group.
The group shall select one thing from the bucket list being shared and present
to the whole class. Provide a brief explanation of why they chose it. Lastly, after
all groups shall have shared, ask the following questions:

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IV. Let’s Explore
A. Anticipating the Unanticipated
1. To anticipate is to create an image of the future, to foresee
something. It means looking forward to a point in time, to assume or
prepare beforehand. A man, for example, who is enjoying a healthy
relationship with his partner and is thinking of marriage a year from
now is considering an affair that involves anticipation. He then
makes a picture of it, envisions it, and dreams about it.
2. He can plan everything, but his future can never become
permanently secure. What tomorrow may bring then is of no
assurance. There is no spot-on guarantee to everything. Indeed,
nothing in life is certain except death and change. Man, therefore,
should acknowledge this reality.
3. For without such awareness, he will not be able to recognize the
difference between that which can-be and that which-cannot-be,
between “being-there” and “being-no-longer-there.” Thus, according
to this perspective, anticipation requires readiness for the
unanticipated— a readiness to accept and respond to the unforeseen,
the unexpected and the unlooked-for.
4. David Morris pens: 70 We are often taught as if learning could be:
preparing in advance for whatever may come. But philosophy shows
us that in fact learning always takes the courage for oneself, to be
unprepared for situations […] for life haunted by death entails:
learning how to die. One is born without yet knowing how to be and
one does die in the process of learning to die for the [very] first time.
Yet one cannot yet fully know how to die, for the lesson can never be
complete, since the very one who is learning is the very one who is
dying.
5. Certain of the uncertain, man should learn to prepare for what is
yet to come. This preparation does not demand to understand at
once the implication of death; rather, it teaches one to “cultivate the
courage” to accept something devastating and be all the “more open
in a death that is unanticipated.
6. No one, for this reason, can ever evade death. Its certainty is its
very own reality. Thus, man can only anticipate but cannot do away
with it. Even if he ignores it, it still looms in the future. It continues
to be there— definite and inescapable. He must then accept the fact
that no one dies without living nor lives without dying. Man cannot
live except in anticipation of death.

B. After the Day Star (A Platonic Analysis of Death)

7. What else can one do in the time before sunset? 4 A sunset is a
recessing time of the day; graceful decline; a descent towards a

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vanishing point, a repose. But to Plato, it is more than just a
metaphor of Elysian rest.
8. It is a recurring pause, a reminder that a day is once again done.
Like all things in life, nothing stands still. Everything comes to an
end. As the sun thus quietly sinks into the skyline, a natural
occurrence of cessations also breaks through the open canvas: the
story closes, the melody fades, the water of the seas retreats, the
flowers wilt, the leaves fall, and then the seasons change.
9. Indeed, nothing lasts long. As each second ticks, everything moves
from beginning to an end, and so does human life. Our loved ones, to
illustrate a point, change just as we do. But as we advance in prime,
they in turn become frail and sickly. And they too will one day exit
from life’s looming fate.
10. So, what makes a beautiful sunset? Plato has a classic answer.
To him, man needs to differentiate the perfect world from the
material world. Man, while in this (imperfect) world, should not
devote to things that do not last, for no matter how successful man is
with his earthly possessions, everything is but a fleeting investment
of the future—impermanent, never meant for worldly contentment.
What merits a second look though is a life well lived.
11. After all, to note the teaching of his great mentor Socrates: an
unexamined life is not worth living. In Plato’s Apology, Socrates
shows how self-knowledge becomes an important 71 component to a
meaningful life.
12. Norman Melchert says, “Just as the shoemaker cannot make
good shoes unless he understands his material, [man] cannot
construct a good life unless [he] knows himself.” So, mastering the
art of living is like making fine shoes; as in the same analogy, so also
one lives well.
13. It is worth to note that Plato wants man to anticipate the
sundown by examining the deeper self. One should know the end to
learn how to begin. First, he must be sensitive to his own existence.
He should know the recipe of his life and the ingredients that are
needed for human existence.
14. Plato encourages detachment from mundane glamor. Everything
in this world is a poor imitation of what is truly real. So one need not
stick to what is temporal and ephemeral. He means to free the self
from the anxiety of life by wading off “bodily pleasures and
adornments.”
15. Thus, for the great thinker, a wise man is never surprised by
death for he is at all times ready to go; he is a man sensitive enough
to accept his borderline situation. For that reason, “[The]
philosopher’s soul is [also] ahead of all the rest.” It is so because he
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 follows “philosophy in the right way” and truly prepares himself “to
face death easily.”.
16. Simply put, “a true philosopher makes dying his profession.” He
sees to it that life is lived fully by anticipating death and he does this
by making the most or perhaps the best in everything there is before
the day star disappears.
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QUOTE TO PONDER:
1. Explain this:
“Ordinary people seem not to realize that those who really apply
themselves in the right way to philosophy are directly and of their own
accord preparing themselves for dying and death. If this is true, and they
would have been looking forward to death all their lives, it would of course
be absurd to be troubled when the thing comes for which they have so long
been preparing and looking forward.” – Plato
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C. A Day in the Garden (Heidegger on Death and

Ontology)
17. What makes a garden? A garden is a place where flowers and
plants of various types are refined and cultivated. It is an area where
botanical life is relished and nurtured carefully. It is also a place
where an atmosphere of tranquility comes into view. Thus, like all
things in the physical world—manmade or not, it becomes a venue
for discernment or leisure.
18. This is the reason why the phrase “a walk through the woods and
garden” is associated with those who are contemplating, breaking
themselves away from a wearisome life. Even Jesus visits
Gethsemane— a greenery outside Jerusalem, countless times.
19. For Martin Heidegger, a garden is a product of dwelling. 18 In his
book Poetry, Language, Thought, he clearly states that everything in
the world is a gift to which one is invited to respond with affection
and devotion. Here, just like a gardener, each individual is called to
nurture the world and the things in it with a sense of
responsibility.19 To dwell profoundly, henceforth, is to garden, to lay
out something on the ground with utmost care and attention.
20. So what does it mean to dwell? To dwell is to let-be, to allow
things to come into presence or reveal themselves. In this context, it
is to be aware of one’s unique human condition— the irreplaceable
circumstances that separate man from the rest, a kind of situation
that makes him distinct amidst plurality.
21. This includes situations or sequence of substantial and
accidental features that constitute largely the condition of one’s life.

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 22. He is then encouraged to accept everything and give importance
to the kind of life he is in. This process of personal awareness, which
includes a careful assessment of life, allows him to discover his
individuality. As a consequence, he learns to value himself and
identifies his right and responsibility. And, in this framework,
therefore, existence becomes his own.
23. To Heidegger, Dasein, in reference to man as
a-being-there-in-the-world, is in a “thrown” existence, imposed and
yet transitory. This “thrownness”, this “givenness,” continually
reminds him of his “momentariness,” a passing existence—a tragedy.
"As soon as man
comes to life, he is at once old enough to die."
24. On this ground, to appropriate Heidegger’s words, death and
dying are valued and magnified on the level of authentic existence
alone.22 This genuineness in living presupposes a recognition of
what is humbly “thrown” or given to each individual. Therefore, in all
human condition, it is essential to admit that death is not merely an
inactivity of the future.
25. Differing from its definition as a complete annihilation or total
destruction of the self, it is, in essence, a part of the wholeness of
one’s being. That is, among all great things, a comprehensive
recognition of death is imperative to a life that seeks for meaning.
26. This passionate confrontation with death, however, does not
instigate an irrational conformity to the unknown, simply
surrendering to that which is inconceivable and inescapable, but
rather it brings about an artistic dimension to it. This sort of
representation is equated to imaginative living, a life lived gently and
tenderly through gardening.
27. Figuratively, in a gardener’s perspective, each area to cultivate, a
raw land which requires refinement, is his project. It is a task that
demands careful work over a long period of time. Similarly, such a
piece of land is what Heidegger means by “thrownness,” a situation
that invites personal assessment and perceptivity. And when one
understands this unique human state, when one acknowledges and
responds to it, one begins to enrich one's existence, and then
beautifies it. Existence then becomes a transformative project.
28. In conclusion, to garden is: to put life into what is barren, to
cultivate hope and meaning to what is empty, to create a sense of
purpose, to beautify that which needs improvement, to be concerned
with the world, to care for others, to make a lasting imprint in one’s
existence, to accomplish something. And, finally, to dwell as if he
who does not find reason for living has never visited a beautiful
garden at all.
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QUOTES TO PONDER:
1. Explain these:
● “If I take death into my life, acknowledge it, and face it squarely, I
will free myself from the anxiety of death and the pettiness of life -
and only then will I be free to become myself.” – Martin Heidegger
● “To dwell is to garden.” – Martin Heidegger
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D. Albert Camus on Death and Absurdity
29. What is a trail for? A trail is a pathway created for a specific
objective: to reach a certain point. Mountaineers, for example, follow a
course to arrive at a destination. This track guides them through any
landscape that they encounter along the way. As such, no
geographical setting is non-traversable if one has a trail to follow.
30. But not all roads are the same. At some point a trail is
treacherous for travelers to pass through due to its disorienting
environment. Even so, the challenge stays the same: to surmount the
insurmountable.
31. Nevertheless, despite an injured body caused by constricting
stress, Sisyphus regains his dignity by conquering the rock. He
understands his situation. He knows that his life is different from the
rest. “[T]he workman of today,” says Camus, “works every day in his
life at the same tasks and his fate is no less [strange].” But what
separates him from other mortals is that his state, despite its being
scorned by the gods, is intensified by his resiliency.
32. What merit is there to carry one’s rock? To Camus, a rock
embodies a life of undoubted struggle. “Living naturally is never easy,”
he says. Even Sisyphus, who accepts the sterility of a life pointed
towards an end, does not denounce the wearying effort to endure a
situation devoid of meaning.
33. Until man leaves, he will never be able to free himself from life’s
series of illogical situations. Death, in fact, is an extremely ridiculous
reality. That is, man exists only to die. His assumption to life is his
very own admission to death. The madness of finding reason in every
unreasonableness is the conforming state of absurdity.
34. In “Suicide: An Existential Crisis,” the writer believes that the
absurd intensifies “the ‘pulling effect’ of each despairing poles from
which the individual finds it difficult to sustain, and even
understand.” And since it fails to explain the tension of each side,
“[man] stripped by the false impression of a happy life which leads
him, at the end of the day, to the uncertainty of death and a life of
confounding futility [is] forced to ask whether life is worth living at
all.”
35. In view of this, the rock becomes a quandary: what point is there
in living if life ends in death? “Does the absurd [life] dictate death?”
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 Sisyphus’ answer is of existential significance. Without hesitation he
inches back to his rock again. He lives his life in compliance with no
one. He knows that, despite absurdity, his uprising validates his sole
conviction: to conquer the inevitability of death with defiance.
36. In perspective, Sisyphus exemplifies the truth of what it is to be
human. By accepting his fate, he prepares himself for what lies
ahead. He knows that even at the foothill, his torment already begins.
The trail and the rock are now in one place. All he has to do is breathe
out of disbelief. His anguish, which starts at his birth, is certain after
all. This is the reality which he must accept.
37. His journey comes to a completion only when he liberates himself
from the anxiety of a life chastised towards an end. His remedy is
simply to continue living.35 The rock of Sisyphus, therefore, and the
trail that each trekker walks through essentially show one thing: “If
the descent [or ascent] is sometimes performed in sorrow, it can also
take place in joy.”
38. Despite this absurd existence, man must sustain his progressive
disposition until death comes. Only then, like all men who “struggle
towards the heights”, can Sisyphus be “imagine[d] happy.”
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QUOTE TO PONDER:
1. Explain this:
“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible
summer…And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard
the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger –
something better, pushing right back.” – Albert Camus
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E. SUMMARY
39. A perceptive mindfulness of death is thus a key towards authentic
living. For, like all wise men who believe that death is the greatest
teacher of wisdom, one’s careful treatment of the phenomenon implies
a comprehensive disposition for living. He who understands the
timeline of his mortality by translating into actions the things of
greater bearing thus enjoys the chronicle of his past and the healthy
anticipation of his future.
40. Finally, as the learners or the readers constantly recall the fading
moments of their life, they can in the soonest of time find a sanctuary
where the diminishing, the dwindling, and the disappearing will find
their solace and comfort in all the recalled affections in each of their
moments. It is in the process of living a good life in anticipation of
death that they will be guided quietly to the deepest core of their
being.

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 41. In death, therefore, they define themselves; in death their life is
set to its heart and purpose: to recognize the unavoidable end and to
triumph with passion and strength of character against life’s
impending challenges. It is this finality with clear direction and
perspective that makes one truly human.
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QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
1. Which among the philosophers (the thinkers discussed in this chapter)
inspire you the most? Why? Give concrete example(s).
2. What is the best thing(s) that you have learned in this chapter? Reflect in
terms of the following themes:
a. LIFE and Death
b. LOVE and Death
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