Bryle Jimwel T.

Diocese of Masbate
Lecciones
2nd Year Philosophy

REALITY OF EXISTENCE
According to Albert Camus “Life is absurd”1 because we search the real essence or
the sufficient reason of our life but yet the universe offers a mute response. He also proposes
the three possible answers to the absurdity: to quit (i.e., suicide), to pretend that things are not
real (denial) and lastly, to revolt against the meaningless or senseless life. But in one of our
discussions in the subject Intro to Philosophy (Chapter 1- man and the nature and purpose of
philosophy) there are 4 metaphysical goodness why we exist: everything that exist is good,
anything that fits its purpose or nature is good, anything that we desire is good & lastly,
anything that spread goodness is good. In other hand, the life of a human person is
eudaimonia or existence for Aristotle is all about achieving happiness in life because every
human that includes its parts and every living creature has a distinctive function or activity
that was needed to achieve to differentiate life from others. This happiness should not be
connected with pleasure. A life devoted solely to pleasure is a life fit only for cattle. The
more self-sufficient we are, the happier we will be and that was the reality of our existence as
a human person in accord with Aristotle. Moreover, in regards with theological thought
where it tells the reason why we live, God's happiness is your happiness — it's a mutual
benefit between each other and the life of a human person is a life with a purpose because
God creates us in abundance of his love for us and to give us a mission to discover our real
essence on why we exist and experience his great goodness. It means that achieving
happiness in our life is like doing good act to others or appreciating the goodness of our
existence and the existence of others.

In connection with the effects of the Aristotle’s view of human life to my human life,
allow me to share a story, a realization that even I am not yet studying philosophy, I use to
live with Aristotle’s Philosophy. When I was a child, I always wondering why we are living
or existing in this sinful and senseless place, because as you know before I became a
seminarian, I already experience to live in a messy barangay in our city. Whereas people are
drinking early in the morning, people are making trouble and people throws garbage in every
corner of the road. I am always irritated to saw them roaming around and knowing that they
are like an uneducated people. I do think that they didn’t care if they would disturb or threat
others. But in behalf of this, when we left our home in that barangay, I suddenly realize
1
Scott, C. (2021, Aug 01). Life is Absurd! Exploring Albert Camus’ Rebellious Philosophy. The Collector.
https://www.thecollector.com/albert-camus-rebellious-philosophy/
something about our existence. I am so judgmental in the way that I discriminate people
because of what I saw or observed and yes, we exist because of God’s will, but in other side
we people are given an obstacle that was loaded of challenges and meaningful experience that
can makes us think on what we need to do for us to help others. And along the way in helping
others, we achieve the happiness or eudaimonia and we set aside out personal standard and
allow our self to seek with what is pleasurable and replace it with what was more appropriate.
The meaning of our life is based on how we achieve the real happiness that can determined
the unique function that in able us to discover the essence of our existence or to be more self
– sufficient, which could be impart in helping others into goodness and not on how we rate
the sensibility nor discriminate them.

In addition to my realization on how it affects my human person life, I would say that
we all exist because we all have a work to do that would give meaning in to our life and soul.
I or we need to think the deepest essence because we’re existing. Judgment is temporary,
impressions are temporary because the fact of existence was discovered along the way of
reality. As I enter into the new stage of living, I need to be more considerable, more
imaginative, getting out of my self-standard which allows me to be more comfortable on
what thing might only give pleasure to me and get along with them in all time. Lastly, need to
help myself in coping the truth of reality and the sensibility of each one, on why they exist to
avoid absurdity and avoid pleasurable manner against the existence of life and attain or
achieving being happy that God wanted us to experience.

Fr. I really appreciate your hard work and your teachings and I also appreciate the part
that you ask us on what grade what we want on your subject. But at this point I will give my
destiny to you. On what grade you might give to me. Yes, I wanted to have a 92-above grade
because reaching the grade of 90 percent above is my dream grade. I always try my best to
understand all things that you teach us because I wanted to learn but sometimes, I am week.
So, I will consider your personal comments about be though you didn’t know me well but
I’m trying always my best to satisfy your expectations. I am not so intelligent nor a poor
student. I am just a normal mid IQ seminarian. I am a semi-introvert. I have a low self-esteem
and confident that’s why I can’t give you my dream grade because I really believe that you
can get what you didn’t work for. Because I have a high standard for myself too. To the point
that I criticized my own works. So, father I how you like it, and I hope I could get my dream
grade but I will not expect po, will give my destiny to you. Even I didn’t get my dream grade
I will always thank God and you. thankyou!