Philos – love

Phia – wisdom.
Philosophy means “love of wisdom”
Six Blind Men and the Elephant by John Godfrey Saxe
Lesson: We came close to the truth when we look at the thing or a person in various
perspectives.
Truth- objective truth, they point to the descriptions of “state of affairs” which means the
idea, or the thing will remain true regardless of who is viewing them.
- Remain constant and true.
Philosophy has been aware that “ang katotohanan tungkol sa katotohanan ay nanatiling
tanong libong taon na ang nakararaan”

The Domains of Truth

Jurgen Habermas (1979)
Scientific Truth – covered by the objective domain- something is true because it is
based on facts. Relative independence from the perspective and attitude of a human
being that perceived them (e.g., water’s boiling point remains 100 degrees and and will
remain to even if a powerful tyrant wants to change it)
Social Domain – “truth” is analogous of a general agreement or consensus on what is
right as opposed to what is wrong. Something is true or good based on what society has
established and became embedded in our society (mass should be silent and basketball
game should be loud)
Personal Domain – “truth is analogous with sincerity. Statement that is coincide with
our inner thoughts and intention. You are telling the truth on your mind that no one can
access.
Truth and Opinion
Opinion is statement of judgement of someone about a particular matter in the
word. There is a need for further justification.
How to critically examine opinions?
Argument – a group of statement that sere to support a conclusion.
Example: There is no hope in the Philippine government (claim- the conclusion of
an argument) because many officials are corrupt (premise 1 – premises the
reason to support the claim), and Filipin voters continue to elect them (premise 2)

III. The Human Person as an Embodied Spirit

THE BODY AS LIMITATIONS AND TRANSCENDENCE
- The Body as a source of Limitations and Possibility Human Limitations.
- We are embodied beings that is why we have limitations.
- Human existence is embodied existence – age, sex, race, relationship.
Confine from the Latin confinis – con “together” + finis “End, limit, territory”
The Body as Transcendence
- Our limitations enables us to create our own unique identity.
The Human person as an embodied spirit: ancient and contemporary thought
Plato and Aristotle
Plato is Socrates’ student, wrote about the nature of the human soul.
“Plato’s eyes, man has an immortal soul and a mortal perishable body.
Soul has tripartite nature consisting of.
a. A soul or an immortal rational part which existed before it became part of the
body
b. A courageous or spirited part these parts of the soul are mortal, and they
perish
c. An appetitive part when man dies
Human being has a soul that is using the body
Life of being is a continuous ascent towards the world of ideas, a journey in which the
soul tries to free itself from its imprisonment in the body (Plato, 1992)
Medieval Christian Philosophy: St. Augustine
St. Augustine (354-439)
- Human is restless being
- Man consists of soul and body, a soul is in possession of a body, which does not
constitute two persons but one man.
- Soul animates the body
- Human person is created in the image and likeness of God and the will we have
like Him is the most powerful.

Plato and St. Augustine believe that body is the secondary position to the soul.

The Modern Period and The Primacy of the Mind Over the Body
Rene Descartes
- Res cogitans (thinking thing) – refers to the soul
- Res extenza (extended things) – refers to the body
- Phenomenology – study of structures consciousness as experienced from the
first-person point of view.
- (1) Edmund Husserl “back to the things themselves”
- (2) Gabriel Marcel “living in a broken world”

Two Radical Ways of Relating to our Body for Gabriel Marcel

The Body as an Object – treat body as we treat it as an object.
The Body as Subject – “the tragedy of having” , he means that our bodies are bound to
detach and separate from us. This tragedy we are all bound to experience.
Human Person in His/ Her Environment
Approaches to Understanding the Relationship of the Human Person with the
Environment
Cosmo-centric approach – we are small version of the universe. Cosmic patterns also
governs our being. Kapag may global warming, maapektuhan den tayong mga tao.
Emphasizes human being as a balance between heaven and earth.

Theocentric Approach – understanding coming from a religious interpretation.

Humans have role of stewards of creation. Emphasizes our heavenly role as stewards
of creation.

Anthropocentric Approach – approach that puts the human person in dominion over
the Earth but de-emphasizes the role of God. Shows how we are earthy beings in need
of resources.
- Humans are the one manipulates and intervene over the things in the natural
world from the tiniest to the largest things.
A Balance Approach – all approaches are put together.
Rapidification – the continued acceleration of changes that affecting humanity and
planet.