PHILOSOPHY of MAN

A. Definition of Philosophy
Before defining Philosophy define first
what is definition. The term Definition
is derived from the Latin word de-fenire
meaning to state the limits of
to enclose within the limits of or to
enclose within limits. A thing can be
limited by unfolding its nature, or by
getting its meaning or by laying hold of
what includes and extends.

Two classifications of Definition:

A. Nominal: (Nominales latin)

meaning having reference to a
name. A nominal definition is
defined or limited according to its term
or name. So both etymological and
vernacular nominal definitions limit a
thing from the standpoint of its name
or term. thinking.)

Two kinds of Nominal

Definition:

1. Etymological nominal
definition limits a thing or term by
taking its derivation( e.g. Latin word
de-fenire)
2. Vernacular nominal definition
limits a thing or term by taking into
account its exclusive meaning (e.g.
Logic is the science of correct thinking
and reasoning)

B. Real Definition- (from the Latin

word realis meaning having reference
to a thing or reality.)
Real Definition- defines a thing by
considering the thing per se.
Classification of Real Definition:
1. Intrinsic real definition-limit a thing
according to its essence and contingency
or accident. If it limits a thing according to
its accidents (those characteristics or parts
that may belong to a thing but are not
necessary to the essence of a things) it is
called descriptive definition.

An essential Definition- limits a thing or

term according to its genus, i.e. Man is
an animal. In this case man is defined
or limited in the context of his animality.,
i.e. Man is not a plant but an animal.
Besides an essential definition can also
limit a thing in terms of its species, i.e.
Man is a rational animal.
Here, rationality or rational animal is
exclusive to man.
A Descriptive Definition limits a thing
according to its attributes or properties
(those natural necessities of a thing that

 Extrinsic definition- limits a thing

according to its origin, or cause or
finality( purpose), i.e.Death (cause) is
the separation of the soul from the
body, or God(origin) is the creator of
man., or A ballpen is an instrument for
writing (purpose).

A. Nominal
1.Etymological
2.Vernacular

Definition

B. Real
1. Intrinsic
a. Essential
i. Genus
ii. Species
b. Descriptive
i. Properties

Accidents

ii.
2. Extrinsic
a. Origin

 Different Nominal Definition

Greek words Philein meaning love or
friendship and sophia meaning wisdom.
Literally , Philosophy means Love of wisdom.
But what is love and what is wisdom. As a
drive, love always seeks unity with the object,
it desires to possess its object. On the other
hand, wisdom means the good exercise or
application of knowledge. Truth is the
ultimate object of knowledge. Hence truth is
being shown and practice by a man of
wisdom. To philosophize, therefore, is to be
in a quest, or to have the desire towards
living the truth.
Chinese- Philosophy means Zhe-xue or che
shueh known as Zhe-means wisdom; Xue-

 Thus, Chinese Philosophy-is the translation

of words into action or the application of
theory into practice.
Hindus Philosophy is Darsana. Darsanameans seeing, seeing not only through the
eyes, but through the whole being of the one
that sees. In other words the Philosophy of
the Hindus- means seeing the whole of
reality through a total advertence and
involvement of the looker.
Vernacular definition of Philosophy.
Philosophy-is the science that investigates
all things in their ultimate causes, reasons,
and principles through reason alone.
Philosophy is the love of wisdom or the
quest for truth. It is the truth that explains

 Real Definition of Philosophy

Philosophy- is the science that investigates
all things in their ultimate causes, reasons,
ad principles through human reason alone.
Critical thinking- founded on reason,
experience, reflection, intuition, meditation,
imagination and speculation which also
embraces questioning, analyzing, criticizing,
synthesizing, evaluating and judging.

The Origin of Philosophy

Miletus where Philosophy originated
Thales the first acclaimed philosopher. He
wondered earlier than Pythagoras also a
philosopher in 6th century.
The origin of Philosophy is wonder.
Philosophy starts with wonder that is why it is
the cause of philosophy.
Thales- was the first man who questioned or
wondered.
Wonder is expressed in a question. When
question arise, reasoning through experience,
intuition, meditation, imagination and
speculation start to work. This is why
philosophizing always involves questioning,

Purpose of
Philosophy:
Enables us to understand ourselves better.
Helps us understand others, our fellowmen
Helps us understand other ways of thinking
Helps us understand the world and our place
and role in it.
Helps us understand the significance,
meaning, value, and finality of human life.
Helps us know and undertsand God in his
nature, essence activities and attributes.

Division of Philosophy
General Ontology
Metaphysics
Cosmology
Special
Theodicy
Psychology

Philosophy

Epistemology
Logic
Ethics

Four Disciplines of
Philosophy

1. Metaphysics- science that studies all beings

in so far as they are beings.
a. General - Ontology- a metaphysical
study of all realities in so far as they exist.
b. Special:
i. Cosmology metaphysical science which
studies the nature of the world.
ii. Theodicy studies the nature, operations
and attributes of God.
iii. Psychology studies of mans nature as
being endowed with reason and intellect.
2.Epistemology- investigates knowledge and
truth,

3. Logic- the study of correct thinking and

reasoning
4. Ethics- the study on the morality of human
actions or Moral Philosophy.

Philosophy of Man- a course that delves

into the origin of human life, the nature of
human life, and the reality of human
existence.
Philosophy of man is ones desire to know who
and what man is. Thus, Philosophy of man ,
asks a crucial question about himself and
gradually answers the question himself.
In general the Philosophy of man is a course
that deals with man, man is the superstar in
Philosophy of man

II. MAN IN THE CONTEXT OF HIS

NATURE
Man is a being, a creature, whose
destiny is to live in two worlds, viz. the
spiritual and physical or material
world. Man is destined to live in the
spiritual world because he summoned
by God to live with Him in His
kingdom; and man is destined to live I
n the physical world since he is part of
the world and, besides, he lives among
entities in the world, viz, plants
minerals, animals, etc.

 Man is basically a being, a creature, whose destiny is

to live in two world., viz. : the spiritual and the
physical or material world.
Man is destined to live in spiritual world because he is
summoned by God to live with Him in his Kingdom;
and man is destined to live in the world since he is a
part of the world and besides, he lives among entities
in this world., viz. plant. Animals, minerals ,etc.
Man is the only recipients of a substantial unity of a
material body and spiritual soul.
Human = refers to anything exclusively pertinent to
man.
Nature = from Latin word natus means born or
nature which means to be born or being born.
Nature- is the ultimate operation of reality.
Human Nature refers to anything exclusively
human which man intrinsically possesses right at his

Three fold-level of Human Nature

1. Somatic level refers to the body substance,
constitution, or stuff of man and secondarily to the
bodily structure and color of man which are
conditioned by mans culture and environment.
2. Behavioral level refers to the mode of acting of
every man.
3. Attitudinal Level refers to the mental reaction of
man to a given stimulus. Attitudes can grow or
stunted. Lies at the heart of every mans uniqueness,
this level caters to individual attitudes toward life.
Human nature changes only in terms of its accidental
constituents, i.e. the growth of the human body, the
change or development of ones attitude, and the change
of behavior which appropriate to the human milieu.

Philosophy of Man

Human nature: an overview

People may differ in many aspects. They may differ
In size, color of skin, race, socioeconomic status, and
many more. Despite these differences, they are all
beings with divergent concepts and views about
human nature.
PRE-SOCRATIC VIEWS OF MAN
Thales- Man has 80% water in his brain and 70%
water in his body , or a man has a water stuff.
Anaximenes- Man is a human body with a
condensed air and a rarefied human soul.
Heraclitus- Man has fire stuff in him in the form of
heat.
Anaximander Man is a human being that has
evolved from animals of another species which are

Philosophy of Man
Pythagoras- Man is a dipartite of body and soul .
That a soul is immortal, divine, and is subjected to
metempsychosis.
Protagoras or the sophists- Man is the measure
of all things, of all things, that they are, and of things
that are not that they are not.
SOCRATIC PERIOD
1. Socrates- the acclaimed greatest philosopher in the
Western civilization. He defined Man is a being who
thinks and wills. He put more emphasis on the
attitudinal level of human nature since he give more
value to the human soul rather then the body. He agued
that human soul be nurtured properly through the
acquisition of knowledge, wisdom, and virtue. He
emphasizes the moral sphere of the attitudinal level of
human nature. Man for him should discover truth ,
truth about good life, for it is in knowing the good

If man contends himself with knowledge and virtue he is

a man of wisdom or considered a wise man. He who is a
wise man who has disciplined his soul to know what is
right and does what he knows to be right in the actual
situation. Knowledge is the ultimate criterion of action
in man. The dictum of Socrates is Knowing- what- isright- means- doing- what- is- right. Socrates tells more
the ignorance of the knowledge of the right and good life
enable man to do evil deeds. Man does evil deeds due to
ignorance.
2. PLATO- define Man is a soul using a body.
because the nature of man is seen in the metaphysical
dichotomy between body and soul. For Plato the body
is material, it cannot live and move apart from the
soul; it is mutable and destructible. The soul is
immaterial, it can exist apart from the body. The soul
is a substance because it exists and can exists
independently . Plato has a conviction that the soul

In Platos view there are three parts of soul:

Human Body
Head
Chest
Stomach

Levels of Human Soul

Rational Level
Spiritual Level
Appetitive Level

1.

The Rational Part is located in the head , especially in the brain. It is in this part
where the soul enable to think, to reflect, to draw conclusions. This is the most
important and the highest part of the soul. This distinguishes man from the brutes.
2. The Spiritual part is in the chest. It is here that the soul experience abomination
and anger.
3. The Appetitive part in the abdomen where man drives to experience hunger,
thirst, and other physical aspects.
Man can control his appetite and self-assertion of spirit through reason.
Plato believes that Reason controls both Spirit and Appetitie. When this happens man
will have a well-balanced personality. He declares that the appetitive and spiritual parts
are subjected to death; they are mortals. Only the rational part is immortal. This gives
birth to the conception that idea is eternal and immortal since it is rooted in reason.
The emphasis of Plato on human nature in the light of reason.

3. ARISTOTLE
Aristotle maintains that there is no dichotomy between
mans body and mans soul. Body and soul are in a state of unity. In
this unity the soul acts as the perfect realization of the body while
the body is the material entity which has a potentiality of life. The
body has no life. It can only possess life when it is united with the
soul.
Aristotle speaks of Man as a single essence composed of body
and soul.
Mans body matter and mans soul form. That is why he speaks of
soul as the bodys perfect realization because form for him is the
perfect realization of matter.
Soul is the principle in life; it causes the body to live. The body is
matter to the soul and the soul form to the body.. Body and soul ,
therefore are inseparable. They constitute man as a whole.
According to Aristotle there are three Kinds of soul:
___________________________________________
Grades of being
Man
Animals /Brutes

Kinds of Soul
Rational
Sensitive

1. Vegetative the lowest type of soul which is found in all living

things, Plants, specifically possess this type of soul. It is capable
of following functions: It feeds itself, it grows and it reproduces.
2. Sensitive soul exists in animals. It feeds, it grows, and it
reproduces, and it has feelings(particularly pain and pleasure
because it has developed a nervous system)
3. Rational- it exists only in man. It ranks highest than vegetative
and sensitive because because it assumes the functions of them
and it is capable of thinking, reasoning and willing. Man is
higher than the brutes, animals and plants. Man is capable of
thinking and judging aside from sensing and growing.
Aristotles view of human nature is seen in the argument of matter
and the form of man. Man is essentially body and soul. Aristotle
rejects the idea of Plato on the dichotomy of the soul and the body
and the preexistence of the soul prior to the body. No won der the
Christian doctrines are patterned after Thomistic lines of thinking
are more Aristotelian than Platonic. But Aristotle , like Plato
advocates Reason as mans highest faculty because Reason
distinguishes man from other form of life-possessing like plants and
brutes.