INTRODUCTION THE

PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN

PERSON
PREPARED BY: MR. JOHN MICHAEL B. SAN MIGUEL
PHILOSOPHY

• Philo- Love
• Sophia- Wisdom
Wisdom- karunungan
Knowledge- kaalaman
“to know and not to
act is not to know”
Three kinds of soul according to Aristotle.
1. Vegetative soul
2. Sensitive soul
3. Rational soul
What is the main goal or teaching of
Philosophy?
To seek the TRUTH!!!
THE MEANING OF PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy is the science that by natural light of reason studies the
first causes or highest principles of all things.
Science- it is an organized body of knowledge just like any other
sciences.
Natural light of reason- philosopher uses his natural capacity to
think or simply human reason alone or the so-called unaided reason.
Study of all things- philosopher studies human beings, society,
religion, language, God, plants, among other concerns.
First causes or highest principle- a principle is that from which
something proceeds in any manner.
THE FOUR FIRST PRINCIPLES
• Principle of Identity- whatever is is; and whatever is not is not;
everything is what it is;. Everything is its own being, and not being is
not being.
• Principle of Non-Contradiction- it is impossible for a thing to be and
not to be at the same time, and at the same respect.
• Principle of Excluded Middle- a thing is either is or is not; everything
must be either be or not be; between being and not being, there is no
middle ground possible.
• Principle of Sufficient Reason- nothing exists without a sufficient
reason for its being and existence.
THE BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY
• Metaphysics- it is a branch of Philosophy that studies the ultimate nature of
existence, reality and experience without being bound to any one Theological
Doctrine or Dogma.
• Epistemology- it is the study of knowledge. It also explains (1) how we know
what we claim to know, (2) how we can find out what we wish to know, (3)
how we can differentiate truth from falsehood.
• Ethics- it is a branch of Philosophy that explores the nature of moral virtue
and evaluates moral actions. Determinants of moral action (Object, intention,
circumstance)
• Logic- it is the study of correct reasoning.
• Aesthetics- it is the study of beauty.
The Allegory of the Cave by Plato
 ‘ The allegory of the cave’ by plato – the meaning

• The allegory of the cave by plato should not be taken at face value. In essays and exams,
whoever is marking it expects you to have a deeper understanding of the meaning of the
theory. You can then use these to think about criticisms and then to form your own opinion.
• The Cave
• In Plato’s theory, the cave represents people who believe that knowledge comes from what
we see and hear in the world – empirical evidence. The cave shows that believers of
empirical knowledge are trapped in a ‘cave’ of misunderstanding.
• The Shadows
• The Shadows represent the perceptions of those who believe empirical evidence ensures
knowledge. If you believe that what you see should be taken as truth, then you are merely
seeing a shadow of the truth. In Plato’s opinion you are a ‘pleb’ if you believe this (their
insult for those who are not Philosophers)!
• The Game
• The Game represents how people believe that one person can be a ‘master’ when they have
knowledge of the empirical world. Plato is demonstrating that this master does not actually
know any truth, and suggesting that it is ridiculous to admire someone like this.
• The Escape
• The escaped prisoner represents the Philosopher, who seeks knowledge outside of the cave
and outside of the senses.
• The Sun represents philosophical truth and knowledge
• His intellectual journey represents a philosophers journey when finding truth and wisdom
• The Return
• The other prisoners reaction to the escapee returning represents that people are scared of
knowing philosophical truths and do not trust philosophers.
• The ontology of Plato:
• The real is not homogeneous according to Plato. It is divided into
two parts: first the physical world accessible to the senses, the real
immediate source of error and illusion, the other the intelligible
world accessible to reason alone, instead of ideas and truth.
Combining reality and truth, Plato condemns the world of sense.
The horse is not the truth, only the idea of ​a horse is true.
• Thus, the Cave means the material world, whose wise-philosopher
has to divert to the world of ideas. Access to the Truth through
contemplation, the exercise is to make use of his reason.
• The Platonic ontology is dualistic because of this dichotomy
sensible / intelligible.
• Opinion and Knowledge: The Cave as an epistemological
theory
• Cave reveals also the epistemology of Plato. Cave means the
world of opinion, while the outside means the world of
knowledge. Plato says that the natural place for men is ignorance.
Rocked by the senses and prejudice, most men live under the yoke
of “doxa” (opinion). We must therefore do work on itself, bring
about a revolution in the way of seeing the world, convert his eyes
to get rid of the doxa.
• Of course, the philosopher feels loneliness and misunderstanding
of the crowd, but its role remains to inform the host through the
Socratic method (delivery of souls).
• The idealism of Plato
• Plato was an idealist insofar as he posits the primacy of ideas over
matter. The world of ideas, eternal and still prevail over the
sensible world, world of illusion, temporary. Intelligible reality is
the true reality. The objects of the world are only reflections
(Marx, a materialist, reverse the hierarchy Platonic world of ideas
is the reflection of the world of objects (relations of production)
• The political consequence, the obvious political organization: the
philosophers must become kings. By asking to know the center of
the political community, Plato presents a political theory elitist.
ARISTOTLE’ EUDEMONIA
• Aristotle and happiness:
• The Aristotle distinguished three kinds of happiness: pleasure (life as the body), politics (and
life according to the rhetoric of honor) and meditation (life according to reason).
• Aristotle establishes a hierarchy between these three forms of life: the pursuit of pleasure is a
form of “bestial life,” bringing a man to his primitive state, pre-civilization.
• Similarly, Aristotle condemns life based on honor for this life depends on others, the merit
that we are given another. However, true happiness must be independent, it must depend
upon yourself. In addition, honor is ephemeral, whereas happiness is to be sustainable.
• “Honor appears as something too superficial to be the object sought for, the general opinion,
it depends rather on those who honor as one who is honored, yet we know instinctively that
the property is approximately something personal to everyone and we can hardly take away
from us”
• The contemplative life can only please the wise because it allows
people to live according to reason, in harmony with the nature of
man and the universe.
• Happiness for Aristotle is not a commodity among others, it is the
Supreme Good, guide our actions?
• “We will add that happiness is the most desirable thing of all,
while not listed among the goods, however, since it was part of it
is clear that it would be even more desirable by adding even the
tiniest of property: indeed, this addition produced a higher
amount of property, and two goods the greater is always more
desirable. This shows that happiness is something perfect and that
is sufficient unto himself, and it is the end of our actions”
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Soft data are such things as beliefs that can be neither verified nor denied with
any degree of certainty. Example (chismis is history)
• Hard data are the facts of the situation facts that can withstand the scrutiny of
reflection and remain intact. (martial law) 70k detained, 30k tortured, 3k
died, and many are missing.
 TRANSCENDENTAL PROPERTIES OF BEING
(METAPHYSICS)
• Transcendental Properties are characteristics present in every being insofar as it is.
These are not accidents but identical with the subject itself. Hereby given is the
‘convertibility of being.’

• Transcendental One - Being in its indivision or being in its undividedness.

(Unum)
• Transcendental Truth - Being is true insofar as it is intelligible. (Verum)
• Transcendental Goodness - Being in as much it is desirable. (Bonum)
• Transcendental Beauty - Being in its perfection. (Pulchrum)
• Every good is desirable. If it is desirable it is perfect. If a being is perfect it is in act and
all that is in act is a being.
EPISTEMOLOGY
How is the Knowledge Acquired according to the Ancient up
to the Contemporary Philosophy

• Ancient (pre-socratic)- Cosmos (universe)

• Ancient (socratic) nature
• Medieval- From God, the experience of God, and from
faith
• Modern- reason
• Contemporary- self
 AESTHETICS

•For Plato art, as an imitation, served as a mere copy of what is particularly

close to the Form. • For Plato art presents only the appearance of an object,

imitating what it looks but not what it really is. • For Plato art misleads the

person, promoting the development of the weaker part of the soul and not of

reason. • For Plato art encourages the people to bring imitations into
 AESTHETICS
•• For Aristotle art is the imitation of the reality. • Aristotle pointed out that the imitation of
reality covers the imitation of man’s sufferings; since man’s sufferings are part of the reality

of human existence; “… though the objects themselves may be painful to see, we delight to

view the most realistic representations of them in art. For Aristotle art is somehow

actualizing reality since it is making something or imitating something that is present in

reality.
LOGIC

• Fallacies
• Fallacies are defects that weaken arguments
• Fallacious arguments are very, very common and can be quite persuasive, at
least to the causal reader or listener. You can find dozens of examples of
fallacious reasoning in newspapers, advertisements, and other sources.
GOD’S NOT DEAD

• You do not believe there God is but, but you say “I am a god in the class”?
• Faith and reason
• Subject for debate but doesn’t exist?
• Something you hate but doesn’t exist?
 WHAT IS FILIPINO PHILOSOPHY?
• Filipino Philosophy is the attitude, worldview, and notion of the natural citizens of the
Philippines towards the day-to-day experiences in life, religion, communication,
survival, interrelationship with people and intra-relationship with his sakop or to oneself
– the “I,” and the uplifting of one’s soul – the Filipino being. Filipinos are used to be
stereotyped as the bamboo grass for it always sway with the wind. The Filipino people
has gone through tough and rough times, good and bounty years, and yet they always
stand as firm as it was on the day our ancestors fought Magellan. Our own worldview
explains why we stand all erect despite economic downfall, political crisis, natural
calamities. One thing that is to be observed, everything revolves in relationships, in
the sakop, in the upliftment of one’s soul. Justice for the Filipino people is the
satisfaction of the needs of the self and his relations. These and more is the pattern of
Filipinos which leads to the general behavior of the nation – the philosophy of the
THE FOLLOWING FILIPINO PHILOSOPHIES
ARE:

• Kababaang loob– This philosophy shows how men are naturally good, humility
or lowness of the inner self is with in each of everyone of us. It is perfectly
inclined with the quote “the more you lower yourself, the more high you become”
• According to Copernicus “we have the right to be humble” and this cannot be
contrasted because we are free and we have the choice to do what we want and be
what we want to be. But in the present reality being humble is a choice and not all
of us possesses this philosophy.
• 2.Filipino time– A Filipino bad habit which is caused by human mentality. It
is a bad attitude where Filipino use the time irresponsibly. In this Filipino bad
habit, people are minutes or hours late to the specified time of arrival.
• The main reason of this Filipino philosophy is relying to the concept of
“bahala na”. The word “bahala” came from the root word “bathala” which
means the supreme being and the “bahala na” actually means they rely their
irresponsibility to the supreme being.
• Utang na loob– debt of gratitude or borrowed inner self. This is a good
philosophy where people return their deep debt in an other manner in order to
say thank you and show return of gratitude.
• In Filipino philosophy, bigay kaya is an application where parents or
guardian will demand money to the man who will marry their daughter, in
order for them to receive the return value of effort for raising their daughter.
There are two main concept for bigay kaya:
• Bayanihan- derived from a Filipino word “bayan”, which means nation, town
or community. The term bayanihan itself literally means “being in a bayan”,
which refers to the spirit of communal unity, work and cooperation to
achieve a particular goal.