Lesson 4:

Philosophical
Reflection
Do you
reflect?
How often?
Where? Why?

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 REFLECTIO
N
▸ Reflection is an activity that requires a
person to examine his or her thoughts,
feelings and actions and learn from
experience.
▸ Its trajectory is to see the bigger picture
about everything. This process is called
philosophical
▸ According reflection.
to Gabriel Marcel,
reflection is philosophical
the act of giving time to
think
about the meaning and purpose of
life. 3
▸ It requires a person willing to examine
to be one’s and to learn
thoughts, feelings, and actions
about
more one’s life and
experiences.
▸ One can reflect on almost any subject. For
instance, the moment you wake up you can
already reflect upon the things that you plan to
do for the day. This will enable you to set your
daily goals and set you on the path of thinking
of ways to achieve them.
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❑ Philosophical Reflection allows us to have
opportunities to think more deeply about our
action, our motivations for doing such action, and
even its possible consequences.
❑ Philosophical Reflection is vital in ensuring that our
actions and decisions are well thought out and are
done with due regard for their implications and
consequences on ourselves, others, and our
surroundings.

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❑ Philosophical Reflection helps us understand
ourselves and our actions better. When we
reflect, we can judge whether our actions or
decisions are reasonable or not.

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 Two Types of Reflection

Primary
Reflection
❖ The ability to think logically.
❖ The ability of the mind to construct and
evaluate
arguments.
❖ It examines its object by abstraction, by
analytically
breaking it down into its constituent parts.
❖ It is concerned with definitions, essences
and technical solutions7 to problems.
 Two Types of Reflection
Secondary reflection.
❖ This type of reflection enables us to look deeper
into our experiences and see the bigger picture
of reality.
❖ It integrates the fragmented and
compartmentalized experience into a whole.
❖ It is the idea that various systems (e.g.
physical, biological, social) should be viewed
as wholes, not merely as a collection of
parts.
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 Primary vs secondary reflection
Primary Secondary
Reflection
LIFE Reflection

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▸ Reflection is not exclusive for philosophy in fact
it is
employed in any endeavor, research or
disciplines.
▸ Moral theology employs the STOP sign as guidepost
of
moral decision making.
S= Search out the facts. (It is necessary
that all means should be exhausted to
better understand the issue.)
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O= How it affects Others. We should always
consider others in every decision that we make.
Every action that we take has always a social
dimension. It affects ourselves, others and
community where we belong.
P= stands for Pray. We are human beings
with limitations. If our best effort are not
enough, then there is no way but look up for
divine or God for enlightenment and
guidance.
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 SYNTHESI
S
Reflection

Marcelian Moral
Way Theology

Primary Secondary
STOP
Reflection Reflection

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