Environmental Philosophy PDF

LESSON 4 o The adverse effects of human activity o Implication: Humans can modify and on the planet, including resource...

LESSON 4 o The adverse effects of human activity o Implication: Humans can modify and on the planet, including resource use nature for their own purposes. The Key Understanding depletion and climate change. term "transform" can imply This text discusses the impact of human actions on the development or exploitation. environment, highlighting the consequences of o Important Note: There is a need for civilization, exploitation, and climate change. It awareness and action to address these 2. Biocentrism emphasizes the need for environmental philosophy to issues. analyze the moral relationship between humans and the o Asserts that all living things have equal environment. value. Environmental Philosophy/Ethics o Implication: Human life is as valuable as other life forms, leading to laws Important Concepts and Terms A branch of philosophy that examines the moral protecting animal welfare and relationship between humans and the biodiversity. 1. Civilization environment, including non-human elements. 3. Ecocentrism o Refers to the development of human Core Principles (Abella, 2016): societies and their impact on the o Emphasizes the ecosystem as a whole, environment. o Intrinsic Value: All non-human including non-living elements. elements (animals, resources) should o Important Note: Human civilization is be protected. o Implication: All parts of the ecosystem, marked by the extensive use of natural living and non-living, are resources for convenience. o Human Benefit: Environmental interconnected and valuable. preservation benefits current and 2. Exploitation future generations. o The act of taking advantage of natural o Stewardship: Humans have a Care for the Environment: Principles of Sustainability resources for profit without regard for responsibility to protect the consequences. 1. Environmental Integrity environment. o Important Note: As demand for o Maintain the environment's state resources increases, exploitation leads without destruction from human to greed and neglect of environmental Major Views on Humanity and Environment activities. destruction. 1. Anthropocentrism 2. Economic Efficiency 3. Destruction/Climate Change o Focuses on humans as the central o Make prudent decisions regarding concern of the universe. natural resource usage to avoid waste.  3. Equity 7. Avoid Cars or Carpool 1. Napoleon Bonaparte o Ensure the efficient use of natural o Use public transport, walk, or bike to o "Nothing is more difficult, and resources for conservation for future reduce carbon emissions. therefore more precious, than to be generations. able to decide." 8. Eat Vegan o Important Note: Decision-making is o Reduces your carbon footprint and challenging but extremely valuable. Simple Ways to Help the Environment (Ashley Paskill, supports local farmers. Freedom lies in our ability to make 2021) choices. 1. Use Reusable Bags 2. Albert Einstein Environmental Values o Reduces landfill waste and prevents o "Freedom, in any case, is only possible harm to wildlife. Prudence: Self-regulation in actions and behaviors towards nature. by constantly struggling for it." 2. Recycle o Important Note: Freedom isn’t given Frugality: Being mindful of resource use and o Segregate recyclables from trash to making thrifty choices. freely—it requires effort and support recycling efforts. perseverance. Important Note: Humanity's growing needs 3. Use Reusable Beverage Containers 3. Viktor Emil Frankl challenge the sustainability of nature. Everyone must combat greed and prioritize environmental o "Between stimulus and response, there o Saves money and reduces waste from stewardship. is a space. In that space is our power to single-use containers. choose our response. In our response 4. Don’t Throw Your Notes Away lies our growth and freedom." LESSON 5 o Transition to digital notes to minimize o Important Note: The key to freedom is paper waste. Key Concept how we choose to respond to life’s Freedom is the ability to make choices and direct the challenges. 5. Save Electricity course of your life. It's a powerful concept that 4. Charles Evans Hughes o Use energy-efficient bulbs and turn off philosophers have debated for centuries, and unused appliances. understanding freedom requires looking at different o "When we lose the right to be perspectives and types of freedom. different, we lose the privilege to be 6. Save Water free." o Limit water usage during daily activities. Philosophical Perspectives on Freedom  o Important Note: Freedom includes the responsible choice to study for the exam rather According to Sadhguru, true freedom comes from within. ability to be different, and without that, than going to the party. It's not about controlling external situations but how we true freedom doesn't exist. respond to them. Example: If a pen falls off a table, you have Positive Freedom: Self-Control and Growth many choices—you can pick it up, ask someone What is Freedom? to help, or leave it for later. Freedom means having control over yourself Freedom is often discussed in philosophy, and to focus and doing what is good. People who possess Important Note: Freedom is about having our understanding, we look at two important types of positive freedom are hardly aware of rules choices and the ability to respond consciously, freedom as described by Isaiah Berlin: because they follow them naturally for their rather than reacting impulsively to situations. own growth. 1. Negative Freedom (Freedom From) Important Note: Rules and regulations aren’t Defined as the absence of interference from barriers to freedom; they guide us to make Key Takeaways others. responsible decisions. 1. Negative freedom is the absence of outside Important Note: You're free when no one or interference. nothing is blocking, coercing, or interfering with your actions. Freedom and Existentialism 2. Positive freedom is about self-mastery and making responsible choices. Example: If you’re not being physically or Existentialism focuses on freedom as something verbally coerced (like being kidnapped or concrete, not abstract. 3. Existentialism teaches that we define ourselves threatened), you have negative freedom. by the choices we make. Jean-Paul Sartre said, "Existence precedes 2. Positive Freedom (Freedom To) essence," meaning you are not predefined. You 4. True freedom lies in how we respond to define yourself by your choices and actions. situations, not in controlling them. Positive freedom is more than just the absence of interference—it involves having control over Important Note: Real freedom is the ability to Freedom is not just about having no barriers, but about yourself and your actions. make decisions and steer your life based on making conscious decisions that lead to personal growth your own choices, not being controlled by and well-being. Important Note: Positive freedom requires outside forces or societal expectations. effort and self-mastery. You’re free when you can control your own desires and actions to do what is right. Is Freedom Internal or External? Example: You want to attend a party, but it’s exam time. Positive freedom means making the  LESSON 6 2. Awareness of Being Seen by Others: We know others are aware of us and may be watching or What is Intersubjectivity? interacting with us. Three Aspects of Intersubjectivity Intersubjectivity is the process of sharing our o Example: If someone stares at you 1. Empathy: The ability to put yourself in someone experiences, knowledge, and understanding with others. while walking, you become aware that else’s shoes. You understand and feel what they It’s about how we connect with others and the world they see you as a person. are going through. around us. The idea is that we don't live in isolation—our reality is shaped by social interactions, culture, and 3. Awareness of How Others See Us: We act o Example: If a friend is sad, you can feel language. Things have meaning because we all agree on based on how we think others perceive us. their sadness and try to comfort them. what they mean. 2. Availability: Being there for someone when they o Example: You may behave differently in Key Points: class, like an obedient student, and act need you, no matter the time or situation. more relaxed when hanging out with o Example: Dropping what you're doing Sharing Experiences: We understand things friends. based on how we share and discuss them with to help a friend in need. others. 3. Ethics of Care: The belief that we have a moral duty to care for others, especially those who are Cultural Agreement: Our experiences and what Genuine Human Interaction vulnerable. things mean are influenced by the culture or For a genuine relationship, we need to recognize group we belong to. o Example: Helping someone in need differences between ourselves and others. When we do this, we can form meaningful connections. without expecting anything in return. How Do We Relate to Others? Dialogue: A real conversation, not just words, but also gestures and emotions. True dialogue Negative Interaction: Alienation Intersubjectivity is crucial for relationships because it involves sharing your thoughts, feelings, and helps us recognize that other people are also individuals stories with others. Not all interactions are positive. Sometimes, people treat like us. others as objects to satisfy their personal needs, which is o Example: A deep conversation where called alienation. Philosophers explain three levels of the relationship both people open up, listen, and between self and others: understand each other. Alienation: When someone sees another person 1. Awareness of Others: We realize that others as a tool or object, not as a person with feelings In a genuine relationship, there is an “I-Thou” or needs. exist, just like we do. interaction. This means we respect and value the other o Example: When you see your family person as unique and important, not just as a tool or o Example: A person who only talks to members, you know they are there and object. someone because they need a favor, that they exist. treating them as a means to an end. In the Philippines, this behavior is known as Philosophy shapes how people think about the o Key point: Group interactions expand as "manggagamit," which refers to taking advantage of world. It influences behavior and decision- we mature. someone for personal gain. making. o Key point: Philosophy helps solve global problems by guiding how people Social Institutions LESSON 7 think and act. These are groups that perform essential functions for What is Society? society: Aristotle said society is not just a group of How Do Individuals Form Societies? 1. Family – The basic social unit, responsible for individuals. It's a self-sufficient community that socialization. forms out of necessity but stays together to live Humans are naturally social. We form a good, fulfilling life. o Key point: Family is crucial for social relationships to survive and thrive. organization. o Key point: Society exists for the good o Key point: Relationships shape life of its members. 2. Church – A religious institution where people individuals. gather for worship and community. Plato believed a perfect society is one where As we grow, our roles change. We start forming o Key point: Church is about spiritual people live peacefully and without fear of deeper relationships in our community and with growth and community service. violence or greed for material possessions. people around us. 3. School – The place where individuals go to be o Key point: A perfect society = harmony o Key point: As we mature, we engage in educated. and peace. more complex social roles. o Key point: School provides learning Modern Definition: Society is a group of people environments and helps teach involved in regular interaction, living in the same How Do Societies Transform Individuals? teamwork and relationships. area, sharing political authority, and common cultural expectations. Through interacting with society, individuals 4. Workplace – Where people work and contribute evolve. Society influences how people think and to the economy. o Key point: A society involves constant interaction and is subject to common behave. o Key point: The workplace is vital for rules and culture. o Key point: Society shapes personal economic and social interaction. development and vice versa. 5. Barangay (in the Philippines) – The smallest As we age, we move beyond family and start political unit, responsible for planning and Philosophy's Role in Society engaging with people outside our immediate executing government policies at the local level. circle (like school, work, friends).  o Key point: Barangay is essential for local 5. Feudal Society – Societies organized around LESSON 8 governance and community land ownership and service. Lords owned land, development. and peasants worked it. Sadhguru's Philosophy on the Purpose of Life o Key point: Land ownership defines 1. The Desire for Purpose: social status. People often want a purpose in life. Forms of Society 6. Industrial Society – Society focused on It's not just any purpose, but often a God-given Different societies have emerged throughout history, manufacturing goods using machines and showing how humans adapted to their environment: purpose. factories. 1. Hunting and Gathering Society – Early humans Sadhguru argues that people who believe they o Key point: Fueled by the Industrial who survived by hunting animals and gathering have a God-given purpose sometimes do cruel Revolution. plants. things, because they value their purpose more 7. Post-Industrial Society – Modern society, where than life itself. o Key point: The oldest form of human the economy is based on services and society. Important Note: When people think their purpose is information, rather than goods. more important than life, they may act harmfully. 2. Pastoral Society – Societies that rely on herding o Key point: Economy driven by animals for food and resources. technology and services. o Key point: Focuses on animal 2. Life vs. Ambiance of Life: husbandry. Many mistake the ambiance of life (like family, Important Notes for Review: 3. Horticultural Society – Societies that grow crops work, and social events) for life itself. using simple tools. Society is not just a group of people, it's about Real life is the experience within us, not the shared life and common goals (good life). o Key point: Based on small-scale things around us. farming. Interaction shapes individuals and society— Life is important because it’s the only thing we both influence each other. 4. Agrarian or Agricultural Society – Large-scale truly know. farming, using more advanced tools and Institutions (like family, school, and church) Important Note: We are not important as individuals, techniques. play a big role in maintaining society. but we are important as a piece of life. o Key point: Farming is central, leading to Different societies evolved throughout history, surplus production. each adapting to different needs and environments. 3. Life’s Complexity:  If life had a clear purpose and we fulfilled it, Important Note: Walls that protect us can also become Key Takeaways: what would come next? Boredom. self-imprisonment. Life has no set purpose, and this lack of purpose Life is so intricate that even if we studied it for is actually freeing. millions of years, we still wouldn’t fully understand it. 6. Balance is Key: Don’t confuse the things around you (work, family, etc.) with real life. Life is what happens Important Note: Life has no fixed meaning or purpose, First, we need balance in life. Without balance, inside you. and this is its greatest aspect. trying to break free from psychological traps can lead to chaos. It’s important to have balance. Without balance, freedom can be destructive. Many people seek escape through drugs or 4. The Search for Meaning: alcohol, but these temporary solutions lead to Explore life deeply. The goal is to experience destruction because they lack balance. everything you can before you die. The human mind tends to seek meaning because without it, we feel disconnected. Important Note: Freedom without balance is Quote to Remember: destructive. Achieve balance first before dismantling People create false purposes, like focusing on psychological barriers. “Enjoy Life. There’s plenty of time to be dead.” – Hans their spouse or children, and get stuck in these Christian Andersen ideas. Sadhguru asks: What if God doesn’t know we 7. Living Without a Purpose: exist? Don’t seek a purpose in life, because having a Important Note: Creation and the creator are one; we fixed purpose can lead to madness. are a part of creation, and this connection is enough. Sadhguru emphasizes that life’s true purpose is to live fully. 5. Psychological Traps: To live fully means to explore every aspect of life, both inside and out. The need for purpose arises because we are trapped in our psychological structures— Important Note: The purpose of life is to live it fully, thoughts, emotions, and identities that we exploring every part of your existence before you die. create. These mental structures feel safe but can also imprison us.