Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person

INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 2QTR, WEEK 2 LESSON: BIGGER THAN LIFE INTRODUCTION Philosophy is well-known for its mind-bending problems such as problem- decision making, logical problems, paradox and so forth. The purpose of philosophical...

INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 2QTR, WEEK 2 LESSON: BIGGER THAN LIFE INTRODUCTION Philosophy is well-known for its mind-bending problems such as problem- decision making, logical problems, paradox and so forth. The purpose of philosophical problem is not to test one’s intelligence or ignorance but aimed to explore the different avenues of the problem and to clarify the ready-made solutions of an issue. Roots of Our Philosophical Awareness What drives a person to be aware of his condition in life? Well, this is an important question because the answer leads us to the source of our tendency to philosophize that is the drive of human person to find answers to such questions as well as to find solutions to his/her problems. The following are sources of our drive towards philosophy:  Plato and Aristotle suggest that philosophy begins in wonder.  Philosophy begins with a nagging personal question. Quite often, our philosophical awareness begins in disappointment or tragedy. For instance, when we first start wondering whether life is really fair or lying is justifiable.  Sometimes, philosophy begins when we find ourselves forced to make a difficult decision that will affect the rest of our lives and other people lives. (Most of these are moral decisions, “Should mercy killing be allowed” or “give your life for a cause.”)  Our philosophizing can begin with a trivial incident: we watch ourselves lying to a friend, and we start to think about the importance of morality or we have a quick brush with death (a near car wreck, a sudden dive in an airplane) and we start thinking about the value and the meaning of life.  In such moments, philosophy takes hold on us, and we see and think beyond the details of everyday life. Doing philosophy, in turn, is thinking further about these dramatic questions, which can suddenly become so important to us. Fundamental Problems in Philosophy Philosophy can be divided into sub-fields based on the issue they raised. Their main interest can be identified by the type of question they ask. Each branch of philosophy tends to focus on specific question called fundamental problems of philosophy. Here are the following areas of philosophy and the fundamental problem they raised were shown in the table below. Table 1. Branches of Philosophy Branch of Philosophy Definition Questions Does God exist? the theory of reality Is everything in the universe and the ultimate determined by outside causes, or are  Metaphysics nature of all things we freely able to choose for ourselves?” the study of good and Are abortion, suicide, and euthanasia bad, right and wrong, ever morally right? Ethics the search for the Is capitalism or communism a better good life form of life? Should the law permit or prohibit adultery, pornography, capital punishment, or homosexuality? the study of What can we know? Epistemology knowledge How do we know anything? What is truth? the study of the Logic formal structure of Does a conclusion necessarily follow sound thinking and from the premises? good argumentation the study of the What is justice? Political foundations and the What is the limit of obligation of philosophy nature of society and individual to the state? the state What is my obligation to my fellow citizen? Aesthetics/ the study of the Philosophy of nature of art and the What is beauty? Art experiences we have What makes something an art? when we enjoy the arts What is a reflection? Writing reflection essay will be the main activity of doing philosophy for this course. We will use primarily the phenomenological method of primary and secondary reflection of French existentialist philosopher Gabriel Marcel (1889-1973). Let me discuss first, what is the meaning of the activity called reflection. Reflection in French context differs from the ordinary English meaning. For Marcel, it means as nothing more than attention which is directed toward the small break in the daily change of habits. Reflection is here to serve as reminder that “we can no longer think of life as mere and pure spontaneity”. This can be illustrated in the activity below “A Story of Us”. In the above example, the shift of experience from being complacent to being worried is the starting point of doing philosophy which is called reflection. This small break on our daily life, routine events, and chains of habits, according to Marcel, is to brought us to the awareness that life is more than just a routinely chains of event. We need to reflect about our activities, our daily experiences, our purposes in life, or in a more radical way, what we truly live by. Primary and Secondary Reflection Gabriel Marcel identifies two levels of reflection, primary and secondary reflection: Primary reflection looks at the world or any object as a problem (a technical word used by Marcel which means not involving in any manner the person who studies it), detached from the self, and fragmented. Primary reflection is the foundation of scientific knowledge, for science assumes a stand where the world is apart from the subject. In primary reflection the object to be studied is separated from the one who studies. Secondary reflection is the opposite of primary reflection. It refuses to accept the data of primary reflection as final. Secondary reflection reconnects the object to the self. Here, the objective knowledge brought by science and the personal experience of the “I” is brought together in unity. The result of this unity would be a new outlook or insight to the phenomenon being studied. References Blackburn, Simon. (1999). Think: a compelling introduction to philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Christian, James L. (1998). Philosophy: an introduction to the art of wondering. 7th ed. Florida: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. Creel, Richard. E. (2001). Thinking philosophically. UK: Blackwell Publishers, Inc. Dy, Manuel. (1986). Philosophy of man: selected readings. Manila: Goodwill Trading Company, Incorporated. Dy, Manuel. (2011). Phenomenological papers: a supplement to philosophy of man. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press. Solomon, Robert C. and Kathleen Higgins. (2010). The big questions: a short introduction to philosophy. 8th ed. California: Wadsworth Cengage Learning