Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person PDF

Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person The Human Person as Oriented Towards Impending Death UNIT 5 How can I make the most of my life when I have limited time on earth?  Letter to Someone who passed away. Think of someone you know who already passed away. Then wri...

Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person The Human Person as Oriented Towards Impending Death UNIT 5 How can I make the most of my life when I have limited time on earth?  Letter to Someone who passed away. Think of someone you know who already passed away. Then write a short letter to him or her. It could be a family member, a relative, a friend or even a distant neighbor you knew. If he or she would be able to read the letter, what would you say? OUR PURPOSE Lesson 3 Arthur Schopenhauer He believed that death is the cessation of consciousness. It is the end of living; our daily lives are simply a step-by-step towards death.  M a j o r Re l i g i o n s ’ C O N C E P T O F D E AT H  Christian Belief in Death A person is put on earth for a mission he or she must fulfill, and when that person’s time is done, he or she will be reunited with God. Death becomes a way for a person to receive God’s everlasting life. In heaven, a man can claim his reward of an everlasting life due to man’s fulfilled and successful purpose while he was in this world.  Christian Belief in Death Our purpose, in the doctrines of Christianity, is to find God’s will and obey it. Although the family and loved ones of the departed mourn their loss, Christian teachings express joy in death as it is seen as a union with God in an eternal and peaceful life.  Islamic Belief in Death In Islam, death is seen as a transition of the soul from this world to the next, and that man’s life in this world is a preparation and a test for afterlife. They believe that an angel of death will remove the soul of the dead either painlessly or painfully, depending on whether the dead lived a righteous or sinful life. Muslims view death as a painful event. Hinduism Belief in Death Death is a highly-spiritual phenomenon they call mahaprasthaana, which translate to “the great departure”. Hindus believe in atman (soul or spirit) which is permanent component of a human being. His physical body, on the other hand, is impermanent that may change and decay. Upon death, the atman is reborn into a different body. Hinduism Belief in Death Death is a process of samsara, which is described as a pattern of living, dying, and being reincarnated. Man’s purpose, then, is to learn the valuable lessons in the life he is currently living and when he has learned all he can, the atman is ready to leave the body to proceed to another one. Good karma results in more desirable rebirth circumstances, where bad karma results in less desirable rebirth circumstances. Buddhism Belief in Death Buddhists also believe in samsara (reincarnation). They also teaches that there is dukkha (suffering) which is caused by our earthly desires and materialism. For Buddhists, a person can live an infinite number of times until he or she accomplishes Nirvana, a state where agony and pleasure are ultimately gone. Buddhism: The Eightfold Path 1.Right understanding 2.Right thoughts 3.Right speech 4.Right action 5.Right livelihood 6.Right effort 7.Right mindfulness 8.Right meditation  Secular beliefs in Death There are also secular beliefs that do not adhere to a certain set of practices or ritual. Scientists, upon a laborious study of the universe, has not found an evidence of an afterlife, which leads to a conclusion that there is not any. Death, then, is viewed in the naturalistic sense, as the finality of life – it is not a transition from one realm to another, nor a transfer from one body to another. Where does man’s purpose come from, then? This secular belief claims that man has no inherent, objective purpose. This may have a touch of nihilism that there is no objective meaning to man’s existence, However, it can conclude that man can create his purpose, on his own, which could provide him a meaningful existence.  Written Work #1: Direction: In ½ sheet of yellow paper (crosswise), explain in 2-3 sentences the different views on death of the following: Christian Muslim Hinduism/ Secular beliefs beliefs beliefs Buddhism beliefs