Introduction to the

Philosophy of Human

Person Quarter 1 – Module 2:

Doing Philosophy

Introduction to the

Philosophy of Human Person

Quarter 1 – Module 2:

Doing Philosophy

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7. Act of philosophizing can liberate us, especially the students, from

ignorance and conformity, thereby encouraging us to live a more

meaningful life.

8. As a lover of wisdom, a philosopher must always search the truth and

eventually the value of wisdom.

9. Philosophy cannot help us become wise.

10. With the emergence of science and technology, every question can be

answered through scientific method of inquiry.

Activity 2. Reflect and Share. Write your answer on a separate answer sheet.

1. How did you find the activity? Did you find it easy to state your

agreement or disagreement? Why?

2. Which item did you find the easiest? Why?

3. Which item did you find the most difficult? Why?

Lesson

2 The Value of Doing Philosophy: Leading to a

Broad perspective on life

What’s In

Activity 3: Connect the dots. Each dot represents a significant philosopher who

contributed on the development of philosophy. All of them paved the way to

provide us understanding of the value of doing philosophy.

https://greatestgreeks.wordpress.com/2016/03/11/thales-of-miletus/

Thales

He claimed that fundamental substance of reality is the

infinite or the APEIRON (it has no precise characteristics

or attributes. It is ageless and eternal, and it

encompasses all the worlds). This is highly speculative

and abstract rather than based on observation.

https://greatestgreeks.wordpress.com/2016/03/11/thales-of-miletus/

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https://www.philosophybasics.com/philosophers_anaximander.html

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/567664728022494813/

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/669980882043540937/

https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2015/12/logos-of-heraclitus.html

http://totallyhistory.com/parmenides/

Anaximander

His main idea is that the fundamental substance or primary constituents of reality is WATER.

He was the first to assume that the earth is flat, such that when you reach the edge of the horizon, you will fall.

Anaximenes

He believes that the only thing that is permanent in this world is CHANGE (flux or becoming).

He was the first philosopher who wrote about the idea of change. He used the flames of fire to emphasize the

idea of change.

Pythagoras

He proposed that the only thing that is permanent in this

world is BEING, that is reality is made up of one

continuous object or plenum called being. Change is only

an illusion.

Heraclitus

He concluded that the fundamental substance must be AIR. According to him, air holds our soul together, it

encompasses the whole world.

Parmenides

He gave importance to the contemplative life for this cathartic process of purification. We are elated when we

were able to solve difficult mathematical problems. He believed that the primary constituents of reality was

NUMBERS.

He believed that there is not just one element that reality

is made of. For him, there are many seeds or elements

as there are kinds of things. Matter becomes infinitely

divisible. Whenever you divide matter, each separated

part will contain elements of everything else.

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https://www.geni.com/people/Empedocles/6000000043177272592

https://www.philosophybasics.com/philosophers_anaxagoras.html

What’s New

Activity 4: Watch a 4:40 minute Video Clip. After watching, answer the following

questions. Use a separate answer sheet for this activity.

Link: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIYdx6lDDhg)

1. From a distance, philosophy seems irrelevant, weird, boring and yet also just

a little intriguing. What is philosophy really for?

2. How did the ancient Greeks define philosophy?

3. Do you agree with these five things that make people not very wise? Explain

your answers briefly:

a. We don’t ask big questions.

b. We are vulnerable to errors of common sense.

c. We are mentally confused.

d. We have muddled ideas about what makes us happy.

e. We panic and lose perspective.

4. Based on the video presentation, how should you value philosophy and why

should you value it?

What is It

To realize the value of doing philosophy in obtaining a broad perspective on

life, let’s try to understand the Three Disciplines in Philosophy based on the

Philosophical Enterprise World of Philosophizing. John Kavanaugh narrates these

three disciplines in philosophy as:

Empedocles

Anaxagoras

He was the proponent of the notion that reality is made up of the four elements, namely, earth, air, fire, and water. He was regarded as a pluralist (opposite of

monist) because he had four elements as his fundamental substances that reality is made of, instead of only one

substance.

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1. Discipline of Questioning

Like the Pre-Socratic philosophers, particularly the Milesians and other Greek

thinkers, we can also obtain a broad perspective on life once we start to have an

attitude of awe and wonder about the things that we observe around us. When

Thales started to investigate on the composition of things and concluded that

everything was water, other thinkers also begun to ask. Eventually, philosophy came

into existence. Kavanaugh stated that the act of questioning, of wanting to know, is

the initiation of philosophy. Furthermore, when we ask the questions: “Why am I

here?” and “Who am I?”, which means that we are in search for the meaning of our

existence, and purposively wanting to understand our identity, then we are engaged

into an act of philosophizing. Hence, the statement that philosophy is only for

philosophers is denied and we affirmed that we are also philosophers the moment

we ask philosophical questions.

A philosophical question does not have a definite or ready answer. It is a kind

of question that endures. And it makes sense of our experiences.

2. Discipline of Liberation

Based on the video that you have just watched, the first thing that make

people not very wise is “we don’t ask big questions”. Kavanaugh, in explaining

discipline of liberation, stated that (by act of philosophizing) we are liberated from

the chains of unquestioning acceptance of whatever is at hand, and eventually we

began to resist the currents which pull us toward thoughtless conformity.

Furthermore, it was stated that to philosophize means to view life in diversity rather

than conformity.

Now that fake news are rampant particularly in the social media platforms,

act of philosophizing can liberate us, especially the students, from ignorance and

conformity, and as Kavanaugh put it, thereby encouraging us to live a more

meaningful life.

3. Discipline of Personhood

From the etymology of the word philosophy, i.e., two Greek words Philo which

means love and Sophia which means wisdom, we can easily understand philosophy

as a love of wisdom, and therefore, a philosopher as a lover of wisdom. As a lover of

wisdom, a philosopher must always search the truth and eventually the value of

wisdom. Kavanaugh argued that If I am to be a philosopher then it is I who must

philosophize. Act of philosophizing is something that is connected with one’s

personhood. As Kavanaugh put it: “If we look at ourselves or listen to the testimony

of other men, we can see that the human person is driven by his very personhood,

to know and to do something about himself.

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What’s More

Activity 5: Share a Picture. Look for a picture with your best friend. Paste it on

the upper half of a clean short typewriting paper. At the bottom, write and answer

the following questions:

1. When did your friendship start?

2. How did it start?

3. Why did you become friends?

4. How did you know that you were already friends?

What are your realizations after doing the activity? Briefly discuss your

realizations. Write them on a separate answer sheet.

1. Have you realized that the meaning of philosophy is learned and

understood while doing the act of philosophizing?

2. Have you realized that the act of philosophizing begins when one becomes

aware of his own experiences?

3. Have you realized that as you reflect on your experiences, you found the

meaning and purpose of your own existence?

4. Have you realized that the ends of philosophizing are: being aware of one’s

own experience, and finding its meaning for his life?

5. Have you realized that the act of philosophizing must change yourself?

What I Have Learned

Activity 6: Check your understanding. Express your perspectives on the following

issues about the role of philosophy in our lives. Write your answers on a separate

work sheet.

1. Analyze the responses of a scientist and a philosopher on the question: “What

is life?”

Scientist: Life is about organic compounds, something related to Biology,

survival, reproduction, evolution, etc. It’s about cells, DNA, taxonomic

classifications, etc.

Philosopher: Life is something like the human experience, the meaning

behind existing, the questions we ask ourselves about existence, and the

guidelines we tend to employ to live our lives to the fullest, etc.

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- Which answer is more relevant? The scientific example or the

philosophical example? Why?

2. Stephen Hawking: “Why are we here? Where do we come from? Traditionally,

these are questions for philosophy, but philosophy is dead”. It means that

science has replaced the functions of philosophy, and that scientific method

and empirical data has replaced philosophy.

- Do you agree with him? Why?

3. In your opinion, what is the role of philosophy in society and in our individual

lives? Can science explain some very important questions in our lives? For

example: Why is it wrong to kill? What is theft? What should I do with my life?

What is truth?

What I Can Do

Activity 7: Act what you think. Construct at least five philosophical questions

from the scientific data presented below. Write your answers on a separate work

sheet.

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Example: Why does God allow COVID-19 to exist, and even the death of more than three thousand eight hundred people?

Assessment

A. Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on

a separate sheet of paper.

1. Is philosophy only for philosophers?

A. Yes, because philosophy is for people who love wisdom.

B. Yes, because only a few can appreciate its value.

C. No, because anyone can do an act of philosophizing.

D. No, because philosophy can be taken as a course by any person.

2. If the question, “Why am I here?” is philosophical, which answer supports it?

A. I am here to continue my SHS in spite of pandemic.

B. I am here to socialize with others as a person-for-others.

C. I am here to realize the meaning and purpose of my existence.

D. I am here to acquire knowledge and skills through experiences.

3. Which denies the argument that philosophy is dead because its functions are

already replaced by science?

A. There are questions that scientific method cannot provide answers.

B. Philosophical questions do not exist because everything can be discovered

and answered through scientific method and empirical data.

C. Philosophy is now just part of a tradition in search for knowledge

D. Taking up philosophy is irrelevant, weird, and has no practical value.

4. Which denies that the meaning of philosophy is understood by just looking into

its etymological definition?

A. It’s sufficient to note that philosophy’s etymology can easily give a clear

understanding of its meaning.

B. It’s not sufficient because the meaning of philosophy is well understood by

doing an act of philosophizing.

C. It’s sufficient to note that the Greek philosophers had proven themselves

to be real lovers of wisdom.

D. It’s not sufficient because the meaning of philosophy is not confined within

its root words alone.

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5. Which does not describe a philosophical question?

A. Philosophical question has a definite and ready answer for everything.

B. Philosophical question is a kind of question that endures.

C. Philosophical question makes sense of our experiences.

D. None of these

6. How does doing philosophy help us in obtaining broad perspective on life?

A. By doing philosophy we can develop the discipline of questioning.

B. By doing philosophy we can develop the discipline of liberation.

C. By doing philosophy we can develop the discipline of personhood.

D. All of these

7. How does discipline of questioning help us?

A. By asking questions about reality, we can arrive at a certain truth.

B. By asking questions about reality, there’s liberation.

C. By asking questions about reality, self-identity is gained as well.

D. All of these

8. Which supports the idea that doing philosophy can liberate us?

A. To philosophize means to search for life’s meaning.

B. To philosophize means to view life in diversity rather than conformity.

C. To philosophize means to discover one’s identity.

D. To philosophize means to love wisdom.

9. Which supports the idea that doing philosophy is discipline of personhood?

A. To philosophize means to search for life’s meaning.

B. To philosophize means to view life in diversity rather than conformity.

C. To philosophize means to discover one’s identity.

D. To philosophize means to love wisdom.

10. Which of the following does not belong to things that make people not very wise?

A. We don’t ask big questions.

B. We are vulnerable to errors of common sense

C. We are mentally confused.

D. We have not muddled ideas about what makes us happy.

11. The following are human activities that emanated from deliberate reflection

Based on the question: “Why am I here?” except ________.

A. Searching for the meaning of my existence

B. Complying with the demands of academic requirements

C. Defining my purpose in life

D. Discovering my possibilities

12. How valuable is doing philosophy in obtaining a broad perspective on life?

A. Without doing philosophy is to go through life confused and lost.

B. Things we encounter in this world that are simply puzzling and unsettling

will not be solved and settled without doing philosophy

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C. The search for answers only begins the moment we engage into doing

philosophy.

D. All of the above

13. What is the etymological meaning of Philosophy based on the Greek words:

Philia and Sophia?

A. It means science of beings C. It means love of wisdom

B. It means wise men D. It means study of wisdom

14. Which states the real definition of Philosophy?

A. It means love of wisdom.

B. It is a science of sciences of all that exist, in their ultimate causes and

principles through the help of human intellect alone.

C. It uses reason as its ultimate tool.

D. It is a systematic body of knowledge which is not only based on the ideas,

theories, and hypothesis but on knowledge that conforms to reality.

15. Which shows the value of philosophizing?

A. Philosophizing helps us to look at life from a partial point of view

B. Philosophizing helps us to look at life from a holistic perspective

C. Philosophizing helps us to look at life from our own perspective

D. Philosophizing helps us to look at life from our cultural perspective

Additional Activities

Activity 8: Think to Act. Write a reflection on this topic: “The Value of Doing

Philosophy: A Philosopher’s Way in Obtaining a Broad Perspective on Life”.

Follow this format:

I. What I learned: Write a statement or phrase that has great impact on you II. What I experienced: Narrate a true-to-life story/event that you recalled

because of the topic discussed. III. What I realized: State your insight. It must be related to I and II.

IV. What I plan to do: Enumerate plan of actions that you want to

accomplish to apply your learning of this topic.

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Rubric for Essay

Mechanics Excellent

5

Proficient

4

Basic

3

Below Basic

2

Organization

-Specific

introduction and

conclusion

-Sequenced

material within

the body

-Cohesive

presentation

content

-Specific

introduction and

conclusion

-Sequenced

material within

the body

-Cohesive

presentation

content

-Specific

introduction and

conclusion

-Sequenced

material within the

body is

inconsistent

-Specific introduction

and conclusion

-No sequence in

material

Language

-Enhance the

effectiveness of

the presentation

-Correct

grammar

-Appropriate to

audience

- No

pronunciation

mistakes

-Support the

effectiveness of the

presentation

-Correct grammar

-Appropriate to

audience

-Very few

pronunciation

mistakes

-Not interesting

-Partially support

the effectiveness of

the presentation

-Correct grammar

-Appropriate to

audience

Some

pronunciation

mistakes

-Unclear

-Minimally support

the effectiveness of

the presentation

-Occasional mistakes

in grammar

-Appropriate to

audience

-Several

pronunciation

mistakes

Delivery

-Good posture

-Eye contact

with the

audience most of

the time

-Appropriate

gesture and

expression

-Deliverance

with confidence

-Full group

participation

-Good posture

-Frequent eye

contact with the

audience

-Appropriate

gesture and

expression

-Almost full group

participation

-Intermitted good

posture

-Occasional eye

contact with the

audience

-Appropriate

gesture and

expression

-Partial group

presentation

-Poor posture

-Seldom eye contact

with the audience

-Not enough or too

much gesture and

expression

-One-person

presentation.

Content

-Student

discusses the

subject in great

details.

-Student

describes in

detail about their

findings

-Student indicate

what they have

learnt

-Student

discusses the

subject with some

details.

-Student outlines

their finding

-Student show

what they have

learnt

-Student discusses

the subject with a

few details.

-Student do not

outline their

finding

-Student's

misconceptions are

still seen

-Student discuss the

subject with very

minimal details.

-Students do not

outline what they

have learnt

-Students still sound

confused on this topic

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References

Bernardo, Juanito Philip V (2016). Introduction to Philosophy of the Human

Person: JFS Publishing Services, Manila.

Guevarra, Geoffrey A (2016). Pambungad sa Pilosopiya ng Tao (Batayang Aklat):

Rex Book Store, Inc., Manila.

Sioco, Maria Paula and Vinzons Ignatius (2016). Introduction to the Philosophy of

the Human Person: Vibal Group, Inc., Quezon City.

Kavanaugh, John. Philosophical Enterprise. Retrieved September 2, 2020.

https://www.slideshare.net/leofrixasturias/the-philosophical-enterprise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nwEpv6LLLA

https://greatestgreeks.wordpress.com/2016/03/11/thales-of-miletus/

https://www.philosophybasics.com/philosophers_anaximander.html

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/567664728022494813/

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/669980882043540937/

https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2015/12/logos-of-heraclitus.html

http://totallyhistory.com/parmenides/

https://www.geni.com/people/Empedocles/6000000043177272592

https://www.philosophybasics.com/philosophers_anaxagoras.html

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