INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE

HUMAN PERSON

Doing Philosophy

INTRODUCTION

What is Philosophy? Any attempt to coin an all- encompassing

definition of Philosophy would fail because humanity never shared a
universal idea of what it is (Co, 2009). Although one of our goals in this
chapter is to present a general idea of what Philosophy means, our
challenge is to address a much more important question, that is, “What
does it mean to philosophize?” The assumption here is that Philosophy is
intimately connected with praxis. In other words, an idea is useless if it is
devoid of any practice. For the Greeks, Philosophy or philosophia means
the “love of wisdom," but to know the idea of love and wisdom is not
enough if one denies doing it (Kenny, 2004).

Etymology
 Philia - Love
 Sophia – Wisdom

Branches of Philosophy

 Metaphysics: Explores the fundamental nature of reality, existence, and

being. Questions like "What is reality?", "Does God exist?", and "What is the
nature of time?" fall under this branch.
 Epistemology: Concerned with the theory of knowledge, exploring
questions about the nature, scope, and limits of human knowledge. It
investigates how we know what we know.
 Ethics: Examines moral principles and values, exploring questions about
right and wrong, good and evil, and what constitutes a good life
 Logic: Studies the principles of correct reasoning, focusing on the
structure of arguments and inferences

 Aesthetics: Investigates the nature of beauty, art, and taste. It explores

questions about what makes something beautiful or aesthetically
pleasing.
 Political Philosophy: Examines the foundations of political thought,
including justice, liberty, equality, and the state.
 This chapter also explores the two major traditions of philosophy.
These traditions, while unique in various ways, do not necessarily contradict
each other. The first is the Western tradition, which is characterized by its
rigorous way of doing philosophy and presupposes an analytic approach.
The second is the Eastern tradition, which is often used interchangeably
with religion because it treats philosophy as a way of life.

DISCUSSION

Western Philosophy

We focus on the three most renowned Greek philosophers, namely;

Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. These three prominent names of Western
tradition introduced intricate ideas concerning the rational capacities of
man and how these capacities can be used and developed. The
recognition that a human person is a thinking being fundamentally
supports the idea that we all have the freedom to explore the world.

Socrates

Socrates was born about 470 B.C. in Athens, Greece. His appearance
was frequently described as grotesque. He was short, thick-set, and ugly.
His clothes were old and poor, which showed that he cared little or nothing
for external appearances. However, these descriptions have something to
do with his philosophy. His looks were the least of his concern because
one’s intellectual activity is far more important for him. This is why, despite
his undesirable physical features, many young men would still gather
around him to learn from his intelligent discussions. Indeed, his philosophy
emanated from his way of life, a life that was not concerned about wealth
and worldly goods.

Socrates, as some scholars would argue, was never concerned about

philosophy in the academic sense. His way of doing philosophy was by
making dialogues with various people. Thus, he would spend most of his
time in the marketplace and talk to people from different walks of life. His
concern was to discuss with them profound ideas, such as justice, virtues,
morality, life, and death. The philosophy of Socrates was focused on
getting at the answers to the questions that are important and relevant in
everyone’s life. Consequently, he helped many people examine how they
lived and understood their lives because, for him, “An unexamined life is
not worth living" (Tarrant, 2010).
 Unfortunately, Socrates was charged with corrupting the minds of the
youth. It can be said that his manner of doing philosophy became the
cause of his death. In the end, he willfully accepted his death rather than
renouncing his beliefs and practices.

Plato

One of the students who gathered around Socrates was Plato. He was
born on about 428 and died about 347 B.C. It is said that Plato served as
a transcriber of the past. This means that he was the one who wrote down
the dialogues of Socrates and his interlocutors. Contrary to some critics who
argued that Plato merely copied other thinkers' thoughts, Plato was, of the
highest degree, an original thinker. His appropriations of Socrates's
thoughts, Heraclitus and Parmenides, served as “stepping stones” for him
to build his own original thoughts. Through Plato’s works, the thoughts of the
past have become ostensible and vibrant in his new and original principles
(Stace, 2010).

One of Plato's famous stories and allegories is called the "Allegory of the
Cave," which can be found in his book The Republic. The allegory of the
Cave explains the two worlds of Plato, the real world and the unreal. For
example, consider the digital world as the “unreal world,” while the actual
world is the “real world”. What appears on social media is only a picture or
a copy of the real; hence, unreal. What is real then is the one who controls
and decides to post something about myriads of things on social media.
In Facebook, if there are fraudulent cases that go viral, the authority's
primary impulse is to look for the person behind such actions, not the
person that appears on the screen or device. Although the person's digital
account may be taken down, the one who would suffer the
consequences is the person responsible, not the copy of himself. Thus, the
human person's real existence in this world is what is put into question.

Plato's way of doing philosophy sought to solve the question of the real
and unreal. In other words, it seeks the truth. One sometimes is tempted to
capture a copy of something since the duplicate may eventually lead
one to
find the real. For Plato, the truth is often forgotten at birth. However, a
recollection of such truth happens when we encounter actual objects.

Aristotle

Aristotle was born about 384 B.C. He studied under Plato, and later on,
put up his school called Lyceum. There were only a few of Aristotle’s works
that survived. However, from his important works, one can sense the depth
of his intellectual pursuits.

Aristotle learned much of Plato’s philosophy but the path he took was
different from his mentor’s interests. For one, he opposed Plato’s Theory of
Forms. He did not reject the idea of the form itself but claims that Plato was
more concerned with the abstract, referring to the world of ideas which
can be reached only by thoughts. For Aristotle, the forms can be achieved
through the senses. Thus, he maintained that things can be known and
proven using the senses and the faculty of reason (S. M. Cohen et al., 2016).

Aristotle put forward the notion that the forms have two categories,
namely, the substance and accidents. A substance can subsist on its own,
while accidents need another thing to exist. Both are palpable to some
degree. Unlike Plato's theory of forms, the form for Aristotle exists in this
world, which has substance and accidents.

To elucidate Aristotle's ideas, let us take this example: as a human

person, you are composed of body and mind. Having these two as your
substance, it is expected from you to use your intellectual and physical
capacities to the fullest. What you become by using your capacity would
be the accident of your being; either you become a priest, doctor,
policeman or fireman. But your substance, that is, being a human person
with rational and physical capacity, remains the same.

Aristotle did not reject the idea of the form itself. Aristotle purports to
convey that Plato was concerned with the abstract, referring to the world
of ideas that can only be reached by thoughts. However, the forms can be
achieved by the use of the senses. Aristotle introduced his ideas about
empirical evidence or things that can be achieved and proven by using the
senses. Centuries later, this was picked up by St. Thomas Aquinas who said,
"Nothing is in the intellect that was not first in the senses." Thus, by using one's
senses, one can gain knowledge. Unlike Plato, Aristotle did not subscribe
to innate ideas. (S. M. Cohen et al., 2016)

Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle believed that human beings are endowed
with reason. This rational capacity facilitates a person to discover his/her
true potentials. As students, you dream of becoming a better version of
yourself and a successful human person someday. You know for a fact that
if you use your intelligence and capacity to learn new things, it will
eventually bring you somewhere in the world. For instance, if you want to
become a doctor of medicine, you know you have to feed yourself with
relevant knowledge, and acquire the necessary skills related to the
practice of medicine.
EASTERN PHILOSOPHY

Eastern Philosophies are centered on finding the answers to the question

“who and what am I?” They focus on searching for the meaning of being
human. The goal of their respective philosophical enterprises is not only to
understand human nature, but most importantly, to practice how to truly
live as a human person.
It may be noted that eastern philosophy is often understood
interchangeably with religion. Buddhism, for one, belongs to the top major
religions of the world. For this reason, these philosophies are actively
practiced by its
followers. For them, philosophy and religion are intimately connected.

Confucianism

Being one of the greatest traditions in ancient China, Confucianism

started by Kongzi or Confucius over 2500 years ago. He was born about
551 B.C. in Tuo, and died about 479 B.C. in Qufu. Confucianism includes a
wider scope of subjects, including morality, society, philosophy and
religion, and practices and values (Littlejohn, 2010). Confucianism
attempts to craft a philosophy of peace that could conceivably reach
every corner of the world, guided by the aim to restore peace among men
and nations.

Confucius believed that if a leader sets a good example to his

constituents, to his family, and people with whom he would have a
relationship, they, in turn, will do the same. This, for him, could prevent
wars and solve many social problems. For this reason, Confucianism is
considered a social philosophy that is grounded on the assumption that
proper social and political behavior is cultivated in the family. For him,
the love and relationship with one's family are paramount (Liu, 2006). This
philosophy is connected to the common idea today, which says that
peace starts at home. Confucianism has similarities with the Filipinos’
concept and experience of family. Filipinos have close family ties. Even if
there’s a feud within the family, a Filipino will insist that blood is thicker than
water. Confucius had these same thoughts with the aim of promoting a
certain societal order.

Real changes should start from the top, from the brightest, and
the ruling class to realize societal reforms. Moreover, for Confucius, a
good ruler should have perfect virtue. If a ruler is like a sage internally, it will
also manifest externally. He wrote three principles that a ruler should abide
by: “First, manifest a clear character, second, show concern for the
people, and third, aim for the highest good. Under this
mode of thinking, morality and politics are inseparable.” Confucius firmly
believed that if a leader emulated himself a sage king, there would be
peace in the world (Liu, 2006).

To know the human person as a potential leader, one must go back to

the question of character, which presupposes that a person has inculcated
in his being some essential virtues. Two notable Confucian virtues are
expected from each and every human being of character. First is Jen
(ren), which means human heartedness, which denotes a compassionate
person. The second is called Yi, or righteousness, which consists of doing
things in the right manner. Remember that these two virtues are the sources
of other virtues. The Chung Tzu or Junzi means that a gentleman should
possess the virtue of Jen and Yi. In other words, a human person
presupposes a man of character, that is, a virtuous human person. And
since a Chung Tzu or a gentleman bears the possibility of becoming a
leader, becoming a superior is not because of one’s status in the social
hierarchy, but because of his knowledge of the virtues being translated
concretely in his life (Richey, 2008).

Buddhism

Buddhism is a living tradition whose roots can be traced from the life
and teachings of Siddharta Gautama, who is also known as the historical
Buddha. Buddhism is anchored on the idea that human person lives in
suffering and that he should overcome this. This suffering refers to the deep
dissatisfaction that pervades human experience, and the thirst for endless
desires. Human beings naturally cling to things that are impermanent and
changing due to our self- centered pursuit of happiness. However, the
human person experiences aging, sickness, and death, which only
deepens suffering.
Buddhism teaches that “all phenomena are conditioned, transitory,
devoid of any ‘essence’ or ‘self’ that remains
unchanged over time.” This means that a person is composed of different
causal patterns rather than having an underlying essence (Emmanuel,
2013). Our existence, therefore, cannot be reduced to a single “essence”.

Moreover, Buddhism teaches the Four Noble Truths. The first noble truth
is that human life is pervaded by suffering. Second, suffering is a result of
craving. Third, there is a state of freedom from suffering - called Nirvana -
that we can all attain by realizing that we are not Selves, thus abandoning
the craving. Fourth, anyone can attain Nirvana by following the Eightfold
Path:
 1. Right View: It consists of knowing the noble truths and Buddha's
teaching as a whole.
2. Right Resolve: It consists of the intention to renounce sexual drive and
the intention of non-ill-will, and non- cruelty.
3. Right Speech: It involves not engaging in speech that is false,
malicious, harsh, or idle.
4. Right Action: It means not killing living beings, not taking what is not
given, and avoiding misconduct in sexual pleasures.
5. Right Livelihood: It consists of the resolve not to earn one's living in a
way that violates the ethical code.
6. Right Effort: It means eliminating and preventing unwholesome states
and develop meditative practice.
7. Right Mindfulness: It includes various contemplations of the body,
feelings, and mind.
8. Right Concentration: It means the attainment of progressively higher
mental states.

Another fundamental feature of Buddha’s ethical teaching is “Karma

and Rebirth”. “It is said that on the night of his enlightenment, the Buddha
had attained the three kinds of “true knowledge": First, knowledge of past
lives. Second, the cycle of rebirth is governed by Karma. Third, the four

noble truths. Buddha construed that karma and rebirth is a natural causal
process in the universe. We have adopted the word karma in the Filipino
(Visayan) language, often with a bad connotation. Thus, “Makarma pa
unta ka” would mean “may bad things befall on you.” Karma is often used
interchangeably with “gaba” when we say “magabaan pa unta ka”,
which also means “may bad things happen to you.” However, for Buddha,
good and bad actions are like seeds that, if planted, will bear fruits in the
future.

This physical world we are living in now is full of complicated and distinct
ideas. Things could be rough, and some people would be unforgivable to
us, especially when we have caused pain and injustices to them. The
freedom from pain and suffering may be so elusive when we lack the
knowledge of easing ourselves from it. As we experience sadness, sorrow,
disappointments, heartbreaks, and many other negative things the world
could offer, Buddhism teaches us something for our emancipation.

Buddhism is neither optimistic nor pessimistic, but rather realistic as it

describes life as it is. Yes, life includes suffering. However, it also teaches
that we can attain freedom from suffering through total non-attachment.
In other words, it teaches us to "let go" of our attachments in life. And if one
lives a life of goodness, one will be rewarded with goodness.
Indian Philosophy

Indian philosophy responds to the question, "Who am I?" This question

goes into the deeper meaning of the self. Many scholars argue that, like
Buddhism, Indian Philosophy is essentially spiritual. It is said that the human
person is conceived as spiritual in nature. This reality enables him/her to
relate to a spiritual and metaphysical destiny. But this philosophy is also
associated with practice in everyday life.

This is why Indian philosophy is pursued not as an academic endeavor but

rather as a vital guide to one’s life.

The manner of living a life is the principal priority in Indian philosophy. It

promotes a reflective approach to reality. The physical world is not as
important as the knowledge of the inner self. Thus, the common theme of
all schools of Indian Philosophy is to “see the self”. The realization of the
highest truth is beyond intellectualization because truth is a deep and very
personal one (Frauwallner, 1973).

The theoretical aspect of living is augmented with the obvious praxis of

living. Thus, the philosophy devoid of praxis is futile. One needs his mental
capabilities to face this sophisticated world bravely. Still, if one fails to see
the value of his/her inner self, the kind of life he/she pursues is empty of
authenticity.

Each human person has something in his/her mind to pursue. This idea
of something enables the person to direct himself/herself to a certain goal.
A student trying to cope with the rapid dynamic change of technology,
but lacks the resources, tends to do undesirable things, like stealing to
provide the caprices or hurting people just to feed one's ego. Consider a
teenager who wants another smartphone but his parents could not afford
it. Since he/she has become so fixated with the device, he/she insensitively
demands his/her parents to have one. In so doing, he/she forgets the real
situation; he/she refuses to care about his/her parents' feelings. The device
probably will make him/her happy, most especially when it has become a
ticket for him/her to be accepted in society. However, a series of questions
will hunt him/her after pursuing his/her wants, e.g., does having a thing
ultimately make him/her a better person? Does being attached to the
world enable him/her to examine himself/herself? And is it worth it to hurt
others, especially his/her parents, just to feed his caprices? Indian
Philosophy reminds us that the physical world is not as important as knowing
the inner self and the right practices of living.
 The brand of philosophizing in Indian philosophy, making it an essential
enterprise, is fundamentally centered on the notion of the self. For this
discipline, the value of the self is the paramount priority. Consequently,
there are two of the most pivotal issues in Indian Philosophy that one should
encounter in studying their philosophy, namely, the nature of causation,
and the nature of the self. It has been acknowledged in their philosophy
that one of the central metaphysical problems is causation. Unlike western
philosophy that focuses much on knowing the materialistic cause of the
universe, Indian Philosophy is more concerned with the importance of the
cause (Laine 2016).

CONCLUSION

The two immense traditions of Philosophy have taught us a wider view

of doing philosophy. In western tradition, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle
believed that the human person is gifted with reason. And this rationality
would ultimately facilitate the self to discover its true potentials. Socrates'
way of philosophizing was more on a dialectic way of conversation,
delving into the simplest and most complicated questions the human mind
can formulate. Plato introduced to us the idea of two worlds and innate
ideas that requires recollection to remember them. And finally, Aristotle
reminded us that the real world refers to the things we have now, the most
palpable to the senses. Indeed, the Socratic philosophers left us with
abundant thoughts of the past that we today keep on footnoting as we
employ their works in our day to day living.

The Eastern tradition reminds us that doing philosophy is more on the

practical practice of the different theories of living. First, Buddhism brought
us to reflect on the idea of suffering, and a human person should
overcome this deep dissatisfaction that pervades human experience. A
human person naturally clings to impermanent things and self- centered
pursuit of happiness. Second, Indian Philosophy reiterated the idea that the
physical world is not as important as the knowledge of the inner self and the
right practices of living. Third, Confucianism taught us the virtues of Jen and
Yi which are deemed essential to a human person, especially if he/she
envisions becoming a leader.

M. Villaroya, A. F., P. Anaya, B., & C. Fernandez, E. (2020). INTRODUCTION TO

THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON. ALETHEIA Printing and Publishing House.
[Link]
hy_of_the_Human_Person