CONTENT STANDARD: The learner understands the meaning
and process of doing philosophy.
PERFORMANCE STANDARD: The learner reflects on a
concrete experience in a philosophical way.
MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCIES:
1.1 Distinguish a holistic perspective from a partial point of
view.
1.2 Realize the value of doing philosophy in obtaining a broad
perspective on life and
1.3 Do a philosophical reflection on a concrete situation from
a holistic perspective.
CURRICULUM GUIDE CODE:
PPT11/12-Ia-1.
PPT11/12-Ib-1.2
PPT11/12-Ib-1.3
INTRODUCTION TO
THE PHILOSOPHY OF
THE HUMAN PERSON_
MODULE 1
Mr. Jonathan V. Salon, LPT

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INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
Senior High School – Core Subject
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LEARNING
MODULE_ 1
INTRO TO PHILO
Senior High School_Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person_Module 1
LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY
This lesson will give you an overview of the nature of philosophy as a discipline. This will help the learners
to understand the meaning and process of doing philosophy in one’s own life.
Lesson 1.1 The Nature of Philosophy
Definition of Philosophy:
Etymologically, “philosophy” is derived from two Greek words “philia”
means love and “sophia” means wisdom. Literally, philosophy means “love of
wisdom”.
Philosophy was first used by Pythagoras, a Greek Philosopher, who noted
that men can be divided into three types:
lover of pleasure;
lover of success; and
lover of wisdom.
The last one is the superior type since he has the one who manifest a continuous
and ardent pursuit of knowledge.
Philosophy as essentially defined, is the science of all that exist in their ultimate cause through
the aid of the human reason alone. Let’s discuss the essential definition of philosophy comprehensively.
 is a science- it is a systematic body of knowledge, not just based on opinion or
hearsay but on deep thinking and philosophical speculation, which does not merely
receive data of experience passively; but rather it actively penetrates them all the
way to their ultimate roots.
 of all that exist- it is considered as a universal science because of its vast subject,
which is limited only by the capacity of mind to ask questions.
 in their ultimate cause- it is not only for studying mere data, bare facts and
proximate causes but rather digs deeper into the nature of something; its seeks to
grasp the ultimate how’s and why’s of things.
 through the aid of the human reason alone- it does not rely on the use of the
supernatural revelation but its own critical reasoning. Philosophy goes beyond
common sense because it investigates the foundations and all realities of things.
Branches of Philosophy
1. Metaphysics- is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of existence,
being and the world. Arguably, metaphysics is the foundation of philosophy: Aristotle calls
it "first philosophy" because it is the subject that deals with "first causes and the principles
of things" (Martin, 2009).
It poses inquiries like: "What is the nature of reality?", "How does the world exist,
and what is its origin or source of creation?", "Does the world exist outside the mind?",
"How can the incorporeal mind affect the physical body?", "If things exist, what is their
objective nature?", "Is there a God (or numerous divine beings, or no god by any means)?"
Aristotle originally split his metaphysics into three main sections and these remain
the main branches of metaphysics:
1.1 Ontology- the study of being and existence.
1.2 Natural Theology- the study of God, including the nature of religion and the world, existence
of the divine, questions about the creation, and the various other religious or spiritual issues.
1.3 Cosmology- is the study of the universe at its largest scales, including theories of its origins,
its dynamics and evolution, and its future.
Figure 1. Phi is the 21st letter of the
Greek alphabet and the symbol used
for Philosophy.
Figure 2. Pythagoras portrait bust.
Pythagoras, Image, Encyclopædia
Britannica.Retrived from
https://www.britannica.com/biogra
phy/Pythagoras#/media/1/485171/
123097 on July 25, 2020.
Figure 3. Aristotle, statue
from Stagira, Greece.
Aristotle, Image,
Encyclopædia Britannica,
Retrived from
https://www.britannica.com/b
iography/Aristotle#/media/1/
34560/150040 on July 25,
2020.

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Senior High School – Core Subject
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INTRO TO PHILO
Senior High School_Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person_Module 1
Theories developed in Metaphysics
Materialism vs Idealism
a. Materialism- According to this theory, the first one that exist is the material things and only
followed by ideas. Only matter has real existence and that feelings, thoughts and other
mental phenomena are produced by the activity of matter. As indicated by philosophical
materialism, mind and consciousness are results or epiphenomena of material processes
without which they cannot exist. This concept directly contrasts with idealism, where mind
and consciousness are first-order realities to which matter is subject and material interactions
are secondary.
b. Idealism- states that every material thing is an idea or a form of an idea. In idealism, mental
phenomena are what is fundamentally important and real. Idealism holds consciousness or
mind to be the "origin" of the material world – in the sense that it is a necessary condition
for our positing of a material world – and it aims to explain the existing world according to
these principles.
Teleology vs Mechanism
c. Teleology- contends that natural entities also have intrinsic purposes, irrespective of
human use or opinion. On the other hand, it states that the universe and everything in its exist
and occurs for some purpose.
d. Mechanism- originally, the term meant that cosmological theory which ascribes the motion
and changes of the world to some external force. It seeks to explain all "vital" phenomena
as physical and chemical facts. They held that the universe is reducible to completely
mechanical principles—that is, the motion and collision of matter.
2. Epistemology- discusses the nature of knowledge and knowing.
The term “epistemology” comes from the Greek words “episteme” and “logos”.
“Episteme” can be translated as “knowledge” or “understanding” or “acquaintance”, while “logos”
can be translated as “account” or “argument” or “reason”. Just as each of these different
translations captures some facet of the meaning of these Greek terms, so too does each translation
capture a different facet of epistemology itself. Although the term “epistemology” is no more than
a couple of centuries old, the field of epistemology is at least as old as any in philosophy.
3. Logic - is branch of philosophy which deals with correct reasoning.
The term "logic" came from the Greek word logos, which is sometimes translated as
"sentence", "discourse", "reason", "rule", and "ratio". Of course, these translations are not enough
to help us understand the more specialized meaning of "logic" as it is used today.
So what is logic? Briefly speaking, we might define logic as the study of the principles
of correct reasoning.
4. Ethics- the discipline concerned with what is morally good and bad and morally right and
wrong.
It is the branch which deals with moral questions and dilemmas. It is also called moral
philosophy. The term is also applied to any system or theory of moral values or principles.

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Ethics deals with such questions at all levels. Its subject consists of the fundamental issues
of practical decision making, and its major concerns include the nature of ultimate value and the
standards by which human actions can be judged right or wrong.
The terms ethics and morality are closely related. It is now common to refer to ethical
judgments or to ethical principles where it once would have been more accurate to speak of moral
judgments or moral principles. These applications are an extension of the meaning of ethics. In
earlier usage, the term referred not to morality itself but to the field of study, or branch of inquiry,
that has morality as its subject matter. In this sense, ethics is equivalent to moral philosophy.
5. Aesthetics- is the branch of Philosophy which deals with beauty and what makes things
“beautiful”.
Aesthetics is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and appreciation of art,
beauty and good taste. It has also been defined as "critical reflection on art, culture and nature".
The word "aesthetics" derives from the Greek "aisthetikos", meaning "of sense perception". Along
with Ethics, aesthetics is part of axiology (the study of values and value judgments).
Aestheticians ask questions like "What is a work of art?", "What makes a work of art
successful?", "Why do we find certain things beautiful?", "How can things of very different
categories be considered equally beautiful?", "Is there a connection between art and morality?",
"Can art be a vehicle of truth?", "Are aesthetic judgments objective statements or purely subjective
expressions of personal attitudes?", "Can aesthetic judgments be improved or trained?"
In very general terms, it examines what makes something beautiful, sublime, disgusting,
fun, cute, silly, entertaining, pretentious, discordant, harmonious, boring, humorous or tragic.
Lesson 1.2 Philosophy of the Human Person-is an area in philosophy that understand the human person
from a philosophical perspective.
Doing Philosophy - enables a person to engage in critical analysis and interpretation of concepts,
definitions, arguments, and problems. Doing Philosophy also improves problem-solving and decision
making. The ability to analyze a problem or dilemma, identify the significant aspects, and come up with
alternative solutions is an important skill learned through philosophy.
In the process of doing philosophy, it is critical to have a holistic point of view-the perception of
looking at all aspects of a situation first before making a conclusion.
Two ways of Thinking:
1. Holistic Thinking- The term "holistic
thinking" refers to a big picture mentality in which
a person recognizes the interconnectedness of
various elements that form larger systems, patterns
and objects. Thinking holistically is the opposite of
analyzing something, which involves breaking
down a larger system into its details.
Holistic medicine is a prominent example of
holistic thinking. A medical professional who believes in holistic care considers the relationship between
the mind, body and spirit.

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Senior High School – Core Subject
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In philosophy, point of view describes the perception of an event or
phenomenon and how exactly it is viewed. Point of view often is shaped by
an individual's beliefs or experiences.
2. Partial Thinking- Though partial thinking is useful, philosophy
utilizes holistic thinking in making sense of problems and issues related to the
human experience.
People tend to apply an analytical perspective when looking at
problems or situations. A holistic view gives rise to a more appreciative
perspective about life, as we are able to look at life in its totality.
In doing philosophy, a holistic perspective on the subject is always
required. Failure to do so or only using a partial point of view may lead to
illogical or incorrect conclusions.
Example: Professor Snape in Harry Potter. What many believed is Snape is a villain, but at the end of the
story, it turns out that Snape were protecting Harry the whole time.
Lesson 1.3 Why do we philosophize?
We all have the potential to philosophize since we have the tendency to wonder and doubt. A
philosopher is a good communicator who can clearly and adequately present his or her ideas.
Doing philosophy can be applied in day-to-day activities and life perspectives. Because it involves
an evaluative process, doing philosophy allows a person to make better decisions and act accordingly to
situations with the help of various philosophical skills. On life perspectives, philosophy enables reflective
thinking which greatly influences a person’s view of life, challenges, and relationships
Plato traced man’s need to philosophize to his sense of wonder. Whenever we are confronted with
an experience, we always wonder how it came about.
French philosopher Rene Descartes traced the need to philosophize to doubt. In life, we will be
faced with several ideas and arguments which present themselves as “truths”. A critical and questioning
perspective is necessary to determine if indeed these ideas or views are correct or true.
Swiss-German philosopher Karl Jaspers saw the need to philosophize because of experience.
These experiences limit situation, philosophy provides us a means to understand adverse or challenging
conditions, and to rise above them and gain new knowledge and perspective.
The need to philosophize is driven by the love for wisdom. To love wisdom is to have an insatiable
desire for truth.

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Senior High School – Core Subject
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References:
Roberto D. Abella, M.Div., D.Min. (2016). Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person.
Encyclopedia Britannica. Retreieved from https://www.britannica.com/ on August 17, 2020.
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/ o August 17,
2020.
Vector Images
Credits to Pixabay.com
Other Images
Attribution included below every images.