INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY Theories in Radial Ecological Philosophy

OF THE HUMAN PERSON 1. Social Ecology – a perspective that

environmental problems are traced to social
LESSON 1: ENVIRONMENT problems as coined by Murray Bookchin.
Environmental Philosophy – discipline that 2. Ecofeminism – highlights the connection
studies the moral relationship of human with between the oppression of women and
the environment and its non-human contents. degradation of the environment.

Three Views of Philosophical Prudence – being wise and careful when

Environment making decisions.
1. Anthropocentrism – view that places Ex. Choosing a career path that aligns with
human at the center, and the resources are long-term goals.
free to use by humans.
2. Biocentrism – values to all living things Frugality – being smart with resources
and every individual organism Ex. Budgeting to save money and avoiding
3. Ecocentrism – values the entire unnecessary expenses.
ecosystem and humans are the guardian of
nature.
LESSON 2: THE HUMAN PERSON
AND FREEDOM
Environmental Aesthetics – philosophical
view in maintaining order in environment to Freedom – state of being free, unrestricted,

bring out the natural beauty of surroundings and able to act or choose without hindrance.

and contribute to the well-being of living Freedom of Choice – deals with the ability to

things. make decisions without constraints.

Sustainable Development – development Freedom of Thought – the liberty to form,

that meets the needs of the present without hold, and express one’s thoughts or beliefs

compromising the future’s ability to meet their without censorship.

own needs. Freedom of Will – the ability to make

decisions based on what you want.

Principles of Sustainability
1. Environmental Integrity – any human Human Act – actions that are perform

activities should not disrupt the environment. consciously, intentionally, and involves free

2. Economic Efficiency – ensure there is will.

minimum to zero waste in using natural Act of Man – actions that are involuntary,

resources. unintentional, and without free will.

3. Equity – conserving natural resources for

future generations.
Modifiers of Human Acts 4. Divine Law – commandments revealed by
1. Ignorance – absence of knowledge in God
person who is required to know what he LESSON 3: HUMAN RELATION TO
doesn’t know.
OTHERS
Innocence – absence of knowledge in
Intersubjectivity – the ability to understand
person who is not required to know what he
and relate to others that fosters shared
doesn’t know.
meanings through interactions.
Vincible Ignorance – lack of knowledge
Self – individual’s sense of personal identity.
that could have been avoided or overcome.
Other – outside the self
Ex. Ignorance to a particular subject.
Invincible Ignorance – lack of knowledge
Jean-Paul Sartre – believes objectification
that could not have been overcome due to
restricts one’s freedom to be themselves and
beyond of control.
limit their possibilities, confining them to a
Ex. Ignorance to color due to blindness
narrow perception defined by your look.
2. Concupiscence or Passion – emotions.
Objectification – you see a person as object,
Feelings and sensory appetite of man in
ignoring personality and individuality.
relation to his actions.
Totalization – totalize others on a single
3. Fear – a disturbance of the mind who is
characteristic or claims it knows the person
confronted by impending danger or harm.
already.
4. Violence – actions done with the
application or use of physical power on a
Edmund Husserl – believes intersubjectivity
person to make him do something against his
involves the capacity to emotionally and
will.
mentally place oneself in other’s shoes.
5. Habits – regular patterns of behavior.
Empathy – feeling in someone else’s
Virtue – good habit
emotions where you put yourself in their
Vices – bad habit
shoes and try to experience their emotions.
Sympathy – feeling with someone where you
Aquinas’ Four Classification of Law
acknowledge their feelings or care for the
1. Human Law – consist of rules and
person.
regulations created by human authorities
Availability – the willingness of a person to
Ex. Traffic laws, criminal statutes
be present on another.
2. Natural Law – applies only to humans
The Ethics of Care – an ethical theory that
grounded in reason and morality
encourages individuals to help others.
Ex. Humans value of life and justice
3. Eternal Law – decree of God that governs
Rene Descartes – he resolved to doubt
all creation
everything that could possibly be doubted.
 LESSON 4: THE HUMAN PERSON
Seeming – a person presents himself in a
AS ORIENTED TOWARDS HIS
certain way in a certain situation, some in
order to intentionally deceive or manipulate
IMPENDING DEATH
people. Death – the termination of all biological
functions that sustain a human person.

Dialogue – interaction between person where

two people open up to each other. Phenomenological Notion of Death

Martin Buber – our sense of who we are Death is Certain – we are all born in the

becomes clear through relationship with world governed by time and whether we like it

others. Without connections, we cannot be or not, we will die.

aware of our uniqueness and existence. Death is Indefinite – it is indefinite when

will death come that is why we should try to

Several Ways by which We Relate to live the best life that we can for we never

Others: know the day of our end.

1. The I-I Relationship – people make Death is One’s Property – the death of the

themselves the center and don’t listen to person belongs to him and nobody can

others nor have interest. experience it except himself.

2. The I-It Relationship – people treat

others as an object Forms of Suffering

a. People treat others into the status of an 1. Physical Suffering – comes from

object: In medical field, practitioners look at experiencing physical sensation such as

their patients as objects of investigation. discomfort, hunger, distress and pain caused

b. I-It relationship with clear bad intent or by injury, disease and lack of basic needs

to satisfy personal interest. 2. Mental Suffering – it involves emotional

3. The I-Thou Relationship – genuine and mental states caused by sudden changes

sharing of one another where you treat others in lifestyle, loss of employment, stressful

as another person who is different from self. situations and grief caused by death of love
one.

Martin Heidegger – believes humankind is a 3. Spiritual Dryness – it involves difficulty

conversation and communication is central to and disinterest in relating to God due to some

the existence and a part of how we personal experiences questioning his

understand ourselves and the world. existence.

Paulo Freire – dialogue is also a sign of

freedom, equality and responsibility in
discovering and transforming the world.
LESSON 5: HUMAN PERSON IN - earliest and simplest society
- small sized of families and nomadic
SOCIETY
- all are equally treated with decisions
“The human person by nature is a social
arrives through a consensus, making roles
being”
and division of labor not clearly defined.
Society – an organized group of people
Pastoral Society
whose members have common territory and
- domestication of animals
culture.
- have larger population and remain longer
in one place.
Social Contract Theory
- produce surplus of food and resources
According to Thomas Hobbes:
which they trade to other societies.
- Persons are governed by their desires
Horticultural Society
which leads to conflict. Society is a
- engages in small-cultivation and
means to impose order, and when
domestication of animals
people establish societies, they enter a
- semi-nomadic, and roles and
social contract which is an agreement
responsibilities are more defined
that sacrifice an amount of their
Agrarian/Agricultural Society
freedom and submit to a higher
- evolution of pastoral and horticultural
authority.
- large scale and long-term cultivation of
According to John Locke:
crops and domestication of animals
- Persons are more cooperative and
- improved technology and use of tools
reasonable and society is formed
- a rise of growing population
through consent. A social contract is a
Feudal Society
covenant among individuals to
- based on ownership of land
cooperate.
- rulers grant followers or vassals right to
According to Jean Jacques Rousseau:
manage parcels of land
- The people have given the
- members are organized based on status
government the right to act on their
Industrial Society
behalf since they are the best judge of
- use of machinery in production of goods
what is the most beneficial for all.
and services
- resulted in industrial revolution
Common Good – refers to social condition
Post-Industrial Society
which enable people to fulfill their goals and
- establishment of societies based on
achieve well-being.
knowledge, information and sale of services
- members have higher education, better
Types of Society
training and specialized roles
Hunting and Gathering Society
 Virtual Society – people are organized
through communication technology and the
Internet which is a product of post-
industrial.

How society influence our development?

1. Norms – set of traits that society considers
acceptable
2. Laws – more formal norms that establish
and define acceptable behavior of citizens
3. Folkways – lesser formal norms that arise
from traditions and do not result in
punishment when violated.
4. Social System – an organized or patterned
set of relationships among individuals and
groups that compose a society.
5. Social Values – actions or ideals that are
considered important by society