Grade 12 - Philosophy of The Human Person Lesson 6 - Harmony With Nature

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Almighty God, creator of all

things visible and invisible,


source of all goodness and
love. Light the darkness of our
understanding, Give us a keen
memory to grasp things
correctly, Be with us at the
start of our work, guide its
progress and bring it to
completion. Amen.
Lesson 5:
HARMONY
WITH NATURE
Human
Being’s
Perspective
on
Environment
Harmony with Nature

The human being and the evolution of his consciousness


as a thinking being have been unfolding in a concrete
context, the environment: our physical community.

The impressive power of his consciousness, for


good or for bad, has been shown through the state
of the environment where he finds himself in.

Human beings have been establishing civilization in


different conditions and contexts of environment. He can
only live and realize himself in the environment.
Harmony with Nature
The environment enables human
beings “to exist and act
together with others” (Karol
Wojtyla 1979, 276). His existence
depends on the services
provided by the earth’s natural
resources.
Harmony with Nature

The condition of our environment manifests if a


human being is living in a sustainable life or he
continuously destroys environment.

Such condition depends on how he sees the


environment, whether he sees it as an object or
as another subject to be dealt and
communicated with in the spirit of respect.
Harmony with Nature

Human actions reveal their inward being. It is


always a source of knowledge of his self-being; it
is always self-knowledge. Karol Wojtyla believes
that human action “ought to be helpful in the
cognitive actualization of the potentiality”
(Wojtyla 1979, 270) of human beings.
Harmony with Nature

As human action expresses the consciousness of human being, it


also affects the recipient of such action. As human beings act, it
affects the movements and activities including the consciousness
of the environment.
Human
Being’s
Approaches
to
Environment
Human Being’s Perspective on Environment

The kind of relationship that human being


establishes with the environment
depending on how he/she perceives it.

This leads to different approaches on how


the human being deals with nature:
Instrumental Approach

In this approach, human being affirms the


protection of the environment as long as it
possess value or importance for the human
being. He/ she sees the environment as a
medium in establishing his/ her society
and civilization.
Instrumental Approach

The problem with this approach is that when a


human being can no longer recognize the value
of the environment, it ceases to be of value.
With this approach the human person tends to
manipulate and utilize it as a mere thing. Thus,
the environment loses its being and
significance.
Axiological Approach

In this approach, human being recognizes the


intrinsic value of the environment. This
demands him/her to protect and take care of it.
This approach needs a greater use of imagination
and reflection to see and experience the intrinsic
value of the environment. Beauty can be seen as
the external expression of the such intrinsic value.
Anthropological Approach

In this approach, the focus of establishing


relationship with the environment is not
environment itself, but the human
“being”.

He/she sees the importance of protection, care,


and respect for the environment.

The human being is the one who determines


the intrinsic value of the environment.
Anthropological Approach

The value of the environment comes from the


external authority; from the human being.
The Human being does not recognize that the
environment has its own consciousness and
inherent system. This approach considers the
environment as an object without any
consciousness of its own.
Anthropological Approach

It can be manipulated and controlled for the


human being’s disposal.
For instance, a hill or ridge can be converted as
recreational park. To do this, the developer
manipulates the hill according to the
recreational park’s plan. The value of the hill is
associated to its recreational value.
Utilitarianism

This approach, the focuses on the


consequences of human action, whether it is
wrong or right.
Our action is ethically right when it produces
greatest happiness for the greater number of
people, otherwise the action is ethically
wrong.
Here the human being uses such as view to
utilize and manipulate natural
environment for human development.
Natural law ethics
This approach, sees the human being as the summit
expression of God’s goodness, and who
possesses intellect and reason, has a greater
responsibility to care for the environment and not
destroy it.
The goodness of reason and intellect is observed and
experienced when human action is in accordance to
God’s plan; otherwise such action is unethical and
must be avoided.
Natural law ethics

We respect nature because God created it for


divine purpose. The environment is created
and continuously being recreated for human
being’s well-being. Thus, any process must not
jeopardize or impede the divine plan, which is
support the existence of the human race.
Virtue Ethics
This approach, sees that the development of our
virtue of care and respect for the environment
is a habitual performance of caring an
respecting non-human beings. Thus, the act of
caring and respecting becomes second nature.

This extends to non-human especially for the


environment where he/she lives and realizes
his/her being.
Sacredness
of the
Environment
Environment as Sacred

Each of these created things shares in the


perfection of the Creator. Part of the perfection
of the Creator is His Divinity.

As the environment continues to manifests its


own consciousness, it unveils its sacredness as
an expression of its Creator’s goodness,
perfection and unity.
The World Turtle (also referred to as the
Cosmic Turtle, the World-bearing Turtle,
or the Divine Turtle) is a mytheme of a
giant turtle (or tortoise) supporting or
containing the world. The mytheme,
which is similar to that of the World
Elephant and World Serpent, occurs in
Chinese, and Native American
mythology.

The Genesis story of


creation, where God create
the world in 7 days.
Pan Gu, the first man, is said to have
come forth from chaos (an egg) with two
horns, two tusks, and a hairy body. Some
accounts credit him with the separation
of heaven and earth, setting the sun,
moon, stars, and planets in place, and
dividing the four seas.

Brahma spilt the lotus flower making


three different parts: the heavens, the
earth and the sky. To start with the earth
was bare so Brahma created grass,
flowers, trees and plants. He let living
things evolve so that the earth became
full of animals, birds and fish. Hindus
have many ways of thinking about God.
Environment as Sacred

The Natural environment “symbolizes a possible


encounter with the Divine” (Mercado 1974, 161)

The environment shall always have an inherent


relation with the Creator. This shows that the
environment “would have a real relation to Him
because were it not the creative work of God”,
the environment would not have existed.
Environment as Sacred

One of the elements of the environment is the


river, as evidenced by the many popular rivers in
the world, such as:
• The Nile River
• The Ganges River
• The Jordan River
• The Amazon River
• The Yangtze River
Environment as Sacred

Human beings recognize its sacredness; as it is a


manifestation of the Creator’s goodness, divinity,
and perfection.

The sacredness of the river is inherent in nature


as a source of life, particularly sources of aquatic
biodiversity. Human beings get their food and
economic sustenance from rivers.
The Influence
and Effects of
Human Activity
towards the
Environment
The Spirit of Stewardship
• The Human being is part
of Creation.

• He/she is not the author of


his/her existence.

• His/her existence comes


from his/her Creator;
he/she is not a master of
his/her existence.
The Spirit of Stewardship
According to Dr. Florentino T.
Timbreza, the human being has
the responsibility to take care,
protect, and cultivate his/her
potentialities, faculties and
functions. But this responsibility
is not limited to his/her own self,
but it extends to his/her external
world, the environment.
The Tragedy of
Commons
by William Forster
Lloyd
• The tragedy of the commons is a metaphoric
label for a concept that is widely discussed in
economics, ecology and other sciences.

• According to the concept, if numerous


independent individuals should enjoy unfettered
access to a finite, valuable resource e.g. a
pasture, they will tend to over-use it, and may
end up destroying its value altogether.
• To exercise voluntary restraint is not a rational
choice for any one individual - if he did, the
others would merely supplant him - yet the
predictable result is a tragedy for all.
The Spirit of Stewardship
• As a steward, the human
being has to take care of
the environment, and not
to destroy it

• As a steward he/she is
responsible for the well-
being and harmony in the
environment, and not to
subdue it as an enemy.
The Human Being as the Summit of Creation

Rationality makes the human


being different from other
created beings.
The capacity to think unveils
the inherent nature of human
being as the peak of creation
for she/he is created after the
image and likeness of the
Divine Creator (Gen. 1:6)
The Human Being as the Summit of Creation

According to St. Augustine,


the human beings bears and
reveals the divine image of the
Creator. But being the summit
of creation, it does not mean
that having freedom and
authority to control creation,
the environment for its
expense.
The Human Being as the Summit of Creation

Emmanuel Levinas, believes


that human being’s action is
for the good of the “other”,
and not for his/her own good.
The environment becomes the
basis for his/her choices.
This presupposes her/his great
responsibility is to protect and
care for the environment.
The Human Being as the Summit of Creation

Emmanuel Levinas, is an
existentialist philosopher who put
morality a “Human Face”. It mean
the human face is more primordial
than any claims to philosophical
arguments and doctrines, and the
before we hear the voice of any reason
and commandment, we see the other
person when we encounter his/her
human face, and we see mutuality in
The
Complementarit
y between
Human Being
and
Environment
Spirit of Noncoexistence

The noncoexistence between human being and the


environment when one is being objectified by the other
one makes the other as an object.

Because of the human being’s capacity for reasoning


he/she has the power to control the environment as an
object. It is a wall the hinders a harmonious
relationship between man and nature.
Spirit of Noncoexistence

The non-coexistence between humans


and the environment occur when
one is being objectified by the other
and treats it as an object.
Since the human being has the
capacity for reasoning, he has the
power to control the environment as
an object.
Spirit of Coexistence

The Spirit of Coexistence between human being and


the environment is shown every time human being
recognizes his/her dependence on the environment.

When a human being becomes aware of the


consciousness and the natural system of the
environment, he/she cultivates a more understanding
and caring relationship with it.
Spirit of Coexistence

Human being should recognize the inherent


consciousness and wisdom that pervade the whole
creation. This recognition leads him to care and
protect the environment.
The care and love that human being gives the
environment is, in the end, beneficial for his/her
survival.
Environment
as a Subject
in I-Thou
Relation
Harmony with Nature

Martin Buber is an existentialist


and is popularly known as the
philosopher of dialogue. He
popularized the concept of the
I-THOU relationship, against the
I-IT.
Harmony with Nature

When a consciousness, an I, treats


someone or something as just
an object, an It.

In Buber’s I-Thou relationship, we


treat the other person as Thou
(Old English for “You”), as a
subject, not just a mere object.
Harmony with Nature

In the I-It relation, human being sees the


environment through the lens of his/her own needs
and perception. In such situation, dialogue cannot
be unfolded because he/she denies the being, the
abilities and potentialities of the environment
including its consciousness.
Harmony with Nature

In the I-It relation, human being separated and detached


from the otherness, from the being of environment.
Sadly, the progress of modern technology contributed to
the I-It relation.

The relationship between human being and environment


becomes superficial and manipulative.
Harmony with Nature

Human being in the I-Thou relation treats the


environment as a Thou, as a subject and not a
mere object, in its wholeness.
Human relates with Thou(You) to attain self-
realization. This relation demands respect and
genuine acceptance of the possibilities and
consciousness of the environment as a Thou.
Harmony with Nature

Since it is only in I-Thou relationship


with the environment that human
realizes his/her being as a
relational being and becomes
fully human, he/she treats
environment with care and
respect.
Harmony with Nature
Humans sees the environment and recognizes it as having
possibilities of its own beyond his/her concepts or framed
ideas. Thus, the environment must not be treated as a
means for the satisfaction and fulfilment of the human self
and his/her needs and wants.
In I-Thou relationship, the human self considers the
environment as an end-in-itself and not as means for
his/her satisfaction.
RESOURCES

● Philosophy of the Human Person: An


Introductory Text for Senior High School, p.
77-94

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