Leobelo Jofel Delicana Social Philosophy

AB Philosophy IV March 11, 2014

A persons place in society
(Reflection on the movie New in town)
Our world has become more complex due to the rise of modernization and globalization.
Oftentimes, we may be able to notice that the world has become functional in a sense, that the
human person is treated as an actor fulfilling an expected end. Thus, the persons role in society
has been merely viewed as functional and pragmatic making him/her lose the sense of
belongingness to the society where s/he himself or herself belongs. Therefore, there must be
reorganization of views within society. Instead of being merely functional, the treatment of
person to a fellow person must be human. If I were to suggest, there must be an eclectic view of
the rational and the emotive aspects of the human person when it comes to their relationship with
one another. It is rational in a sense that actions are founded on reasoning which is valid. And at
the same time, it is emotive in a sense that it does not disregard the importance of looking into a
set of values, to the feelings of the person, that there must always be the presence of sympathy
and unity.
In the movie new in town, the woman by the name of Lucy who works as company
supervisor in Miami was set to work in a small town in Minnesota. At first, she found it hard to
adapt to the different orientation and practices that are present in the lives of the people living
there. She tends to impose values upon others even if she is only one person and she is against a
group of people (workers). That was the case until such time that she fell in love with a guy who
lives in that place. This guy, with the help of Lucys assistant named Flo made her realize that
there is much more to know about their place and about the relationship of the people living
there as a community.
The movie somehow depicted a kind of communicative action, a Habemasian concept.
This means that in times of misunderstandings, of conflict, there is a sincere intention to be able
to settle what wrong and proceed to an action which is directed towards the common good. The
people in the place did not succumb to the idea of giving up their livelihood because it is the
intention of the capitalist to sell the factory. Instead, they worked as a unified whole in order to
meet a certain goal which later benefited everyone who participated. Highlighted in the movie is
the principle of solidarity a concept which is similar to that of pamathalaan. It is a kind of
system within a community of people wherein there is emphasis on the diwa of the people.
Moreover, each individual is viewed as a person with a certain role and a certain place which
makes him/her an important member of society.