History
study of the evolution of present society and
culture
Uniqueness: dimension of time
2 aspects:
- Objective: evidence & research method
- Subjective: interpretation & search for
relevance
What can it teach us?
Many people of the past have influence the way
we live today.
Pattern of Scientific and Technological
Development in Ancient Times
Advances in S&T came about first
independently of each other then later
interdependently
From this earlier independent development of
S&T, arose dissimilarities in each culture,
which caused differences in the type and
degree in S&T development
The Degree & Rate of S&T Growth in the
Different Culture was Influenced by
Interactions of Different Factors
1. External Factors
those considered to be external to
communities
- Geography
- Trade
2. Internal Factors
those which inhered in or may be
considered internal to communities
- Mode of living
- The peoples belief systems
Geography
Favorable geographical situations enabled the
people to live in settlements and encouraged
village life
All civilizations started near a body of water.
Water is attributed to:
- Water being a basic human need
- Good source of food
- Needed for agriculture, food processing,
and daily human activities
- Avenue for various occupations (farming,
fishing, trade, etc.)
Thus, primitive man changed from being
nomadic to being a settler
- Advances in S&T were centered on the
development of agricultural tools, and on
the invention of irrigation systems
Natural Barriers
They have both worked for and against the
development of S&T
Mountains and seas determined to some
extent, the susceptibility of settlements to
invasions and the direction of the development
of S&T
- Development of military technology
- Production of defense weapons
- Advancements in metallurgy & metal
casting
Climactic extremes explain the diversity in S&T
Growth
Long dry spells led to the construction of
artificial irrigation systems
Overflowing rivers, which caused floods
damaged crop brought about the invention of
dikes and dams
Crop rotation
Calendar came into existence to track seasons
Different raw materials were available for
construction, clothing, etc.
Techniques, which could be used to process
the available resources
Natural Resources
Food clothing, household & other items used in
daily living
Tools and implements, techniques and skills
Houses, buildings, other structures &
construction materials
Defense and Invasion
Other industries
Trade
Initially done through barter, trade became
increasingly sophisticated, with S&T both
spurring and assisting the exchange of goods
and service. Thus, all civilizations which
engaged in trade, experiences foreign
influences, some of which were S and/or T in
nature
Factors which made trade and commerce
flourished
Scarcity and excessed in supply from available
natural resources and/or production
 Increasing population
The emergence of urban societies and
manufacturing industries, not only increase
demand but also created new needs.
The Effects of Trade
Greater interaction and communication among
people and societies further facilitated
developments in S&T
Development of transportation and
communication technologies
Advances in monetary system
- Increase in wealth enabled savings and
investment in S&T research and
development
- The spread of scientific knowledge and
technological products across the ancient
world
Modes of Living
All early civilizations started out as agricultural
communities
- As such, S&T developments were directed
toward improving agriculture, for example,
the invention of plow
Population increased with the increase and
stabilization of food supply with the consequent
increase in the number of communities and
settlements
- The growing population created markets for
a wide range of products made by
specialized craftsmen and spurred trade
further
Division of labor and specialization brought
about further development in S&T
- Each occupation specialized further, thus
expanding the frontiers of knowledge,
generating new technologies and requiring
new skills to be learned
Belief Systems
Mans attitudes and the way he dealt with this
surroundings
- The ways S&T have developed was
influenced by mans beliefs
Belief Systems and Man
Major role played by belief systems in the
advancement of S&T
- May hinder or promote S&T as these affect
the acceptance of scientific discoveries and
the use of different technologies
Some religions provided venues for the pursuit
of art, literature, architecture, etc. with their
attendant requirements that spurred S&T
developments
- the Greek Parthenon
- the Egyptian pyramids
- the Mesopotamian ziggurats
Law and Government
Based on belief systems, law and government
influence the direction of development that
S&T take
Remarkable similarities in the way S&T
developed in different places and times and
among different people may be observed.
S&T are products of the activity of human
internal factors (needs, motivation,
creativity)
I. S&T were brought about by efforts to fulfill
human needs and wants
S&T are some of the consequences of
human creativity grappling with to address
human needs and wants
Generally, the thrust of S&T development in
the societies considered was to increase
the production and/or find other ways of
meeting their needs and wants
S&T are products of mans inevitable
interaction with his environment
- S&T are results of mans response to
external factors (environment
economics, social institutions, political
systems)
II. S&T involved adapting to the environment
All civilizations have had to work with nature
and environment
The S&T advancements of the different
societies, in fact, indicated how well people
responded to the challenges of their
environment
III. S&T brought with it social change
Changes in mans knowledge of nature and the
universe brought about change in the way he
acted and reacted
Changes, too, in mans ways of doing things
(technology), also brought about changes in
lifestyles, not just of individuals, but also of
entire societies, civilizations, and nations

Conclusions:
The emergence and growth of S&T in various
societies can be viewed from the perspective
of human nature working within the variables
of time and space
Underlying all kinds of S&T progress is man,
without which we can speak neither of S nor T,
nor progress
In fact, one can discern the universality of
human nature in the emergence and growth
of S&T in various societies
Since all social phenomena and historical
events come about as a result of human acts,
man, in his search for truth and in his pursuit of
progress as he tried to fulfill needs, ultimately
can be pinpointed to be the agent of all social
and historical changes
ManS&TPhysical world (tools of man) and
its phenomena (realities)
Strong ties bind S&T since both emerged form
the same mind, i.e., the human mind, and
directed to the same object, i.e., the physical
world and its phenomena
Man is prior to and bove S&T
Torre)
Introduction to Metaphysics
Metaphysics
the science of beings as beings
branch of philosophy that treats of first
principles, includes ontology and cosmology,
and is intimately connected with epistemology
embraces the whole of reality in its most
underlying aspects
- it discovers the deepest principles and the
most radical foundation of reality
regarded as a superior science
- it studies the ultimate causes of things
- it takes the role of science that gives
orientation to the particular sciences
provides us with:
- sound principles
- greater clarity of thought
- a more discerning judgment in ordinary
affairs
Being
the most universal, the most comprehensive;
hence, the deepest, the most profound of all
concepts
the richest product of the human mind in its
effort to understand reality, the world, life, and
all that is worthwhile
Metaphysical Structure of Relity: id quod est
(that which is) logical being and real being
Logical Being
it is purely conceptual eidos (idea) =
essence
- the concept idea refers to the essence of
logical beings
- Not everything that can be thought of
necessarily exists
Concepts the products of the intellect
- completely different from the material and
individual things
- only reflections of the things in our mind
- help us understand reality, but not to be
identified with it
- What is material cannot be one in many
as the universal is: the essence of man
expressed in the concept of man is one,
and still it is multiplied in many men. (de
Moderate Realism has its foundation on
reality
- The universal character of concepts is a
consequence of the intellects capacity to
abstract.
- Expressed by the verb to be: to unite two
concepts, without necessarily affirming their
existence
We affirm the truth when we correctly unite two
concepts, not because we affirm the existence
of the two concepts
Mans ability to put together concepts is what
accounts for human creativity; what makes
technology possible
Real / Extra-mental Being
things differ in many ways, but in one thing
they are the same: in that they are, and they
exist
All things in the world are beings because they
all exist
The concept of being is analogical
- The term can be applied to things partly the
same, and partly different
 Being is predicated of everything in an
analogical way
Being: id quod est: esse + essence That
which is is a composition
Ens: esse + essence to be or act of being
(manner of being or actuality of being) Ens
is an essence, which has the act of being
- To be is one thing, the manner of being is
another
Non-identity of esse and essence
- Esse (to be or act of actuality of being)
that by which anything is, not mere
existence
- Essence (manner of being) that which
the thing is. It is what a thing is, together
with all its fundamental characteristics, or
that whereby a thing is what it is nature
(The essence of anything considered as the
principle of operation proper to that thing)
- Esse (actualizes) + Essence (Potency) =
exist in reality
- Essence is potency; it is the act of being
that actualizes it, it may or may not be.
Beings are contingent.
Aristotelian Composition of Things
(Hylomorphic)
Matter is the principle of individuation
(quantified matter)
- A human being is an individual by virtue of
his materiality
Form is the principle of categorization (what
classifies things under certain species)
Essence of material things: material and form
Properties of Being
reveal the richness of anything
- based on the perfection of being
- depend on our vision of being or as
understood by our intelligence (in anything
that exists, our intelligence perceives some
properties which follow necessarily)
2 Kinds:
- Transcendental belongs to the level of
esse or the ens as the subject of esse
- Predicamental belongs to the level of
essence
Transcendental Properties of Being
Properties found in everything as being
They transcend all classifications
- They cannot be classified into any category
- They are not exclusive of any being
Four Properties:
- One a single unit or entity
- True conforming to reality or factbeing
in accordance with the actual state or
condition
- Good state of perfection; satisfactory in
quality, quantity or degree; of high quality
- Beautiful delightful to the sense/mind;
excellent of its king; wonderful; remarkable
A Philosophy of Reality
as a revelation of being to the human mind
fruit of (wo)mens experiences, stem from
observation of nature
- By observing things around them,
pondering and then encapsulating
experience in words of practical wisdom
When we understand things that they are and
what they are we know them
Our minds tends to gear itself to both the
stable and transient in reality, because reality is
like that
Philosophy vs. Particular Sciences
Philosophy studies the act of being;
interested in that things are
Particular Sciences concerned with the
essences of things
Anthropological Foundation of S&T
Science - mans way to cope with his
environment through an understanding of nature
of things
Technology - the sum total of the processes by
which man modifies the materials of nature to
better satisfy his needs and wants
Man - the principle of both science and
technology
* S&T are products of mans intellectual activity*
2 Divergent Facets of Mans Knowledge of
the Material Universe
Theoretical or Philosophical
Practical or Technological or Factual
Science grew out of mans philosophical
speculation about nature
Science as a system developed out of mans
curiosity to explain the whys of things
 Technology is a rational activity stemming
from the practical facet of mans intellect
Science - reflecting on ones knowledge and
discovering why things are so, by looking for
the true causes or explanations of what one
knows
Common Sense - spontaneous use of ones
reason in trying to understand reality, in an
unreflective way
1. Both deal with the same reality
2. Science brings common sense to perfection
by providing the reasons, the
explanations, the causes, the whys for the
certainties of common sense
3. They are like two stages of development
* Science is associated with know-why,
through this, we seek to discover the workings
of nature and we attempt to explain why
things happen
* In terms of aim, science is knowledge-
oriented. Consequences are concepts, ideas,
theories, etc.
* Knowledge Science from Knowledge of: 1.
Organization, 2. Society, 3. Nature, and 4.
Individuals
* Scientific knowledge is organized into
concepts, which, if useful, have predictive
value
* Science is the theoretical framework, which
gives meaning to our factual knowledge
Technology as a Rational Activity, stemming
from the Practical Facet of Mans Intellect
Man has the ability to know what things are for.
He discovers the purposes of things. He, also,
has the capacity to think systematically and
creatively. He can thus innovate and
consciously modify his environment in a way
no other terrestrial species has achieved. The
capacity for constructing artifacts is a
determining characteristic of man.
Summary:
1. Technology is associated with know-how.
Through technology,
We seek to invent new or improved tools
and materials or better ways of doing
things
We attempt to make things happen
2. In terms of aim, technology is product- or
process-oriented
Consequences are machines, gadgets, etc.
Some Aspects about Human Nature
Illuminated by S&T
In an activity of S&T kind, man, the discoverer
and the maker of things has no rival
There is no wild animal so astute, capable of
making discoveries or developing techniques
the way man can
Humans forms Concepts/Ideas transform
(through Technology) and understand & explain
(through Science) Reality (the way every thing/
man/events are). Humans transcend and
observe reality; such that they are part of reality.
Humans are self-aware of themselves.
The Human Intellect
What is the nature of the human intellect from
which S&T take their origin?
The Human Methods (proofs differ in sense)
Natural Sciences
- utilize empirical explanations involving
observable and locatable elements, what
our external senses can perceive
- Material (physical) realities have
dimensions, size, parts, and therefore, have
boundaries. Therefore, they are
measurable, observable, and locatable.
Social Sciences
- utilize proofs that only our reason can grasp
(reasoned-proof) arguments that are
converging and convincing which allow the
attainment of the certainty about the truth of
a reality
Sensible Realities vs. Intelligible Realities
Sensible
- capable of being perceived by the senses or
the mind
- The material universe is sensible
Intelligible
- capable of being known or understood;
comprehensible
- Concepts that are, apprehended by the
mind only
Opposition of Concepts
Matter
- anything that occupies space and has mass
- perceptible by our senses
Spirit
- a simple substance
- a substance without parts, size, dimensions;
therefore, without boundaries
- not perceptible by our senses
* Man has both intelligence and sensibility.
* Man perceives reality through his senses but
understands (or grasps) reality through his
intellect
The Human Intellect
Phenomenon of Human Language
- Humans communicate conscious of what
they are talking about, unlike mere material
apparatuses which simply emit or receive
signals
Mode of Operation and Action
- It has the ability to abstract the essences of
things. It is capable of seizing what is
permanent in them.
- Our sense perceives the things, but it is our
intellect that captures or understands the
things
- The products of its abstraction of the
essences of things are concepts which are
universal
- It has the ability for reflection, that is, it can
understand its own understanding
The intellect has the ability to act
independent of material things
- Through the intellects mode of operation
and action, it is a spiritual power
The Human Will
Mans faculty or power which makes us
capable of choosing and loving
- It is also the power by which a person can
direct himself or not toward his perfection
Like the intelligence, the will is a spiritual
power
- Its object is the good in a universal or
absolute sense
- It reflects upon itself, that us, it can want to
want
Mans will is free, since he acts upon reality
with freedom of choices
- Mans decisions and actions cannot be
predicted; not as precise as the physical
and chemical actions and reactions, which
necessarily follow the laws of nature
- Evidence of mans freedom of choice is the
fact of a universal acceptance of a moral
code and of legal responsibility
What is man?
Human Powers or Faculties
Through hid intellect, man us capable of
forming concepts or ideas, of making
judgements, of understanding and discernment
- Man can know things really and truly. He is
capable of acquiring real knowledge.
Through his will, man is capable of loving, of
making decisions and choices. Man may
choose to act or not to act.
- Man possesses transcendental freedom,
that is, being lord of oneself.
Human happiness consists in the intellect
knowing the truth and the will possessing the
good
Man possesses an intellect and a will, which
are immaterial or spiritual faculties.
Spirituality of man
What allows man to transcend the boundaries
of material things
The foundation or root of mans dignity
(Dignity is the quality of being in himself good,
valuable, honorable)
Scientific Objective Appraisal of Man
Classical Anthropology or Rational Psychology
(Aristotle)
Man is a rational animal. (Man is a being
capable of rational thinking.)
Rationality
- the immanent capacity to grasp the
meaning or essences of things
- what capacitates man
to know reality
to be master of self and master of ones
acts
Phenomenological and Existential Appraisal
of Man
Man is the concrete, that is, the individual
dynamic subject
Every human being is a person.
- That is, his nature is endowed with
intelligence and free will.
 Every human being possesses the dignity of a
person
Man is not something, but a conscious
someone
Every human being that exist:
- is a person
- with a body
- thinking and willing
- capable of subjective interpersonal
relationship
Personhood
what distinguished man from the rest in the
world
what gives him special qualities which only he
possess:
- self-knowledge, self-possession or
selfhood, self-determination, inalienability,
transcendence, freely giving of self
Self-knowledge
Better known as self-awareness or self-
consciousness
- what allows us to become conscious of
ourselves and of our actions
The consciousness or awareness of ourselves
and of our actions allows us to discover our
subjectivity
- to be aware of the I such that I am
different from you
On discovering our subjectivity, we get to
realize that we are the efficient cause of our
actions. We become aware that the action
belongs to us. hat we own the act. We
become aware that we are self-directing or
self-governing. This the conclusions:
- I am free.
- I am the master of my own acts.
- Then, comes the awareness, also, of our
freedom with responsibility.
Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and
will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and
so to perform deliberate actions on ones own
responsibility:
- by freewill, one shapes ones own life
- human freedom is a force for growth and
maturity in truth and goodness
I, me and myself can be the object of my
knowing capacity as when I evaluate my
intentions, my motives, or my aspirations in
life.
We can discover our strengths and
weaknesses, our tendencies and passions.
We can come to know ourselves.
Self-possession or Selfhood
What accounts for our experiences of
subjectivity
- each one of us has an inner world or inner
life or intimacy
- in Tagalog, kalooban.
This presence of self at the very core of each
of us is what makes us truly unique
No one else can think, feel, or act for us but
us.
- No other creature in this world realizes that
it is a subject except us.
- No other being is capable of having such
signs of an inner life which grows to the
extent that his intellect and will lead him to
live by what is true and good.
Mans Existential Value
Each man is gifted with a nature that cannot
be eliminated; each is given a responsibility,
which cannot be substituted; and each is gifted
with a dignity, which is inalienable. (Romano
Guardini)
People must not be treated as objects of use
but as subjects to be loved. (Immanuel Kant)
Human beings are more valuable for what
they are than for what they have. (Gabrielle
Marcel)
Self-determination
Reveals the truth that we can put direction to
our actions
We can direct ourselves or not towards our
perfection: self-fulfillment or self-destruction
We can choose what we are and what we
become
- I can bring myself to love and attain my
desired goals.
- I am the builder of my character.
- I am the master of my destiny.
- Our lifes worth depends on what we make
of it. We cant, or we should not, allow
ourselves to be dominated by events or by
men. We possess the power to use these
events happening around us to our
advantage, for our own good. To live is to
create, to produce, and to make a
 distinct product of the person, who is in
us.
- In every human act, the person is
actualizing his potentials. A person
determines himself through his act either for
good or for ruin. He becomes the person
he is because of his choices.
- Man is becomingwhat he wants to be
through freedom, by the choices he makes.
(Gabrielle Marcel)
Inalienability
Being persons means we are not mere
individuals in the species.
We are not simply objects but are unique and
unrepeatable subjects.
The question Who are you? refers to your
specific identity which is unique.
- Hence, your claim that you are
irreplaceable is valid.
Transcendence
Understanding, loving, and working
Some evidences of non-materiality or
spirituality, which transcends matters
The capacity to be more than what we are is
also a dimension of our transcendence
Self-giving
What is the meaning of human life? What are
human beings for?
Our personhood reaches its full development
when we are in communication with others
The concept of the person is a relational one.
Only through our relations with other persons
does our personhood reach its zenith.
What is man for?
Man belongs to himself and possesses himself
only so that he may go out of himself.
Only the person who possesses him/herself is
s/he who can give him/herself
He can engage in interpersonal relationship,
which entails maturity.
Maturity, therefore, is born of self-
knowledge. (Wojtyla, Karol)
Man is made to love.
- Every person is meant to love and be loved.
- Human fulfillment consists in achieving a
loving relationship with others.
- Man cannot live without love. He
remains a being that is incomprehensible
for him; his life is senseless; if love is not
revealed to him; if he does not encounter
love, if he does not experience it and make
it his own, if he does not participate
intimately in it. It is in this reality that man
finds the greatness, dignity and value that
belong to his humanity. (Wojtyla, Karol)
Personalism
Mans Existential Value
Those characteristics reveal the richness of
our being a person. Each one of us is a self-
reflecting, self-evolving, self-defining
individual
I can act through myself and not being acted
upon by others nor events.
We have been empowered to move ourselves
from within, which in turn gives us the capacity
to orient or prevent acts.
Man, being the efficient cause of his acts,
can be a real agent who can contribute to the
perfection of the society to which he belongs
- The most important resource of any nation
is its people. (Each one of us is that
resource.)
Personalism presents the human being in his
existential condition with his intersubjective
relations
Personalism gives importance to mans
affectivity; and at the same time, esteems
mans rationality.
Personalism emphasizes the unmistakable
distinction between things and person
- The categories, which we apply to things
must not be applied to men.
Man has always striven to develop his life
through his mind and his work; today his efforts
have achieved a measure of success, for he has
extended and continues to extend his mastery
over nearly all spheres of nature. Thanks to
science and technology! Thanks above all to an
increase in all kinds of interchange between
nations, the human family is gradually coming
to recognize itself and constitute itself as one
single community over the whole earth. As a
result man now produces by his own enterprise
many things which in former times he looked for
from heavenly powers.
The Human Person
Man, in his own nature, is united in the
material and spiritual worlds.
A being in 2 dimensions: material and spiritual
A union of body and soul
- Body and soul form one being
- Union forms only one single nature
Materialism sees human as merely body
Spiritualism sees human as merely soul.
Man is no two beings as in ghost in a machine
dualism
- Our body is not the whole of our nature as
with the animals, neither is it outside of our
nature as in the case of angels.
Fact: 1+1=2
Consensus: Right? All agree.
Explanation: Something obvious (easily seen,
recognized, understood). Lacking subtlety, it is
very evident.
Fact: Man is a composite of matter and spirit.
(Body and rational soul)
Consensus: Right? Not everyone agrees.
Explanation: Spiritual reality is something
subtle. Difficult to perceive or understand. To
accept entails reflection on the facts laid before
us by nature: Require mental acuteness,
penetration or discernment , plus right moral
disposition, that is, openness, objectivity and
sincerity. Hence, controversial.
Human body
Living body due to soul
- Spirit is what gives life to matter; what
makes man capable of thinking and loving.
The body is fulfilled not enslaved by the soul
Human soul
Form of the body
- No external shape but intrinsic meaning
The soul is expressed in the body (not
imprisoned as thought by Plato)
Most Influential Views on Man
Charles Darwin an accidentally-evolved
clever ape
Karl Marx a mere cog in an economic state
machine
Sigmund Freud a suppressed sex maniac
* Reduced notion of man consider man as
soul less
* All fall short in explaining man and his
behavior
* All are (in theory) threats to mans dignity.
Moral Lessons
1. Every person is of absolute value. Every
human life is precious.
- Human life is always valuable and
independent of its biological situation:
usefulness, capabilities, etc.
2. Man, being a person, has rights and
obligations, flowing directly and
simultaneously from his very nature.
- These rights and obligations are
universal and inviolable, so they cannot
in any way be surrendered.
Practical Applications
1. Human life must be respected and protected
absolutely from the moment of its conception.
2. To alleviate man from ignorance and sub-
human conditions.
3. Mans Spirituality
- The reason why there is a need to
struggle against poverty, misery, and
every kind of situation that degrades
human dignity.
- Every person should be allowed
conditions of life are in accord with
human dignity.
- We should employ all our energies to
foster true social progress, a progress
that is every more worthy of man.
Humans
the principle of both science and technology
the agent of all social and historical changes
Only humans are self-propelled (an interior life
is bared)
Science as Mans Tool in Search for Truth
The Value of Truth
Only good can arise from the truth:
- The truth shall set you free.
- The truth will make you: a man of sound
judgment and a man of worth
A mans measure is often seen in the wealth
of ideas he stores in his mind.
 An intellectual is a person who reasons things
out for whom the search for truth is a basic part
of life.
Ignorance of the truth is the root of many
social evils.
The truth will make you free.
This expression contains both a fundamental
requirement and a warning.
- The requirement: an honest relationship
with respect to truth as a condition for
authentic freedom.
- The warning: to avoid every kind of illusory
freedom, every superficial unilateral
freedom, every freedom that fails to enter
into the whole truth about man and the
world.
Liberation is particularly linked with
knowledge of the truth.
Man becomes free to the extent that he comes to
knowledge of the truth and to the extent that this
truthand not any other forceguides his will.
World of Ideas (Plato)
Truth is to be sought for in the world of ideas
Truth, characterized by: universality and
permanence, cannot come from the material,
sensible things
- Material / sensible things are merely
reflection of reality, which exists in the world
of ideas
- Material / sensible things participate of the
ideal of its nature in the world of ideas
Material World (Aristotle)
Truth must be sought for in the material things
Material / sensible things or realities contain
within themselves their own principles
(naturalism)
The wold in itself is intelligible, that is, it can be
known or understood by man.
Man has the capacity to know.
Science is Geared toward the Discovery of
Truth
Science is a body of knowledge and acts as an
intellectual process
Scientific Method
a step by step method man uses to probe into
facts laid before him by nature
- Definition of problem
- Search or research facts
- Organization and evaluation of data
- Formation of hypothesis
- Testing the hypothesis
A scientist:
has the ability to recognize the variables and to
note the effect of changing one variable at a
time
has the ability to make careful measurements
and to grasp the central theme of his
observations
has the ability o sort out the useful aspects of
information and ignore irrelevant data
has the ability to formulate testable hypotheses
* There is no single scientific method, which
when followed produces guaranteed results.
* Scientists observe, gather facts, make
hypothesis, but somewhere along the way they
test their hunches and their organization of
facts by experimenting
* Scientists, like other human beings, are
intuition and generalized few facts.
* Sometimes, scientists make mistakes.
Man is capable of greatness!
With the enormous scientific and technical
progress done in the world, such that S&T
techniques are evidences of mans dominion
over nature
Characteristics of Human Intelligence
Imperfect / fallible
Limited
Perfectible
Man is given great capacity It is made
powerful by his spiritual powers, the human
intelligence and will!
Contemplating the Things around Us
Man depends on reality for truth.
The truth in his mind is effect of the truth
outside of himself, which he has fully grasped.
Knowledge of the things is like the effect of its
truth.
To wonder and ask oneself the questions:
Why is this happening? How is it possible that
something like this can happen?
An awe before the world and what occurs in
it is the beginning of wisdom
 Ontological Truth: truth in the things
themselves; reality itself
Logical Truth: the immaterial or intentional
identification of the intellect with the reality of
things; agreement of the mind with reality;
conformity of ones judgment with things as
they are
Truth versus Certainty
The mind is certain when its has a basis of
evidence
Truth should not be confused with certainty
Truth: is reality itself; has an objective basis
Certainty: is the firmness of the assent of the
mind; is a subjective state
Two causes of certainty:
- the evidence of things directly in front of us
- the authority of a witness who deserves our
trust gives rise to human faith or belief,
or moral certainty devoid of these
sources of certainty, a mere probability can
only give rise to opinion, not certainty.
Evidence may be either: direct, or
demonstrable, that is, subject to proof
- These give rise to rational certainty.
- The mind not only sees the things but also
sees that it cannot be otherwise.
Human Intellect is Imperfect
2 ways in which the human intelligence can
reach the truth:
- Intuitively knowing indirectly without any
process
- Discursively knowing through the step by
step reasoning process
Human intelligence is speculative and
practical.
Mans ordinary way of knowing is through the
discursive reasoning.
- Man achieves the knowledge of the truth
only after several operations. Hence, it is
imperfect.
Man can know things in their truth really and
truly; although many times imperfectly and
incompletely.
Reality measures the Human Intellect
Our intellect is measured by natural things,
which it knows speculatively; and it is only the
measure of the becoming of artificial things
Being is the measure of knowledge and of its
truth. It is the first thing known, because it is
the most evident, and that into which all
knowledge is resolved.
Openness to Truth
Our experience can grow and our knowledge
also progresses
Data change, context change, concerns
change, languages change
- Things can be better conceptualized or
better expressed
2 possible causes of error:
- the limitations of the human mind,
- bad moral dispositions (on some occasions)
To illustrate: the error of RELATIVISM, which
takes man as the measure of all things, can
lead to the error of SKEPTICISM: Man cannot
know the truth.
To be open to all sorts of information,
preparation, gift of discernment, and
prudence are necessary.
No one has the sole possession of the truth.
For there to be progress in our understanding,
we have to listen to what others have said and
say.
- By listening to all the expressions of a
particular reality, progress in our
understanding and ways of expressing
things is possible.
Human Intellect is Fallible
Reality should be perceived by every man in
the same way, because it is not a creation of
the mind but exists outside of man. Mans
imperfect faculties prevent him from knowing
reality perfectly.
There always exists the possibility of
erroneous notions about reality.
The Light of Reason
Applying his reason to the things surrounding
him, man can know or understand nature since
it is intelligible.
Mans reason can illuminate what is hidden in
nature.
Man has the natural capacity to know, to
understand reality as they are, and draw out
the truth from these things.
Man does this discursively, and not intuitively.
Mans reason is geared by nature to truth.
The human reason is a gift for the attainment
of the truth.
- Man is open to the truth.
 - Man has the ability to know the
conditions required for man to be able to
make judgment and decision.
Truth is necessary to man who is endowed
with intellect.
Reality measures the Human Intellect
Truth is caused in the intellect by the things,
and does not follow upon the intellects
estimation of things but rather upon the
existence of things.
Knowledge is true once it manifests and
declares the being of things.
- The true and the false are not in things but
in the human mind.
- Opinions of men are not a clear source of
truth.
Seeking the Truth is both an Intellectual Task
and a Moral Endeavor
Requirements to find the truth
- Fundamental attitude of openness: being
free from prejudices and weighing up the
evidence calmly
- Upright intention
- Sincerity to the truth
When a person shrinks from and does not
readily accepts things which it is possible for
the mind to receive he may with reason be
accused of stupidity.
When he does not accept things which it is not
possible to grasp by reason but only by faith,
the charge is no longer of stupidity but of
incredulity.
To know the truth is necessary to want to know.
- Right moral disposition is needed.
The things, in a certain sense, are the measure
and the rule of the truth of the intellect.
Practical Human Intelligence
When the intellect is the cause of becoming of
artificial tings.
It is only the measure of the truth of the
artificial things, in the sense that, if the thing
fulfills that for which it has been destined.
Human Intellect is Limited
Man is a composite of matter and spirit. S/he
perceives reality through his senses but
understands (or grasps) reality through his
intellect.
Man has both intelligence and sensibility.
The starting point of mans knowledge is
through his senses.
- Mans knowledge begins with his sense
experience.
Man has both external and internal senses. It
is through the external senses that man is in
direct contact with reality.
- Internal Senses:
1. Coordinating senses or
consciousness the sense that
makes man conscious of sensible
things.
2. Memory the sense to recognize
past experience as past.
3. Imagination the sense to
reproduce sense experiences and
elaborate on them.
4. Instinct (estimativa and cogitativa)
the sense to feel the good or ill of
sensible experience.

Close Relationships Mans Interaction with the World

Reality-truth-objectivity MAN WORLD
- refer to information wherein in an
observation of phenomenon, is devoid of Spiritual Sensitive Vegetative
any biases of human interpretation
Opinion-subjectivity-relativity Intellect Internal External
- refer to information which is given human Senses Senses
interpretation, biases, emotions, making it Will Emotions Body
relative from person to person
Conceptual Sense Simple In-flow
Knowledge Knowledge Sensations
Speculative Human Intelligence Rational Affectivity Physiological Out-flow
When the intellect contemplates the things as Human Reactions
they are. Acts
The Process of Human Knowledge
We go to the intelligible through the sensible.
Mans senses supply the raw materials of
knowledge to the intellect.
The intelligence, being a complete potency
with respect to all knowable things, has no
innate or inborn ideas.
Man gets all his ideas through his contact with
reality and not from the intelligence itself (de
Torre).
A fruit of an attentive look into reality.
The intellectual knowledge begins in the sense
and return to the senses.
The intelligence can go beyond the material /
sensible things, albeit, keeping it as its point of
reference.
This close interdependence of senses and
intelligence show the unity of man (de Torre).
Rationalism
Human knowledge is reduced to intelligence
only
- Rationalists think they are the arbiters of
truth
- Anything which cannot be proved by logical
arguments is nonsense.
Empiricism
Human knowledge is reduced to sensibility
only
- Empiricists want to base all their beliefs on
things the sense can only perceive
Human Intellect is Perfectible
Faculty pertains to intellect (open to
improvement) while Object pertains to object.
Mans knowledge of the truth comes in
increment
- At one glance, man cannot attain the whole
truth about everything but he can always
know more and more.
- Mans intellect is indeed imperfect but
perfectible.
- Truly, mans capacity to improve himself all
the time is remarkable.
Progress, for development to occur, must be
carried out at the service of truth and good.
What the world needs today are people with
clear vision and clean heart.
Moral Lessons
Loyalty to the truth
- Men living in society would not be possible
if there were no mutual confidence; if they
dont speak the truth to one another.
Damaging Effects of Lie
- Affects mans ability to know, the condition
required of every judgment and decision
- Constitutes all consequent evil in destruct of
society
- Eliminates trust and relationships among
people
Man, through education, is capable of
becoming a masterpiece of human personality,
no matter what limitations his genes,
biochemistry and environment may present to
him.
Foster a hopeful attitude to life, that is, look
forward to the future. This optimism, however,
requires that you be demanding with
yourself. To have a sense of mission in
life.
The youth of today are the future nation-
builders
All the elements of the material universe are
summed up in man, and through his bodily
condition, he us charged to bring all these
material realities to their highest perfection
Men and women of sound judgment and right
decisions!
- Stages that lead to Right Decision
1. To know reality objectively and clearly
2. To judge rightly
3. To act consequently
Agents of Social and Historical Change
- You are the change that you dream as I am
the change that I dream and collectively we
are the change that this world needs to
be (Efren Peaflorida)
 The Millenials Generation are:
- Digital Natives heavy use of social
media; cyber bullying; instantaneous
communication
- Technologically savvy self-taught through
experimentation and exploration of
computers, internet, smart phones, etc.
- Have exposure to vast information but go
less in-depth
- Multi-task well having juggled sports,
school and social interest as children
- Have high level of stress and anxiety
Challenges of Human Life
Exposure to a great variety of ideas: systems
of human thought, of human knowledge,
various conceptions of the world and man,
various programs of human behavior, etc.
- Coming from the different forms of
communication: movie, television,
newspaper, internet, etc.
Prudence and Discernment are imperative
requirements of humans
How to make the right judgment and take the
right decisions?
- To distinguish true from false
- To have a good grasp of facts
- To distinguish facts from opinions
- To be impartial
Big Hero 6
A fine choice for STS for its many graces
- A good blend of science and arts such that
it is an animated film with fantastic design
and playful sense of figure and motion, and
showcases the latest developments in S&T
A film almost realistic with minor distorted
views regarding the nature of man and robots
What is Man?
A human being is not simply a mass of atoms
holding a specific shape; that is a mere object.
A human being is a rational, conscious
someone capable of self-knowledge, self-
possession, self-determination / self-defining
and of subjective interpersonal relationship /
capable for freely giving of self
- Unlike any other animal, he is capable of
perceiving, interpreting and even creating
reality.
- For that fact, his existence is not only simply
existing, but existing with a purpose and
meaning to life
- Hence, he is inalienable.
Each man is a unique individual subject.
- Being rational, we enjoy a special and the
most perfect kind of individuality and
incommunicability, that is, our individuality is
more defined.
- We exist in and through ourselves.
What is a Robot?
A machine capable of carrying out a complex
series of actions automatically, especially one
programmable by a computer
Purely material; Programmed by man; A tool or
aid man uses for a purpose; Must be at the
service of man
They are mere objects that they have lesser
kind of individuality
- Objects bear the mark of something to be
used up, something to be consumed, and
cannot rise above this level on the hierarchy
of values
Human Intelligence
Of humans
Execute functions or activities that are organic
and animated
Humans have pre-wired capabilities: large and
effective brains, genetic development of
specialized functional areas (vision, speech,
reasoning, etc.)
Humans gain intelligence mostly through
learning and experience.
Humans construct their own intellect through
complex interactions with the world and other
people all their life long.
Humans can discover new axioms and rules.
Humans learn individually. Each human has a
unique intelligence, and this is of great strength
as it adds diversity, different strategies and
wide range of solutions if applied properly.
Artificial Intelligence
Of machines
Programmed to simulate human intelligence
system that can engage in behaviors that
humans consider intelligent
Blindly follow human instructions
Machines are dependent on human algorithms
and knowledge how to solve problems. Non-
 trivial solutions require understanding of ideas,
problem-solving, learning from experience and
much more everything what we can define
as intelligence.
It will always be limited by fixed axioms and
initial rules programmed by humans.
It can quickly copy and replicate their
intelligence.
* Human intellectual capabilities are amazing
and unique!
Anthropology Right Understanding of the
Nature of Man
Cosmology Right Understanding of the
World
* Not all Truths are of Equal Importance
Is man capable of everything?
The human mind being spiritual renders man
power but it has its limits!
Man has just no power over everything!
The Need to Uphold the Truth, regarding Man
The Supreme Being infuses life into man. What
makes man different is the fact that he receives
his life directly from the Supreme Being.
Mans existence as a living being comes
directly from the Supreme Being, that is, man
is animated by a vital principle which does not
derive from the earth.
By observing nature, one gets an insight of a
Supreme Being and His actions in the world
and in the order found in nature.
Importance of the Truth about the
Personhood of Human Beings
Of the untouchable dignity of man
Of mans inalienable rights
Of the indelible and happy equality among men
Of the basic principle of human brotherhood
Of the respect and true love due to each man,
because he is man
Of ethical principles
Of moral concerns
- All citizens enjoy freedom, peace, and
The Society we Live in
The world where S&T operates
Defining Society through its causes to a
deeper understanding of what society is
Causes are intrinsic (material or formal) or
extrinsic (efficient or final)
Causes that Bring about Society
A. Societys Intrinsic Causes
The Material Cause of Society
The people living in the society
- The family or families constitute the
immediate material of a civil society.
- The individuals constitute only the
remote material.
The Formal Cause of Society
The moral union of all the wills of a group of
human beings wanting, ultimately, the common
good.
B. Societys Extrinsic Causes
The Efficient Cause of Society
Uniqueness of Human Society: the intrinsic
cause of human society is also its efficient
cause.
The members of the society themselves are
the ones who make the society come to be.
Society is something natural to them.
- Man naturally forms societies.
The Final Cause of Society
Love for the common good brings people
together and keeps them together.
- It is the ultimate goal of society.
What exactly is this supreme good that society is
meant to attain?
The Common GoodSocietys Final Cause
The totality of all social conditions that allow
people as groups and as individuals to reach
their proper fulfillment
- It is premised on the assumption that every
man has the right to all he needs.
- It is based on the moral order. It builds on
the notions and principles of right and
wrong. It is not amoral.
- It is the very basis which justifies public
authority or makes it necessary.
- It is the ultimate goal which civil authority
strives to attain.
Prerequisites of the Common Good:
security This freedom must be exercised
according to right reason.
- The fundamental rights of the person are
respected and promoted.
- Each individual can develop to his fullest.
Political Authority An Agency for Order in
Society
An agency in a society employs to put order
and coordination in the activities of a society so
as to achieve the common good
Order in Society
- Demand of human nature and the dignity of
the person Rights & Duties Legal
Framework Justice (to give to each one
what is due to him)
- Authentic human society requires respect
for justice, and a just hierarchy of values
- It requires that every body must be giving
and receiving, carrying out duties, and
exercising rights.
- It is a system that calls for the sacrifice of
our personal advantages when justice
requires it, in order to attain the common
good.
- Division of Labor implies the existence of
differentiation in society, such that all may
work for the common good but in different
ways and in different degrees.
- Other Guides to the Organization of the
State:
1. Principle of Solidarity
2. Principle of Subsidiarity
3. Principle of Participation
Different Types of Justice: Classification of
Justice according to the Relations between the
Parties involved
1. Commutative Justice refers to the rights
and duties between or among equals
2. Distributive Justice refers to the rights and
duties between the state and the society as a
whole
3. Legal Justice refers to the rights and
duties between the individual and the state
as persons.
Marriage
Qualities of a Good Marriage
Prerequisite: Freely contracted
A marriage marked by a commitment to:
Exclusivity or monogamous
Stability or indissolubility
- Implies irrevocability and fidelity
- Sexuality is ordered to the conjugal love of
man and woman
- In marriage the physical intimacy of the
spouses becomes a sign and pledge of
spiritual communion
Openness to life
Procreativity
A characteristic property of the totality of love
in marriage
The reciprocal self-donation between husband
and wife in and through their respective
sexuality by nature contains within itself the
possibility of the conception of a new human
person, who bears the same nature and dignity
as they do.
- Man and woman are meant to complement
and perfect each other, not only as husband
and wife, but also as father and mother.
Marriage place for sex
- Sex is not bad nor dirty but good and holy.
- Sex is ordered towards the bonding the
couple and bringing forth life.
There is only one context in which this is
possible: in the marriage of one man and one
woman.
- If there is no marriage, there is often no
sense of true commitment and the bonding
of the couple is weak.
- If both genders are not represented, the
possibility of life is thwarted.
Anything that directly violates either the
bonding or the possibility of life is a disordered
use of the sexual act.
Purpose of Marriage:
Mutual help and support sustain each other
in self-giving
- Men and women play an important role to
help each other live, in truth and goodness,
and together they attain to their fulfillment
- In marriage there is communion of persons,
as helpmate to each other.
Transmission of human life and education of
children
- A means for procreating a new person
- Husband and wife transmit life to their
descendants
- Open to life; Participate in the work of
creation; Ordained toward procreation and
education of children; and Give birth and
take care of children
*Responsible Parenthood
- Parents role and responsibility as
procreators
- Parents are generally expected to produce
children, care for them, and help train them
in the ways of their culture.
* Persons are subjects to be loved and not to be
used as objects of pleasure!
Husband-Wife Conflict
In marital relations, like all other human
interaction, conflict is natural and inevitable.
Common causes of conflict among Filipino
couples:
- Infidelity
- Relationship with in-laws
- Vices, like gambling and drinking
- Lack of or difficulties in communication
- Personality or character problems, such as
immaturity , irresponsibility and
incompatibility
- Financial reasons such as, inadequacy
as breadwinner or non-support
Marital success is a consequence of marital
happiness, satisfaction and adjustment.
It is the achievement of one or more goals
including permanence, companionship,
fulfilling expectations.
Understanding the Nature of Family
Mans longing for completeness has formed
the basis of stability of a society, the family.
Family
Considered the as first and essential cell of
human society
As an institution that develops out of marriage,
the family has a precise nature and
irreplaceable role to play for the well-being of
the person and of society.
A group of persons united by ties of marriage,
blood and adoption
- Constituting a single household
- Creating and maintaining a common culture
- Interacting and communicating with each
other in their respective social roles
An intimate community of life and love
- The first school in love and the first place
where a person learns what it is to be a
person.
- Man has the right to be born in an
atmosphere of love and the right to a
human environment for his full
development.
The family hold the key to a strong society.
The most solid foundation for attainment of
true personal and national growth is to place
the family first.
- The family is the school where citizens are
first taught or brought up to be responsible
aware of and contributors to the common
good.
- The family is the ground on which the seeds
of responsible citizenship are sown.
Value of Children
The Filipino family has always been child-
centered as evidence by the sacrifices the
parents make for their children.
What motivates Filipinos to have children?
- Provide help, financial help, support in old
age, assistance in housework and childcare
- Take an active part in the family production
and maintenance activities, esp. in rural
areas
- Provide social and emotional; benefits:
companionship, love and happiness, play
and fun
- Gives them incentives of success, satisfying
their drive for achievement, providing a
sense of fulfillment in their lives
- Serve as an inspiration to give them the
best in life
The World of Science and Technology
The history of the world is full of technological
breakthroughs arising form new scientific
discoveries and technological innovations.
What started out as a painfully slow process of
discovery, invention, innovation, and
obsolescence has been replaced by what
seems top be in permanent flux as one
development is superseded by another at
breathtaking rates.
For instance, with the passing of time, mans
ways of recording data and his manner of
writing has improved form carving with ink
onto stone and then later writing characters
with ink onto paper and more recently, to
 encoding in the practically weightless and
intangible cyberspace.
Progress has taken place at an increasingly
exponential rate.
Technological changes we experience in our
lives with the rapid change of the gadgets and
devices we use at work and at home everyday.
Science, Technology and Culture
The history of science and technology is
inseparably united with the development of our
culture.
The different periods in history were classified
according to the kind of implements used by
human beings in those eras, for example, the
Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, and
now, the Computer Age.
Science and Technology are activities through
which we most fully express ourselves as
human beings.
Significance and Value of S&T as Human
Activities
S&T as human activities are both transitive and
intransitive
- Transitive: tends beyond the subject; seeks
an expression and effect in the external
world; is objectified in some product
- Intransitive: remains in the subject;
determines the subject immanent quality or
value; constitutes the subjects essentially
human quality
In any activity, we not only perform actions, but
we also become ourselves through our actions.
- We fulfill or actualize ourselves in them.
- We bring to a certain through partial
fulfillment both what and who we are
potentially.
Whatever we achieve in our actions, whatever
effects or products we bring about in it, we
always simultaneously make ourselves in it as
well. We express ourselves, we in some way
shape ourselves, we in a certain sense
create ourselves.
Culture develops Principally within the
Dimension of Self-determining Subjects
The essence of any of our activity consists in
realizing ourselves and, at the same time in
making the nonhuman reality outside ourselves
more human.
Human activity, understood only in this sense,
provides the basis for speaking of culture as a
connatural reality in relation to the human
being.
Man is a culture-creating being.
Culture a Reality through Human Activities
Dimensions of Culture
- Objective: Culture as product; The totality
of human production as expression of his
rationality and freedom, e.g. works of arts,
literary works; Materialization of Spirit
- Subjective: What happens to the subject;
Cultivation of spirit intellectual, moral,
etc.
Culture, constitutes though human activities,
express and in some sense reveals humanity.
Culture is basically oriented not so much
towards the creation of human products such
as towards the creation of the human self
which then radiates into the world of products.
Important for the constitution of culture through
human activity
- People become more human, and not
merely acquire more means.
- The various process of socialization
stimulated by industrialization, production
and consumption proportionally to the
process of personalization.
Consumerism: a social and economic order
that encourages the purchase of goods and
service in ever greater amount; a
preoccupation with and an inclination toward
the buying of consumer goods.
The culture that human beings create, creates
their humanity.
- Human beings create objects (objective
culture) and create humanity (subjective
culture) through objects.
End of objective culture is the subjective
culture.
- Man cultivates and humanizes the world in
order to cultivate and humanize his
humanity.
Purpose of Human Activities
- To make the world a more human place or
to make human existence in the world
more human, in which we must ultimately
discover the human being as the subject of
every, and all human activities.
- This is cultures essential element.
 Culture and its accompanying transformation
of nature or modification of the world
- Any human activity involves a certain
radiation of humanity to the extent that the
transformation or modification conforms
to human reason and the objective order
of nature or the world, by virtue of which
the effects of culture are properly inscribes
in the effects of nature.
* Human Activities which does not bear the
stamp of a radiation of humanity.
Ethics
Ethics or Morals deals with
- the right and wrong
- the good and bad
- the praiseworthiness and blameworthiness
of human acts
Human acts are deeds, acts, or thoughts done
with sufficient knowledge and sufficient
freedom for such human act to be attributable
to the persons will.
A human act is not to be arbitrarily judged good
or bad. It is rather to be measured against a
standard.
- The reference point the order imposed
by the nature of things
If the objectivity of the order existing in nature
is rejected or ignored, what is right or wrong
becomes a matter of opinion, of consensus,
and other values such as practicality,
convenience, power, wealth, etc.
By observing nature and human relationships,
one discovers rules of behavior or instructions
that God imprinted when he created the world
and man, which provide the key to living a
happy and successful life.
Ethical analysis involves examining
- 1st: Whether or not the goal to be attained
to solve a problem is right
- 2nd: Whether or not the method for
attaining the goal is right
The morality of a human act is assessed by
asking the following questions:
- Is the natural purpose of the act itself
morally upright?
- Is the intention of the person who performs
the act morally upright?
- Do the circumstances surrounding the act
affect the morality of the act?
Morality and norms or rules of behavior to be
followed if we desire to attain harmony and
happiness are objective because of the
objective existence of nature and of the
universe.
Objectivity of Morality
Knowledge of morality is associated to
understanding the true natures of things and
beings what they are and how they work.
The consistent rhythm of nature, which can
readily be observed, attests to the existence of
the physical, biological, and other scientific
laws, which govern the universe.
By observing nature and human relationships,
one gets an insight of God and His actions in
the world and in the order found in nature.
- If God does not exist, everything is
permissible!
2 Philosophies on Human Life
Quality of Life Ethics
- There are lives unworthy of life! Some
life is not worth living the morally right to
terminate life.
- Criteria used: Whether wanted or unwanted
by another, for example, by the mother or
society; Too much pain; Severely
handicapped
- No objective criteria
Sanctity of Life Ethics
- Sense of sacredness of human life
- Presupposed in all our laws
- Basis of morality
1. Origin of man involves Gods
creative action
2. Nature of man unchanging as
human anatomy man remains
forever in a special relation with
Creator
3. End of man God (sole end)
* There is a moral obligation to obey the laws of
nature. and give what is due to all creatures,
treating them according to nature.
- In other words, things will go right if man
respects the nature of things.
- Something or someone is not good for
another because it does not lead at least
one if them to his end or purpose of
being.
 - On the other hand, if the order existing in
nature is not respected: disorder, harm,
and evil, consequently, ensue.
Case 1: Abortion
The goal to be attained is the killing of an
innocent child?
- Right or wrong?
Abortion can never to right.
- No reason at all to justify abortion.
Are there reasons to justify abortion? If there is a
reason, does it make it in any way right?
None
In ethics:
- One must first examine the purpose for
doing an act. If the purpose for doing an act
is detrimental to the person, that is, it is not
directed towards his perfection (or
fulfillment), then it is bad.
- Second, one must examine the method to
achieve the purpose. If the method used to
achieve the purpose is nor right, then it is
bad.
Abortion is an intentional killing of a
defenseless child, since the goal is wrong. No
reason at all can justify abortion.
Is there any situation where anyone has a right
to take a life? Does the decision to take a human
life make the abortionist any less human?
The legitimate defense of persons and
societies is not an exception to the prohibition
against the murder of the innocent that
constitute intentional killing. The act of self-
defense can have a double effect: the
preservation of ones own life; and the killing of
the aggressor. The one is intended, the other is
not.
We must learn to distinguish a person from his
acts. Person, as the principle of his actions,
must not be identified with his actions. Persons
must always be loved and respected, on the
other hand, his actions, which are bad, must
be corrected and actions, which are good,
must be praised.
Given a life-death situation for both mother and
child, if the pregnancy is not terminated, which
life must one choose: the life of the mother or of
the baby?
Doctors must utilize all means to save lives. If
something unavoidable befalls in the event,
then lets leave it to destiny. In an inevitable
course of events, doctors are not liable for any
harm that ensues.
On Freedom
The ideas that entitles anybody to do what he
wants regardless of whether it is good or bad?
The freedom exercise according to rational
order of all things the capacity to choose
what is good?
You are free to choose but not its
consequences!
Allowing oneself to be governed by ones
sensuality, passions or pride, etc. has the
consequences of being enslaved by these and
the effect of having a clouded intellect. One
could even end up having a behavioral
problem!
Case 2: Stem Cell Researched (Somatic and
Embryonic)
No problem with somatic, so long as consent is
obtained.
However, any experiment done on the human
embryo must be carried out on such a way that
respect for life and integrity of the human
embryo as an individual is safeguarded for its
survival.
On the Need for Right Education/Formation
Optimization of the natural disposition and
capacities of the person
Cultivation of talents
Capability for self-governance; suited for
governance of others
- Foster and promote capacity to choose:
self-mastery
- Cultivate capability to control passions/
emotions
This is a Fight for the Sake of the Future
Generation!
Ethics
Developed out of concern for a moral response
to all the societal problems we are
encountering day in / day out.
Fruit of peoples experience in the course of
history
- Stem from observation of the nature of man
and his behavior, pondering on them and
then encapsulating experiences in words of
practical wisdom.
- In the course of nature and the events of
human life, there can be found truth which
men discovers (recognizes or become
aware of, and are not invented)
- To live a meaningful life, everything that
man does should be guided by the ethical
principle: Do the right things to attain
the right goals.