Guden, Reymond

Joval, Rowena

Philo 313

1.) Concept of a Person

A person is a living paradox composed of the material and the immaterial. That is to say, the body
and the soul, both of which are entirely different in nature from one another. The basic assumption that a
person is made up of two contradictory elements may contend to the understanding that a person is one,
whole being. But then again, if there is no wholeness in a person, then he ceases to be a person. For a
person is indispensably whole. Without a soul, the body will be no more than an empty shell, without a
body, the soul cannot manifest itself in concrete ways. We are after all, living in a material world but it
doesn’t mean that we are solely material beings, for within us rests the spirit – our inner selves which
completes our entirety and being. In this sense, the human person cannot exist with just the spirit alone.
Correspondingly, one could not exist as a person with only the body and without a soul.
Thus, the body and the soul coexist in one being which is the person. And all that is within a
person is his possession so long as it is in him. Following this train of thought, one could arrive to the idea
that that both body and soul belongs to the person. There is a dialogue between the “I” and “mine”. What I
have makes up who I am but it is not entirely me. For instance, my body or any part of it is just a part of
me but is not me. The word “me” implies wholeness which is the self. On the other hand, the word “mine”
refers to a specific, partial entity. Hence, both body and spirit so long as it is within me is mine. The body
and the spirit constitutes my being which is necessarily whole contributes for being who I am and what I
am.

2.) Freedom. Is man free? Is freedom relative or absolute?

Man, as Sartre contends, is condemned to be free. Humans have the inherent capacity to
choose. To choose even not to make a choice is still a choice. Moreover, every conscious thought or act
is a matter of choice. In the seemingly endless horizon of possibilities and experiences that we deal with
in our lives, we choose what will be the possibility or what will constitute our understanding. The
experiences that we have, every memory and event that took place in the past is an outcome of countless
choices, may it be deliberate or contingent. The choices that we’ve made have shaped our lives and how
we see the world. Thus, human beings are indeed free. Existence of an action depends on the self, or
rather what the self chooses to do. Even so, our choices exist within the confines of what is within our
horizon of possibilities. Beyond that, we cannot go further. That is to say, one cannot make a choice
further than what is possible. Thus, freedom endowed upon man is relative. Of course, we can make
choices out of our will but the choices that we make are subject to limitations within the lines drawn by our
possibilities. The natural law for instance, gravity and the laws of motion; we are subjected under these
laws and these are the laws that govern us even if we choose to or not. Other than that there are some
limitations imposed by biological and social dispositions.
For instance, one cannot choose not to be born. Once we are born into this world, we could not
choose not to exist because existence is already present in our reality. Unless of course, if one would kill
himself them he` d surely cease to exist. But it` s not the point. The bottom line is, we, humans have been
thrown into this world without even consciously choosing to. This is one of the limitations of freedom.
Another example is our gender; we could never choose to be born as either a girl or a guy. Once born
you, become who you are. We can` t even choose our own biological parents. These are some
restrictions of man` s freedom.
Certainly, the freedom that we have is not absolute. But even so, it doesn’t mean that we are
caged in the confines of certain limitations. There are some situations that are out of our hands and things
that are out of our control. But that doesn’t mean that we are mere slaves of inevitable circumstance. We
shape our own destiny out of every choice that we make. We still have a choice on how to respond to a
given situation even if we cannot change the situation itself.

3.) Play vs. Work . . .

In work, man can achieve his self realization and self fulfilment. It is because in work, there is
dedication and commitment to achieve a goal or a purpose. There is also this awareness that in work, we
achieve something and come to appreciate what we’ve achieved. It a concentrated and deliberate effort
whether for the sake of livelihood or for some less urgent goal. The will to work then is much stronger
than that of play. Because work is essential for survival. One cannot feed himself without working for
something or one cannot reach a desired goal if he would not work for it.
Other than that, in work there is purposive creativity directed towards a goal. Man is creative. And
in work, man can exercise his creativity and pour his heart out in self expression, dedication and
commitment. As Marx says, “Man becomes what he does”. It is in work that man could find himself and
appreciate what his effort has brought him.

4.) Human Relationships

Human relationships are essential in our lives. It is in relating with others that we come into terms
with much understanding of the world within and outside ourselves. Relationships are indispensable and it
is one of the elements that make us who we are. Even at birth, there is the emergence of relationships. A
woman becomes a mother, a man becomes a father and the new born becomes a son. All three
comprises a family. The family is said to be the basic unit of society. And the society itself is made up of
complex, interconnecting relationships. This world then, is a multifaceted web of relationships. Our
neighbours for instance, the institutions that we are involved with.. Take for granted the various institutions
such as schools, companies, etc. It is composed of diverse individuals interacting with one another. Every
act of an individual or a group affects others as well. There is a dialectic thing going on here.
Relationships emerge so long as there is interaction and communication

5.) Death

Death is ever present, ever real. But at times, the awareness of losing our own lives slips right
through us. Most of us think of death as an event in the future, that it is the end of all things. However,
most, if not all, don` t have the awareness that death is a possibility in the “now”. Death is somehow seen
by many as the end that will take place in the future. The ephemerality of life is evident. However,
confronting the thought of dying and the state of being dead is another thing. We have this basic
awareness that the end of our existence is hinted at the start. The moment that we are born in this world
translates to the emergence of the possibility of death. For when there is life, there can also be death.
This is one of the paradoxical truths in our existence. Hence, it goes without saying that death is a part of
life. If one refuses to accept death, then he is not embracing the wholeness and totality of his existence.
Moreover, the cognition of this seemingly indubitable contradiction let` s us see that life is
transitory. We are living in this world where we are born to die. Every life is pointed toward the end; each
moment leads to its very own ending
Nevertheless, for some, death is present even in life. Death is seen as the moments that have
passed. Every living moment will never be the same again. Our lives are fleeting and death is present:
after every breath, a moment is lost. The possibility that one could go back in time to live at that moment
and do the things all over again is impossible. For every possibility of what could have been has already
passed.
Thus, death could mean two things. One is that it` s the ultimate end of existence. It is when
every breath of life is lost. The other speaks of the fleeting moments that have passed which could never
be brought back. In death, one ceases “to be” and every potentiality and capacity that one has will all
come to a standstill. The possibility of being and becoming is no longer possible.
As Martin Heidegger would say, “Death is the possibility of my impossibility”. Thus, this means
that both ways of perceiving death collides into the cognizance that death is real as long as there is life
and death is the dissolution of every possibility that there is. If there can be the possibility of existence
and life, there can also be the impossibility which is death.