INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY

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LESSON 6
INTERSUBJECTIVITY

Lesson Objectives
At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:
1. understand the meaning of intersubjectivity;
2. appreciate the talents and contributions of persons with disabilities those from underprivileged
sectors;
3. perform activities demonstrating the talents of persons with disabilities and those from the
underprivileged sectors of society;
4. evaluate the effect of diversities; and
5. develop venues toward creative programs.

SENSITIVITY CHECK
Answer the following as honest as you can. Learn more about your temperament and sensitivity in
dealing with others. Your scores will be interpreted by your teacher.
A. Intensity
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = mild reaction, 5 = intense reaction), how strong are your emotional reactions? Do
you find yourself becoming easily upset or rational/calm?
Answer:
B. Persistence
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = easily let go, 5 = lock in or don't easily let go), if you were involved in an
activity and you were asked to stop, could you do so easily? When a task is frustrating, do you find
yourself letting go easily or pushing to continue?
Answer:
C. Sensitivity
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = usually not sensitive, 5 = very sensitive), how aware are you of slight noises,
emotions, differences in temperature, taste, and textures? Do you react easily to certain foods, tags in
clothing, or irritating noises?
Answer:
D. Perceptiveness
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = hardly ever notice, 5 = very perceptive), how keenly aware are you of people,
colors, noises, and objects around you? Do you frequently forget to do what you were going to do because
something else has caught your attention?
Answer:
E. Adaptability
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = adapt quickly, 5 = slow to adapt), do you quickly adapt to changes in your
schedule or routine? How do you cope with surprises?
Answer:
F. Regularity
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = regular, 5 = irregular), how regular are your eating times, sleeping period, and
other bodily functions?
Answer:
G. Energy
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = quiet, 5 = active), are you always on the move and busy or quiet? Do you need to
run and exercise in order to feel good?
Answer:
H. First Reaction
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = jump right in, 5 = reject at first), how do you usually react to new places, people,
or activity?
Answer:
I. Mood
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = usually positive, 5 = serious or analytical), do you feel mostly happy more than
analytical or serious?
Answer:
Source: Kurcinka (2006)

REALIZING THAT INTERSUBJECTIVITY REQUIRES UNDERSTANDING, ACCEPTING,

AND RESPECTING DIFFERENCES AND NOT IMPOSING ON ONE’S VIEWS TO OTHERS

This lesson focuses on building strength despite our various differences. One aspect of our
uniqueness is our talents. When talents are cultivated, the person gains self-respect (Fromm, 1976).
Though we are part of our society, we are still different individuals living in this society. Each of us will
have different points of view.

From the previous activity, some of you may have fallen under the “cool” Category, while others
may have been categorized as “spunky” or “spirited.” Truly, we are all unique individuals. Most of the
time, we look at our differences and may have “labels” toward one another. You can be a “misfit,” a
“loner,” a "partygoer,” or “easy-go-lucky.” In our lives, somehow, we have been given labels by others.

Labels could be negative or |mitng You may be caled “impat en “whiny,” or “stubborn ”
Nevertheless, we coud go beyond the abe fo, humans, we are hol stc. As humans, we are to be regarded in
our totai Thus, we can redes gn the labels to something new and excitng Instead “impatient,” you are
“compelling ” H one is “whiny,” you are “analyt cal,” if one is “stubborn,” one is “assertive” or
“pers'stent.” If the negative laber, can be contagious, so can the positive ones. Let us focus on the positive
fo, these labels can strengthen not only your relationships among your fr end but most especially to your
family.

INTERSUBJECTIVITY AS ONTOLOGY: THE SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF THE SELF

In this section, Martin Buber's and Karol Wojtyla’s views will be useg as the main framework and
foundation to understand intersubjectivity. Both philosophers were influenced by their religious roots and
experiences. They believed in the notion of concrete experience/existence of the human person, They also
thought that one must not lose sight of one’s self in concrete experience. Both refused to regard the
human person as a composite of some kind of dimensions, such as animality and rationality. For Buber
and Wojtyla, the human person to total, not dual. For Wojtyla, the social dimension is represented by We
relations. For Buber, the interpersonal is signified by the I-You relations. What these two philosophers are
emphasizing is that life, people, and experiences are connected to us and we are connected to them. We
must nurture, understand, and develop these connections so that we get to live a full life filled with joy,
energy, entrepreneurship, and creativity.

Martin Buber was a Jewish existentialist philosopher. He was born in Vienna and was brought up in the
Jewish tradition. In his work I and Thou (Ich and Du) in 1923, he conceived the human person in his
wholeness, totality, concrete existence, and relatedness to the world.

Buber’s I-thou philosophy is about the human person as a subject, a being different from things or from
objects. The human person experiences one’s wholeness not in the virtue of his relation to one’s self, but
in virtue of one’s relation with another self. In other words, a person finds meaning and purpose in the
world on how and why he relates with the people, objects, and experiences in the world he belongs to.
The human person establishes the world of mutual relation, of experience. The human persons as subjects
have direct and mutual sharing of selves. This signifies a person-to-person, subject: to subject relation or
acceptance, sincerity, concern, respect, dialogue, and care (See the Appendix for an existentialist’s
experience of the Filipinos’ concept of love). Buber believed that a human being does not exist in
isolation gnd separation from the situations and people around him. Instead, every man, woman, and child
are deeply and extensively connected with each other. This mplies that for a person to truly understand
himself and the world, he must reach out to others and understand them.

The human person is not only being-in-the-world, but also being-withothers or being-in-relation. A person
can blossom in a society without the need so inhibit the self from the rest should result in a participative
atmosphere which will further lay the groundwork toward cultural and political transformation (Fromm,
2013). The good of the community is symbiotic with the life of the persons who comprise it. Fromm
(1976) believed that we should not consider one's self and the world as two antagonistic elements.
Instead, we should view both in polarity where balance could be achieved.

In contrast to the realm of meeting and dialogue, Buber cited the /-It relationship. This I-It relationship is
a person to thing, subject to object that is merely experiencing and using; lacking directedness and
mutuality (feeling, knowing, and acting). An example of the I-It relationship is the socioeconomic plight
of Filipino women and children. Sexual harassment and oppression are crimes against women and
children that continuously escalate. For example, children are sexually exploited by foreign tourists with
the full knowledge of their parents, in exchange for cash.

Despite many cases of abuse and casualties of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), many Filipinos still
prefer to work abroad. The government's efforts cannot match for women who continue to take risks in
working abroad for the survival of their families. Such modern-day heroism, though, merits little
importance. Globally, the number of women share the pl ght of Filipino women who suffer the same
harassment and trials.

Pope John Paul Il, or Karol Wojtyla, addressed the challenges facing religion, utilizing mass media to
transform spiritual consciousness. Born in Wadowice, Poland, he was elected to the papacy on October
"6, 1978 (264th pope) and was considered a great Pepe during his lifetime. He was also an architect of
communism’s demise in Poland. In his encyclical letter, Fides et ratio, he criticized the traditional
definition of human as “rationa| animal.” He maintains that the human person is the one who exists and
acts (conscious acting, has a will, has self-determination).

For Wojtyla, action reveals the nature of the human agent. It means who we are-our identity, our
character, our personality-is shown through our behavior, actions, and choices. We are what we do.
Participation explains the essence of the human person. Through participation, the person is able to fulfill
one’s self. The human person is oriented toward relation and sharing in the communal life for the
common good. As Augustine of Hippo said, “No human being should become an end to himself/herself.
We are responsible to our neighbors as we are to our own actions.” Augustine emphasized that a person
can pursue self-development and gain only if it means his fellow man can also receive good from his
actions.

We participate in the communal life (We). Our notion of the “neighbor” and "fellow member” is by
participating in the humanness of the other person (I-You). Participate means thinking how our skills,
knowledge, and resources can improve the quality of life and happiness of our fellow man. For example,
Filipinos want to be in harmony or sakop with others and nature. The weltanschauung or diwa of Filipinos
vis-a-vis thinking is nondual. A Filipino has the harmony-with-nature orientation. In short, the Filipino is
inter-personalistic, who would fulfill the sakop.

Loob has been inseparable from religious concerns. The practice of religion is not only second nature to
Filipinos, it is the spiritual psychic of the Filipinos to view life's experiences through the lense of faith in
God and religion. Loob is a very humane experience (Gorospe, 1988). The basis of Christian value of
gratitude and sensitivity to the needs of others is traced in loob. Moreover, loob aspired harmony and that
it is totally connected to emotions. In other words, loob is both personal and social. Through loob, an
individual lives life, yet is not alone. A person can claim to be free but should be aware of his social
responsibility. Our ties go beyond family or close friends or tayo-tayo or kamikami mentality. Moreover,
to have loob is pagpapakatao that is equivalent to pagkamaka-Kristo (Christ-like) (Mercado, 1987).

The essence of loob is emphasized in |-thou and |-We relations that reach to support and sustain the
community. It broadens and deepens the meaning of God in the lives of people (Alejo, 1990). Through
loob, there is the communion with self, others, and God. Christianity’s God is similar to thé Brahman of
India. There is no distinction between God and His people. A truly universal faith is capable of uniting all
people as it rises above racial, political, and economic differences (Quinto, 1975)

In Hinduism the Vedantist observes the three stages to commune with God ta th (spint), reason (intellect),
and expenence (physical body). Faith is the stage wherein the seeker simply accepts the laws of nature as
expression of dvine ex stence Reason, which is the second path, is where the seeker attempts to
understand these laws by rational and logical process though God ts beyond the power of any created
intellect to comprehend. Through experience the seeker overcomes the worldly attachments.

Utang na loob means shifting of obligation to other persons upon repayment (Church, 1986). As such, if a
person lends money to his friend in time of dire needs, the receiver will have utang na loob to the
benefactor. If the friend will not honor his utang, he is considered walang utang na loob. ina Fi pro family,
upon receiving the favor, the beneficiary has an utang ne loob to the giver and in exchange, the
beneficiary bestows everlasting obligation which further knits the family. The universal principle of
reciprocity reinforces family solidarity which is an appendage of SIR (smooth interpersonal relationship).

GUIDED LEARNING
1. Describe the I-it relationship compared to I-You. Cite examples.
2. How do you define “existence”?

APPRECIATING THE TALENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

(PWDS) AND THOSE FROM THE UNDERPRIVILEGED SECTORS OF SOCIETY

A. On PWDs

For parents with PWD children, the process of recognizing and identifying the handicap will include
feelings of shock, bewilderment, sorrow anger, and guilt. The term “person with disability” (PWD) is
used instead of the word “disabled person” because this term maintains the dignity and value of the
person. “Disabled person” implies that the Personhood of the individual is broken and problematic, when
in fact, it is only his body that has a disability. Whether it pertains to deafness or spirited children, denial
is-universal. During diagnosis, isolation of affeg occurs when the parents intellectually accept deafness of
their child. The loss should require mourning or grief; otherwise, something is seriously wrong.

Feeling of impotence or questioning “Why me?” are some feelings of ambivalence regarding a child's
condition. Some parents turn to religion and consider a “heaven-sent blessing in disguise.” However, this
denies the real implications of the disability (Mapp, 2004). Additional reactions include fear of the future
when parents worry about how the disability of the child will affect his productivity or become a lifelong
burden. Parents whose children were diagnosed with disability have to let go of their dream child.

Realization and grief can blind parents to their child’s uniqueness, there are many categories of PWDs or
persons with disabilities. To mention some, there are the hearing impaired, diabetic, asthmatic, or cystic
fibrotic persons. tn a certain study, mothers of asthmatic children scored consistently more positively than
any other groups of mothers, On the one hand, fathers of asthmatic and cystic fibrotic children had higher
parent attitudes and were more sociable than the other fathers. On both these scales, parents of hearing-
impaired youngsters had the highest problematic scores.

Parents of cystic fibrotic kids reported the most special problem areas and caretaking needs. Parents of
hearing-impaired children have more behavior management issues. Whereas, parents of cystic fibrotic
children reported the highest levels of family importance (Mapp, 2004).

A study in North America shows that 50% of deaf children read less than the normal children. For the
deaf, total communication is recommended which includes the traditional method with the use of
fingerspelling and sign language.

On the other hand, spirited kids and children with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) are
different. A spirited perceptive child will notice everything going on around her but will be able to process
that information quickly and will be able to select the most important information to listen to. An ADHD
child will find it difficult to focus of complete a task, despite best efforts.

Negative attitudes of the family and community toward PWDs ma add to their poor academic and
vocational outcomes. Parents need to reach the point of constructive action. They can decide to
restructure certain aspects of their lifestyle to accommodate the communicative as well as the educational
needs of their child with disability. Community sensitivity, through positive and supportive attitudes
toward PWDs, is also an important component (Mapp, 2004).

B. On Underprivileged Sectors of Filipino Society Dimensions of Poverty

The notion of poverty is not one-dimensional; rather, jt ig multidimensional. This means a person can be
poor not only in terms of money, clothing, and food but also in terms of education, love, ang
relationships. A number of different concepts and measures of Poverty relate to its various dimensions.
Each of these dimensions has the common characteristic of representing deprivation that encompasses:

 income;
 health;
 education;
 empowerment; and
 working condition

The most common measure of the underprivileged is income poverty, which is defined in terms of
consumption of goods and services. In other words, poor because there is not enough cash in the pocket
and there is no job or business to generate money. There is lack of goods and services. The World Bank
categorizes poverty into two levels: poor and extremely poor. Those living below $2.00/day are
considered poor, while those living below $1.25/day are extremely poor. Economic managers at present
are challenged in justifying the sufficiency of a ®10,000.00 monthly budget for a Filipino family of five.
Nonetheless, if the poorest countries (e.g., the Philippines) continue to sink into more and more dramatic
poverty, then social and political convulsions will take an unpredictable course.

There is a growing recognition that income poverty is not the only important measure of deprivation. Poor
health is also an important aspect of poverty. In fact, it is only natural that if a person has no income and
no job or business, that person will not have the resources to buy food, medicine, and proper clothing to
stay healthy and strong, Poor health is almost always a direct result of income poverty. Globally, millions
die due to AIDS, Ebola virus, tuberculosis, and malaria as well as a number of infant deaths from largely
preventable causes of diarrheal diseases: Health deprivation had become the focal point for the
underprivileged.

Human rights are also relevant to issues of global poverty in its focus on shortfalls in basic needs.
Extending human rights into the realm of foreign direct investment is also an imperative. The Church, in
its pro-poor stance, is constantly challenged wherein justice is being denied to sectors like farmers,
fisherfolk, indigenous people, and victims of calamity and labor.

C. On the Rights of Women

In 1712, Jean-Jacques Rousseau said that women should be educated to please men. Moreover, he
believed that women should be useful to men; should take care, advise, console men; and render men’s
lives easy and agreeable. Rousseau also influenced the development of modern political, sociological, and
educational thought.

Mary Wollstonecraft, in Vindication on the Rights of Women (1782), argued that such education would
produce women who were mere propagators of fools. She believed that women must be united with men
in wisdom and rationality. Society should allow women to attain equal rights to philosophy and education
given to men. Further, for Wollstonecraft, women are not only to be valued until their beauty fades; it is
the fate of the fairest of flowers to be admired and pulled to pieces by the careless hand that plucked
them. For Wollstonecraft, if men would snap women’s chains, they would find women who are more
observant daughters, more affectionate sisters and faithful wives, more reasonable mothers and better
citizens. She maintained that women must learn to defend and nourish their dignity and self-respect.
Men's worth should not be based on the vanity of women and babies for this degrades women by making
them mere dolls. She stressed that women should not marry to, support. Instead, they should earn their
own “bread.” During her time even women in upper echelons of the society are oppressed.

In the Philippines, women are subjected to oppression, among others, of class and sex. “Babae,” is a song
by Inang Laya that problematizes the gender role assigned by the social order to women since their
childhood, It is usually sang during women’s month celebrated in March. The Song opposes the dominant
patriarchal institutions, for example, the family, education, the law, and the media. It is an alternative song
portraying the image of the woman aspiring for liberation from patriarchy. The song challenges the
stereotype of women (e.g., Sisa). Instead, heroines from Philippine history like Gabriela, Teresa, and
Tandang Sora as well as women martyrs in the ongoing people's war in the countryside like Lisa, Liliosa,
and Lorena are represented in the song.

Moreover, the song of Inang Laya (Women Studies and Resource Center Southern Mindanao Region,
Inc., October, 23, 2012) sends out a message that gender roles, as social constructs from the interplay of
power relations in a particular historical arena, are also arenas for struggle. The song is about Filipino
women who are not simply oppressed but have been actively participating in movements that seek
empowerment for their sector and other marginalized groups.

GOD BLESS YOU!

Reference: Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person. Christine Carmela R. Ramos, PhD

Prepared by; Bro. Reymar M. Cabrera

Introduction to Philosophy - Teacher