Lesson 11 : FREEDOM OF THE HUMAN PERSON (PART

1)
FREEDOM
❑ The human capacity to act (or not to act) as we choose or prefer
without any external compulsion or restraint.
❑ It is an intrinsic and essential property of a person.
❑ Important indication of human freedom is the ability to MAKE
CHOICES and PERFORM ACTIONS.
Our freedom to act sets us apart from other beings.

ARISTOTLE (THE POWER OF VOLITION)

❑ Volition in this sense is the faculty or power to use or discharge one’s
will.
❑ If there were no intellect, there would be no will. The will of humanity
is an instrument of free choice. It is within the power of everyone to be
good or bad, or worthy or worthless.
❑ The happiness of every human being is in his own hands, to preserve
and develop, or to cast away.
❑ For Aristotle, a human being is rational. Reason is a divine
characteristic. If there were no intellect, there would be no will.

St. Thomas Aquinas (Freedom is spirituality and love)

❑ Freedom, for St. Thomas, is the manner intellectual beings seek
universal goodness. It is a condition of the will arising from our nature
being in the kind of world that we inhabit.
❑ St. Thomas considers the human being as a moral agent.
❑ Our spirituality separates us from animals; it delineates moral
dimension of our fulfillment in an action. Through our spirituality, we
have a conscience. Whether we choose to be “good” or “evil” becomes
our responsibility.
❑ St. Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologica) establishes the existence of
God as a first cause. And as God’s creations, human beings have the
unique power to change themselves and things around them for the
better.
❑ We have a conscience because of our spirituality.

Jean Paul Sartre (Individual Freedom)

❑ Existentialism is a philosophical movement known for its inquiry on
human existence, which means “to exist”.
❑ For Sartre, the human person builds the road to the destiny of his/her
choosing; he/she is the creator.
❑ Sartre’s Existentialism stems from this principle: existence precedes
essences.
❑ Sartre emphasizes the importance of free individual choice,
regardless of the power of other people to influence and coerce our
desires, beliefs, and decisions. Human being is solely responsible for
their actions because we choose who we are Jean Paul Sartre (Individual
Freedom)
❑ Freedom means exercising our capacity to make decisions, change
our life path and direct the course of our lives through our own steering.
❑ Freedom is something that is exercised through our CHOICES.

Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and John Locke (Theory of

Social Contract)
❑ Hobbes, Rousseau and Locke define the freedom of an individual in
the context of having a government to rule them (contract), which is the
basis of notion of moral obligation and duty.
❑ Social Contract- an agreement where individuals sacrifice an amount
of their freedom and submit to a higher authority.
❑ It is a necessity that we must assure for the government and people
to work as one.
From this understanding also arises certainty that we have freedom.
Kinds of Freedom Refers to the absence of any PHYSICAL RESTRAINT.
The person has the freedom of mobility to go where he/ she wants to
go.

KINDS OF FREEDOM
1. Physical Freedom Also called as “freedom of choice”. The person is
free to perform actions that he/ she considers right and wise. A person is
also free to act or not to act. Psychological freedom is INNATE and
CANOT BE DENIED AS A PERSON.
Example:
1. Freedom to choose your friends
2. Freedom to choose your partner
3. Freedom to choose your course in college
4. Freedom to be what you want to be

2. Psychological Freedom Using freedom in a manner that upholds

human dignity and goodness.
Example:
1. Doing charitable works
2. Participating on outreach activities
3. Being sensitive to the needs of other
4. Being prudent on the use of social media
5. Participating volunteer works.

3. Moral Freedom
Using freedom in a manner that upholds human dignity and goodness.
Example:
1. Doing charitable works
2. Participating on outreach activities
3. Being sensitive to the needs of other
4. Being prudent on the use of social media
5. Participating volunteer works.

Positive and Negative Freedom

Positive Freedom- kind of freedom that requires active effort; has

control or mastery of his/ herself and has the strength to do what is
good. This is doing the right thing and exercising our freedom in a
responsible manner. For example: you will finish first the school
requirements before hanging out with friends.

Negative Freedomrefers to the “absence of interference”; absence of

coercion or interference. The Freedom whatever you want. It’s
considered negative because you failed to use freedom in a responsible
manner.

Absolute Freedom
Absolute freedom- no form of hindrance that would prevent from doing
what you want. Should freedom be absolute? Definitely NO- freedom
always had its limitations. Freedom is always coupled with
RESPONSIBILITY.

CHOICES: Lesson 12: Freedom of the Human Person

(Part 2- Ethics)
Choices: Freedom comes with great responsibilities
❑ It is an absolute understanding that all actions have consequences.
Freedom involves choice.
❑ Chance and choosing are incommensurable. If a person has the
capacity to choose, then that person can be held responsible over the
consequences of his/ her actions.
❑ Freedom is the power to be what you want to be and the ability to
decide and create your self.
❑ Many of the characteristics that define our personality are often a
product of our choices.
Freedom gives you the ability to strive to achieve goal.
❖ Freedom is rooted in the human person’s self determination and the
exercise of intellect and free will.
❖ A person’s actions determine what kind of person he/ she becomes.

❑ Freedom entails certain RESPONSIBILITY

❑ Freedom requires a degree of control from the person who exercises
it (eg: addiction, impulsive behavior)
❑ To lose control of oneself diminishes human freedom and
dehumanizes the person.
What makes us free? How does freedom shape our experiences?

2 Elements that define freedom:

1. Voluntariness- refers to the ability of a person to act out of his/ her

own free will and self determination.
❑ Decisions are made out of his/ her own free will
❑ Also means that a person may act even if he/ she is not required or
called to take action.
❑ Voluntary acts are free acts which can be assigned a corresponding
moral value.
❑ Whenever we decide to take action, this results in a certain
consequence.
2. Responsibility- refers to the person being accountable for his/ her
actions and their consequence.
❑ A person who had no awareness of the effect of his/ her actions can
be considered as acting with diminished freedom.
❑ Another reality that we have to face as we experience/ exercise our
freedom is the fact that freedom is experienced through the act of
making choices.
The Nature of the Choices We Make

The Act of Making a Choice

Understanding the importance of being prudent in making choices, you
will realize that any deliberate act of choosing involves evaluating the
alternatives.
❑ The concept of weighing the reasons explained that when you are
choosing, the act involves not only weighing the reasons but giving
weight to reasons.
❑ After you have chosen each alternative, you will realize that some
considerations carry more weight than the others. That is why you
choose one alternative and disregard the other.

Ethics
❑ Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with the systematic
questioning and critical examination of the underlying principles of
morality.
❑ A moral agent is a person who has the ability to discern right from
wrong and to be held accountable for his or her own actions. Moral
agents have a moral responsibility not to cause unjustified harm.
❑ A moral decision is a choice made based on a person's ethics,
manners, character, and what they believe is proper behavior. These
decisions tend to affect not only our own well-being, but the well-being
of others.

Intellectual Choice vs. Practical Choice

Intellectual Choice – This is a choice which is deliberately selected based

on a moral standpoint.
❑ They are normative answers about what we ought to do from a moral
system that we uphold and its moral principles.
❑ These normative answers would take into consideration the behavior
which the society will accept. For example, when you are to decide in a
moral issue, you can try to give intellectual choice as a normative
answer. Here you are simply assuming because you are not, as it were,
facing that actual moral situation described in the dilemma. In this case,
the answers that you are inclined to give are prescriptive in this
imaginary and hypothetical situation.
Practical Choice – a choice which is borne out of psychological and
emotional considerations.
❑ Practical choices are made when confronted with the actual situation,
and usually affected by psychological aspect of the person embroiled in
the moral situation or dilemma. For instance, psychological and
emotional stress and lack of time to deliberate during an actual moral
situation may affect a person’s moral decision in that situation. A person
may be so engulfed by emotions that he may sometimes fail to make the
right choice. Likewise, stress could make a person’s practical choice
inconsistent with his intellectual choice.

Moral Dilemma
❑ Dilemma- a situation where a person is forced to choose between
two or more conflicting options, neither of which is acceptable.
❑ When dilemmas involve human actions which have moral
implications, they are called ethical or moral dilemmas.
❑ Moral dilemmas are situations where persons, who are called “moral
agents” in ethics, are forced to choose between two or more conflicting
options, neither of which resolves the situation in a morally acceptable
manner.

Evaluate and Exercise Prudence in Choice

❑ When we are exercising our choice, we must always be cautious and
aware of the choices that we make, as well as the implications of these
in the future.
❑ The capacity of an individual to make good choices comes from
his/her accumulated experiences and values.
❑ Always remember that when we make choices, we make choices not
for ourselves but also for the things that will affect that choice.

Choices: Consequences and Sacrifices

❑ We must take into consideration the necessary sacrifices that we
must take for us to grow.
❑ There are times that when we decide, we take risks, may it be a
sacrifice or consequence, and the tendency of humans to take such
daunting tasks comes from his experiences and values.
❑ In totality, the situation and progress of a person in a situation falls on
the result, that is our goal depends solely the weighted consequences
we must bear and the sacrifices we must endure.
How can I exercise my freedom in a responsible and beneficial manner?
❖ Human freedom, though essential is NOT ABSOLUTE
❖ Human freedom should be exercised with control and a recognition of
reasonable limits.
❖ Limiting personal freedom requires sacrifice to certain selfinterests
and accept certain realities that are beyond control. ❖ Our sense of
right and wrong guides us on recognizing and deciding on the limitations
to our freedom.
❑ Freedom should also be exercised with regard for knowledge and
truth.
❑ It is necessary to cultivate the intellectual virtue of PRUDENCE in
making sound choice.
❑ In exercising our freedom, we should also recognize and uphold not
only our individual freedom but also the freedom of others
❑ Freedom should be exercised with due regard for the welfare of other
persons.

The “Given” and the “Chosen”

These “givens” or pre determined things do not negate our freedom but
give us the opportunities to exercise our freedom when we determine
ourselves. Use our freedom in a good way so that we may become
better people and better versions of ourselves.

Intersubjectivity Part 1 (LESSON 13)

Intersubjectivity
❑ Intersubjectivity- It refers to shared meanings constructed by people
in their interactions with each other.
❑ Intersubjectivity is the philosophical concept of the interaction
between the “self” and the “other”. It is the mutual recognition of each
other as persons.
❑ It refers to the shared awareness, and understanding among persons.
It is made possible by the awareness of the self and the other.

Jean-Paul Sartre
❑ Jean Paul Sartre, explains that when you look at a person, the act of
objectification allows you to capture that person’s freedom to be what
he or she wants to be. That is, you are limiting a person’s possibilities by
a look.
❑ This is evident when you stereotype or label a person based on his or
her appearance or certain actions.

Totalization
● TOTALIZATION occurs when one limit the other to a set of rational
categories, be they racial, sexual or otherwise. One totalize the other
when one claim he/ she already know who is that person before they
can even speak to.

Edmund Husserl
❑ Edmund Husserl believes that intersubjectivity is more than just
shared understanding, but it is the capability to put oneself in the place
where the other is.
❑ Intersubjectivity occurs when people undergo acts of empathy
because an intersubjective experience is highly empathic. This happens
when people put themselves in the shoes of others.
● Empathy- the ability to share emotions. This emotion is driven by a
person’s awareness that the other is a person thoughts and feelings.
● Empathy enables us to experience another person’s emotions, such as
happiness, anger, and sadness.
● Sympathy is “feeling with”, while empathy is “feeling in”

● Availability- the willingness of a person to be present and be at

disposal of another.

The Ethics of Care is an ethical theory that emphasizes the moral

dimension of relationship and interactions.
❑ This moral perspective encourages individuals to help other people,
most especially the vulnerable.

Rene Descartes
❑ An advocate of individualism.
❑ As a proponent of the doctrine of individualism, he resolved to doubt
absolutely everything that could possibly be doubted--in the hope of
thereby finding something that was beyond doubt. (“Doubt everything
that can be doubted”)
❑ According to him there is one thing that cannot be doubted, and that
is thinking.
● “Seeming”- actions where an individual presents himself or herself in a
certain way when dealing with others. Persons take on “roles” or act out
characters when dealing with certain people or when in certain
situations.
● There may be instances when people behave a certain way in order to
intentionally deceive or manipulate other people.
❖ Most human interactions, however, are not based on deception.
Since our human nature derives us to uphold dignity and goodness, our
interactions with others are also geared towards what is good and
beneficial. These lead human to strive to achieve deeper and more
substantial interactions and relations with other people. This deeper and
more genuine interaction is called dialogue.

● Dialogue- an interaction between persons that happens through

speech, expressions, and body language.
● Dialogue is not confined to words alone, actions, gestures and other
expressions may be used to convey a person’s inner life.
● A dialogue occurs when two persons “open up” to each other and give
and receive one another in their encounter.

Recognizing and Relating to Others

❑ Martin Buber, a Jewish philosopher had a great interest in the study
of relating ourselves to others.
❑ He said that “I” or yourself, can only be realized through recognition
of “others.”
❑ The “I” cannot be aware of its uniqueness and existence without
encountering the “other.” Several ways by which we relate to others
(according to Buber)
The “I-I” relationship
❑ “I-I” relationship in which people make themselves the center of their
world.
❑ Talking to other people do not interest them and if they talk to
others, it is the “I” who will be the center of the conversation. ❑ They
don't really listen to what others are sharing.

“I-It” relationship
❑ “I-It” relationship is the second type of relationship.
❑ There are people that treat the other people into the status of an
object—an It.
❑ Examples:
1. Researchers who have indigenous people as their participants. They
are very prone to reducing the other into mere It, i.e. as mere objects of
investigation.
2. In the medical field when practitioners look at their patients as objects
of investigation.
❑ There are also “I-It” relations where the I clearly has bad intent on the
other, treating the other as mere It or object. Examples:
1. How oppressive employers treat their workers like machines or robots
who are immune to physical, verbal, psychological, and emotional abuse
2. Any relationship which has one party reducing the other to a status of
an object:
a) bully who treats a person with disability as an object of his
amusement
b) a liquor company using body of women as their advertisement to
improve sales,
c) partners or friends treating each other as objects and means to satisfy
their self-interest and desires in so-called "friends with benefits" type of
relationships. Objectification of women in advertising
❑ This kind of relationship results into what we call alienation.
❑ It happens when human relationships are inauthentic, deceptive and
exploitative. It arises when a person ceases to view the other as a
distinct or authentic person and merely considers the other person as a
mere object or a means to satisfy personal interests.
❑ Alienation is a disorientating sense of exclusion and separation and if
left unaddressed, will discount the humanity and dignity of a person that
leads to dehumanization.

“I-Thou” relationship
❑ It is in this kind of human relations that genuine sharing of one
another takes place.
❑ It is in this type of relationship that the other is treated as distinctly
other, the I treats the person as a Thou (You)—-as another person who
is different from the I; one has a different set of interests, visions,
beliefs, values, and characteristics.
❑ The center of this relationship is a genuine form of conversation: a
dialogue. Authentic Dialogue
❑Authentic dialogue is a form of interpersonal communication which
occurs when people recognize that they are part of a greater whole and
can relate with others within the whole.
❑In some cases, non-verbal dialogical relations are not only the more
appropriate means of conversation, but considered as a more profound
form of conversation.
❑ I-Thou relationship for Buber is the experience of being through
conversation in communion with the other; and here, the other may not
necessarily be a human being. It could be your dog, or your tree, or God.
❑ In line with this, we must remember that a privileged form of
relationship is the I-Thou relationship. This relationship involves effort.

❑ Martin Heidegger argued that humankind is a conversation.

❑ For Heidegger, all conversations are really one conversation, the
subject of which is Being. A conversation is creative, expressive, and
profound that allows humanity to exist as more than objects. We are
human beings who sincerely care more than acquiring information and
satisfaction.
❑ Language, as one of the controls of human, creates human world.
Language is a tool for communication, information, and social
collaboration.
❑ Conversation is more than just a simple talk but rather a dialogue. It
means that humanity is gradually accustomed to communication about
Being.
❑ According to Paulo Freire’s “Pedagogy of the Oppressed”, dialogue is
the encounter between men, mediated by the people in order to
transform the world.
❑ True dialogue cannot exist unless the partners engage in love,
humility, faith, trust, hope, and critical thinking. Therefore, dialogue
becomes the sign and the central concept of the true education,
“without dialogue there is no communication, and without
communication, there can be no true education”.

Intersubjectivity (Part 2) Lesson 13

Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and Underprivileged
Sectors of the Society
Person’s with Disabilities (PWD’s)
❑ According to the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities, the term “persons with disabilities” is used to
apply to those persons who have long-term physical, psychological,
intellectual, or sensory impairments which in interaction with several
unreasonable or discriminatory barriers may obstruct their full and
active participation as equal members of the society.
❑ Much like us, persons with certain conditions have also dreams and
ambitions in life. Some of them wants to become teachers, lawyers,
artists, athletes, and many more.

Hellen Keller (1880- 1968)

● American author, political activist
● 1st deaf-blind person to earn a bachelor’s degree
● Anne Sullivan- Hellen’s mentor who was visually-impaired as well. ●
Published her autobiography, The Story of My Life Nicholas

James “Nick” Vujicic (born 1982)

● Australian evangelist and motivational speaker who was born with
phocomelia, a condition in which a person is born with no arms or legs.
● Founder of Life Without Limbs, a non-profit organization and ministry.

Roselle Ambubuyog (born 1980)

● 1st visually-impaired Filipino to graduate summa cum laude from
Ateneo de Manila University in 2001.
● Despite her handicap, she was a consistent academic
honoreevaledictorian (elementary & high school)
● Product and support manager at Code Factory, the world’s leading
provider of software that allow the visuallyimpaired to access mobile
devices.

Underprivileged Sectors of the Society

❑ The underprivileged is being described as the group of people that is
suffering from different forms of social deprivation such as denial of the
enjoyment of similar level of comfort and/or fundamental rights as most
of the members of a civilized society due to several economic and social
circumstances.
❑ This group is less in terms of material possessions and basic social
benefits, like education and health services, in comparison to most of
the people in a certain society. Underprivileged Sectors of the Society
❑ Furthermore, this group of individuals is facing various dimensions of
poverty, such as income poverty, health deprivation, human rights
violations, gender inequity, and many more.
❑ These dimensions have incapacitated many members of the human
society like women, children, and the LGBT community, wherein all are
classified as underprivileged. Underprivileged Sectors of the Society ❑
The marginalized sectors, which include jeepney drivers, farmers,
fisherfolks, and many more, are also considered as underprivileged. ❑
Marginalized sectors are the groups of individuals that are experiencing
the so-called marginalization, which is the act of downgrading a person,
a class of people, or a concept to an insignificant, secondary, or
powerless situation in a society.
❑ Globally, women and children are being subjected to oppression and
different forms of exploitation, such as prostitution and pornography
that assault human dignity and violate human rights.
❑ They have turned into slaves of these criminal activities because of
different social and economic conditions like poverty and lack of
opportunity.
❑ Women and children have also become victims of domestic and
sexual violence. According to the Philippine National Police's - Women
and Children Protection Center (PNP-WCPC), 602 incidents of sexual
assault were recorded from March 17, 2020 to May 23, 2020 or an
average of eight cases a day. These were the times when Luzon and
other parts of the country were on enhanced community quarantine
because of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

LGBTQI++ Community
❑ The members of the LGBT community are also victims of different
types of violence. Many of them are experiencing numerous adverse
treatments like bullying, discrimination, physical violence, and even
sexual assault because of their sexual orientations and gender identities.
LGBTQI++ Community They are also facing work-related issues. Based on
the first-ever Corporate SOGIE Diversity and Inclusiveness (CSDI) Index, a
study that was administered by the Philippine LGBT Chamber of
Commerce and research firm Cogencia and was participated by 100
Philippine-based companies, not a single Filipino company has any
implementing policy that will protect their employees who are members
of the LGBT community from various forms of discrimination within the
working environment.
❑ According to Emmanuel Levinas (1905-1995), a French philosopher,
we must go beyond ourselves and concentrate more on rendering
assistance passionately and acting with concern toward others,
particularly to the members of our society who have become victims of
different dimensions of poverty.
❑ We should have the courage to defend them from any form of social
deprivation and discrimination. We can do this by voicing out our
concerns and obligating our government officials to enact bills and
ordinances, or strictly implement the laws that we already have, that
aim to protect the underprivileged from several oppressive treatments
and make these people enjoy the same social services, such as
education, employment, and health care, as most of the members of the
society.
❑ Also, we can help the underprivileged by sincerely and consistently
joining in campaigns or movements that seek to empower them.
❑ It is our obligation to help the underprivileged, since they are
considered as vulnerable to different forms of human rights violation
and social deprivation.
❑ It is also important to promote inclusivity- the practice or policy of
providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who
might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those having
physical or mental disabilities or belonging to other minority groups.
❑ Most importantly, it is our moral duty to uphold human dignity and
importance of life, because even though we are totally different from
each other, our shared dignity and humanity is the thing that unifies us
all

The Human Person in Society (Part 1) LESSON 14

The Human Person in the Society plays a vital role in promoting the
universal idea that humans have roles and responsibilities in their
respective community and in the society as a whole.
What is society? What drives human beings to establish societies?  The
human person by nature is a “social being”. 
Throughout a person’s life, he or she experiences a variety of
relationships that help shape him or her as a person. 

SOCIETY- an organized group of people whose members interact

frequently and have a common territory and culture. 
Society also refers to a companionship or friendly association with
others, an alliance, a community, or a union. 
Philosophers consider society as the product of deliberate actions by
individuals who come together in pursuit of a common goal. 
As individual persons, members of society are able to transform
themselves and attain development through their interactions within
society.
In turn, humans are also able to influence society through their actions.

Society and its various aspects provide support that ensures the
development of the human person. 
Society also provides opportunities to further growth in the coming
years.

The Social Contract Theory 

During the Age of Enlightenment, social philosophers studied the natural
laws that govern human societies. 
Enlightenment philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and
Jean Jacques Rousseau were among the most prominent social theorist
who tackled the origins of human society.

Social Contract Theory according to Thomas Hobbes 

Persons in their natural states are governed by their desires and those
often lead to conflict with their fellowmen. 
Society is a means by which people seek to control their natural
tendencies and impose order. 
Individuals who establish societies enter into a “social contract”- an
agreement where individuals sacrifice an amount of their freedom and
submit to a higher authority.

Social Contract Theory according to John Locke 

Persons in their natural states are more cooperative and reasonable, and
that society is formed through the consent of the individuals that
organized it (consent of the governed) 
Locke’s social contract is a covenant among individuals to cooperate and
share the burden of upholding the welfare of the society.  People have
the rights to overthrow a failed government.

Social Contract Theory according to Jean Jacques Rousseau  Advocate

the concept of “general will” 
Based on the assumption that the people have empowered the
government to act on their behalf, and that it is considered to be the
best judge of what is most beneficial for society.

Social Contract Theory as viewed by John Rawls 

Human beings approach social cooperation in a rational manner in order
to meet their individual self-interests. 
Introduced the concept of original position in which he imagined
humans as having a “veil of ignorance” –no knowledge of one’s own
characteristics such as gender, race or social status. In this state, humans
would naturally seek a just and fair society to look out for their own
interests. 
Although there are variations on the social contract theory, one
common feature they all have is that different individuals enter into a
kind of agreement with one another to form a society. 
Individual members put aside their self-interest in order to create a
community where they may live in harmony with others. 
It is important to note that society is founded on the concept of the
common good 
The common good refers to the social conditions which enable persons
and groups to fulfill their goals and achieve well-being. Example: peace
within community, clean and safe public spaces, efficient transport
system, and efficient public service.

The Human Person in Society (Part 2) LESSON 14

What are the different forms of societies?

Hunting and Gathering Society 

-Recognized as the earliest and simplest form of society 
-Nomadic 
-Members are generally treated equally and decisions are based on
consensus.

Pastoral Society 
-Characterized by the domestication of animals for food for a more
stable and predictable food supply. 
-Pastoral societies often produce surplus food and resources. 
-Leads to the emergence of specialized tasks in the community.

Horticultural Society 
-Primarily engages in the smallscale cultivation of plants, fruits, and
vegetables and the domestication of animals. 
-Semi-nomadic 
-The assignment of tasks and occupations were often based on gender.

Agrarian or agricultural society 

-Involves the large-scale and long-term cultivation of crops and
domestication of animals. 
-Characterized by improved technology and the use of tools to aid in
farming. 
-Give rise to a growing population and a more structured social system.

Feudal society 
-Based on the ownership of land. 
-Originated during Medieval Age in Western Europe 
-Members of society are organized based on status 
-Social relations are characterized by dependence.

Industrial society 
-Based on the use of specialized machinery in the production of goods
and services. 
-“Industrial Revolution” 
-Technological advances in this period resulted in improved trade and
commerce. 
-Work is done in factories 
-Lead to greater inequalities in wealth, power, and influence.

Post- Industrial society 

-Marked by the establishment of societies based on knowledge,
information, and the sale of services. 
-Trend has shifted has shifted from industry to the generation, storage,
manipulation, and sale of information 
-“Virtual Society” 
-A digital citizen is a person who is knowledgeable and responsible
enough to effectively use different social platforms in the internet. They
often engage in useful topics and issues that will help build a better
society, politics and government.

How does society influence our development as persons? 

The person and the society have a very dynamic relationship in which
one cannot exist without the other. 
Society influences our development as persons in various ways.  Society
influences the interactions of its members through the establishment of
norms- set of traits and behavior that society considers acceptable. 
When members of a society do not conform to establish norms, one can
experience negative consequences, such as punishment or social stigma.

Norms are one of the ways that society regulates the behavior to
establish social order. 
Laws- more formal and stringent norms that establish and define
acceptable behavior of citizens. 
Folkways- are less formal norms that arise from tradition and do not
result in punishment when violated. (Eg: dress code) 
Social System- an organized or patterned set of relationships among
individuals and groups that compose a society. 
Social Role- are actions and behaviors expected of a certain individual.
(Eg: being a father, son, daughter, teacher, etc.)  Social groups or Social
classes- group of individuals who share similar backgrounds or perform
similar roles. (Eg: rich, middle class, poor) 
Social institutions- groups that perform vital functions in society.
(family, school, government, religion) Society also transforms human
relations, which leads to the transformation of its members.  Social
values are actions or ideals that are considered important by society.
(cooperation, obedience to the law, concern for other, respect for others
❑ Generation Gap- conflict among people of different ages when
discussing certain topics.
How does society enable me to become a better person? 
We have the freedom to rise above circumstances and make ourselves
into something different or better. 
Society recognizes the capability of the person to develop, and provides
its members with opportunities to better themselves  Persons can also
undertake to contribute to society through their decisions and actions 
Social movement- a large-scale action done by various groups and
organizations in pursuit of a common goal to bring about change.
(Environmental, Youth, Gender, Clean Governance)

Human Persons as Oriented Towards Their Impending

Death
LESSON 15
How does the reality of death define our lives? 
Death is commonly understood as the end of bodily functions which
signals the end of a person’s life. 
It also refers to the separation of the body and the spirit. The body,
being material, is bound by laws of time and space and is subject to
growth, death, and decay. How does the reality of death define our
lives? 
We are born into human life, we grow and age, and we eventually die.
This paradox defines the uniqueness of human existence. How does the
reality of death define our lives? 
We must embrace the fact that death is an integral part of our life. 
Acceptance of our temporality can give us a clearer purpose and focus
on our activities. How I should live my life before it finally ends? 
Self-determination is the capacity to choose and act for oneself. A
person can still exercise freedom in choosing how to face the reality of
death in their lives. 
We can choose to spend our lives doing good and reasonable things. The
person is the author and protagonist who determines the development
and conclusion of his/ her story.
How I should live my life before it finally ends? 
What is the end of this life?

1. Terminus which means the full stop or end of a line. For them, life
ends and nothing follows.
2. Telos which means “goal, purpose, or fulfillment”.
Death is not the goal of life 
Man is put on this earth to live a meaningful life, to be virtuous and
achieve excellence 
We can look at two experiences which make us reflect on the meaning
of life: happiness and suffering.

What makes you happy? 

Ancient Greek philosophy considers happiness as an achievement and
must be gained by living a productive and moral life. 
Happiness is a “whole-life satisfaction” based on our evaluation of our
overall life experiences. 
Happiness is a state of being and not merely an emotional experience or
a chosen mental attitude.
The goods or sources of happiness 
Noble good is one which is pursued for its own sake; it is good in itself
(Examples: love & friendship) 
Useful good is considered good so long as it serves as a means to an
end; its goodness is found only from what it can provide (Example:
money) 
Pleasurable good is good so long as it provides some form of pleasure,
though it does not have to be physical (Netflix subscription, Mobile
Legends)

Real happiness can be found in more permanent and meaningful things.

Why do we suffer? 
Suffering takes place when we patiently endure unpleasantness,
discomfort, and pain.
It may come from:
1. Physical suffering (discomfort, hunger, distress, & pain)
2. Mental suffering (depression, anxiety, fear, loneliness & grief)

Sufferings are necessary, without it, we are unable to grow and improve.

Remember that difficulties are not without reason.

How do happiness, suffering, and death give meaning to your life?

The pursuit of happiness requires that we go through the effort to

achieve it.
Efforts are often marked by difficulties and discouragement. 
The reality of death means that our existence is unique and that we will
not always get another chance to do the things we want in this life.
Therefore, we should not easily give up on the pursuit of good things.
How do happiness, suffering, and death give meaning to your life? 

Reflecting on the reality of death enables us to think of how we can best

live a meaningful life. 
We can strive to leave behind a legacy either in the form of an
inheritance, a reputation, or a significant achievement. 
Because of our freedom, how we choose to live our lives is entirely up to
us. 
Life is a gift given to each person and it is important to turn this life
into a gift for others as well.