ALAMINOS CITY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET IN INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

Week 1, Quarter 3, March 22-26, 2021

I. Title:The Meaning and Method of Doing Philosophy

II. Background Information for Learners:

At the end of this activity sheet, you will be able to reflect on your daily experiences from a partial point of view
to holistic point of view and acquires critical and analytical thinking skills so that you can apply this critical and analytical
thinking to the affairs of your daily life and should be able to demonstrate a capacity for a critical and analytical reflection
from the perspective of a holistic and profound vision of life.
The activity sheet is divided into three lessons, namely:
Lesson 1: Holistic Perspective vs. Partial Point of View
Lesson 2: Value of Philosophy
Lesson 3: Philosophical Reflection as a Way of Doing Philosophy

III. Learning Competency with code:

1. Distinguish a holistic perspective from a partial point of view (PPT11/12Ia-1.1)

2. Realize the value of doing philosophy in obtaining a broad perspective on life (PPT11/12-Ib-1.2)
3. Do a philosophical reflection on a concrete situation from a holistic perspective (PPT11/12-Ib-1.3)

LESSON 1: HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE VS. PARTIAL POINT OF VIEW

In a few years, you will gain new experiences in life that you may have dreamed of. Such experiences may excite or
challenge you, while some can make you rethink your life and decisions. At your age, you may have already asked
yourself important questions about your life that cannot be directly answered through research or education, such as
“What I want” or what makes me happy”. If you asked those big questions you engage in Philosophy.

The Meaning of Philosophy

Etymologically, the word PHILOSOPHY comes from two Greek words, philo, meaning “love” and sophia, meaning
“wisdom”. Philosophy originally meant “love of wisdom”, and in broad sense, wisdom is still the goal of philosophy.
Philosophy is also defined as the science that by natural light of reason studies the first causes or highest principles of all
things. Under this definition, four things are to be considered:

a. Science. It is a science because the investigation is systematic. It follows certain steps, or it employs certain procedures.
In other words, it is an organized body of knowledge just like any other sciences.

b. Natural Light of Reason because it investigates things, not by using any other laboratory instrument or investigative
tools, neither on the basis of supernatural revelation, otherwise it becomes theology; instead, the philosopher uses his
natural capacity to think or simply human reason alone or so-called unaided reason.

c. Study of all things. This sets the distinction between philosophy from other sciences the reason is that philosophy is
not one dimensional or partial. In short, a philosopher does not limit himself to a particular object of inquiry. He questions
almost anything, if not everything. It is multidimensional or holistic.

d. Philosophy as a First Cause or highest Principle. A principle is that from which something proceeds in any manner
whatsoever. The First Principles:
1. Principle of Identity- whatever is; and whatever is not is not; everything is what it is. Everything is its own
being, and not being is not being. It means that each thing is identical with itself.

2. Principle of Non-Contradiction- it is impossible for a thing to be and not be at the same time, and at the same
respect. The law of non-contradiction is a rule of logic. It states that if something is true, then the opposite of it is
false. For example, if an animal is a cat, the same animal cannot be a dog or any other animal.

3. Principle of Excluded Middle- a thing is either is or is not; everything must be either be or nor be; between
being and not being, there is no middle ground possible. Example “The world is flat” you should answer True or
False. If you believe the world is flat, then you should answer True if not you should answer False. Principle of
Sufficient Reason- nothing exists without a sufficient reason for its being and existence.

4. Principle of Sufficient Reason – nothing exists without a sufficient reason for its being and existence.

Branches of Philosophy
 A. Metaphysics – study of existence. (What’s out there?)
B. Ethics – concerns on how human persons ought to act and the search for definition of a right conduct and
good life. It is the morality of human actions. (What should I do?)
C. Epistemology -. study the nature of knowledge and justified beliefs. Specifically, it analyzes the nature of
knowledge and how to relate into a similar such as truth, deals with the nature, sources, limitation, and
validity of knowledge. It explains the following:
 How we know what we claim to know
 How can we find out what we wish to know
 How can we differentiate truth from falsehood
D. Logic – the study of correct reasoning.
E. Aesthetics – is the science of the beautiful in its various manifestation including the sublime, comic, tragic,
pathetic, and ugly.

Meaning and Process of Doing Philosophy

Doing philosophy means engaging oneself in matters of utility and methodologies to eliminate any practical problem or
abstract idea. Before engaging in philosophical inquiry, one must be able to distinguish between a holistic and partial
point of view. This is critical for anyone doing philosophy because it sets a limit in coming up with conclusions about a
given situation.
Characteristics of Partial Point of View
1. Looks at only a limited number of aspects of the given problem or situation
2. Conclusions are made based on considering some, but not all, sides the problem or situation
Characteristics of Holistic Points of View
1. Looks at all the aspects of the given problem or situation
2. All aspects are given importance when making conclusion.
3. All aspects are tied in together to form a general overview of the problem or situation.

Looking at the characteristics of holistic and partial points of view, it can be concluded that using a holistic perspective is
more reliable in doing philosophy than using a partial perspective. Partial points of view only promote limited knowledge
on the situation. This leads to wrong conclusions. Philosophy requires learning to look into all available perspectives and
work on their relationship to come up with sound, logical, and valid conclusion. In the process, doing philosophy helps
one to develop the skill of broadly looking at the situation first before concluding anything.

Learning Task 1: Optimize Me

Direction: Give a brief and substantial answer to the question. Write your answer on a separate paper.

1. How can having a holistic view help us become better individuals?

2. Give a situation in your life wherein you adopted a holistic view in looking at your problem or situation.

LESSON 2: VALUE OF PHILOSOPHY

Socrates believed that philosophy should achieve practical results for the greater well-being of society. He
attempted to establish an ethical system based on human reason rather than theological doctrine. Socrates pointed
out that human choice was motivated by the desire for happiness. Russell holds that the primary value of
philosophy is not in any kind of definite answer but exists in the questions themselves. He concludes that,
"through the greatness of the universe which philosophy contemplates, the mind also is rendered great."

According to Plato, Philosophy is the love of knowledge, the pursuit of truth, and the questioning of all ideas. By
studying, discussing, or just thinking about the many ideas in the world, you can find questions you had never
thought to ask, or perspectives you had never considered before.

Importance of Doing Philosophy

Doing philosophy can be applied in day-to-day activities and perspective. Because it involves an evaluate process,
doing philosophy allows a person to make better decisions and act accordingly to situation with the help of
various philosophical skills.  Doing philosophy enables reflective thinking which greatly influences a person’s
view of life, challenges, and relationships.  Doing philosophy directs how a person will perceive these factors
in life and how they will be faced.  In any setting, wisdom is always gained when philosophy is applied to
formulate conclusion about a certain concern.

What do you think? Is doing philosophy possible without engaging in philosophical reflection?

Tips
  In doing philosophy, a holistic perspective on the subject is always required. Failure to do so or only using
partial point of view may lead to illogical or incorrect conclusion.
 In the process of doing philosophy is critical to have holistic perspective- the perception of looking at all
aspects of a situation first before making a conclusion. This point of is different from holistic thinking which
is a mental activity of recognizing the interconnectedness of systems and procedure to form a general picture
of an issue.
 The process of doing philosophy should not be mistaken for the Filipino activity of pamimilosopo or pedantry
where a person displays useless knowledge or minute observances of small details.

Learning Task 2: Think Carefully

Direction: Below are the different human actions. Think what must be done before doing the actions. Complete the table
below. Write your answer on a separate paper.

Actions What must be done before the action?

Deciding what strand to take in the Senior High
school

Engaging pre-marital sex

LESSON 3: PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTION AS A WAY OF DOING PHILOSOPHY

Jay and Ryan proceeded to articulate the specificity of the approaches to doing philosophy. They start with the
discussion on the nature and dynamics of philosophical reflection. According to Jay and Ryan, philosophical reflection is
one of the important skills that one needs in doing philosophy. In order to drive their point, Jay and Ryan appropriated
Gabriel Marcel’s notion of philosophical reflection, which is deeply personal and is intimately anchored on day-to-day
existence. For Marcel, as Jay and Ryan argue, philosophical reflection is first and foremost the act of giving time to think
about the meaning and purpose of life.
There are two types of philosophical reflection according to Marcel, namely, primary reflection and secondary
reflection. Primary reflection is a kind of thinking that calculates, analyzes, or recounts past events. In this way, primary
reflection is a fragmented and compartmentalized thinking. Thus, for Marcel, according to Jay and Ryan, primary
reflection cannot be a genuine thinking because it failed to make sense of the whole, of the mystery of life. In other words,
primary reflection is selfish thinking because it is instrumental thinking. As we already know, instrumental thinking is a
“means-end” kind of thinking. Applied to human relations, instrumental thinking thinks only of what it can practically get
in a relationship. For example, one may establish a relationship or friendship with somebody who is rich so that she may
be able to borrow money in times of need. Secondary reflection, on the other hand, is characterized by the act recapturing
the unity of the original experience by gathering back together what has been separated by primary reflection. Thus,
secondary reflection allows us to think holistically. In this way, secondary reflection enables us to integrate our
fragmented and compartmentalized experience into a coherent whole. This gives us the impression that secondary
reflection for Marcel is genuine or unselfish thinking. Applied to human relations, secondary reflection does not think of
what it can practically get in a relationship. Here, the human person establishes a relationship with the other not because
of what she can get but is premised on the idea that the other is a human person that deserves respect, care, and love.

Learning Task 3: Pandemic

Direction: Write a philosophical reflection about the Corona Virus (Covid-19) pandemic based on the following
questions.

1. Explain in your own words what is the Novel Corona Virus?

2. How does it spread and why is it spreading so quickly?
3. What are the symptoms of Covid-19?
4. What are the precautionary measures for Covid-19?
5. How can you protect yourself from the Corona Virus?
6. What lesson/s in life can we derive from the pandemic?

Rubrics
Learning Task 4: Assessment
Read the statement below and identify what is asked. Write only the letter of your answers on a separate paper.

1. The original meaning of Philosophy is ____________

A. Love of wisdom B. Love of knowledge C. Love of Material Things D. Love of self

2. What do you call the process by which a person undergoes a reflective state or evaluates his or her experiences before
making any related action?
A. Holistic Perspective B. Partial Perspective C. Primary Reflection D. Secondary Reflection

3. A philosopher who believed that philosophy should achieved practical results for the greater well-being of society.
A. Plato B. Socrates C. Aristotle D. Descartes

4. The morality of human actions.

A. Metaphysics B. Ethics C. Aesthetics D. Logic

5. What reflection allows us to think holistically?

A. Holistic Perspective B. Partial Perspective C. Primary Reflection D. Secondary Reflection

6. The science of beauty in its various manifestations

A. Aesthetics B. Logic C. Science D. Psychology

7. It is the principle that states that it is impossible for a thing to be and not to be at the same time and at the same respect.
A. Identity B. Non-contradiction C. Excluded middle D. Sufficient Reason

8. It is a branch of Philosophy where real knowledge is based on logic, the laws, and methods that develop reason.
A. Epistemology B. Ethics C. Logic D. Metaphysics

9. A point of view that looks at all the aspects of the given problem or situation
A. Holistic B. Partial C. Reflective D. Perspective

10. A principle that nothing exists without a sufficient reason for its being and existence.
A. Excluded middle B Non-contradiction C. Identity D. Sufficient reason

Learning Task 5: Make a Short Reflection about what you have learned from the lessons.

IV. References
Reina C. Boac. 2020. Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person Week 1: Module 1, SDO La Union

Prepared by:

Melchor E. Orpilla Maria Rowena R. Orpilla

Teacher II Teacher II

Checked by: Approved by:

Lovelie V. Verceles Phd CYNTHIA B. TABLANG EdD

Master Teacher I OIC-Asst. Principal II, Academics