SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Introduction To
The Philosophy Of
The Human
Person
Quarter 4 - Module 4
Meaningful Life

1
 Lesson
Meaningful Life
1
You have learned in the previous modules about
the nature of man. In this lesson,information and
activities are provided to help you recognize the
meaning of your existence.

WHAT I NEED https://www.cleanpng.com/png-peace-person-charlotte-white-do

release-clip-art-1620474/preview.html

TO KNOW?
In this lesson, you are expected to:

⚫ explain the significance of death in the existence of the

person; and
⚫ reflect on the meaning of his/her own life

WHAT I KNOW
Give your own definition to the following terms listed below.

1. Death
2. Life
3. Happiness
4. Suffering
5. Meaningful Life

WHAT’S IN?
You have encountered in the previous modules about all the
concepts you need to better understand human nature and
what drives human to establish relationships and the things
that influenced the development of a human person. You
have gone through the journey of getting much deeper
understanding about all the aspects that relate with human
nature.
Now, let’s explore what is the essence of living. Have you ever wondered about
how nothing seems to last forever? Objects get worn out, food and drinks get
expired, and even trends become outdated after some time. Even more, what
about the cycle of being born, growing up, getting old, being sick and dying? These
go to one very important reality at some point of our human condition; we are
temporal beings which means that we are human beings oriented towards
impending death.

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Surely, the very thought of death and the mystery surrounding it have caused a lot
of grief and anxiety to a person. You may certainly feel that thinking about death
at this point of your life is a bit inappropriate or unnecessary since you are still
young and you still have your whole life ahead of you. Thus, the idea makes you
a bit uncomfortable but then it is an essential element in the human condition
which definitely deserves attention. Only in reflecting on the reality of death can
we begin to explore and understand the meaning of our own and very existence.

WHAT’S NEW?
What you will do

Meaningful Life MAT

Materials:
Scissors
2 pcs. Of colored paper (varied color)
Ball pen

Directions:
1. Make strips of paper out of 2 different colored paper.
2. On each strip, write your happy experiences on one color and your sad
ones on the other color.
3. Weave the strips like a mat.
4. Look at your work of art and appreciate the beauty of it as a whole.

Question:
Try to remove one of the colored strips. Now, look at your work of art once
again.
Do your remaining strips still make a beautiful mat? What does this say about
the meaning of life? Give your insights.

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 WHAT IS IT?
#YOLO (You Only Live Once)
Eat, drink, and be merry for
tomorrow we die.
In the essence that we, humans,
are oriented towards our
impending death, this concept
has given rise to such various expressions being
mentioned above. Commonly, death is 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. As you have learned in the past
modules, the human person is an embodied spirit. The
body, being material, is subject to growth, death, and https://www.shutterstock.com/search/getting+oldcartoon

decay. While the spirit, being immaterial, will continue to

exist even after the body has passed.

Accepting the fact that we are persons facing the reality of death allows us to
determine the course of our actions and of our entire life. Thus, the essence of freedom
is self-determination which refers to the capacity to choose and act for oneself. For
instance, a person cannot stop the natural bound law of growing old, however, he/she
can choose to embrace aging gracefully by taking pride in their gray hair, wrinkles, and
the fact of having grandchildren. But others might take a different path and use any
means to mask their physical aging by getting cosmetic surgery and having “age-
defying” treatments.

Ultimately, we must embrace the fact that death is an integral part of our life
so that once we have come in good terms with that inevitable aspect of being human,
we can focus not just on the quantifiable aspects of life (e.g. possessions, luxurious
years) but also on its quality. It can give us clearer purpose and focus on our daily
activities. Since we cannot do everything in our lifetime, we must be able to reflect on
what we need to do and identify the goals we need to achieve so we can say that we
have lived in a meaningful existence.

WHAT’S MORE

Write a letter of support and encouragement to a

person who you know is undergoing difficulties in life
Highlight the points where you apply your learning
about happiness, suffering, death, and meaningful life.
Write it in your Activity Notebook.
4
 The human person is an embodied spirit which refers to the unity of a
body and a spirit. The body grows and dies, while the soul continues to exist
even after the body has passed. It is true that there was no exception, we will
face the inevitability of death, but we have the freedom to live our lives well or
not. Temporality challenges us to make choices that will be good for us and the
people around us. Although we are oriented towards our impending death,
death, itself, is not the goal of life. Yet, the challenge is to live a meaningful life.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED?

Direction: Answer the following questions using your own
words: Express your answer with a maximum of 5
sentences. Write it in your activity notebook.

Based on what you have learned about happiness, suffering, death, and the
meaning of life, could you give advice to the following people in various
situations? Be realistic as much as possible.

1. Your sister is an overachiever. Being on top of the class is what makes her
feel fulfilled. However, she got lower grades than usual for this quarter.
She is extremely saddened and discouraged by this and becomes
withdrawn and aloof.
2. Your best friend is dating a married man. Despite her family’s disapproval,
she does not want to break up with him. She says that he is the only one
who makes her very happy.

WHAT I CAN DO?

Create a photo collage showing the things that makes your
life meaningful. You can also include things that makes
you happy or things that drives you to do more in life
despite of adversities. Bring out your uniqueness and
creativeness.

Criteria
Organization & Composition: overall content - 15 pts
Originality: theme - 10 pts
Creativity & Neatness: overall appearance - 5 pts
TOTAL : 30 points

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 Lesson
Realizing Positive Life
2 Goals
You have learned in the preceded lesson
about what makes life more meaningful.
Realizing one’s meaning of life help you
focus to list and enumerate life goals and
prioritize more meaningful objectives as you
live through.

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/vector-illustration-people-

WHAT I NEED run-their-goal-1240127524

TO KNOW?
In this lesson, you are expected to:
- explain the essence of happiness and suffering to one’s life
- enumerate the objectives he/she really wants to achieve;
and
- define the projects he/she really wants to do in his/her life

WHAT I KNOW
Direction: Give your own insights in regards with the
following expressions below. Write it legibly in your Activity
Notebook.
1. #YOLO (You Only Live Once)
2. Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.
3. Live as If you were to die tomorrow.
4. Learn as if you were to live forever.
5. There is a rainbow after the rain.

WHAT’S IN?
As you go through the previous modules, you have
encountered the reality of death. By the law of nature, it is
inevitable that we all face the brink of our existence. Thus,
by embracing this knowledge, we are motivated to spend our
life in a more meaningful way as possible.
Now, let’s continue to loosen the amazing journey of one’s existence. We all
know that as we approach our death, we experience both happiness and suffering.
The two are not really meant to be polar opposites, for they can also enrich one
another. You cannot appreciate the essence of genuine happiness and success if
you did not experience suffering, pain or difficulties.

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 WHAT’S NEW?
What you will do
Direction: Read the following questions and answer it briefly.
1. What makes you happy?
2. What is your perception about real happiness?
3. Do you prefer a life without suffering/adversities?
Justify your answer.

WHAT IS IT?
What brings you happiness? Is
it the food you eat? The clothes
you wear? The gadgets you
own? The achievements you
reap? The moments you share
with your loved ones? Whatever
it is, you feel something good
and pleasurable.

Happiness is a state of being, not just an emotional

experience or a chosen mental attitude. In fact, we do not
choose happiness, happiness is always there, and we just
choose the means/path to achieve it. We consider the https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/happy-children-
cartoon-158222798
sources of happiness as something that is good for us.
That good has three kinds:

● Noble good is one which is pursued for its own sake; it is good in itself.
For example: love and friendship.
● Useful good is considered good as long as it serves as a means to an
end; its goodness is found only from what it can provide. For example,
money.
● Pleasurable good provides some form of pleasure, though it doesn’t
have to be physical. For example a trip to favorite places.
However, you should always remember that happiness from a material thing
slowly fades away as soon as you have it. Meanwhile, happiness formed by friendship
only grows as it progresses. Happy moments with people precious to you are priceless.
Thus, do not be blinded by earthly living and live a meaningful life for real happiness
can be found in more permanent and meaningful things.
On the other hand, negative experiences are also part of our lives. Suffering
takes place when we patiently endure unpleasantness, discomfort, and pain. It comes
in the form of physical suffering (e.g. physical sensations such as discomfort,
hunger, distress, homelessness, and pain from an injury, disease, or even lack of
basic needs) and mental suffering (e.g. emotional and mental states such as
depression, anxiety, fear, loneliness, and grief). Disappointments and rejections in life
may also be a cause of suffering. More often, we normally experience adversities in
life and how we deal with them is determined by our mindset regarding suffering. After
all, without pain and suffering, we are unable to grow and improve to become wiser
and tougher. Thus, our positive experiences might lose meaning and significance
without the recognizance of one’s suffering and difficulties in life.

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 WHAT’S MORE
What you will do

Instructions: Interview someone older than you. It could be

your parents, teachers, neighbors, or anyone acquainted
to you. Ask the same questions you have asked to yourself
in the previous activity. This time, ask also for
their own personal bucket list and do not forget to let them sign for credibility.
Make a narrative report for this activity.
Questions:
1. What makes you happy?
2. What is your perception about real happiness?
3. Do you prefer a life without suffering/adversities? Justify your answer.

With all these growth and development of various forms of societies, the human
interactions are also growing more complex over the span of time. Factors like
science and technology advancements and cultural changes brought improvement
to the society along with complexity and various ethnicities. But despite these
innovations and developments, the human person still remains the heart of the
society and drives social changes based on respective responses and needs for
the betterment.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED?

Directions: Answer the following questions using your own
words: Express your answer in 5 sentences.

1) What does living a meaningful life mean to you?

2) What objectives do you feel you need to achieve
before you can say that you have lived a meaningful life? Give at least two (2)
objectives and justify it.

WHAT I CAN DO?

Make a personal “Bucket List” of what you wish to do or
accomplish in life. List them in your Activity Notebook.

In addition, answer these questions that follow and write

your answers at the bottom of your bucket list.
a. Why did you choose these things to be in your “Bucket
List”?
b. Which among these do you feel is the easiest to accomplish in your
lifetime?
c. Which would be the most difficult to do?

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 ASSESSMENT
Direction: Read and reflect each of the questions thoroughly.
Give your insights and write it legibly on your activity
notebook

1. What is that one thing that, if taken from you, would

take away the meaning of your life?
2. How would you have turned out as a person if you have not experienced
happiness?
3. What will you become if you have not gone through any suffering in life?
4. Have you experienced dealing with the death of a loved one? How did you
cope up with the situation?
5. Why do you think most of the people are afraid of death?

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
Watch a movie or documentary that explores death andliving
a meaningful life. Write a reaction paper discussing your
thoughts and ideas on what you have viewed. Do not forget
to include your sources. (Example: The Curious Case of
Benjamin Button)

Criteria:
Organization: coherence - 15 pts
Composition: overall content - 25 pts
Originality & Grammar - 10 pts
TOTAL : 50 points

Congratulations!
You have completed your
journey in this subject. Great job!
It’s now time to go, explore, and apply all
your learning’s here.