8 Humanpersonsasorientedtowardstheirimpendingdeath

The students are expected to:
1. explain the significance of death

in the existence of the person;
and
2. recognize the meaning of his/her
own life (PPT11/12-IIh-8.1).
Have you
experienced
dealing with the
death of a loved
one? How did you
cope with the
situation?
•Thou hast made us
for thyself, and our
heart is restless until
it finds its rest in
thee.”
•- St. Augustine,
Confession
➢ was the first philosopher in the history of
Martin Heidegger thought to have brought human
mortality to the center stage of
philosophy.
➢ He pushed reflection on death farther.
Until Heidegger, the concern of most
philosophers, from the time of Aristotle
was the question on how to live a good
life.
➢ Heidegger found it important to

reflect on death because it is the
most fundamental question that a
human being must learn to face.
If we do not reflect on our deaths, chances are,

we are not living an authentic life.
•The task of Philosophy is NOT to
provide another answer to the
question of what happens after
death,
•But to ask the question what is the

meaning of our lives in the face of
uncertainty of what happens after
death.
• Death is the end of bodily
functions which signals the end of a
person’s life.
• It also refers to the separation of

body and the soul. The body, being
material, is bound by laws of time
and space and is subject to growth,
death, and decay. The spirit, being
immaterial, will continue to exist
even after the body has passed.
•Everything that came to
being in this universe will
eventually come to an end.
We are born into human life,
we grow and age, and we
eventually die. This paradox
defines the uniqueness of
human existence.
• We must embrace the fact that death is an
integral part of our life. Once we have come
to terms with that, we can focus not just on the
quantifiable aspects of life (e.g., years lived,
material things owned) but also on its
quality.
• Ultimately, the acceptance of our

temporality can bring about a sense of
freedom in us.
• It can also give us a clearer purpose and

focus on our 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 a meaningful existence.
• While there is no freedom in the
inevitability of death, 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 death, death is not
the goal of life. The challenge is
to live a meaningful life.
• Some philosophers view end as a
terminus which means the full stop or
end of a line.
• For them, life ends and nothing
follows.
• Others, however, consider end as
telos which means “goal, purpose, or
fulfilment.”
• The human person is not born into this
world just so he or she could die. Man is
put in this earth to live a meaningful
life, to be virtuous, and achieve
excellence.
• Someone once said, “Don’t
take life too seriously.
We’re all going to die
anyway.” Do you agree
with this thought? Or “In
heaven, there is no beer:
that’s why we drink beer
here!” Do you agree with
this statement?
Which view on
death do you find
most acceptable?
Explain your
answer.
•If every day you
remind yourself to
“live today as if it
were your last” do you
think your life will
substantially change?
In what way?
•What makes you
happy?
•Why do we suffer?
•How do happiness,
suffering, and death
give meaning to your
life?
•Happiness is a state
of being, not just an
emotional experience
or a chosen mental
attitude. We do not
choose happiness; we
choose the means to
achieve it.
According ancient
Greek philosophers,
Happiness is an
achievement and must
be gained by living a
productive and moral
life
GOOD – is a SOURCE of happiness and it has three kinds:
1. Noble Good is one which is pursued for its own sake; it is
good in itself. Example: love and friendship
2. 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 is good as it can buy you
something
3. Pleasurable Good is good so long as it provides some
form of pleasure, though it doesn’t have to be physical
• The kind of happiness that can gained from a good is also
closely tied to its nature
Real happiness can be found in more
permanent and meaningful things.
• Suffering
• takes place when we patiently endure
unpleasantness, discomfort, and pain
• can be experienced physically (discomfort,
hunger, distress, and pain) or mentally
(emotional and mental states such as
depression, anxiety, fear, loneliness, and grief)
• is generally viewed as an undesirable
condition, and that we naturally seek
pleasure and avoid pain
• SUFFERING is necessary in shaping our
existence because without it, we are unable to
grow and our positive experiences lose
meaning and significance
•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.
• As intersubjective beings who
have a tendency to form bonds
with others, it is only natural
that the meaning of life be
found when we open ourselves
to others. This means that
although we will eventually die,
we have an opportunity to
enrich our lives as well as the
lives of others.
•Every human person is finite; we are beings-
unto-death. The angst (strong feeling of being worried/nervous)
brought about by our inescapable death makes
us live life inauthentically.
•Until we have the courage to FACE the fact of

our inevitable death, we can never live an
authentic existence,
•a life live according to what it has clearly
decided as its MEANING and PURPOSE.
•We are naturally being-toward- God. We long for
God and Ultimate Happiness that we cannot
experience from our relationship with our fellow
beings.
•This yearning is, however, sometimes overshadowed

by our fear of death and the uncertainty of what
will happen after death. But instead of falling into
trap of cynicism, philosophy invites us to HOPE.
•HOPE gives meaning to our lives.
Hopes makes us live our lives
deliberately and meaningfully. But
living a life of hope that one day WE will
be with our GOD, we will no longer be
afraid of death and we will be able to
love other people more fully and
unconditionally.
What kind of good
have you been
pursuing lately?
How do these
contributed to your
well-being and
happiness?

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The students are expected to:

1. explain the significance of death

➢ Heidegger found it important to

If we do not reflect on our deaths, chances are,

•But to ask the question what is the

• It also refers to the separation of

• Ultimately, the acceptance of our

• It can also give us a clearer purpose and

•Until we have the courage to FACE the fact of

•This yearning is, however, sometimes overshadowed

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