PHILOSOPHY REVIEWER 2nd Mastery Exam CHAPTER 5: FREEDOM OF THE HUMAN PERSON Kinds of Freedom 1. Freedom from physical constraints force - This kind of freedom is exercise only by imbelicles and infants since this freedom does not demand from its beholder some form of concominant responsibilities. Birds are free to fly, fishes are free to swim, infants and embiciles, all of them alike, are not responsible for their of freedom. 2. Freedom as one pleases - Practiced only by ruffians, anarchists, and immature individuals. These people assert that freedom should be absolute. Obviously, this demand is impossible. This is the reason why Christian Philosophers claim that only immature individuals would think that there is absolute freedom. 3. What one is required to do or authentic freedom - An authentic freedom is attuned with what divinely required. Thus the exercise of freedom is also the exercise of responsibilities since freedom cannot be dissociated from responsibility. FREE WILL – Enables man to choose, think, decide on what we want, and control our actions. St. Augustine believes that the human freedom is good if it pursues things of eternal life such knowledge related to God, life of virtue and love of others. But it turns to evil if it follows evil stuff like vices and succumbs to temptations. George Bernard Shaw expressed the succinctly, “Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it” a free person has the opportunity and burden of making choices and decisions. Freedom as Blessing or Curse Freedom allows us to make decisions and define ourselves through our actions, leading us to fulfill our dreams. However, we often limit ourselves to our self-image, which determines our means and actions. Despite these challenges, the freedom to dream big may lead to some giving up in the middle of the task. Camus – Camus believes true freedom lies in overcoming obstacles, and turning back from difficulties is a philosophical suicide. He suggests that those who fream should embrace hardships and be thankful for them as they shape them into authentic men, unlike a pampered life that lacks character. Difference of Freedom, Liberty and Free Will FREEDOM – Freedom, therefore, means the options and the obligation to do good. LIBERTY – The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one’s way of life behavior or political views. But responsibility to obey such law impose in the society. -The question is, whether human freedom is a blessing or curse – While suffering is necessary for achieving goals, choosing to embrace it allows us to seek greater rewards. As Camus said, Sisyphus should be happily doing his task, demonstrating that freedom can be both a blessing and a curse. Sisyphus – Sisyphus is from a novel “The Myth of Sisyphus” that Camus made. The Myth of Sisyphus – Novel about that for many of us who fream, we should not be afraid of the hardships ahead. - In fact, we should be happy and thankful that we encounter these hardships albeit repetitively in life as we become real (authentic is the existentialist word) mean through them. CHAPTER 6: INTERSUBJECTIVITY The Four Quadrants of Intersubjectivity 1. Subjectivity – refers to personal viewpoints, feelings, and interpretations that are influenced by an individual’s experiences, emotions, and biases. It’s inherently personal and can vary from person to person. 2. Objectivity – strives to be free from personal biases and emotions. It involves presenting information, viewpoints, or facts based on empirical evidence, rationality, and without personal influence. 3. Intersubjectivity – Involves shared understanding or agreement between multiple individuals about a particular concept, experience, or idea. It acknowledges the convergence of subjective viewpoints among people, leading to a collective interpretation or agreement. 4. Intersubjectivity – a term less commonly used but sometimes refers to shared or collective understanding about objective facts or phenomena. Intersubjectivity – became a handy term at the time of the abundance of existentialist and related writings, and perhaps the earliest to identified with the thought was the Jewish thinker Martin Buber Martin Buber (1878-1965) – a Jewish philosopher, become famous through his 1923 philosophical writings entitled I and Thou (Ich and Du). I and Thou(Ich and Du) – The major theme of the boo is that authentic human existence manifests in genuine with each other, which the other world, and even with God. - The book explored the psychology of individual man in two distinct relationships, namely ’I-It’ and the ‘IThou’ (Buber, 1958,p. 3). Objectivity – refers to the quality of being unbiased impartial, and neutral in one’s perspective, free from personal feelings, opinions, or influences. It involves approaching a situation, topic, or decision based on factual evidence and logical reasoning rather than subjective emotions or beliefs. BACK TO “I and Thou (Ich and Du) - “I” is acting more as an observer while its object, the “it” is more of a receiver of the I’s interpretation. - “It” is viewed as a thing to be utilized, a thing to be known, or put for some purpose. Buber – Jewish Philosopher born in AustriaHungary in 1878 and later become a naturalized Israeli citizen. - “encounter” (the mode of I-thou) - both the “I” and the ‘other’ enter into a genuine relationship as active participants. Love, for Buber, should not be understood as merely a mental or psychological state of the lovers but as a genuine relation between the loving beings (Buber, 1958, p.66) BASE ON THE INTERNET Marti Buber – saw love as a significant aspect of human relationships. For Buber, love wasn’t merely a feeling or emotion but rather a profound connection between individuals characterized by mutual recognition, respect, and engagement. Buber further argues that there is something more lasting and more fulfilling when human persons encounter each other through and IThou mode of relationship. Valuing the Personhood People are born with unique physical and emotional differences, making each person unique. No one has everything and cannot be completely superior to others. Intersubjectivity suggests that all are expected to recognize human differences in positive and negative traits, and that no single person has the monopoly on good qualities. This means that no one has everything and is not inferior to anyone else. Intersubjectivity Elsewhere Refer to the exploration of shared subjective experiences or understandings that occur in realms or contexts beyond the immediate or expected. It could imply investigating moments of shared meaning, mutual understanding, or empathetic connection between individuals that transcend conventional spaces or situations. CHAPTER 7: THE HUMAN PERSON IN SOCIETY Nature of Society – Human collective is a condition in which human beings existed long before without a set -uo of social grouping called society. 1. Thomas Hobbes – English Philosopher. He developed some of the fundamentals of the individual; the natural quality of all men; the artificial character of the political order (which led to the later distinction between civil society and the state); the view that all legitimate political power must be “representative” and based on the consent of the people; free to do whatever the law does not explicitly forbid. 2. John Locke – English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of enlightenment thinkers and commonly known as the “Father of Liberalism”. He emphasizes the state of equality, wherein all the power and liberty are mutual yet it is not a state of license. Though man has the absolute power to do what he wishes yet he has no license to destroy or hurt anyone. Definition of Society - According to sociologists, a society is a group of people with common territory, interaction, and a culture. Social Groups consist of two or more people who interact and identify with one another. Characteristics of Society • In Latin "societas" derived from "socius" which means ally or companion. • The peole occupy a portion of territory. • The people show a distinct and continuous way of life, with a comprehensive culture. • The people perpetuate their group by sexual reproduction. • The people think of themselves as distinct culture or groups consisting loyalties, an esprit de corps. • The individual, under certain circumstances, sacrifices himself for the good of the groups. Forms of Society 1. Hunting and Gathering These societies survive by hunting ang gathering edible plants. Until about 12,000 years ago. All societies were hunting and gathering societies. 2. Horticultural Societies In horticultural societies, hand tools were used for cultivating crops. These societies emerged 10,000-12,000 years ago in fertile regions like the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. Simple tools like sticks or hoes were used to plant crops. The introduction of horticultural machinery allowed people to grow their own food, eliminating the need for gathering edible plants. Additionally, they could stay in one place until the soil was depleted, rather than relocating when food supplies ran out. led to the establishment of agricultural societies approximately five thousand to six thousand years ago. Members of an agricultural or agrarian society tend crops with an animal harnessed to a plow. The use of animals to a plow eventually led to the creation of cities and formed the basic structure of most moder societies. Roots of Gender Equality The transition to using animals for work favored males due to physical strength. In agricultural societies, men largely controlled food production, leading to higher status for traditionally male roles, thus creating societal preference for males over females. 5. Industrial Societies Industrial societies utilize advanced energy sources to power large machinery, shifting away from human and animal labor. Industrialization started in the mid-1700s with the introduction of the steam engine in Great Britain. Over time, by the 20th century, industrialized societies underwent significant and transformative changes. Gemeinscaft and Gesellschaft 3. Pastoral Societies A pastoral society relies on the domestication and breeding of animals for food. Some geographic regions, such as the desert regions of North Africa, cannot support crops, so these societies learned how to domesticate and breed animals. The members of a pastoral society must move only when the grazing land ceases to be usable. Many pastoral societies still exist in Africa, Latin America and parts of Asia. 4. Agricultural Societies The invention of the plow during the horticultural and pastoral societies is considered the second social revolution, and it Ferdinand Toennis – a German sociologists, divided societies intro two large categories. ➢ Gemeinschaft societies – consist primarily of villages in which everyone knows everyone else. Relationships are lifelong and based on kinship. ➢ Gesellschaft societies – are modemized. People have little in common with one another, and relationships are short term and based on self-interest, with little concern for the well-being of others. 6. Post-industrial Societies The industrial Revolution transformed Western societies in many unexpected ways. All the machines and inventions for producing and transporting goods reduced the need for human labor so much that the economy transformed again, from an industrial to a post-industrial economy. A post industrial society, the type of society that has developed over the past few decades, features an economy based on services and technology, not production. There are three major Characteristics of a post-industrial society. • Focus on ideas: tangible goods no longer frive the economy. • Need for higher education: factory work does not require advanced training, and the new focus on information and technology means that people must pursue greater education. Shift in workplace from cities to home: new communications technology allows work to be performed form a variety of locations. 7. Mass Society An industrialized societies frow and developed, they become increasingly different from their less industrialized counterparts. As they become larger, they evolve into large, impersonal mass societies. In a mass society, individual achievement is valued over kinship ties, and people often feel isolated from one another. Personal incomes are generally high, and there is great diversity among people. 8. Virtual Society Virtual society is also called as virtual community. It is a social network of individuals who interact through specific social media potentially crossing geographical and political boundaries in order to pursue mutual interests or goals. Some of the most pervasive virtual communities are online communities operating under social networking services.
