Philosophical questions in the Philosophy of the Human Person often revolve around man's being, such as "What is the meaning of life?"
Since the dawn of civilization, numerous philosophers have asked questions to make sense of man's life and personhood
Philosophy originated from the Greek words philo (love) and sophia (wisdom), meaning "love of wisdom"
Wisdom in Philosophy is defined as the right application of knowledge, requiring human experience for questioning and seeking answers
Socrates, an ancient philosopher, used the Socratic method or Socratic Dialogue to provoke critical thinking and reflection in others
Socratic Dialogue:
A method of philosophical analysis introduced by Socrates
Involves a question-answer-question process to bring thinkers to a wide accomplishment
Socrates was also concerned about the topics of his questions
Hegelian Dialectics:
Presented by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel during the Modern period
Involves three levels: thesis, antithesis, and synthesis
Thesis is one’s prevailing idea or situation, antithesis opposes the thesis, synthesis is the product of struggle between the thesis and antithesis
Thesis, Antithesis, and Synthesis Example:
Thesis: The Earth is flat and the Sun revolves around it
Antithesis: The Earth is not flat and the Sun does not revolve around it
Synthesis: The Earth is round, revolves around the Sun, and rotates in its own axis
Children are considered as the best philosophers of all time as they ask innocent questions about themselves and the world without a hidden agenda
Philosophizing can be applied in situations we find ourselves in to bring a better understanding of ourselves and the decisions we make
Socrates' philosophy on life:
"The unexamined life is not worth living."
Encouraged people to think about courage, love, the soul, and topics that encourage self-reflection
Religious perspective on finding the meaning of life:
Belief in an all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-present Supreme Being who created the world and all creatures in it
The Supreme Being has chosen a certain path for man even before he is conceived, and it is the man’s task to discover and walk through it
The Second World War and Existentialism:
Existentialism became popular post-WWII
Jean-Paul Sartre's view: "Existence precedes essence," man creates meaning and purpose for himself as he goes through life
Focus on individual providing meaning in his own life, virtues of freedom, responsibility, and authenticity
Existentialism virtues:
Freedom: the choice to accept or reject leadership
Responsibility: events based on the choice made
Authenticity: being true to oneself, desires, and character
Attachment is a strong reciprocal emotional bond between an infant and a primary caregiver
Participants in the study were 60 babies from Glasgow, and the procedure involved analyzing interactions between infants and carers
Findings from the study showed that babies of parents or carers who displayed 'sensitive responsiveness' were more likely to have formed an attachment
Schaffer and Emerson's 1964 study on attachment aimed to identify stages of attachment and find a pattern in the development of attachment between infants and parents, involving 60 babies from Glasgow
Freud's superego is the moral component of the psyche, representing internalized societal values and standards