In this unit, you should be
able to:
[Link] your own limitations and possibilities for
transcendence;
[Link] these limitations and possibilities from the
point of view of the subject;
[Link] the qualities and characteristics that help
define the self; and
[Link] the different ways in which you are able to go
beyond your limitations.
HUMAN
SUBJECTIVITY
How does a person live
existentially?
For the Danish philosopher
Søren Kierkegaard, to exist is to
realize oneself through free
choice and self-commitment.
Kierkegaard believed that existing
means becoming freer in the sense
that you strive to be more and more
an individual and less and less a
member of a group. That is, you are
truly free if you transcend universality
in favor of attaining individuality.
Though many existentialist philosophers
were atheists, Kierkegaard was a firm
Christian. He believed, first and foremost,
that though man had the responsibility to
create meaning in his life, he was ultimately
finite. God, on the other hand, was infinite.
For him, it was man's responsibility to
make their way back their creator.
Kierkegaard outlined three stages.
1. Aesthetic. The stage where man
is governed by human impulses and
emotion
(e.g., passion about love, sports,
and music)
2. Ethical. The stage where, despite knowing
that he is full of impulses and emotion, he
chooses to accept moral standards as a way to
guide his everyday life
(e.g., A bachelor enters into a loving and
committed marriage and still has passion about
music and traveling, yet he knows he can no
longer engage himself in casual relationships.)
3. Faith. The stage when man
should exist by moving towards
God
(e.g., Abraham's willingness to
sacrifice his son Isaac)
While it may be tempting to think of
Human Subjectivity as having absolute
freedom to not only create meaning but
to act as we wish, we must not forget
that the freedom to live for something is
often more worthwhile than simply
living free from restrictions.
To be the Subject in the world is to perceive
and to act upon the world. This means that
we are innately free. Probably more
important, however, is what we choose to
do with our freedom.
How do you choose to live your life?
ASSIGNMENT
In your own words, explain and give examples
of the three stages outlined by Kierkegaard.
Aesthetic
Meaning:
Example:
Ethical
Meaning:
Example:
Faith
Meaning:
Example:
Meaning: The decision to trust
God/the infinite fully and completely
Example: Jesus in the Garden of
Gethsemane
Søren Kierkegaard was a Danish
existential philosopher who
outlined the three stages to find
the way back to God: Aesthetic,
Ethical, and Faith.
I AM THE
OBJECT
While it is possible to understand
the world through reason and
thought alone just like what
Descartes did, majority of what we
know about the world and about
ourselves is through our sense
experiences.
It is through our bodies that we come to
know and interact with the world around us.
Since it is our bodies that allow us to
experience, it is important that we
should look into it with the help of the
17th century English philosopher John
Locke. He argued that being can be
known via its primary qualities and
secondary qualities.
Primary qualities are the qualities that objects
have in themselves. That is, their meaning does
not come from a subject or a perceiver such as an
object’s weight or dimensions, how hard it is, or
how it is shaped.
Example:
A banana is, by itself, already has a certain length
and width and thickness.
Secondary qualities are the qualities
that subjects perceive in the object. In
this regard, things such as taste, smell,
texture, and color are assigned by the
different subjects such that it isn’t
surprising when people have different
opinions and answers.
Example:
The banana may have a set weight and
length, but for one person, it may taste
slightly bitter and unripe, while for another
it’s just right. Someone may say it’s bright
neon yellow in color, but someone else will
argue that it’s more of sunflower yellow.
It is through our senses that we most often come
to interact with the world. Knowing ourselves
through our bodies gives a certain sense of
empowerment and also humility—we know that
others perceive us and give their own meaning
for who we are. Though we can’t control these
things, we know more than to let the opinions of
every single person affect us. After all, worrying
about what others think of us will only lead to
stress and wrinkles.
Provide the primary qualities and the
secondary qualities of the following items:
An apple
Primary:
Secondary:
A cloud
Primary:
Secondary:
The latest Marvel movie
Primary:
Secondary:
Primary Qualities – Qualities that are
present in the objects themselves
Secondary Qualities – Qualities that
the perceiver places upon the objects