An introduction for philosophy of a human person

1. The Process of
Doing Philosophy

2. 1. Distinguish the holistic perspective from a
partial point of view
2. Make a poster showing a holistic point of
view of your life
3. Realize the value of doing philosophical
reflection from various situations
Objectives:

3. The Blind Men and the Elephant
(John Godfrey Saxe)
Once upon a time there were six blind men. They lived in a town
in India.
They thought they were very clever. One day an elephant came
to their town. The blind men did not know what an elephant looked
like but they could smell it and they could hear it. “What is this
animal like?” they said. Each man touched a different part of the
elephant.

4. The Blind Men and the Elephant
(John Godfrey Saxe)
The first man touched the elephant's body. It felt hard, big and
wide. “An elephant is like a wall”, he said.
The second man touched one of the elephant's tusks. It felt
smooth, hard, and sharp. “An elephant is like a spear,” he said.
The third man touched the elephant's trunk. It felt long, thin,
and wiggly. “An elephant is like a snake,” he said.
The fourth man touched one of the legs. It felt thick, rough, hard
and round. “An elephant is like a tree,” he said.

5. The Blind Men and the Elephant
(John Godfrey Saxe)
The fifth man touched one of the elephant's ears. It felt thin and
it moved. “An elephant is like a fan,” he said.
The sixth man touched the elephant's tail. It felt long, thin, and
strong. “An elephant is like a rope,” he said.
The men argued. It's like a wall! No, it isn't! It's like a spear! No it
isn't! It's like a snake! They did not agree.
The king had been watching and listening to the men.

6. The Blind Men and the Elephant
(John Godfrey Saxe)
“'You are not very clever. You only touched part of the elephant.
You did not feel the whole animal. An elephant is not like a wall or a
spear or a snake, or a tree or a fan or a rope.”
The men left the town still arguing. A little girl heard them and
said “Each of you is right but you are all wrong … but I know what you
are talking about!”

7. Guided Questions
1. What happens in the story when each blind man "sees" the
elephant? Why were there six different ideas about the
elephant? Were any of the men right about the elephant?
Were any of them completely wrong?
2. What did the blind men learn from the king? What does the
storyteller want us to learn from this tale?

8. Guided Questions
3. Do problems like this happen in real life? Think of the times
when arguments or misunderstandings have occurred because
people saw situations from different points of view. Describe
what happened.
4. How does it feel when another person doesn't "see"
something the way you do? How can you address those
differences in perceptions?

9. Guided Questions
5. What if the men in this story were not blind? Would they still
have different perceptions about elephants? Why or why not?
6. Does the story give you any ideas about how these problems
can be solved? What are some steps you can take to
understand why another person doesn't see things the way you
do?

10. It is mainly defined as
the science of beings in
their ultimate reasons,
causes and principles,
acquired by the aid of
human reason alone.
WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?
Philosophy, is coined
from the Greek word
“philein” which means
love, and “Sophia”,
which means wisdom.

11. In general, there are two types of thinking that is
used in Philosophy.
HOLISTIC AND PARTIAL THINKING IN
PHILOSOPHY
Holistic thinking refers to
a perspective that
considers large-scale
patterns in systems..
Partial thinking
focuses on specific
aspects of a situation.

12. It requires a person to be willing to
examine one’s thoughts, feelings, and
actions and to learn more about one’s life
and experiences.
One can reflect on almost any subject.
REFLECTION

13. Reflection also helps us understand
ourselves and our actions better.
REFLECTION

14. Write down your views and use them as bases to
come up with a solution based on a holistic
perspective.
Task 1

15. 1. Describe a situation in your life when you were able to engage
in philosophy. What circumstances or dilemma brought about
your need to philosophize? How did philosophy help you
address your situation?
2. Reflect on your life so far. Can you say that you have lived a
meaningful life, considering all your experiences and
achievements? What do you consider as the “highlights” of
your life? What things are you looking forward to in the future?
In a short bond paper, write a reflection journal where
you will write your answers to the following questions.
Task 2

16. Task 3. Direction: Complete the table below.
Write your answer on a short bond paper.

17. Task 3. Direction: Complete the table below.
Write your answer on a short bond paper.

18. Task 4. Read the following questions below,
and write your answer on a short bond paper.
1) Based on your answers in Task 3, what must
be done before making actions?
2) Is it helpful that you do this before making an
action? Why or Why not?
3) As a Grade 11 student, what have you realized
while doing this activity? Reflect and explain
your answer

19. Task 5. What can you say about the quotation below? Do
you agree or disagree with this? Write your answers on a
short bond paper.

20. THANK
YOU