11 SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Introduction to the
Philosophy of the
Human Person
Quarter 2 – Module 5:
DEATH AND THE MEANING OF MY LIFE
Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person – Grade 11
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 2 – Module 5: DEATH AND THE MEANING OF MY LIFE
First Edition, 2020

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Published by the Department of Education

Secretary: Leonor Magtolis Briones
Undersecretary: Diosdado M. San Antonio

Development Team of the Module

Writers: Jamaica R. Quisil
Editor: Maria Eula Pauline A. Elumir
Reviewers: Gemma F. Depositario,Ed.D.
Illustrator:
Layout Artist: James B. Caramonte
Management Team: Senen Priscillo P. Paulin, CESO V Rosela R. Abiera
Fay C. Luarez, TM, Ed.D., Ph.D. Maricel S. Rasid
Nilita L. Ragay, Ed.D. Elmar L. Cabrera
Carmelita A. Alcala, Ed.D.

Printed in the Philippines by ________________________

Department of Education –Region VII Schools Division of Negros Oriental

Office Address: Kagawasan, Ave., Daro, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental

Tele #: (035) 225 2376 / 541 1117
E-mail Address: negros.oriental@deped.gov.ph
 11

Introduction to
the Philosophy of
the Human
Person
Quarter 2 – Module 5:
DEATH AND THE MEANING OF MY
LIFE
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to the Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person - 11

Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on DEATH AND THE MEANING OF
MY LIFE!

This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by

educators both from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher
or facilitator in helping the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12
Curriculum while overcoming their personal, social, and economic
constraints in schooling.

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and
independent learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this
also aims to help learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking
into consideration their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the
body of the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator, you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this
module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing
them to manage their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to
encourage and assist the learners as they do the tasks included in the module.

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For the learner:

Welcome to the Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person 11

Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on DEATH AND THE MEANING OF
MY LIFE!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful
opportunities for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time.
You will be enabled to process the contents of the learning resource while
being an active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

This will give you an idea of the skills or

What I Need to Know competencies you are expected to learn in the
module.

This part includes an activity that aims to

check what you already know about the
What I Know
lesson to take. If you get all the answers
correct (100%), you may decide to skip this
module.
This is a brief drill or review to help you link
What’s In the current lesson with the previous one.

In this portion, the new lesson will be

What’s New introduced to you in various ways; a story, a
song, a poem, a problem opener, an activity
or a situation.
This section provides a brief discussion of the
What is It lesson. This aims to help you discover and
understand new concepts and skills.

This comprises activities for independent

practice to solidify your understanding and
What’s More
skills of the topic. You may check the
answers to the exercises using the Answer
Key at the end of the module.
This includes questions or blank
What I Have Learned sentence/paragraph to be filled in to process
what you learned from the lesson.
This section provides an activity which will
What I Can Do help you transfer your new knowledge or skill
into real life situations or concerns.

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 This is a task which aims to evaluate your
Assessment level of mastery in achieving the learning
competency.
In this portion, another activity will be given
Additional Activities to you to enrich your knowledge or skill of the
lesson learned.

Answer Key This contains answers to all activities in the

module.

At the end of this module you will also find:

References This is a list of all sources used in

developing this module.

The following are some reminders in using this module:

1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part
of the module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other
activities included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your
answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through
with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do
not hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that
you are not alone.

We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful

learning and gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You
can do it!

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 What I Need to Know

We are now at the final stage of our philosophical reflection on the human
person. Let us try to recall the essential things we have learned so far. In the beginning
of the course, we discussed how philosophy directs us towards a way of looking at life
from a holistic perspective. The breadth and comprehension of this perspective is
paved by an attitude of openness towards uncertainty. As such, we have seen how
philosophy encourages us to embrace fundamental questions which we ask in our
search for the meaning of our lives.

We have learned, therefore, that philosophizing is not just about “knowing”

things. Wisdom is not the same as knowledge. Wisdom includes the humble
acceptance of things we don’t readily understand, and our “yes” to the invitation to
dwell on it.

The most overriding uncertainty for all human beings is the lack of
knowledge about our deaths and what happens after it. As this question touches
upon our life as a whole, it also provides the scope within which, we ask the most
comprehensive question: What is the meaning of life? This is the focus of this
chapter.

“Thou hast made us for thyself, and our heart is restless until it finds its
rest in thee” – St. Augustine Confession

Have you ever wondered about how nothing seems to last forever? Objects get
worn out until they can’t be used anymore, food and drinks expire, and trends become
outdated after some time. Even more, what about the cycle of being born, growing up,
getting sick, and dying? These point to one very important reality about human
condition: we are temporal beings or “beings oriented towards death.”

Have you ever thought about what it means to die? Surely, the idea makes you
a bit uncomfortable. You may feel that thinking about death at this time in your life is
inappropriate or unnecessary since you are still young and you have a whole life ahead
of you. We do not really think about the reality of our own death because it is difficult
to imagine when and how we will die. In fact, scientists and philosophers still have
many unanswered questions about death. However, we cannot deny the fact that
death exists in our world. We may have seen our beloved pets die; experienced the
death of a family member, relative, or acquaintance; and have heard of news about
death in television and other forms of media.

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 The very thought of death and the mystery surrounding it certainly causes a lot
of grief and anxiety to a person, but it is an essential element in the human condition
which definitely deserves attention. Only in reflecting on the reality of death can we
begin to explore and understand the meaning of our own existence.

MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCY:

• Enumerate the objectives he/she really wants to achieve and to define the projects
he/she really wants to do in his/her life. PPT11/12-IIh-8.1
• Reflect on the meaning of his/her own life. PPT11/12-Iii-8.2

At the end of the module, you should be able to:

• Enumerate the objectives you want to achieve and the projects you want to do in
your life;
• Define one’s concept on the meaning of life and where it leads to; and
• Reflect on the meaning of life.

What I Know

Directions: Finish these phrases and write your thought in your activity notebook.

• I find life as ________________________________________________.

• When it rains, ______________________________________________.
• My goal is to _______________________________________________.
• If someone gives me candy, I __________________________________.
• Death is ___________________________________________________.

Directions: Make a personal “Bucket List” of what you wish to do or accomplish in

life. List them in your activity notebook, and answer the questions below. Write your
answers as well in your activity notebook.

a. Why did you choose these things to be in your “Bucket list?”

b. Which among these do you feel is the easiest to accomplish in your life?
c. Which would be the most difficult to do?
d. If you were to leave behind a legacy in this world, what would it be?

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 What’s In

We are now down to the last part of our philosophical reflection of the human
person. In this module, we will have a deeper understanding on the concept of life, and reflect
on our own present lives. Before we proceed, let’s answer the process question below. Write
your answer in your activity notebook.

PROCESSING QUESTION:

How do you make life choices? Do you make them clearly and consciously, or
do other people influence you?

What’s New
Directions: Read the questions below and write your answers in your
activity notebook.

GUIDE QUESTIONS:

1. What is death?
2. What is the implication of death to the meaning of life and to the human person?
3. What gives value to human life?
4. What is the role of death in one’s decision to live an authentic life?
5. When is a human person considered “dead”?
6. Is death something that we should be afraid of?

What is It

LET’S PONDER

A ten-year-old once asked his mother a question: “Mom, what if years after
we die, no one will remember us, what we said, or what we did, what is the point of
doing what we are doing today?”
If you were an honest mother, what would you tell this little boy?

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 If you are a member of the Catholic Church, you would say that the meaning
of life lies in our resurrection from the dead. As Catholics, you believe that there is
life after death, and that the soul is immortal. Whatever you sow in your earthly life,
you will reap in heaven.
If you were Hindu, you would say that the meaning of your life follows the law
of Karma. When you die, your soul will be reincarnated into a different form –
depending on what you did in your previous life.
If you were a pure materialist, such as Democritus, you would say that there
is no meaning to what we are doing apart from what we are doing now. When we
die, the body (and the soul which Democritus also believed to be made up atoms)
will one day disintegrate in thin air.
Notice how different these answers are from each other, yet no one of them
is known to be more than the others. Some of them may be believed more than the
others, but as, we have learned in the previous chapter, if an answer has not yet
fully passed the test of justification, for as long as it is not proven to be true, it will
still remain to be an opinion. In this case, the answers about what will happen to us
after we die remain a matter of belief. While there is nothing wrong in anchoring your
life on religious beliefs (unless you are a committed atheist who would condemn
religious believers as foolish people), it is important to remain open with the truth of
uncertainty. No one is ever sure because no one, not even the atheist who thinks
that there is nothing out there after death, has ever come back after they died.
The bottom line is that all human persons are equal in ignorance in the face of death.
As someone once said, death is the great equalizer.
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 the uncertainty of what happens after death? In other words, the task
of philosophy is to address the question that the little boy asked above. The
philosophical reflection on death is ultimately, the same philosophical question about
the meaning of life. Is there meaning to all our striving, our wanting to be the best
that we can be, if we are not sure of what happens to us after death?

How does the reality of death define our lives?

Death is commonly understood as the end of bodily functions which signals the
end of a person’s life. It also refers to the separation of the body and the spirit. The
body, being material, is bound by the 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.

It is true that a person’s spiritual nature allows him or her to transcend his or
her temporality and physical limits. However, we also cannot deny the material nature
of the person, that he or she is still bound by the same laws of nature and reality that

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apply to all objects in existence. 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.

It can be said that we are also beings who are moving towards our impending
death. This makes a person’s life limited in time. The focus on this limit has led to
several attitudes towards death. There are people who deny the idea of human decline
and death. Some people rely on anti-aging treatments and products to make them
look, feel, and think that they are younger than they really are. Others focus on
experiencing intense moments and feelings in order to feel alive because no one really
knows when life will end. This has given rise to various expressions such as #YOLO
(You Only Live Once) and “eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die”. Additionally,
people also put great importance to speed and efficiency – we are concerned about
doing more things in a shorter span of time so we can do more in a lifetime. We find
means and ways to travel faster and do things more efficiently by spending less time
and energy because we wish to experience more of the world.

These attitudes are not necessarily bad but they may prevent us from reflecting
on the reality of death. 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.

EXPLORING INITIAL IDEAS AND VIEWS

1. What does living a meaningful life mean to you?
2. What objectives do you feel you need to achieve before you can say that you
have lied a meaningful life?

READ & REFLECT

Discuss the symbolisms in the following short story:

“There is an old Eastern fable about the traveler who is taken unawares on
the steppes by a ferocious wild animal. In order to escape the beast, the traveler
hides in an empty well, but at the bottom of the well he sees a dragon with its jaws
open, ready to devour him. The poor fellow does not dare to climb out because he
is afraid of being eaten by the rapacious beast, neither does he dare drop to the
bottom of the well for fear of being eaten by the dragon. So he seizes hold of a
branch of a bush that is growing in the crevices of the well and clings on to it. His
arms grow weak and he knows that he will soon have to resign himself to the death

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 that waits him on either side. Yet he still clings on, and while he is holding on to the
branch he looks around and sees that two mice, one black and one white, are
steadily working their way round the bush he is handing from, gnawing away at it.
Sooner or later they will eat through it and the branch will snap, and he will fall into
the jaws of the dragon. The traveler sees this and knows that he will inevitably
perish. But while he is still hanging there he sees some drops of honey on the leaves
of the bush, stretches out his tongue and licks them.”
(Taken from Leo Tolstoy, A Confession and Other Religious Writings
1987)

How should I live my life before it finally ends?

Understanding the person as being-towards-death brings us back to a very
important topic: freedom. It has been discussed previously that the essence of
freedom is self-determination – the capacity to choose and act for oneself. While
there is no freedom in the inevitability of death, a person can still exercise freedom in
choosing how to face death in their lives. For example, a person cannot stop himself
from growing old. However, he or she can choose to embrace aging gracefully. You
may have seen older people who take pride in their gray hairs, wrinkles, and the fact
that they have grandchildren. Other people, however, take a different path and use
any means to mask their physical aging such as getting cosmetic surgery or availing
of “age-defying” treatments.

As biological beings bound by natural laws and the inevitability of death, we

cannot stop aging and the eventual decline of our bodies. However, we can definitely
choose to spend our lives doing good and reasonable things, or even go against what
is good. The person, therefore, is the author and protagonist who determines the
development and conclusion of his or her life story.

The temporal existence of a person means that his or her life is temporary; he
or she is not a being who exists permanently and for eternity. Accepting the fact that
we have a limited time in this world allows us to determine the course of our life – to
paint a picture of how our life will progress and how we envision it to end. While most
people would prefer to not have any sort of limit, it makes perfect sense to appreciate
the beauty of something, framed within certain lines. The key idea is that we all have
a vocation to live life in the best possible way that we can – by being excellent persons.
It would be nearly impossible to measure this, but look at how having a finish line
makes us appreciate the efforts of runners even more than if there was none in the
first place. Ordinarily, we celebrate the fastest runner, but we can also appreciate the
runner who improved the most given the same set of conditions.

Temporality challenges us to make choices that will be good for us and the
people around us. It must also be noted that since we have a body, we are always in
the moment – we exist in the here and now. The person is always in the present

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although his spiritual nature allows him to transcend the present. Whenever we make
a choice, we cannot undo that choice because that present moment has now gone
into the past. On the other hand, the choices we make in the present are not always
confined to be here and now as they also have an impact on the future. Past, present,
and the future are not exclusive and isolated moments in time, but they are
experienced together by the person because of the dynamism provided by being an
embodied spirit.

Given all these considerations, we may ask: what is the end of this life? The
term end can be understood in two ways. Some philosophers view end as 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.”
Although we are oriented towards our death, death is not the goal of life. The human
person is not born into this world just so he or she could die. Man is put on earth to
live a meaningful life, to be virtuous, and achieve excellence. With this in mind, we can
look at two experiences which make us reflect on the meaning of life; happiness and
suffering.

EXPLORING INITIAL IDEAS AND VIEWS

Directions: Read the questions below and write your answers in your activity notebook.
1. How does our freedom enable us to face the reality of death?
2. Which view on death do you find most acceptable? Explain your answer.

How does happiness, suffering, and death give meaning to your life?
As we approach our death, we experience both happiness and suffering.
Although these are distinct experiences, the two are not really meant to be complete
opposites, for there may be instances when they enrich one another. The pursuit of
happiness requires that we go through the effort to achieve it. Our efforts are often
marked by difficulties and discouragement.

For example, a person who wishes to pass his or her exams must spend time
to study and exert effort to perform well in his or her academic tasks. Athletes who
wish to become the best in their field, often experience hardships in training, injuries
and several setbacks before they are able to gain victory. Look back at an
achievement in your life which you consider your most significant triumph. Certainly,
that victory was coupled which trials and difficulties, but that victory was made
significant and “sweeter” by that you were able to surmount the challenges you faced.

If we are willing to suffer through adversities and maybe even suffer cheerfully,
it makes the pursuit of happiness even more worthwhile. As a result, we not only attain
the happiness that we want, but we also become better persons in the process. The
reality of death means that our existence is unique and that we will not always get
another chance to do things we want in this life. Therefore, we should not easily give

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up on the pursuit of good things. Reflecting on the reality of death enables us to think
of how we can best live a meaningful life. We can strive to leave behind a legacy either
in the form of an inheritance, a reputation, or significant achievement.

We have the tendency to form bonds with others. This is in our nature as human
persons. This also means that we find meaning in life when we open ourselves to
others. Therefore, we have an opportunity not only to enrich our lives but also to touch
the lives of others. A person lives a truly meaningful life when he or she lives in unity
and harmony with others. Although we are different from each other, we are all made
to love and serve one another. People are able to become truly great when they live
for people other than themselves. When we have genuine relationships with others,
we not only share in each other’s happiness but we also bring happiness to others.
We also share in each other’s suffering and help each other in difficult times. We
eventually become part of someone else’s life, we are able to live on in them in the
same way that those whom we hold dear live on in our lives. When a person passes
away, he or she continues to live on because a part of that person is now with us.
Because of our freedom, how we choose to live our lives is entirely up to us.
Against the backdrop of death, we are now called to use our freedom in the best way
possible to bring us closer to our happiness and bring happiness to others as well.
Our lives are works in progress, stories in the process of being written, and songs that
are about to be sung. Life is a gift given to each person and it is important to turn this
life into a gift for others as well.

What’s More

Task 1: Read the following questions below and write your answers in
your activity notebook.

1. 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?
2. 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 these statements? Why or why not?
3. Was Jose Rizal’s life a waste of effort? What was the point of fighting for our
independence if in the end, he was killed by our enemies?

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 What I Have Learned

In your activity notebook, choose one (1) of the statements below and complete
it.

Because life is short, I would like to spend my life on

_______________________________.

Even if I am certain of what the future brings, I am comforted by the

thought/truth that_____________________________________________.

At the end of my life, I would like to be able to look back and say that I
_______________________________________.

What I Can Do

Task 1: READ AND ANSWER Write your answer in your activity notebook.

Imagine that it has been proven that there is no life after death, that there is no
heaven, and that the soul is not immortal. What would you do as soon as the discovery
is announced?

Suppose, the opposite has been proven. There is life after death, there is
heaven, and the soul is immortal. How would you live your life? Write your answers in
your activity notebook.

Basing on the answers, do you think there is a significant difference between

the life that certainly knows there is nothing after death, and a life that is not certain?

If yes, try to explain the difference. Why is it that when we indeed become sure
that there is nothing after death, we will live our lives much differently than we do now?

What effect does the uncertainty of what happens after death have in our
everyday lives?

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 Assessment

TRUE OR FALSE
Directions: Write T on the blank if the statement is correct and F if the statement is
incorrect. Write your answers in your activity notebook.

________ 1. Death is commonly understood as the end of bodily functions which

signals the end of a person’s life.

________ 2. As biological beings bound by natural laws and the inevitability of

death, we can stop aging and the eventual decline of our bodies.

________ 3. Our efforts are often marked by difficulties and discouragement. The
pursuit of happiness requires that we go through the effort to achieve it.

________ 4. The reality of death means that our existence is unique and that we will
always get another chance to do things we want in this life.

________ 5. Reflecting on the reality of death enables us think of how we can best
live a meaningful life.

________ 6. Human persons in their natural states have the tendency to form bonds
with others, meaning, that human persons can also find meaning in life
when they open themselves to others.

________ 7. When we have genuine relationships with others, we not only share in
each other’s happiness but we also bring happiness to others.

________ 8. The human person is an embodied spirit or the unity of a body and a
spirit. The body grows and dies, while the soul continues to exist even
after the body has passed.

________ 9. Accepting the fact that we have a limited time in this world allows us to
determine the course of our life – to paint a picture of how our life will
progress and how we envision it to end.

________ 10. The person exercising his/her freedom is the author and protagonist
who determines the development and conclusion of his or her life story.

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 11
Student’s answers may vary.
Note: Teacher may set his or her own grading criteria.
.
Student’s answers may vary.
Note: Teacher may set his or her own grading criteria.
Student’s answers may vary.
Note: Teacher may set his or her own grading criteria.
Student’s answers may vary.
Note: Teacher may set his or her own grading criteria.
TRUE OR FALSE
1. T
2. F
3. T
4. F
5. T
6. T
7. T
8. T
9. T
10. T
Answer Key
References

BOOK

1. Brenda B. Corpuz, BSE, MAEd, PhD, Ruben A. Corpus, AB English-Philo, MA

Philo, LIB, PhD, Maria Lovelyn Corpuz-Paclibar, AB Philo, MA Philo, & Socrates
O. Paclibar, AB Philo, MD., Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
(Quezon City, Metro Manila: Lorimar Publishing, Inc., 2016), pages 142-144, 147,
152.
2. Christine Carmela R. Ramos, PhD, Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human
Person (Sampaloc, Manila: Rex Book Store, Inc., 2016), page 163.

3. Roberto D. Abella, M. Div., D. Min., Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human

Person (Quezon City: C & E Publishing, Inc., 2016), pages 131 -134, 137-139, 142.

TEACHERS GUIDE
Most Essential Learning Competencies

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For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – Schools Division of Negros Oriental

Kagawasan, Avenue, Daro, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental

Tel #: (035) 225 2376 / 541 1117

Email Address: negros.oriental@deped.gov.ph
Website: lrmds.depednodis.net