LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

QUARTER 2/1ST SEMESTER, WEEK 8.1

Name:___________________________________________________Score:_____

Grade & Section ________Subject: Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person

Name of Teacher: __________________________________Date: _____________

I. Title: Finding Meaning in Life to Inspire and Spark Human Potentials

II. Type of Activity: Concept notes with formative activities
LAS for summative assessment (Written Work)
(Performance Task)
III. MELC: Enumerate the objectives he/she really wants to achieve and to define
the projects he/she really wants to do in his life (PPT 11/12Iii-8.1)

III. Learning Objective/s:

1. enumerate the objectives that one really wants to achieve;
2. define the projects one really wants to do in his life after due reflection inspired
by philosophers;
3. proposes a life project geared towards social improvement and follows through
with commitment.
V. References

Montaña, Robert. “Systematic Ethics.” Essay. In Thomistic Ethics, 1–89. Manila,

Philippines: UST Publishing House, 2015.

Peschke, Karl H. “Chapter V: Realization of the Moral Value in Human Acts.” Essay.
In Christian Ethics, 228–84. Manila, Philippines: Logos Publications, Inc., 2012.

Ramos, Christine Carmela R. Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person.

Quezon City: Rex Publishing Company, Inc. pp.109-110

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VI. Concept notes with formative activities

Know thyself says Socrates. How does one really know himself? For sure we
could recognize our exterior like height, complexion, and others. However, if you could
investigate something and see your internal reflection would you want to? What would
you see? What would you learn? What could possibly dig deep into your soul and
reveal your innermost person? Finding meaning in life starts with self-knowledge.

Many people never stop to consider their real purpose in life. Some people
however, assume that there is no real purpose. How about you? Is there any
transcendent reason for you to be alive? Can you have a remarkably interesting and
fulfilling destiny ahead of you, regardless of your present situation? Finding meaning
and purpose in life can inspire and spark your human potentials. As a human being,
you have much higher intelligence than any creature; you can visualize the future. You
certainly have hopes and dreams; and creative imagination far beyond any other form
of physical life on this earth. Yet do all these gifts, potentials and dreams rot when you
die and "dust returns to dust"? In this module, let us explore and find meaning in life
and human existence by enumerating the objectives we want to achieve and to define
with clarity the life projects we want to do.

What is the meaning of your life?

This lesson shall evaluate the meaning of life and various perspectives of
human limitations such as death. It is vital that the learners contribute in identifying
their own goals and to be aware of the meaning of life
A. Socrates
Socrates, a great teacher in Athens around 469 BC, believes that
knowing oneself is a condition to solve the present problem (Bewersluis 2000).
Socrates in Clouds is the head of the school; the work of the school comprises
research and teaching. Socrates has two different ways of teaching. His
expository method that answers the student's direct or implied questions, fills
the void ignorance with information, proceeds by analogy and illustration, or
clears the ground for exposition by demonstrating that some of the beliefs hither
to held by the student are irreconcilable with other beliefs or assumptions. His
“tutorial” or well-known Socratic method is: (1) to assess by questions the
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character of the student; and (2) to set him problems, exhort him to reduce each
problem to its constituent elements, and criticize the solutions that he offers.
The first process is also called ironic process, a process that serves the
learner to seek for knowledge by ridding the mind of prejudices and then by
humbly accepting his ignorance. The second process is the maieutic process
that is employed after the first process has cleared the mind of the learner of
the ignorance, and then draws truth out of the learner’s mind. This can be done
by means of a dialog or a conversation. This method considers, examines,
compares, and studies the similarities and dissimilarities of the idea being
discussed, so that the clear and precise notion of the idea is achieved.

On Happiness. For Socrates, for a person to be happy, he has to live a virtuous

life. Virtue is not something to be taught or acquired through education, but
rather it is merely an awakening of the seeds of good deeds that lay dormant in
the mind and heart of a person. Knowing what is in the mind and heart of a
human being is achieved through self-knowledge. Thus, knowledge does not
mean only theoretical or speculative, but a practical one. Practical knowledge
means that one does not only know the rules of right living, but one lives them.
Hence, for Socrates, true knowledge means wisdom, which in turn, means
virtue.
Socrates’ major ethical claims were: (1) happiness is impossible without
moral virtue; and (2) unethical actions harm the person who performs them
more than the people they victimize.
Although it is not totally clear what Socrates meant by these notions, he
seems to have believed that an unethical person is weak, even psychologically
unhealthy. He apparently thought that we, today, would call that cognitive and
non-cognitive capacities are harmed as the unethical person gives into his or
her desires and ultimately becomes enslaved by them.
Someone in the grip of corruption can no longer be satisfied and
endlessly seeks new pleasures. In addition, the individual’s intellect and moral
sense are impaired. Socrates, thus, saw someone steeped in vice as lacking
the freedom, self-control, and intellectual clarity that are needed to live happily.
The immoral person literally becomes a slave to his desires.

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B. Plato
Contemplation in the mind of Plato means that the mind is in communion with
the universal and eternal ideas. Contemplation is very important in the life of humanity
because this is the only available means for a mortal human being to free himself from
his space-time confinement to ascend to the heaven of ideas and there commune with
the immortal, eternal, the infinite and the divine truths.
This contemplation does not mean passive thinking or speculation, or knowing
and appreciating what is good; rather, it is doing good in life. Human beings, therefore,
are in constant contemplation of the truth, since the things we see here on earth are
merely shadows (or appearance) of the real truth (reality) in the world of ideas; the
good, since here on earth, the body is inclined to evil things; the beauty, since the
things we see here on earth are not fair or foul to others. Hence, humanity should
contemplate beauty that is absolute, simple, and everlasting.

What is Plato's Theory of Immortality?

According to Plato, the body is the source of endless trouble to us by reason of
the mere requirement of food, and is liable also to diseases, which overtake and
impede us in the search after true being: it fills us full of love, lusts and fears, and
fancies of all kinds, and endless foolishness.
For example, when war comes, money has to be acquired by and for the sake
of the body. The body, for Plato, causes us turmoil and confusion in our inquiries.
Thus, to see the truth, we must quit the body – the soul in itself must behold things in
themselves. Then, we shall attain the wisdom we desire. Knowledge, however, can be
attained (if at all) after death: for if while in the company of the body, the soul cannot
have pure knowledge.

C. Aristotle
Realizing Your Potential
Aristotle’s account of change calls upon actuality and potentiality (Hare
et al. 1991). For Aristotle, everything in nature seeks to realize itself to develop
its potentialities and finally realize its actualities. All things have strived toward
their ”end.” A child strives to be an adult; a seed strives to be a tree. It is the
potentiality to be changing. Aristotle called this process entelechy, a Greek

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word for '' to become its essence.'' Aristotle has much more to say about
change. Change takes place in time and space. Since space and time are
infinitely indivisible, Aristotle analyzed the notion of infinity.
Entelechy means that nothing happens by chance. Nature not only has
a built-in pattern, but also different levels of being. Some creatures, such as
humans, have more actuality than potentiality and some, such as bees; have
more potentiality than actuality. However, for the world of potential things to
exist at all, there must first be something actual (form) at a level above potential
or perishing things (matter).
Aristotle divided everything in the natural world into two main categories:
nonliving things and living things (Price 2000). Nonliving things such as rock,
water, and earth have no potentiality for change. They can change only by
some external influence. Water changes into ice, for instance, when the
external temperature reaches freezing. However, living things do have the
potentiality for change.
At the top of the scale is the Unmoved Mover (God); pure actuality
without any potentiality. All things in the world are potentially in motion and
continuously changing. Therefore, said Aristotle, there must be something that
is actual motion and which is moved by nothing external. He called this entity
the Unmoved Mover.
For Aristotle, all things are destructible but the Unmoved Mover is
eternal, immaterial, with pure actuality or perfection, and, with no potentiality.
Being eternal, it is the reason for and the principle of motion to everything else.
Because motion is eternal, there never was a time when the world was not. The
Unmoved Mover has neither physical body nor emotional desires. Its main
activity consists of pure thought (Nous). As such, it is a mind that is perfect and
its object of thought can only be itself.
Striving to realize themselves, objects and human beings move toward
their divine origin and perfection. Our highest faculty is the reason, which finds
its perfection in contemplating the Unmoved Mover. Aristotle explained how an
Unmoved Mover could cause motion of the world and everything in it by
comparing it to a beloved who ''moves'' its lover by the Power of attraction. The
object of love is the cause of a change in the lover, without itself being changed.

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Similarly, God is the object of the aspirations of other substances but is not
Himself susceptible to change or motion (Hare et ai. 1991).
As the ''form'' adult is in the child directing it toward Its natural end, the
Unmoved Mover is the form of the world moving it toward its divine end. The
highest human activity resembles the activity of the Unmoved Mover. Just as
the Unmoved Mover thinks only of perfection, we can think about perfection.
However, because we are imperfect, we cannot think of perfection itself.
According to Aristotle, the most pleasant activity for any living creature is
realizing its nature; therefore, the happiest life for humans is thinking about the
Unmoved Mover (Price 2000).

Finding Your Purpose

Know thyself. Write your strengths and weaknesses.
There are four aspects. Leave the part of the unknown (for life has many
mysteries). The side where others know about you or perceive you, ask the
help of your peers, teachers, parents, or relatives. Their contributions will
support or make clearer how you can achieve your future plans. You must be
open to accept how others might perceive you. Always be open for
suggestions. Be generous in giving feedback to your classmates as well.
Focus on the positive.
You will assess your own negative and affirmative sides. There are some
of your characteristics that only yourself knows; you should include this in an
honest self-evaluation. There is also the part of you that is public or obvious
to others. You should also consider them. (For example, even if you are shy,
you sing well in front of your family.)
These activities in this module are designed for self-examination that will
bring more understanding about you and project/s you may want to
accomplish.

Personal Reflections
I spent my quarantine period to reflect about possible life projects. A life
project is a document that compiles “what we want to be” and “what we are
going to do” to achieve it in certain chapters of our life. It also includes the

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 possibilities and means/resources that we need and currently have to achieve
those goals. In summary, a life project is my little manual where I register my
dreams and the actions that I am going to carry out in order to fulfill those goals.
One time during my conversation with my wife and we just talked about our
future plans, three things came out, place of abode which we can call “home”,
professional development and educational plan. When we were talking about
these life projects, we enumerated certain objectives which we consider as
building blocks to our projects. Since these are the life projects that we would
like to achieve, we should be able to connect our daily activities with these big
life projects, we should take advantage of our talents, take advantage of the
resources and opportunities offered to us in life, learn to plan, establish priorities
and make sound decisions according to our life goals. My life project then
considers these mechanisms such as reality, needs, goals, values and sound
judgment.
I transcended my anxieties into opportunities that unfold the essential life
projects and the plans to achieve them. I realized that life is truly meaningful.
As you ponder on this reflection, I urge you to reflect once more on your “three
stars and a wish” and craft your life projects. Today is the right time!

You can do this!

Task 1
Self-knowledge is the beginning of wisdom. Let us check your knowledge about
meaning of life by reading each item carefully and indicate whether it is TRUE or
FALSE.
1. The concept of “the meaning of life” is unclear and often tricky.
2. Most people who live meaningful lives even without relying on belief in an external
being or force to confer meaning.
3. Often the impetus for reflection on the meaning of life is a disturbing thought.
4. It’s possible someone could hand you the meaning of life as a gift.
5. For many people, life can be meaningful if they come to see their goals or purposes
as inherently valuable or worthwhile.
6. For most people, the phrase “the meaning of life” refers to external meaning.
7. Most people think that life has no meaning.
8. I am certain about what I want to achieve. (explain in one sentence)
9. I have a clear picture of what I want in the future. (explain in one sentence)
10. I am doubtful about the future. (explain in one sentence)
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Task 2
Making a bucket list is a great way to set goals, and this activity involves the whole
family in the goal-setting practice. It’s a great way to both model goal setting and
encourages you to practice it, all at once.

Do the following:

 Get your family together and collect a piece of paper and some markers or any
writing material.
 As a family, brainstorm a list of accomplishments, experiences, or achievement
goals that you want to work towards as a family over the next month.
 To be more creative, you might consider using online tools like Evernote to help
create this bucket list as a family. Print and post your bucket list below:

Task 3
Based on the self-reflection in the concept notes, answer question:
Enumerate your “life projects” and the corresponding objectives that you want to
achieve.

LIFE PROJECTS OBJECTIVES THAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE

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You can do more!
Task 4
Draw a symbol to represent the life and career you imagine having after curriculum
exit (Trabaho, Negosyo, Kolehiyo, and Middle Skills Development) of the senior
high school. Briefly explain why you have chosen the symbol.

Task 5
Understanding the meaning of life is not based on pure thinking and rationality.
Share your own quote about the meaning of life. You can make simple drawing with
a simple cartoon of yourself and with a note just the one below.

Who I am is God’s
gift to me, what I will
become is my gift to
God. I am made for
service.

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Task 6
Introspection, as the term is used in contemporary philosophy of mind, is a means
of learning about one's own currently ongoing, or perhaps very recently past, mental
states or processes. (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Answer the questions that
follow to reflect further and know better your persona.

My persona …

Why do I want to __________________________________________________

become [enter a __________________________________________________
characteristic important __________________________________________________
to you]? Who in my life __________________________________________________
was or is like that? _______________________________________________

__________________________________________________
How do you picture __________________________________________________
yourself in 10 years? __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
_______________________________________________

__________________________________________________
What is your ideal __________________________________________________
society? __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
_______________________________________________

What do you think will __________________________________________________

be your contributions to __________________________________________________
social improvement in __________________________________________________
the place where you will __________________________________________________
be? _______________________________________________

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Challenge yourself
Task 7
Learners observe their two hands and choose which hands represent him/her
the most. Is it the right hand or the left hand? On a bond paper, trace the hand
you chose and draw symbols:

On the SMALL FINGER: Draw a symbol

that represents your present
track/strand/specialization (Grade 12).

Sample drawing for Academic: A nurse’s cap

because the learner wants to become a Nurse, a
Stethoscope because the learner wants to become
a Physician/Doctor.

On the RING FINGER: Draw a symbol that

represents your Job immersion. Sample drawing for
Academic: Drawing of a Hospital, Building, Bank,
Orphanage Center, Accounting Firm, Shopping
Mall and many more.

On the MIDDLE FINGER: Draw a symbol that represents your career exit (Kolehiyo,
Trabaho, Negosyo and Skills and Development Center). Sample drawing for
Academic: Drawing of a Business building, Bridge, Road

On the POINT FINGER: Draw a symbol that represents your future job. Sample
drawing for Academic: An injection for a nurse, a stethoscope for a Physician, high
rise building for Engineering, Hospital, Bank Orphanage

On the THUMB: Draw a symbol of your contribution to the society in relation to your
future job (success-like story). Sample drawing of Academic: The heart and the
family―because the nurse helps by taking care and helps sustain the life of one sick
individual in the family.

On the PALM AREA: Draw a symbol that represents your Career Motivational Goal;
(strength and sustainability/holding on) Sample drawing of Academic: Drawing of a

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heart that symbolizes life “as long as there is a heart beating…life must go on” by a
Physician and Nurse.

On the WRIST AREA: Draw a symbol that sustains you in the current
track/strand/specialization (connection and sustainability strength and responsibility)
Sample drawing for Academic: Drawing of a Cross symbolizes “My Creator” that
means “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life;” in the ups and downs of your life, you
are sustained by prayers and you keep moving forward positively until success comes.

Task 8

The finger is a body part that is in the hands and feet both left and right, in the normal
human finger amounted to five. What philosophy is there behind the five fingers of our
hands? Summarize what you have learned by writing the answer on the different parts
of the human hand.
1. Thumb is the main and the parent of the other four fingers. Give a thumbs up
to express a sense of approval, then the other four fingers will duck. Name your
greatest dream, your life project which you want to achieve ten years from
now.

2. The index finger is a symbol of the rich. Because the culture of the rich usually
point. If it takes anything rich people usually stay point because he has the
power or property. What are the means and resources you will need to realize
your life project.

3. Middle finger is the symbol of a wise and knowledgeable person, the middle
finger is the highest finger among the five fingers, but every time we will eat by
hand, or pick up an item, anatomically the middle finger will pull into parallel to
the other four fingers. Name three significant others who do you think are
knowledgeable persons who can help you.

4. Ring finger is a teen symbol. Where everything cannot be separated from the
"sweet" element. Can he perfectly stand upright? It's hard, is not it? That's like
adolescence. Name three great obstacles to the fulfilment of your life project.

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 5. Pinkie is a little finger that is small, petite but "functional". Precisely because of
his smallness, he can do many things that cannot be done by the other four
fingers. Enumerate how your life project can contribute to social
improvement. This is your little contribution that is geared toward
improvement.

Task 9
After setting a clear path of career progression through their plans, the learners
will write a letter about their future self, five years from now. consider the following
questions in writing the letters. You can use your mother tongue language to feel more
comfortable in expressing themselves:

1. What do I like about myself right now? (Ano ano ang mga magagandang
katangiang meron ako?)
2. What do I think are the things that I need to improve in my life right now? (Ano ang
mga katangiang kailangan ko pang paunlarin?)
3. What are the things that I should have accomplished after five years? (Ano anong
mga layunin ang dapat na makamit ko na limang taon mula ngayon?)
4. What are the goals and dreams that I want to achieve in my career and life? (Ano
ano ang aking mga pangarap at layunin sa aking karera at buhay?)
5. Why am I passionate about my chosen career and life? (Bakit lubos kong nais ang
aking napiling karera?)
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 Sulat para sa Aking Sarili

Mahal kong Gio,

Gusto kita kasi ikaw ay nakatuon sa iyong mga pangarap

at masikap sa iyong pag-aaral. Hinahangaan ka ng iyong mga
kamag-aral at guro, dahil sa iyong husay sa
pakikipagtalastasan. Gayunman, kung may isang bagay na
dapat mo pang paunlarin, ito ay ang iyong pag-sasaayos ng mga
gawain at time management. Sana, ngayon ay isa ka ng Master
Teacher sa isang pampublikong paaralan, na gumagabay sa
mga mag-aaral ng ika-21 siglo gamit ang mga makabago at mas
epektibong pamamaraan ng pagtuturo. Alam ko na mahal mo
ang propesyong ito, dahil naniniwala ka na mahalaga ang
gampanin ng guro sa paghubog sa mga kabataan upang sila ay
magkaroon ng magandang kinabukasan.

Sumasaiyo,

Gio Alonzo
12-Pythagoras

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Level Up!
Task 10
Write your career philosophies on the cutout given to each, following the template
guide.

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Task 11
Select the best answer. Write the answer in capital letter.
____1. Which of the following is a way of teaching by Socrates?
A. expository method C. illustration
B. pen and paper method D. both illustration and expository method
____2. It means that the mind is in communion with the universal and eternal ideas.
A. maieutic method C. Entelechy
B. contemplation of the mind D. ironic process
____3.What is the cause of endless trouble to us?
A. Beauty C. Good
B. Body D. All of these choices
____4.What can be attained after death, for Plato?
A. soul C. knowledge
B. body D. wisdom
____5. It means that nothing happens by chance.
A. Actuality C. Contemplation
B. Entelechy D. Potentiality

Task 12
Tell whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE
1. Philosophers believe that those who live meaningful lives have somehow believe in
external being/s or force to confer meaning.
2. The drive for reflection on the meaning of life is a disturbing thought.
3. Other people could hand you the meaning of life as a gift.
4. For many people, life can be meaningful if they come to see their goals or purposes
as inherently valuable or worthwhile.
5. Most people think that life has no meaning.

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