by Dan Yamsuan
When this school year started, I felt lost, even though I felt I was given another chance to start all over again. With all the uncertainties and bitterness that were brought because of my experiences last semester, it became hard for me to recover from them. That time, I thought people didn’t care about me, as they could easily just abandon me like a disposable tetra juice pack left around the park. I have always been given time to other people that I have forgotten myself in the process. Because of that, I have tried isolating myself from other people and became stiffer with the way I handle things around me. It seemed that there were things I haven’t let go of yet.
When I had Philosophy classes, the lectures reminded me of the ideals I used to hold on before I fell into my misery. Slowly, it made me realize that I haven’t given time to develop myself into a better person and to appreciate what I have that are important to me. So, I started to meet new people, at the same time, be more aware about my capabilities. These required a sense of humility and maturity to be able to understand myself and other people better. In the end, what I have learned in Philosophy entailed me to walk along the path of acceptance. This path helped me mend the broken pieces I had before, until I was able to stand up and believe in myself and other people once again.
As classes are coming to an end, I realized that the path to acceptance was long and difficult to tread on. It required much patience and trust not only of oneself, but also of other people as well. But, I can’t say that I have forgiven myself yet, neither can I say that I have reached the end of the road, as there is still a lot to learn along the way. But, I can say that I am on my way to become a better person by enjoying life, even at its smallest things, and I would eventually become more confident in dealing with other people as well.
For that, I am grateful that learning Philosophy as one that helped me see everything around me in another perspective, where hope is still present.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
What Does It Mean To Be Human?
by Frenchi Baluyot
What does it mean to be human? What really struck me the most in philosophy was this question because it really makes you think, what does it really mean to be human? Is being human living a life of imperfection in the sense that we use our humanity as an excuse to do wrong and to make mistakes? “Tao lang ako” I often hear this phrase from people and sometimes even myself as we see our humanity in the negative light instead of positive. So I guess what it means to be human is to be more than human. To be human is to go beyond our concepts of what humanity truly is. It is to be infinite.
If to be human is to be infinite, alongside with this is our infinite responsibility as human beings. To be human is “to be there” for Others as we have to recognize that we are related beings, interconnected, and social. We cannot simply live life maintaining only ourselves because to do this is to be ignorant of the Other even if this reality is already clearly in front of us. Being social beings, how can we not respond to a reality calling us to act and move? When we recognize the Other as face, we are pushed by something within us, an infinite which calls us to move out of ourselves and experience the world with others.
Ultimately, what it means to be human is to recognize that we are related beings responsible for each other in this world as after all “No man is an island entire of itself, every man is a piece of a continent, part of the main.” This quote points out to us that we are part of a larger scheme and larger order of things and with this “no man is an island” we need to move out of ourselves and experience being part of this whole.
What does it mean to be human? What really struck me the most in philosophy was this question because it really makes you think, what does it really mean to be human? Is being human living a life of imperfection in the sense that we use our humanity as an excuse to do wrong and to make mistakes? “Tao lang ako” I often hear this phrase from people and sometimes even myself as we see our humanity in the negative light instead of positive. So I guess what it means to be human is to be more than human. To be human is to go beyond our concepts of what humanity truly is. It is to be infinite.
If to be human is to be infinite, alongside with this is our infinite responsibility as human beings. To be human is “to be there” for Others as we have to recognize that we are related beings, interconnected, and social. We cannot simply live life maintaining only ourselves because to do this is to be ignorant of the Other even if this reality is already clearly in front of us. Being social beings, how can we not respond to a reality calling us to act and move? When we recognize the Other as face, we are pushed by something within us, an infinite which calls us to move out of ourselves and experience the world with others.
Ultimately, what it means to be human is to recognize that we are related beings responsible for each other in this world as after all “No man is an island entire of itself, every man is a piece of a continent, part of the main.” This quote points out to us that we are part of a larger scheme and larger order of things and with this “no man is an island” we need to move out of ourselves and experience being part of this whole.
The Real Beauty of Service
Rabindranath Tagore once said, “I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.”
Nowadays, some of the people tend to distinguish very carefully between the times they’re going to do work or help other people and the times they’re going to use for their own enjoyment. They do work because these give them sources for their latter enjoyment, or they help other people simply because they only feel that it is what the situation demands from them. On the other side of the spectrum, they set aside time for the things that would give them satisfaction. They play video games or they travel to different countries because these give them happiness in their hearts, and indeed, this is not actually bad. In fact, it’s actually helpful for them to keep these times in order to appreciate better the things around them. However, if they let this lifestyle be the finality of their life, then, true enough, they would have missed a very important point.
I strongly believe that this point is one of the several insights Levinas wants to impart to those who have read his works. As one experiences jouissance, one is able to identify clearly himself as a being different from other people. One fully experiences the things he likes the most, wherein the time seems to be merely floating by. However, with this, one sees every possibility only as a form of nourishment alone. The way things are defined is always in reference to the person seeing it. Nevertheless, the full experience of the Face calls for an interruption in our enjoyment. The other person’s face pleads the person looking to escape his own comfort zone and to be responsible for this other person. Even if the Face leaves a free response from the one looking, it allows him to question himself too, ‘what have I done to you and for you?”
Ultimately, one is called to do things for these people around us. A student does not studyfor himself alone, an employee does not work for himself alone and a teacher does not prepare lesson plans for himself alone. By realizing that the things we do are tied with our responsibility for the people around us, then, we can already say that indeed, genuine service gives joy not only to our hearts, but their hearts too.
Nowadays, some of the people tend to distinguish very carefully between the times they’re going to do work or help other people and the times they’re going to use for their own enjoyment. They do work because these give them sources for their latter enjoyment, or they help other people simply because they only feel that it is what the situation demands from them. On the other side of the spectrum, they set aside time for the things that would give them satisfaction. They play video games or they travel to different countries because these give them happiness in their hearts, and indeed, this is not actually bad. In fact, it’s actually helpful for them to keep these times in order to appreciate better the things around them. However, if they let this lifestyle be the finality of their life, then, true enough, they would have missed a very important point.
I strongly believe that this point is one of the several insights Levinas wants to impart to those who have read his works. As one experiences jouissance, one is able to identify clearly himself as a being different from other people. One fully experiences the things he likes the most, wherein the time seems to be merely floating by. However, with this, one sees every possibility only as a form of nourishment alone. The way things are defined is always in reference to the person seeing it. Nevertheless, the full experience of the Face calls for an interruption in our enjoyment. The other person’s face pleads the person looking to escape his own comfort zone and to be responsible for this other person. Even if the Face leaves a free response from the one looking, it allows him to question himself too, ‘what have I done to you and for you?”
Ultimately, one is called to do things for these people around us. A student does not studyfor himself alone, an employee does not work for himself alone and a teacher does not prepare lesson plans for himself alone. By realizing that the things we do are tied with our responsibility for the people around us, then, we can already say that indeed, genuine service gives joy not only to our hearts, but their hearts too.
The Greatest Challenge
by Patrick Cruz
“God writes straight with crooked lines.”The words are still clearly resounding to my ears.
As one zooms in an image of a straight line, one will recognize that there are still even the slightest flaws. There are still discontinuities that are not immediately visible to our eyes. Then, by looking at the line again, already aware of the minor errors it has, one appreciates better the things left unsaid for this line-- probably the stories it passes on, the feelings it contain, etc.
When I heard the statement for the first time, I was really clueless over what it actually meant though it was already clear for me that time that the statement is something much more than the two negatives making a positive. However, as I had reflected on it, things started to become clear to me. The crooked lines, I thought, would refer to the challenges faced by each and every person. The challenges may range from simply passing a difficult examination to losing a job or even more, losing another person you love. As one encounters these problems, he realizes his own finitude as a human being. He realizes that there are things outside himself which he can never be fully in control. Fortunately, even though he gets broken with these challenges, he also faces this opportunity to be renewed the next time. The person is actually shaped by God towards becoming more loving and more understanding for the people around him. The challenges are designed as tests to the person, molding him in every possible way for growth. in Having realized these insights, one discovers that in the end, there still remains hope, even if the tiniest one, for becoming a better person he wants to be. This is how even with the greatest challenges a person faces, in this sense, God can still write a straight line for this person, which can lead this person back to Him.
However, this interpretation might not be the only one possible. There are still a lot of possible explanations which would help enlighten a person in understanding this statement. Nevertheless, for me, what the statement provides is a possibility—an opportunity to relate with God by experiencing more the people around us and creating more meaningful relation with them, through the ultimate challenge for us to become better persons.
“God writes straight with crooked lines.”The words are still clearly resounding to my ears.
As one zooms in an image of a straight line, one will recognize that there are still even the slightest flaws. There are still discontinuities that are not immediately visible to our eyes. Then, by looking at the line again, already aware of the minor errors it has, one appreciates better the things left unsaid for this line-- probably the stories it passes on, the feelings it contain, etc.
When I heard the statement for the first time, I was really clueless over what it actually meant though it was already clear for me that time that the statement is something much more than the two negatives making a positive. However, as I had reflected on it, things started to become clear to me. The crooked lines, I thought, would refer to the challenges faced by each and every person. The challenges may range from simply passing a difficult examination to losing a job or even more, losing another person you love. As one encounters these problems, he realizes his own finitude as a human being. He realizes that there are things outside himself which he can never be fully in control. Fortunately, even though he gets broken with these challenges, he also faces this opportunity to be renewed the next time. The person is actually shaped by God towards becoming more loving and more understanding for the people around him. The challenges are designed as tests to the person, molding him in every possible way for growth. in Having realized these insights, one discovers that in the end, there still remains hope, even if the tiniest one, for becoming a better person he wants to be. This is how even with the greatest challenges a person faces, in this sense, God can still write a straight line for this person, which can lead this person back to Him.
However, this interpretation might not be the only one possible. There are still a lot of possible explanations which would help enlighten a person in understanding this statement. Nevertheless, for me, what the statement provides is a possibility—an opportunity to relate with God by experiencing more the people around us and creating more meaningful relation with them, through the ultimate challenge for us to become better persons.
The Family
by Francine Seno
One of our recent topics in Theo131 is the subject of family, and how very family-centric our culture is. In many ways, the family is always seen to be the center and the number one priority of one’s life. For most of us, family always comes first and others may be willing to do almost anything to secure the family. What Theology teaches is that the family, as a social unit, should not be “closed off” in itself. The love between parents and children should flow outward into the wider community: in social, political and communal duties. The family, having a social mission, a responsibility, is called to reach out and go beyond itself. I can relate this way of looking at the family to the Law of the I and the Other. Sometimes there is too much of a focus on the family, on family ties, that we tend to close ourselves off and create barriers that separate us from the bigger community, the bigger world. There is an overemphasis on the priority to provide, to please, to be-for-our-families that we forget about our social responsibilities outside of the family. Even if the family can be seen as the “other” that we are reaching out towards, we are still stuck in the Law of the I because that reaching out somehow still goes back to us, to the I – the family is seen as an extension of one’s ego. While family ties are important, we should also remember that we should be able to translate the love fostered and shared in our homes to the wider society, and to assume responsibility to the Other outside of the family. “To be human is to be responsible for the Other whom I do not choose.”
One of our recent topics in Theo131 is the subject of family, and how very family-centric our culture is. In many ways, the family is always seen to be the center and the number one priority of one’s life. For most of us, family always comes first and others may be willing to do almost anything to secure the family. What Theology teaches is that the family, as a social unit, should not be “closed off” in itself. The love between parents and children should flow outward into the wider community: in social, political and communal duties. The family, having a social mission, a responsibility, is called to reach out and go beyond itself. I can relate this way of looking at the family to the Law of the I and the Other. Sometimes there is too much of a focus on the family, on family ties, that we tend to close ourselves off and create barriers that separate us from the bigger community, the bigger world. There is an overemphasis on the priority to provide, to please, to be-for-our-families that we forget about our social responsibilities outside of the family. Even if the family can be seen as the “other” that we are reaching out towards, we are still stuck in the Law of the I because that reaching out somehow still goes back to us, to the I – the family is seen as an extension of one’s ego. While family ties are important, we should also remember that we should be able to translate the love fostered and shared in our homes to the wider society, and to assume responsibility to the Other outside of the family. “To be human is to be responsible for the Other whom I do not choose.”
Living "The Life"
Ang misyon ng bawat isa sa atin sa mundong ito ay ang pagkilos para sa kapakanan ng ating kapwa. Ano mang kapos sa adhikaing ito ay tuwirang balewala.
Levinas stresses to us that our life can and only will be able to reach its full potential when we always put the Other as our main priority. That we should not expect anything in return and just reach out to the Other.
What is life when we are to just enjoy things with ourselves? Isn't that just lonely? We are called to live a life of selflessness.
I guess we can all start doing this where we are everyday for the next 2-3 years… in school… There are so many people whom we can still reach out and practicing being "men-for-others." There is nothing better than practicing and applying Levinas' philosophy in our own homes and school which is our second home.
Tourist vs. Traveller
by Jevin Sarmiento
It was mentioned in our lectures that the probably the first step into becoming a being for others is to be opened up. This opening up is caused by traumatisms- traumatisms that stray away from the common misconception of a psychological condition that has lasting harmful effect, but is seen as a way of being opened up to the reality beyond oneself. It is through these traumatisms that one is made aware of others and thus, leads him/her to start his/her path in becoming a being for others.
I could see this being closed and opening up in the act of going abroad. Taking my insights from Kent Nerburn’s book, “Letters to My Son,” when one leaves his/her home, he/she takes either one of two identities: the tourist and the traveller. What makes them is whether one opens up. When one is a tourist, he/she is protected by his/her credit cards, lavish hotels, and just visits a country for the sole reason of being able to say, “I was there.” He/she spends time within the comfort inside his/her hotel room, eating the finest food, which could be found from where he came from. He/she might go out for a while, going to the famous landmarks, taking selfies and posting them on Facebook or Twitter as soon as he/she finds an Internet connection. In short, a tourist is one who stays within him/herself, afraid of leaving the confines of his/her comfort zone and thus deprives him/herself of the chance to engage in another society’s culture, people and traditions- the chance to experience another country or area. The traveller, on the other hand, loses himself in the new culture of the countries he/she visits. He/she does not need the fanciest hotel rooms because of he/she would be too busy learning other people’s culture, way of life, language. He/she does not take selfies because he/she is taking pictures of him/herself with other people. A traveller is one who experiences the other/s and in some way learns more than a tourist can.
I’m not saying that being in nice hotels or having private tours is a bad thing, it’s just that one must remember to engage with the country and experience its people. It is in experiencing the other that a traveller sees another country and its people not as a sight, but as another country with its own people who have their own reality that is beyond his/her own. Don’t be afraid to open up yourself to their ways, so the next time you come back home from a trip abroad or out of town, you could look back and call yourself a true traveller.
It was mentioned in our lectures that the probably the first step into becoming a being for others is to be opened up. This opening up is caused by traumatisms- traumatisms that stray away from the common misconception of a psychological condition that has lasting harmful effect, but is seen as a way of being opened up to the reality beyond oneself. It is through these traumatisms that one is made aware of others and thus, leads him/her to start his/her path in becoming a being for others.
I could see this being closed and opening up in the act of going abroad. Taking my insights from Kent Nerburn’s book, “Letters to My Son,” when one leaves his/her home, he/she takes either one of two identities: the tourist and the traveller. What makes them is whether one opens up. When one is a tourist, he/she is protected by his/her credit cards, lavish hotels, and just visits a country for the sole reason of being able to say, “I was there.” He/she spends time within the comfort inside his/her hotel room, eating the finest food, which could be found from where he came from. He/she might go out for a while, going to the famous landmarks, taking selfies and posting them on Facebook or Twitter as soon as he/she finds an Internet connection. In short, a tourist is one who stays within him/herself, afraid of leaving the confines of his/her comfort zone and thus deprives him/herself of the chance to engage in another society’s culture, people and traditions- the chance to experience another country or area. The traveller, on the other hand, loses himself in the new culture of the countries he/she visits. He/she does not need the fanciest hotel rooms because of he/she would be too busy learning other people’s culture, way of life, language. He/she does not take selfies because he/she is taking pictures of him/herself with other people. A traveller is one who experiences the other/s and in some way learns more than a tourist can.
I’m not saying that being in nice hotels or having private tours is a bad thing, it’s just that one must remember to engage with the country and experience its people. It is in experiencing the other that a traveller sees another country and its people not as a sight, but as another country with its own people who have their own reality that is beyond his/her own. Don’t be afraid to open up yourself to their ways, so the next time you come back home from a trip abroad or out of town, you could look back and call yourself a true traveller.
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