LESSON 8:

HUMAN PERSONS AS
ORIENTED TOWARDS
THEIR IMPENDING
DEATH
 LET’S EMBARK
At the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:
1. Explain the significance of death in the existence of the
person;
2. Recognize the meaning of their own lives;
3. Enumerate the objectives they want to achieve the
projects they want to do in life;
4. Explain where their lives will lead to; and
5. Reflect on the meaning of their own lives.
 JUMBLED LETTERS
Answer this in 10 minutes only.
1. HETAD
2. FUREFIGSN
3. LORMPETA XCENSTEIE
4. SUBLERAEAPL DOGO
5. SENSIPAPH
6. BLENO ODOG
7. ELFS NONTAIERMITED
8. FULEUS OGOD
9. ALHYSICP FUREFIGSN
10. TENLAM FUREFIGSN
 ANSWER KEY:
1) DEATH 6.) NOBLE GOOD
2) SUFFERING 7.) SELF DETERMINATION
3) TEMPORAL EXISTENCE 8.) USEFUL GOOD
4) PLEASURABLE GOOD 9.)PHYSICAL SUFFERING
5) HAPPINESS 10.) MENTAL SUFFERING
 INQUIRE AND DISCOVER
Have you ever wondered about 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trends become outdated after some time.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 our human
condition: we are temporal beings or “being oriented towards death.”

The every thought of death and the mystery surrounding it certainly cause 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 the death can we begin to explore and understand the meaning
of our own existence.
 DISCUSS
Why do you think some people have such a negative view
regarding death?
HOW DOES THE REALITY OF
DEATH DEFINE OUR LIVES?
 DEATH
It is commonly understood as the end of bodily functions which signal
the end of a person’s life.
It is also refers to the separation of the body and the spirit.
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 eventually
die. This paradox defines the uniqueness of human existence.

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 really are. Others focus
in 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 expression such as #YOLO ( YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE) and
“eat, drink and be merry and tomorrow die”
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 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.
 DISCUSS
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 lived a meaningful life?
HOW SHOULD I LIVE MY LIFE
BEFORE IT FINALLY ENDS?
Understanding the person as a being-towards-death
bring us back to a very important topic: freedom. It has
been discussed previously that the essence of freedom is
self-determination.
 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 the reality of death
in their lives.
 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 cosmetics surgery or availing of
“age-defying” treatments.
We can definitely choose to spend our lives doing good and reasonable things
or even go against what is good.

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 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
as it framed with certain lines. The key idea is that we all have 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 finished 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 improve the most even the same set of conditions.
 Temporality challenges us to make choices that will be good for us
and the people around us.
 Whenever we make a choice, we cannot undo that choice because
the present moment has now gone into the past.
 On the other hand, the choices we make in the present are not always
confined to the here and now as they also have an impact on the
future.
 Given all these consideration, we may ask: what is the end of this
life? The term end can be understood in two ways: TERMINUS and
TELOS.

Terminus
Which means the full stop or end of a line. For some philosophers, life
ends and nothing follows.

Telos
Which means “goal, purpose, or fulfillment.” 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 this 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 .
DISCUSS
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.
WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?
WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?
Ancient Greek philosophy considers as an achievement and it must be
gained by living a productive and moral life.
Religious philosopher consider happiness as a union with God.
Other contemporary views define happiness as “whole – life
satisfaction”, based on our evaluation of our overall life experiences.
Ethics plays a significant role in defining the means to achieve happiness.
Various philosophical views emphasize the importance of setting
worthwhile goals in life to achieve personal happiness. Happiness also
has a social element, as we should not only be concerned about our own
Happiness, but also the well – being of others.
HOW DO I DEFINE TRUE HAPPINESS?
As an embodied spirit, we must also consider the goods or sources of happiness
which are proper to a person.
A Noble Good is one which is pursued for its own sake; it is good in itself. Love and
friendship are some examples.
A Useful Good is considered good so long as it serves as a mean to an end; its
goodness is found only from what it can provide. For example, money is good as it
can buy you something.
A Pleasurable Good is good so long as it provides some form of pleasure, though it
does not have to be physical. It must be understood that have specific good cannot be
categorized strictly under one kind. For example, friendship may be noble good
because it is good to be a friend to someone. However, pursuing it with incorrect
intentions ( e.g., befriending someone for academic or career advancement) makes it
only a useful good).
 DISCUSS
1. What kinds of goods have you been pursuing lately? How do these
contribute to your well – being and happiness?
2. What do you think brings about real happiness? What things in your
life make truly happy?
WHY DO WE SUFFER?
 WHY DO WE SUFFER?
Suffering takes place when we patiently endure unpleasantness,
discomfort, and pain.
It came form of Physical Suffering, when we experience physical
sensations such as discomfort, hunger, distress, and pain. These are often
caused by injury, disease, and the lack of basic needs.
It can also be form of Mental Suffering, which involves emotional and
mental states such as depression, anxiety, fear, loneliness, and grief. These
may be caused by unexpected situations in life such as sudden changes in
lifestyle, loss of employment, stressful situations, and grief caused by the
death of a love one. The tension between what a person is and what he
wants to be may also be an experience of suffering.
What causes suffering?
Negative experiences are part of our lives. We cannot shelter
ourselves from suffering, but we can be prepared to deal with it so it
does not break us.
Philosophy helps us understand how suffering defines the state or
condition of the person before, during, and after the experience.
It is important to remember that difficulties are not without reason.
Even if the outcome of a difficulty is unfavorable, dealing with
suffering can improve our attitude towards life and other people.
 DISCUSS
1. What form of suffering have you mostly encountered in your life so
far?
2. How did you deal with the suffering and the difficulties you
experienced?
3. Do you believe that suffering is worthwhile? Why?
4. Were there instances in your life when adversities and negative
experiences benefitted you as a person?
How do 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.
If we are willing to suffer through adversities and maybe even suffer
cheerful, 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.
How do happiness, suffering, and
death give meaning to your life?
• The reality of death means that our existence is unique and that
we will not always get another chance to death means that our
existence is unique and that we will not always get another
chance to do the things we want in this life. Therefore, we
should not easily give 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 a
significant achievement.
How do happiness, suffering, and
death give meaning to your life?
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 is 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.
 REVIEW
DEATH is in the end of bodily functions which signals the end of
person’s life. It also refers to the separation of the body and soul.
HAPPINESS is a state of being, not just an emotional experience or a
chosen mental attitude. We do not choose happiness; we choose the
means to achieve it.
A good is a source of happiness and it has three kinds:
NOBLE GOOD is one which is pursued for its own sake; it is good
in self.
USEFUL GOOD is considered good so long as it serves as a means
to an end; its goodness is found only from what it can be provide.
PLEASURABLE GOOD is good so long as it provides some from of
pleasure, though it doesn’t have to be physical.
The kind of happiness that can be gain from a good is also closely tide
to its nature. Real happiness can be found more permanent and
meaningful things.
SUFFERING takes place when we patiently endure unpleasantness,
discomfort, and pain. It can be physically and mentally. Suffering is
generally viewed as an undesirable, condition and that we naturally
seek pleasure and avoid pain.
 ASSESMENT

A. IDENTIFY THE FOLLOWING. WRITE THE CORRECT

ANSWER ON A SHEET OF PAPER.

1. It refers to the separation of the soul and the body.

2. It takes place when we patiently endure unpleasantness,
discomfort, and pain.
3. It refers to how our lives are temporary.
4. It is a kind of good so long as it provides some form of pleasure.
5. According to ancient Greek philosophy, it is an achievement
and must be gained by living a productive and moral life.
6. It is a kind of good that is pursued for its own sake.
7. It is the essence of freedom which is the capacity to choose and
act for oneself.
8. It is a kind of good that is considered good so long as it serve
as a means to an end.
9. It is a kind of suffering that refers to discomfort, hunger, stress ,
and pain
10. It is a kind of suffering that includes depression, anxiety, fear,
Loneliness, and grief.
 ASSESMENT ANSWER KEY:
1) DEATH 6.) HOBLE GOOD
2) SUFFERING 7.) SELF DETERMINATION
3) TEMPORAL EXISTENCE 8.) USEFUL GOOD
4) PLEASURABLE GOOD 9.)PHYSICAL SUFF
5) HAPPINESS 10.) MENTAL SUFF