intersubjectivity (p2) + relationship of the human person

Manuel B. Dy, Jr

Phenomenology of Love

Epoche (Bracketing)

understanding love starts by suspending our ordinary, cliché ideas about it to see its true essence.

The Fallacy of Falling

- love is an intentional choice we commit

- A major misconception is viewing love merely as a pleasant feeling that we "fall into"

Erich Fromm

The Art of Loving (1956)

Giving vs. Receiving

Most people focus on being loved rather than the act of loving

Capability vs. Object

Love should be treated as an active power or "Ability" (kakayahan) that one practices, rather than an "Object" that one simply finds or stumbles upon.

Permanence

- The initial stage of "falling" or the "infatuation" phase is not permanent

- true love requires consistent effort and mastery, much like an art form.

Loneliness

➤ One of the most basic experiences of the human being because of self-awareness.

➤ deep in the human person, there is a need to overcome this l

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

serves as the foundation for distinguishing between "distance" and "closeness" in a social setting.

Socius

- this is our functional relationship.

- You see the other person only as their job, like a "driver," "student," or "customer".

- It is objective and organized by the state or institution.

Neighbor

- This is our personal relationship.

- It happens when you step out of your role to help someone simply because they are a fellow human in need.

Connection

Society needs both. We need the Socius for order and the Neighbor to keep our humanity.

The Human Person and The Society

- It focuses on the idea that humans are naturally drawn to groups for survival and fulfillment

- "No man is an island"

Plato's Tripartite of the Soul

- Plato argued that a "Just Society" mirrors the human soul.

- Every person has three parts of the soul

Appetitive (merchants/commoners)

Sprited (soldiers)

Rational (guardians)

3 parts of the soul

Appetitive (Merchants/Commoners)

Driven by basic needs and physical pleasures. They provide the "body" of society with goods and food

Spirited (Soldiers)

Driven by emotions, courage, and honor. They protect the society from external threats.

Rational (Guardians)

Driven by logic and wisdom. They make the decisions for the good of everyone.

Philosopher King

- this is the ultimate ruler who has mastered the Rational part of their soul.

- Plato believed society would only be perfect if philosophers became kings or kings became philosophers.

Philosophizing about the Social

It looks at how society evolves through history based on how we produce things and who owns them.

Karl Marx's Transformation of Societies

believed that society changes because of "material conditions"—basically, who has the money and power.

Primitive Communal

Everyone shares everything; there is no "private property".

Slave Society

➤ One group owns another; the start of "master vs. slave".

Feudal Society

➤ Based on land ownership (Lords and Serfs).

Capitalist Society

➤ Based on industrial production and profit, creating a gap between the owners (Bourgeoisie) and the workers (Proletariat).