Philosophy of the Human Person Reviewer

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers key concepts from the Philosophy of the Human Person, including the forms and structures of society, the meaning of life and death, and environmental philosophy paradigms and ethics.

Society

The result of humans working together and forming relationships to pursue shared goals and the common good, such as survival and public service.

Common good

Shared goals within a society such as peace, a clean and safe environment, and efficient public service.

Culture

The values and practices a group considers important, reflecting the ongoing relationship between society and the individual.

Family

The basic unit of society through which infants first relate to parents or guardians for survival.

Hunting & Gathering

The earliest and simplest form of society; small, family-based, nomadic, and characterized by equal treatment of members and decisions by consensus.

Pastoral

A form of society based on the domestication of animals for food, leading to larger populations, settled living, and specialized tasks due to resource surplus.

Horticultural

A semi-nomadic society involving small-scale cultivation of plants and animal domestication that moves when local resources run short.

Agrarian / Agricultural

A society characterized by large-scale, long-term cultivation of crops and animal domestication using improved technology and a structured social system.

Feudal

A society based on land ownership with a hierarchy consisting of a ruler (land owner), vassal (land manager), and peasants (land workers).

Industrial

A society emerging in the late $18\text{th}$ century based on specialized machinery for goods and services, leading to cultural diversity and bureaucracy.

Post-Industrial

A society based on knowledge, information, and services, giving rise to virtual societies and highly specialized roles.

Norms

A set of traits and behaviors considered acceptable by society and passed on to its members.

Pagmamano

A Filipino gesture of respect to elders that serves as an example of a societal norm.

Laws

Formal and stringent norms that define acceptable citizen behavior; violating them results in specific punishments.

Folkways

Less formal norms rooted in tradition where violations do not result in formal punishment.

Social system

The organized and patterned set of relationships among individuals and groups that compose a society.

Social role

The specific actions and behaviors expected of a particular individual within a society.

Social institutions

Groups that perform vital functions in society, including family, school, government, and religion.

Social values

Ideals considered vital to an orderly society, such as cooperation, respect for diversity, and obedience to the law.

Death

Commonly understood as the end of bodily functions and the separation of body and spirit.

Embodied spirit

The view that the human person is a unity of a material body (which grows and decays) and an immaterial spirit (which persists after death).

Self-determination

The essence of freedom, defined as the capacity to choose and act for oneself.

Noble good

A source of happiness pursued for its own sake, such as love and friendship.

Useful good

A source of happiness that is good only as a means to an end, such as money.

Pleasurable good

A source of happiness that provides pleasure, which is not necessarily physical in nature.

Suffering

The state that occurs when an individual patiently endures unpleasantness, discomfort, or pain.

Physical suffering

Discomfort or pain resulting from hunger, injury, disease, homelessness, or lack of basic needs.

Mental suffering

Emotional or psychological states such as depression, anxiety, fear, loneliness, and grief.

Certain

A characteristic of death according to Heidegger; as finite beings, death is an unavoidable part of existence.

Indefinite

A characteristic of death according to Heidegger; death is sure to come, but the exact timing is unknown and impending.

One's Own Property

A characteristic of death according to Heidegger; a person's death belongs to them alone and cannot be experienced by a proxy.

Non-relational

A characteristic of death according to Heidegger; death removes all relations to others and must be faced alone.

Not to be Outstripped

A characteristic of death according to Heidegger; death cannot be avoided, and no one can remove the possibility of death or live forever.

Authenticity

A key concept in existentialism referring to having a true and meaningful existence by choosing deliberately for oneself rather than following the crowd.

Human Person

A rational living being capable of transforming the world and directing its own development toward truth, love, goodness, and unity.

Environment

The sum total of all surroundings of a living organism, providing conditions for growth as well as potential danger.

Environmental Philosophy / Ethics

The discipline studying the moral relationship of human beings with the environment and its non-human contents.

Deep Ecology

A paradigm by Arne Naess that recognizes the intrinsic value of all beings and stresses the interdependence of organisms within ecosystems.

Social Ecology

A paradigm by Murray Bookchin that traces ecological problems to hierarchical and oppressive structures within human society.

Ecofeminism

A paradigm linking the domination and exploitation of nature to the domination of women.

Environmental Aesthetics

The philosophical view that maintaining order in the environment enhances its natural beauty and the well-being of organisms.

Anthropocentrism

A view considering humans as the most important species, where nature exists primarily to meet human needs.

Biocentrism

A view advocating for the ethical treatment of all life, believing that all living organisms have inherent value.

Ecocentrism

A view that values whole ecosystems and communities, placing humans as stewards or guardians of nature.

Sustainability

The concept of reconciling human activity and economic development with environmental protection for future generations.

Environmental Integrity

A sustainability principle stating that human activities should not unduly disrupt ecosystems and communities.

Economic Efficiency

A sustainability principle focused on prudent resource use to ensure minimum to zero waste.

Equity

A sustainability principle emphasizing the conservation of resources so they remain available for future generations.

Prudence

The ability of an individual to regulate their own actions and behavior.

Frugality

The value of being thrifty and careful with the use of one's resources.