INTRO TO PHILO

MARVIN N. ROCILLO
This story touches me every time. It’s not about helping someone who is like you but helping someone who
you were raised or taught to despise or who is different from you racially , culturally , ethnically etc. , which
shows what true love is for a neighbor.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
Luke 10:25-37 (New International Version)
(25) On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal
life?”
(26) “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
(27) He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with
all your mind’ [a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”
(28) “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
(29) But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
(30) In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They
stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. (31) A priest happened to be going down the
same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. (32) So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and
saw him, passed by on the other side. (33) But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw
him, he took pity on him. (34) He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on
his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. (35) The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to
the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
(36) “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
(37) The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Questions:
1. What virtue(s) does the parable show? Give the instance/s where you see those virtue/s.
2. What do you think is the reason why the Good Samaritan helped the stranger despite their social
differences?
3. If you are the Samaritan, would you do the same? Justify your answer.
In the parable, it is hard to imagine that a Samaritan would help a Jew since he is considered by the Jewish
society as an outcast. But what happened was the other way around – he helped the Jew despite of their
differences and the unfair treatment to him. This story clearly explains how man can go beyond cultural
considerations and how one can overcome grudges to performing an ethical act towards a needy person.
It may be considered as unusual phenomenon in the present social realm but the story tells us it is never
impossible. Like the Good Samaritan, you may have encounter strangers who need help. If there is/are any
incident/s you helped somebody unknown to you, please narrate your experience/s below. Tell how you
overcame your fear of strangers and what made you decide to help the person/s. But if you don’t have any
experience, tell us what you would do if you encounter one and why would you help them.

MY GOOD SAMARITAN EXPERIENCE

What is Intersubjectivity?

What is intersubjectivity? The definition of intersubjectivity is the way a person is influenced by the
culture, family, and friends that they are surrounded by. The people an individual interacts with can have a
significant impact on the way they interact with the world around them. Similarly, a person's culture can
greatly influence their actions. Culture is the beliefs, values, and behaviors of a particular group of people.
When thinking about intersubjectivity, it should be noted that varying definitions depend upon the
application of the concept. It can be used in philosophy, psychology, and literature. Overall, it relates to the
cognitive meeting of multiple people.
The following list includes the different definitions of intersubjectivity:
In social sciences, it is referred to as the psychological connection between people.
In philosophy, it is defined as the empathetic swapping of thoughts between two people.
In psychology, it refers to the sharing of a social experience between people.
In literature, this term means that several characters have viewpoints that are placed within the same story.
This lesson will focus mainly on intersubjectivity in its relation to literature.
Intersubjectivity Meaning
The meaning of intersubjectivity dates back to the 1800s, where it was first used in Germany to
describe the existence between two minds. "Inter" comes from Latin, where it first meant "between"
or "among". Subjective was first used in Modern English by Immanuel Kant. He coined the word in
1767 to mean: personal or existing in the mind.
To understand intersubjectivity, it is essential to understand subject and object. The subject is the
person experiencing an action or event. The object is what is being experienced, or the goal of the
subject.
An objective concept is something that is infallibly true. It is usually widely understood as fact.
Objective data is information that has a numerical value. Objective information is not influenced by
personal preferences or opinions.
On the other hand, subjective information is that which is open to interpretation by others.
Subjective data is not based on facts, but rather on what a person is saying. This is open to
interpretation, as each person is subject to their viewpoint and opinions. Two people can witness the
same event but have a different interpretation of what happened. Subjectivity is based on the
perspectives, opinions, and culture of a person. It is less reliable and straightforward than objectivity.
Ang intersubjectivity ay ang ugnayan o interseksyon sa pagitan ng mga perspektibong pananaw ng
mga tao

What are the examples of intersubjectivity?

Self-presentation, lying, practical jokes, and social emotions, for example, all entail not a shared
definition of the situation but partially shared divergences of meaning. Someone who is telling a lie
is engaged in an intersubjective act because they are working with two different definitions of the
situation.
What Philosophers Say About Intersubjectivity
Intersubjectivity is universal. It exists when and where humans exist. It is an undeniable reality
which thinkers could not help but discuss. Here are some philosophers who took philosophical
inquiry on intersubjectivity:
1. Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.) – one of the main ideas of Confucianism is Ren or “human-
heartedness.” It is a virtue central to man that can be found in his sociality or intersubjectivity. In
his philosophy, Confucius stresses order and harmony in the world. His aims can be achieved
through practical, concrete, particular, and perceptual ways. This means Confucian thinking on
intersubjectivity is practical humanism. There is an emphasis on human actions in sociality. He
calls every man to love the other through actions, not through thoughts.
What is intersubjectivity According to Confucius?
Intersubjectivity centralizes connections between self and other as the precondition of all human
existences, experiences, and interactions, and has been argued as an essential mechanism that
facilitates social communication.
Martin Buber (1878-1965) – is a Jewish philosopher who introduced the
“I-Thou” and “I-It” relationships to embody his philosophy of
intersubjectivity. For Buber, we have to treat another person as a subject (a
being different from things or objects). Persons are not inanimate objects to
be used. They have their own mind and free will, thus, we have to respect
others as we respect ourselves. “I” refers to the self and “Thou” or “You”
refers to others. This “I-Thou” relationship is the most meaningful
relationship in the realm of humanity. The “I” is the same with the “Thou”
and there should be mutual relationship between them. We can only
recognize the self in the context of the other. This is a “person-to-person”
relationship, “subject-to-subject” relation. We need to accept, respect, be
sincere, and have dialogue with the other.
Karol Wojtyla (1920-2005) – He is also St. John Paul II but as a philosopher, we use his real name.
For Wojtyla, human action is the foundation of our being. But human reality is also about being with
others, so our actions are also directed towards others. This form of action is now called
“Participation.” In the theory of participation, man has the capacity to share himself to others. This
affirms the reality that man acts and exists with others. He is a member of the community of persons,
a community of “I-You” or “We.” Since man is a member of this community, his experience with
others gives him meaning and allows him to create meaning with others.
Activity 2.3 : DIFFERENTIATION. State the distinct ideas of the three philosophers. Write them
in the separate columns. Also, write the ideas where all three philosophers agree using the space
provided for.

CONFUCIUS MARTIN BUBER KAROL WOJTLA

Distinct Ideas: Distinct Ideas: Distinct Ideas:

Shared ideas of the three Philosophers:

INTRO TO PHILO
MARVIN N. ROCILLO
To verify the knowledge you gained in this lesson, let us situate the idea of intersubjectivity in your
own personal experiences and let us check whether its relevance in our lives.
Answer the following questions thoroughly. 3-5 sentences are enough.

1. Are there instances in your life when you feel you are treated as an object? Share some
experiences. How does it feel? Would you do the same treatment to others? Why?
2. Give some personal experiences when you feel you are treated as a subject. How do you feel
when you are treated in that way? Is it lawful to do the same to others? Why?
3. What do you think is the reason why people treat others as objects?
Assignment
SONG ANALYSIS: Intersubjective relationship is
one of the favorite themes of Filipino songs. Think
of a Filipino song which is about intersubjectivity.
Write down the lyrics of the song and analyze how
intersubjectivity is explored by the song. Give also
the implication of the song to relationships you
have with others.