I and Historicality
Human experience is a historical reality. Humans are historical beings. The essence of humanity
is historical, it is transformed in history. Man, nature, and society are transformed by/in history.
When one looks at himself and around him, he will see that everything is a product of history.
Phenomenologically, man does not have an essential nature as traditional philosophy say but
rather, a historical character (e.g. the meaning of being a Filipino, deforestation, and Jesus Christ
coming at the ‘ripe’ time).
History
- From the Greek term, it means something that the present generation remembers
- The accumulated lessons from the past; the present lives in a historical moment
Man learns from past generations because of the accumulated learning from the previous
generations.
Nature and animals do not have history. It only becomes history only to the extent that man
imposes on them some meaning.
o Historical transformation comes together with human actions
- It is the accumulated products of human generation of activities and achievements.
- The present generation is due to what the past generations have achieved. The present
benefits from the past. In turn the present must does something for the future.
In as much as the future depends on the present, the present has a task, a historical mission, that
will affect human life in the future.
A philosophy of history (when we try to make sense of our lives as part of history) implies that
man must work constantly for something better towards becoming more human.
- One should not work only for himself but for his heirs too towards a vision of a more fulfilled
humanity.
Human experience is a historical reality. Humans are historical beings. The essence of humanity
is historical, it is transformed in history. Man, nature, and society are transformed by/in history.
When one looks at himself and around him, he will see that everything is a product of history.
Phenomenologically, man does not have an essential nature as traditional philosophy say but
rather, a historical character (e.g. the meaning of being a Filipino, deforestation, and Jesus Christ
coming at the ‘ripe’ time).
History
- From the Greek term, it means something that the present generation remembers
- The accumulated lessons from the past; the present lives in a historical moment
Man learns from past generations because of the accumulated learning from the previous
generations.
Nature and animals do not have history. It only becomes history only to the extent that man
imposes on them some meaning.
o Historical transformation comes together with human actions
- It is the accumulated products of human generation of activities and achievements.
- The present generation is due to what the past generations have achieved. The present
benefits from the past. In turn the present must does something for the future.
In as much as the future depends on the present, the present has a task, a historical mission, that
will affect human life in the future.
A philosophy of history (when we try to make sense of our lives as part of history) implies that
man must work constantly for something better towards becoming more human.
- One should not work only for himself but for his heirs too towards a vision of a more fulfilled
humanity.
