Jove Jim Aguas

This paper discusses the philosophical concept of John Rawls on distributive justice and how it can be applied as a possible guide in the Philippine ayuda distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic. First, it discusses how the pandemic affected the Philippine economy and the complaints on the ayuda program regarding the ayuda distribution in the country. Second, it explains Rawlsian distributive justice and Rawls’ ideas, such as the veil of ignorance, liberty, and difference principles. Lastly, it discusses Rawls’ notion of distributive justice as a guide in the ayuda distribution to provide a perspective on the equitable and just distribution of benefits given the limited resources. The main point is that the distribution of financial assistance or ayuda can be guided by Rawls’s notion of distributive justice, which prioritizes the well-being of the least well-off or disadvantaged.

One of the noblest of all professions is teaching, in fact all the other professions depend on the profession of teaching. Teaching is a channel of knowledge and the teacher acts as an instrumental cause in the acquisition of knowledge of others. At the center of the learning process and teaching profession is not the teacher, but the student – the human person to whom teacher concentrates his entire energy and effort, the reason and end of the learning process. The teacher however is an indispensable agent in the formation of the lives and careers of his students; he helps in cultivating the natural talents and abilities of his students. He plays a critical role in the molding of one’s character and personality. He guides and creates a learning atmosphere for the students to develop their own potentials and talents. The dialogical relation between the student and the teacher is anchored on certain elements: namely, the trusting reciprocation between the student and teacher; the exemplary integrity of the teacher; his concern for the personal well-being of the student and his confirmation of the student’s potentiality for self-fulfillment and personhood. Teaching as a dialogue, provides an opportunity for continual learning and growth.

This paper deals with atheism, Sartre's notion of absolute freedom and Jean-Paul Sartre's claim of the irreconcilability of human freedom with God’s existence. For Sartre, man to be truly human must continuously create his own essence and continuously assert himself. Man can achieve this because he is absolutely free; the affirmation of God would undermine the exigencies of man's freedom and creativity. The question on the impossibility of the coexistence between the affirmation of God's existence and the recognition of human freedom raises certain points against Sartre's notion of God and human freedom. The paper urges the believer to fully understand his beliefs and be also critical of his faith.