“Existence precedes and rules essence.”
-Jean-Paul Sartre
Existence or Essence?... which comes first? Since then, this has been a great topic for the philosophers. It has been an issue that forced them to really trace up the truth about it so that everybody will be enlightened and will understand what exactly they need to know. Upon pondering this very tricky and mind-bugling type of question, it made me pause for some moment and really think deeply of what will be my answer, if it is Existence, or it is Essence that comes first? I never expected that I will encounter this kind of question as I tread along the path of philosophy. But in fact, it is one of the helpful topics of philosophy which can really help the individuals, who are studying it, to know and to understand thyself. It leads them to know the wider perspective of being a “Man” and what they ought to do in order for them to fulfill their existence.
As I study philosophy and having already the idea about it, I can say that it is my existence, being a “Person”, comes first before my essence as a Filipino. Why is it so? As what Jean-Paul Sartre said, “Existence precedes and rules essence.” Yes, how is it possible that I’m a Filipino if I’m not a person, or existing first? Filipino is just a label of my existence as a person. If we are going to put it base on our faith, as an example, it is written in the Bible (in the book of Genesis) that God is the source of everything and thus he was able to make the world and all its content. He made the first human beings, which was said to be our first parents, Adam and Eve. Generally, he made them as “Human Persons”. He never mentioned about what kind or breed of person they are. He never said that they are Americans, Brazilians, or even Filipinos. The only thing that he said was he will make a human being (person) out of clay. Another example that I would like to introduce is that of the invention of gadgets: like laptop and cellphone. Existence comes first before essence. The laptop was being made because the inventor intends to make it (a material form of laptop) and not because it is Toshiba, Lenovo, Samsung, etc. The cellphone was being made because the inventor intends to do so (a material form of cellphone) and not because it is Nokia, Samsung, Myphone, etc. Both the inventors of the two gadget made first the material forms (laptop and cellphone) before they give it to the Company that they would like to name after their inventions. How can we name a thing or could have an idea about it if it doesn’t exist before us? Our essence depends upon our existence. We, Filipinos, were being called Filipinos because we are existing beings (we are humans, embodied ego, persons, etc.). We are called Filipinos because we are living and considered to be as citizens of Philippines, because citizens of Philippines are called Filipinos. But generally, we are first human beings, from the moment that we came out from our mother’s womb, we never immediately recited the Panatang Makabayan, rather we seek immediately the call of our nature being a normal human person, the hug of our mother to warm us up and the milk from her breast to fill our hungry stomach. We even know first how to crawl before we know how to sing the Lupang Hinirang. We even know first the face of our parents before we know the faces of our national heroes. We even know first how to speak “mama” or “papa” before we know how to resite the names of our presidents. This reality of the cycle of life only proves that our “Being as Persons” comes first before anything else. It is only later on that we know that we are Filipinos, when we have already the consciousness about it.
As my conclusion, I can really say that it is clear for me that my existence as a “Human Person” comes first before I knew my essence as a true blooded “Filipino”. It is because my essence only depends on my existence. If I do not exist, how can I say that I’m a Filipino? To whom will I say it since nobody can’t acknowledge my existence? That’s why my existence comes first, because my essence simply follows it.
-Jean-Paul Sartre
Existence or Essence?... which comes first? Since then, this has been a great topic for the philosophers. It has been an issue that forced them to really trace up the truth about it so that everybody will be enlightened and will understand what exactly they need to know. Upon pondering this very tricky and mind-bugling type of question, it made me pause for some moment and really think deeply of what will be my answer, if it is Existence, or it is Essence that comes first? I never expected that I will encounter this kind of question as I tread along the path of philosophy. But in fact, it is one of the helpful topics of philosophy which can really help the individuals, who are studying it, to know and to understand thyself. It leads them to know the wider perspective of being a “Man” and what they ought to do in order for them to fulfill their existence.
As I study philosophy and having already the idea about it, I can say that it is my existence, being a “Person”, comes first before my essence as a Filipino. Why is it so? As what Jean-Paul Sartre said, “Existence precedes and rules essence.” Yes, how is it possible that I’m a Filipino if I’m not a person, or existing first? Filipino is just a label of my existence as a person. If we are going to put it base on our faith, as an example, it is written in the Bible (in the book of Genesis) that God is the source of everything and thus he was able to make the world and all its content. He made the first human beings, which was said to be our first parents, Adam and Eve. Generally, he made them as “Human Persons”. He never mentioned about what kind or breed of person they are. He never said that they are Americans, Brazilians, or even Filipinos. The only thing that he said was he will make a human being (person) out of clay. Another example that I would like to introduce is that of the invention of gadgets: like laptop and cellphone. Existence comes first before essence. The laptop was being made because the inventor intends to make it (a material form of laptop) and not because it is Toshiba, Lenovo, Samsung, etc. The cellphone was being made because the inventor intends to do so (a material form of cellphone) and not because it is Nokia, Samsung, Myphone, etc. Both the inventors of the two gadget made first the material forms (laptop and cellphone) before they give it to the Company that they would like to name after their inventions. How can we name a thing or could have an idea about it if it doesn’t exist before us? Our essence depends upon our existence. We, Filipinos, were being called Filipinos because we are existing beings (we are humans, embodied ego, persons, etc.). We are called Filipinos because we are living and considered to be as citizens of Philippines, because citizens of Philippines are called Filipinos. But generally, we are first human beings, from the moment that we came out from our mother’s womb, we never immediately recited the Panatang Makabayan, rather we seek immediately the call of our nature being a normal human person, the hug of our mother to warm us up and the milk from her breast to fill our hungry stomach. We even know first how to crawl before we know how to sing the Lupang Hinirang. We even know first the face of our parents before we know the faces of our national heroes. We even know first how to speak “mama” or “papa” before we know how to resite the names of our presidents. This reality of the cycle of life only proves that our “Being as Persons” comes first before anything else. It is only later on that we know that we are Filipinos, when we have already the consciousness about it.
As my conclusion, I can really say that it is clear for me that my existence as a “Human Person” comes first before I knew my essence as a true blooded “Filipino”. It is because my essence only depends on my existence. If I do not exist, how can I say that I’m a Filipino? To whom will I say it since nobody can’t acknowledge my existence? That’s why my existence comes first, because my essence simply follows it.
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