Categorical Imperative and the Loob

Comparative Essay: Categorical Imperative and Loob

Joshua Caesar O. Elegado

3rd Year Philosophy

University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi, Philippines

“Ang buhay-kalooban ay ang galaw ng pagkatao, ng higit at higit na pakikipagkapwa at pagkabukas sa kabuuan ng meron, sa ‘lahat-lahat’, sa Maykapal, sa abot ng ating makakaya.” (Alejo 1990:35)

The categorical imperative is a system or a ruling to which in itself is unconditional and is absolute that man should follow regardless of the consequences, circumstance, and desires; it is the way humans are to act in accordance with a principle as if such actions were in universal law. “Loob is a but a human person in his depth, in his core”, said Fr. Ferriols, to which it refers to as a human person as a being is a Loob as the inner self of a person that must express its being in totality through pakikipagkapwa and letting the entire being reveal and express itself to the reality. To compare, the categorical imperative is about evaluating an act, loob is not an act but a partiality of a human person that is deeply ingrained inside of a human person, we cannot universalize something that is in the state of a non-action; however, there is an act in the concept of Loob of Fr. Ferriols is seen through the enactment of the Loob which is “Pakikipagkapwa and Expressing itself to the reality. From this, only then the Categorical Imperative is relevant and can take place because there is an act that is happening in the process of revealing of the Loob; the question now there is, is that, can we universalize the revealing of the Loob through Pakikipagkapwa. The answer is a sounding yes, revealing of Loob through Pakikipagkapwa can be universalized and is realizable, in which we are to reveal ourselves to other people, and other people reveal themselves to us, even if it is a stranger, it is just right for everyone to practice Pakikipagkapwahan ng Loob to attain harmonious social reality among Filipinos if such principle is followed in a strict sense of categorical imperative, to where we ought not to do injustice to the other’s end and offend their Loob and vice versa; if we do not practice pakikipagkapwahan ng loob, we become less of a human person that isolate himself to humanity and escapes reality that offers no value whatsoever and hinders human flourishment; therefore, Pakikipagkapwahan is indeed essential in the existence of one person and to any other person, to share his Loob to Others and vice versa, to attain the very meaning of man’s existence in a way that must be shared amongst people to people to attain fruition or the gift of Humanity at the very end of the day.