Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person

The Human Person as an Embodied Spirit

Name: Carpio, Carl Lawrence R.
Grade and Section: 12 – STEM A
What I Know
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Read the following items carefully. Write the letter of the
correct answer on a separate sheet of paper.
1. B. Man’s uniqueness 10. A. Dignity
2. D. Homo sapiens 11. C. Physical and mental abilities
3. B. Man 12. D. Transcendence
4. C. Self-awareness 13. C. Soul
5. D. Spirit 14. D. Tell her that she needs to accept and
6. D. Transcendence identify ways on how to improve
7. B. Embodiment herself
8. A. Dignity 15. A. You can brag how good you are.
9. B. Externality

Lesson 1 – Human Being as Embodied Spirit

What’s In
IDENTIFICATION. Identify the terms being described in the following statements.
1. Knowledge 4. Fallacy
2. Claims 5. Opinions
3. Facts
Activity 1 – What makes me, me?
DIRECTION: Complete the diagram by writing the different traits that
makes you unique among others.
Activity 2 – I am a Human Person
DIRECTIONS: On the graphic organizer given, write in the boxes the
characteristics of the human person.
Activity 3 – We are a 3-Part Whole
DIRECTIONS: Looking on the diagram below, do you agree that “Human Person
has body, soul and spirit”? Explain your answer on the space provided.
I do believe that humankind is composed of three distinct components; body, spirit, and
soul. These things set us apart from other species in the world. The human being consists of
tangible material, the body, which can be seen and touched. But it is also made up of intangible
aspects, including the soul, spirit, intellect, will, emotions, consciousness, and so on, which are
intangible. These immaterial features remain beyond the human body's physical lifetime and are
thus eternal. The entire personality is made up of these immaterial aspects — the spirit, soul,
heart, conscience, mind and emotions. The main immaterial dimensions of humanity are the soul
and spirit, while the body is the physical container that holds them on this planet. As Saint
Augustine said, soul is the rider of the body, making clear the split between the material and the
immaterial, with the soul representing the true person. Our soul and spirit dictates our actions
and align it with our moral beliefs. These things are interconnected with each other, and we need
to hone them so that we can live holistically.

As an embodied spirit, a human person implies that both our body and spirit constitute
human nature and experience. The human being, that is, between the body and soul, is the point
of fusion between material and spiritual forces. Therefore, without the union of body and spirit,
we cannot speak of a human being, just as we cannot speak of everything without the union of
matter and form (as Aristotle would have us believe). Body and spirit come to form a whole
collectively and give us the ability to have a meaningful experience. It is our right and duty to
give the fullest expression to our entire self in order to evolve and have an articulate
participation.

What I Can Do

In the space provided, list down the positive traits that you have and
explain how those traits benefit humankind. Cite concrete examples.
My Positive Traits How its benefits humankind
Being calm in facing difficult situations; and It helps to resolve conflicts in a peaceful
try in exploring other options in solving these manner; avoiding furious and angry
conflicts conversations with each other.

Being optimistic in life; trying to just go with It helps to uplift the behavior and mood of the
the flow and see the silver lining in the people around me and pass this optimistic
struggles that we are facing. goal and perspective to others as well.

Being adventurous and not being scared in It helps to break the stereotypes that are
trying things that are unconventional to other known to the society. There is a call to defy
people in the society. the things that were considered taboo before.

If all people can communicate effectively,

Being able to communicate effectively with
misunderstandings will be lessening.
the people I’ve been working with in order to
Communication is the key for good
achieve our goals and complete our tasks.
relationship with other people.

My own plans and goals are not just only for

Being futuristic and planning ahead of time. I
my personal growth, but for helping the
always try to give myself realistic goals that
society as well. I want to be a catalyst of
are attainable in a specific time frame.
change in nation-building.

Have a short reflection on your actions.

I just realized that these positive traits and characteristics I have may help to better the
way of living of our society. If I execute these traits effectively, I might be able to help the
society to achieve greater heights. I also realized that I am very ambitious, that I want to change
the world for the better. But then, I should always think that I am not a perfect human being, with
imperfections and weakness. I also have limitations, and I should accept it.

Additional Activities
In the space provided list down at least 3 persons that serve as your idols
for having a good trait. Explain how those traits influence you to be a good
person.
Lesson 2 – Evaluating Human Beings Limitations and Transcendence
What’s In
Read the given statement and elaborate it based on your own
understanding, write your answer on the space provided.
“Embodiment enables us to do and experience all the things that make us human
persons.”
Our embodied spirits make us human – and also sets us apart from other species in the
world. This is a fundamental truth that must be the foundation of our life, so that instead of
becoming slaves to the whims and caprices of the body, the formation of the spirit must be the
focus. Our embodiment gives us the moral compass, on what is right and what is wrong, and will
lead us eventually to a more holistic human life. These soul and spirit gives us the free will and
decision making skills, something that other animals cannot do. The interconnection of our
bodies and soul are debated before by philosophers. However, Aristotle believed in this idea and
further explained his arguments.

Aristotle claims there is no dichotomy between the body and the soul of the person. To
Aristotle, the body and soul are in a state of harmony. They are inextricable. Therefore, Aristotle
claims that, apart from the body and vice versa, we should not speak about the mind. The general
idea of the spirit, for Aristotle, includes the concept of life. For Aristotle, the soul, therefore, is
the principle of creation. This implies, therefore, that there is a soul to everything that has life.
The soul allows the body to exist as the principle of life; it is also the soul that animates the
body. When the soul is the animator of the body, the body serves as the soul's matter. Hence,
Aristotle claims that the form of the body is the spirit, while the matter of the spirit is the body.
All that exists, for Aristotle, is composed of matter and form, and matter and form are therefore
inseparable. Hence, if any of these entities is not present, we can not talk about any entity.

Activity 1 – My “I Can” and “I Cannot”

Explore your abilities and limitations. In the “I can”, write down the skills
and abilities that define you as a person. In the “I cannot”, list down the things
you have tried to do but could not because of your personal limitations.

I can be a leader to a group in order to achieve a

certain goal or task; I can write in English fluently
and be able to communicate my thoughts in written
form; I can be confident in speaking with a large
audience; I can engage with a lot of readings since I
enjoy it; I can also teach other people on the things
that I am passionate about or on the topics that I
specialize.

I CAN
 I am not good in visual arts – I can’t draw or paint like
others; I cannot also dance or sing; I cannot play any
musical instruments; I am also not good in physical
sports and activities; I cannot focus in a long period of
time and got easily distracted; I cannot be fully
independent and still needs help by my family and
other people.

I
CANNOT
Answer the following guide questions:
1. What enabled you to do things you identified in the “I can” part?
I determined the things that I can do by looking back at my experiences and
seeing the things that I’ve already overcome. The aforementioned statements that I can
now do are mostly because of the things that I learned from school. I just realized that
school becomes my training ground on the abilities that I want to hone or improve. Due
to these experiences, I am now more confident in speaking and writing, as well as leading
other people. I do believe that “Practice makes perfect.” Through exercising this tasks,
we can be the best in these things.

2. Do you see yourself overcoming the limitations that prevented you from doing the
things you stated in the “I cannot” side?
I think that through enough practice, I can overcome the limitations that prevents
me from doing the statements on the “I cannot” side. Learning to overcome the
aforementioned things that I cannot do is a lifelong process. Just like the things that I can
do, experience and practice is such an integral part in exceeding my limitations. I know
that I cannot do everything, but little by little I can achieve the things that I can’t now do
at the present.

3. Have a short reflection.

I believe that our primary purpose in this lifetime is to learn and to grow into our
limitless human potential through the experience of love. As we walk this path, our life
brings us different circumstances and inner awakenings to support the fulfillment of this
mission. We awaken more fully into our authentic self, to our inherent talents and
abilities, and to the true calling of our heart’s deepest desires. Pushing through the
discomfort and overcoming my own preconceived limitations is rewarding, empowering
and liberating. The voices, the emotions and the visceral experience of stress and fear are
most often great indicators that I am on the right path.
Activity 2 – Exploring My Possibilities for Transcendence
DIRECTIONS: Let us do some exploration. Fill out the table with the
appropriate response

I want to be… I can achieve this by…

Successful in the field or path
that I will take in the future. I want to
explore new things and give new
discoveries. I want to give a change
in the world and the field that I am
really interested in. I want to be
known in the things that I am
pursuing.
Proper self-discipline. If I can
discipline myself to study and focus,
I think that I can pursue my dreams.
This self-discipline entails proper
time management and frequent
practice on the things that I am
learning. Being successful requires a
lot of hard work.

I want to do the following… I can make this happen by…

Teach and be an instructor in Studying hard and proving

the academe. There is this burning
desire and passion to impart my
knowledge and skills to the younger
ones, and I hope that I will inspire
them to pass what they’ve learned for
other generations. Through this, I can
serve our nation.
myself that I will be deserving on the
university that I will be teaching. I
need to have good grades and records
in order to impress other people. I
should also improve my intrapersonal
and communication skills.

Activity 3 – “I am sure, I can!”

I cannot But I will…

Try to practice to draw and paint; I’ll also try

I am not good in visual arts – I can’t draw or
to join workshops for beginners in learning
paint like others;
these skills.

Join different groups that will practice me to

I cannot also dance or sing enhance this skill; I will be confident in
performing this skill with others.

Try to talk with other friends who knows how

to play instruments to teach me; I will also
I cannot play any musical instruments
watch tutorial videos in Youtube about
playing the instruments that I like.
Join summer camps that offers training on
I am also not good in physical sports and
different physical sports like basketball,
activities
swimming, and badminton.

Install applications on my gadgets that will

I cannot focus in a long period of time and got
prevent me for using it; Use different
easily distracted;
strategies for focus like Pomodoro Technique.
 I cannot be fully independent and still needs Try to live independently when I will study to
help by my family and other people. Manila on college.

What I Can Do
Have you ever encouraged other persons to try and surpass their limits? If
so, relate your experiences. If not, describe how you will try and encourage
others to surpass their limits.
Your boundaries are the only thing stopping you from achieving your goals and
dreams. It is when you reach your limits that you experience resistance and it seems
harder to accomplish things you want. It can present a huge obstacle to achieving what
you want, whether it is anxiety, doubt, physical skills or some other mental block. Sadly,
most individuals can't work past their limits and give up. So how far you get to achieve
your dreams depends very much on how successful you are in overcoming this hurdle.
Fail to reach beyond your boundaries, and your dreams will be left unrealized. Act
through them and you can render a fact of some dream or objective.

I remember that I have a friend that I accompany in going to the gym on a regular
basis. In order to build the muscle that he wanted, he would regularly lift weights, do his
cardio, and eat well. He made a lot of progress at first, but eventually he met resistance
and his exercise goals became harder to attain. He reached his limit. He became
complacent in his exercise routine by lifting the same amount of weight and reps every
single time we went to the gym. As a friend, I just realized the reason as to why he didn’t
make any progress. I told him to exceed in his limits and increase his weights and push
himself to work harder. After following my advice, he saw his weight-lifting goals. I
think this situation is similar to the trouble most people have in achieving their goals and
dreams. No matter what you want to achieve, you’re going to eventually reach your limit
and make little to no progress. You just need to make sure that you’re taking the
necessary action to make sure your limits don’t become a big problem.

You need to work beyond your boundaries and into your comfort zone in order to
meet your dreams or targets. No shortcuts are available. Anything that is worth doing is
worth doing well. That has become my personal mantra for life 's success. It is my way of
reminding me to push myself relentlessly and not to settle for the average. It can seem
impossible to conquer when you are meeting your limits and you sense the resistance.
But you can really do some amazing stuff only by pushing yourself a little harder. And
the funny thing is, once you do so, you might look back and wonder why you ever felt it
was so hard to get started. Do not let boundaries deter you from doing something.

Additional Activities
 Create a bookmark with a concept of “encouragement”. Once your
bookmark has been checked, give it to the person which you think needed some
encouragement to overcome their limitations.

Assessments

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Read the following items carefully. Write the letter of the
correct answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1. C. Self-centered
2. D. Externality
3. A. Dignity
4. D. Self-determination
5. B. Embodiment
6. C. Spirit
7. D. Transcendence
8. D. Endure and settle on the idea that you are weak

TRUE OR FALSE. The following are statements about human's limitations

and possibilities for transcendence. On a separate sheet of paper, write TRUE if
the sentence is correct, write FALSE otherwise.

9. TRUE
10. TRUE
11. TRUE
12. FALSE
13. TRUE
14. TRUE
15. FALSE