LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. To explain the different systems of thought about man

having a body and soul
2. To recognize one’s limitations and possibilities
for transcendence
3. To determine the limitation and possibilities
for transcendence
4. To reflect on what makes man truly human
 Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person 29

INTRODUCTION

Understanding what it means to be a human person is

arduous. This has been a perennial problem even from
ancient times. Ancient Greek philosophers made attempts
to explain what constitutes man, or what makes man
different from the other living beings in the world. Some
very common questions are about its origin, life's
possibilities, freedom, purpose, and happiness.
But what is a human person? How will you answer this
question? In explaining the essence of the human person, it
is easy to focus on its material or physical aspect. Human
persons indeed have material needs, but they also have non-
material aspects (Bernados, 2017). What then are these
material and non-material aspects of man?
Imagine that you have a motorcycle. Before buying
one, you probably have some preferences in mind. You
imagine some specifications of the bike, such as the brand,
suspension, the possible top speed, design, color, and many
other features. These specifications of the motorcycle are
its material aspect. But it also requires care, maintenance,
and attention; otherwise, it will not last for years. We can
say that this is where we can locate its non-material aspect.
Similarly, human persons have material and non-
material aspects. A person has a body with all its various
features (e.g., dark skin, flat nose, long legs, etc.). Its non-
material aspect, on the other hand, refers to his/her
emotional needs, desires, and even passions.
In doing philosophy, we give attention to the material
and non-material aspects of human persons. This brings us
to the idea that a human person is an embodied spirit.
DISCUSSION

THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED SPIRIT

What does the term “embodied spirit” mean? Probably,

the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the term
'embodied' is that it is a quality of being materialized or a
characteristic of possessing a body. On the other hand,
when we consider the term “spirit”, we think of something
immaterial.
However, to speak of the human person as an
'embodied spirit' does not refer to the materialization or the
personification of a human being. Rather, it refers to the
inseparable union of the body and the soul. Simply, the
human person as an embodied spirit means that his/her
body is inseparable from his/her soul, just as the soul is
inseparable from the body. In other words, the human
person is the meeting point of the material and immaterial
entities (Steph, 2018). This concept makes it possible to
accept man’s limitations and realize his potentials. Most
importantly, it helps man recognize his uniqueness.

THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE HUMAN PERSON IN

THE ANCIENT PERIOD

To speak of the human person's union of body and

soul, we need to understand some of the thoughts of the
ancient Greek philosophers, namely, Plato and Aristotle.
Their concepts are influenced by the cosmogenic model of
the world. Considering that man is part of the universe,
Plato and Aristotle attempted to explain the origin of man.
They made a great contribution to the idea of the human
person as a being with body and soul.
 Plato’s Three Functions of the Soul

Plato's view of the human person rests on the

dichotomy of the body and soul. For him, the body is
material and is subject to changes and destructions, while
the soul is immaterial and unchanging. He also believed
that the human soul is an authentic part because the body is
just its prison cell (Bernados, 2017). Hence, the body's
existence is dependent on the soul, while the soul is
independent of the body.
How is it possible that the existence of the soul is
independent of the body? Plato contended that the soul
existed before the body, for it was created by the gods and
was venerable in birth (Plato, Timaeus, in Reginal Ellen,
Greek Philosophy: Thales to Aristotle, 1966). Accordingly,
the soul has a tripartite function, namely, the rational
function, the passion function, and the appetitive function
(Stumpf & Fieser, 2012). These three functions of the soul
are represented by the body parts, i.e., head, chest, and
abdomen. The head does the soul's rational function, which
enables human persons to think, analyze, comprehend, and
make decisions. This guides the passion and appetitive
functions of the soul. On the other hand, passion function
performs the actions dictated by reason and is also
responsible for various feelings, such as hatred or anger.
Lastly, the appetitive function enables a person to
experience cravings or anything that deals with man's
physical wants (Babor, 2001). For Plato, if a person allows
his reason to properly guide his passion and appetite, he/she
will have a well-balanced personality (Stumpf & Fieser,
2012).
 Aristotle’s Three Types of Souls

Aristotle disagreed with Plato that the soul is

separable. For him, the soul and the body are substantially
united. There is no dichotomy between the two, for none
cannot talk about the soul apart from the body or talk about
the body apart from the soul (Stumpf & Fieser, 2012).
Aristotle explained in detail his view on man when he
explained its biological and psychological aspects. The
word soul is an English translation of the Greek word
psyche. Hence, for him, the soul is the source of life.
What gives life to a body? For Aristotle, all bodies,
living or not, are a combination of the primary elements.
The body is not the principle of life, for it is always in
potentiality. It needs a form to be in actuality. By actuality,
we mean it is alive. When the body is alive, it will then be
able to perform its functions. Like a cellphone, if it is not
charged, it would not do its functions.
The soul then is the form of the organized body. For
Aristotle, anything that lives has a soul. Does this mean that
animals and plants also have souls? Yes. Not only humans
have souls. Aristotle identified three kinds of souls found in
plants, animals, and man. These three kinds of souls are
characterized as vegetative, sensitive, and rational. They
are modeled according to the various capacities of the
body.
What do we mean by vegetative souls? Plants can
grow, reproduce, and feed themselves. That is why the
living soul is found in them. It does not share the higher
types of souls, for it cannot feel and think. On the other
hand, the sensitive soul shares with the vegetative soul, for
it is also capable of growing, feeding, and reproducing.
Moreover, what makes it different is that it is also capable
of sensing or feeling. A sensitive being possesses the
appetite where desire, anger, and pain are experienced
(Melchert, 1999). Meanwhile, the rational soul shares
with the other lower souls, i.e.,
vegetative and sensitive. It has the capacity for scientific
thoughts, for it can distinguish various things. With this
capacity, it analyzes and understands the relationship of
things. Moreover, aside from the scientific thoughts, it also
deliberates and discovers the truth of the nature of things
and the guidelines for human behavior (Stumpf & Fieser,
2012). Aristotle believed then that there must be a
connection between the mind and the soul. It is from this
connection that consciousness and self-awareness arise.