THE STUDY OF MAN

The Different Approaches:

A. THE ATOMISTIC APPROACH

In order to understand how man functions, one needs to know first the
structure of the human body. The basic unit of the human body is the cell. The
anatomist studies the structure of the cell and the component parts while the
physiologist determines how the cell functions. If a more detailed study of the cell
is required, more specialists such as immunologists and hematologists, too many to
mention, pool their knowledge and expertise to explain the what's and wherefores
of the cell components. Byre and Thompson call such detailed study of man the
atomistic approach. Although the term atomistic connotes something which is
infinitely small such as the atom, one is asked to refrain from being too literal in its
meaning. The atomistic study of man, therefore, views him as an organism
composed of different organ systems; each system composed of Organs and each
organ made up of tissue cells.

B. THE HOLISTIC APPROACH

However, complete this atomistic data: might be, it still leaves one feeling
that something has been omitted. There are still answered questions and areas of
man's study untouched. One may know the form and function of each cell, yet the
question remains what is man really like? What makes him fail or succeeds How
does he cope with stresses in his environment? There is a need, therefore, to study,
man in all aspects of his behavior and his relationship with others in his
environment.

Stimuli in the environment provide the necessary forces to able man to

demonstrate, consciously or unconsciously, the nature of his responses and the
subsequent quality of his relationship with his environment: Byrne and Thompson
call this approach holistic or total. It provides a fundamental framework on which
one can base his perception or observation of the total behavior of man in relation
to society.
C. MOTIVATION TO OVERCOME HARDSHIP

What makes man able to withstand hardship may at time be difficult to

understand. Motivation may come either from natura or supernatural forces. Many
reasons that come naturally to man to suffer for those whom he loves and wishes to
protect from pain and suffering. This could be seen in the love that parents have
their children. Rather than deprive their offspring of education, parent crimp and
save to be able to send, money for their children's school fees and monthly
allowance.

The other type of motivation may be, supernatural wherein one transcends
pain and suffering to a higher place in the hop of non-material reward. As
previously discussed, the intellect assists him in achieving this higher type of
motivation. Stoic patient may mask their true feelings in order to satisfy inner
feelings o mortification to stone for real or imagined mistakes.

D. SPIRITUAL VIRTUES

Even if human reason makes man skeptical and faithless, his spiritual nature
makes him overcome his skepticism and sets him back to the right paths of
thinking. Faith is the unquestioning belief in, someone or in something or the
complete trust and confidence or reliance one places in a person or thing: Patients
come to the hospital or seek medical treatment because they believe that to do so
will prolong their lives even temporarily. When they agree that a surgeon remove a
diseased part from their body, they do so because of absolute faith in the surgeon's
skills. People attribute to the ministrations of faith healers' "recovery" from
terminal illness despite discouragement or adverse comments from their own
family. One even asks, "Was there really recovery?"
MAN AS A BIOLOGICAL BEING

Different Behavior:

A. ORGANISMIC BEHAVIOR

Our understanding of organismic behavior is based on two beliefs proposed

by Byrne and Thompson.

The first belief is that man normally responds as a unified whole, not as a
series of integrated parts. His mind and body operate, and his body structures
conform to the purpose for which each part was made. Since the mind operates in
conjunction with the body, one affects the other; neither one stands alone,

The second belief on which organismic behavior is based on that man is

different from and more than thesum of his component parts. The analogy of water
and its component parts may help illustrate this, Byme and Thompson explain that:
Water is not the same as its parts. Its elements, hydrogen and oxygen, have
different sets of characteristics and predictable responses. Each element alone will
support combustion but combined aswater they are commonly used to extinguish
fire.
MAN AS A SYSTEM
The Types of System:

A. CLOSED SYSTEM

A closed system is one that is self-sufficient and totally isolated from other
systems. It does not allow outside stimuli in any form: verbal, non-verbal, life-
threatening or supportive, positive or negative to penetrate its boundaries, nor does
it allow anything from within it to go beyond its boundaries. In this way, life-
sustaining elements, either in the form of energy matter or information, cannot
enter the system to nourish it. This system uses up its reserves: for energy. In so
doing, 'it eventually fails to function and disintegrates. To understand how, a
closed system works, imagine placing a lighted candle inside a glass jar and then
covering it tightly. When the oxygen in the jar is all used up, the flame dies. The
unyielding glass does not allow oxygen from the atmosphere to penetrate its
boundaries and nourish the flame.
B. OPEN SYSTEM

An open system is one, which exchanges matter, energy or information with

the environment, surrounding it. It is directly affected by events for changes in
other systems. This type of system views the person as a living behavioral system.
The metabolism, the growth, and; the total processes, of living are involved in the
interchange of energy, matter or information among parts of the living organism,
and between the living organism and its environment.

C. THE ENERGY-MATTER EXCHANGE OF MAN

Man, as a unified whole, interacts constantly with his environment, while at

the same time the different subsystems within him continuously interact with each
other. This on-going interaction within man, as well as between man and his
environment, enables him to grow, to overcome environmental threats, and, as a
result, to adjust within his body.

As an energy unit, man's energy is not limitless, but must be continuously

replenished as soon as it is utilized. All-life processes, such as eating, breathing,
and working, utilize energy. When this energy supply is exhausted, man dies. In
order to function optimally, he must maintain a steady state of energy balance.
What he uses, he must replace while keeping some reserves in case of an
emergency Emergencies may come in the form of increased volume of work;
disease, or any bodily threat.
MAN AS A PSYCHO-SOCIAL BEING
To discuss man as a psycho-social being, it is necessary for purposes of this
program to borrow from Travelbee words she used to describe aptly the utter
uniqueness of every human being, each of whom is different from any other
person. Man is a unique, irreplaceable individual, a one-time being in this world."
To be irreplaceable means that an entity cannot be exchanged for another.

In conclusion, Travelbee. declares chat, what is wonderful with man is his

capacity to cope with stressful stimuli. Depending on his inherent qualities, in the
environment he grew up in, the experiences he has had - he will manage to rise
above the limitations of his human conditions. He tries all actions which can
resolve conflict knowing that if he does not, he becomes a martyr of his core of
incommunicable: loneliness. If man does not, strive : to strengthen nis relationships
with other fellow humans; he becomes restless and lonely, an embittered individual
without' friends, until the day he dies.

MAN AS THE SPIRITUAL BEING

THE UNITY OF MAN IN BODY. MIND, AND SPIRIT

Man is a being with complexities. Collingwood describes him as a biological

organism composed of 100 trillion cells, each functioning together to make man a
unified whole. He further says that man is also a member of a group of special
animals with interests common to his group. This member may be capable of
sharing a common language, the same set of tools, identical ways of doing things
and ways of thinking.

Man, the spiritual being, needs the essential freedom of the human spirit. To
achieve this freedom, he continuously struggles for it and the struggle is made
doubly difficult when he is ill. Illness deprives the patient of his much-needed
freedom He becomes lost in medical jargon that defies comprehension. He no
longer has the freedom to choose the food he wants to eat, the clothes to wear, the
time to get up or even the time to go to bed. It seems to him that his whole life is
taken over by strangers. He no longer has any say over his own body. Man. asks
the perpetual question, "What have I done to deserve this?" as he copes to
understand the circumstances, he finds himself in. The intellect helps him to
understand that illness is a natural phenomenon that befalls any one when he is
exposed to an unhealthful environment, or when his body resistance is low or when
his body organs' decline in function due to old age or to some disorder. "It is the
intellect that helps him find the truth of his illness and probably accept the fact that
it is not God's "punishment for his sins."

ABRAHAM MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

Maslow's framework of basic needs is based on the theory that something is
a basic need if:

- its absence results in illness.

- its presence prevents or signals health.
- meeting an unmet need restores health.

PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS

- are the physical needs inherent in all human beings: a them are the needs for
oxygen, food, fluids, sleep and procreation to assure the continuation of
human existence. Physiological needs are sometimes referred to as basic
needs. Physiological needs must be met at least minimally for life to
continue. e level of subsistence, death occurs.

SAFETY NEEDS

- The need for safety is subordinate only to basic physiological needs. Safety
is both physiological and Psychological. We need not only a safe physical
environment, a shelter but also the feeling of psychological safety. To feel
safe we need regular contact with people we trust and feel close to.
LOVE and BELONGING NEEDS

- The security we gain from love and belonging enhances the feeling of safety.
Our feeling of structure and security is reinforced when we know where we
stand in relation to others, and who we are to them. We all need mutually
meaningful relationships with other people.

SELF ESTEEM NEEDS

- Self-esteem is derived largely from the feeling that are valued by those
around us. We feel good about ourselves when the people are important to
us express acceptance approval. But self-esteem comes from within; it is
related to the the assessments of our own adequacy, our performance and our
capacity in the various arenas of lives, both professional and that others hold
one in high regard.

SELF ACTUALIZATION NEEDS

- The need to reach one's potential through development of one's unique

capabilities. In general, each lower level of need must be met to some degree
before this need can be satisfied. The process of self- actualization is one
that continues throughout life. The following are qualities that indicate
achievement of one's potential:

a) acceptance of self and others as they are.

b) focus of interest on problems outside of self.
c) ability to be objective.
d) feelings of happiness and affection for others.
e) respect for all persons.
f) ability to discriminate between good and evil. g. creativity as a guideline for
solving problems and carrying out interests.