Doing philosophy as a lifetime process

“Everythinghas been figured out,

except how to live.”
 Jean Paul Sartre
The human person is an important
subject in Philosophy and an
understanding of the nature and
condition of the person is one of the
foremost goals of the discipline.
Philosophers have long pondered
human nature , what it means to be
human , and what sets us apart from
other beings and things in existence.
We often ask ourselves “what
makes us special”? Pondering
our human nature allows us to
determine the special traits that
makes us humans unique as a
species. Further reflection on our
nature as humans will also help
us figure out what makes us
special as individuals and how
uniqueness is shared with our
fellow human beings.
Man is the general term
commonly used to refer to the
entire human race. Other related
terms include humanity, mankind
and humankind, Human refers to
man as species – Homo sapiens
or modern human beings. The
term human being is also used to
distinguish man from animals.
Person is much more complex
term w/c generally refers to a
human being granted
recognition of certain rights,
protection, responsibilities
and dignity above all.
Human nature refers to the
characteristics that distinguish
humans from all other creatures.
These traits are assumed to arise
independent of the influence of
culture and society. considered as
essence of humanity.
What is human person?
- The most basic definition of a
human being relates to the nature of
humans as animals. Philosophers ,
however, believe that the human
being is not just a mere animal.
There is something in the human
individual that sets him or her apart
from other beings.
 So how do we know that we are human
persons? Let us first compare ourselves
to the following:

 Am I a rock?
 Am I a lamp?
 Am I a dog?
We need to look deeper within ourselves
and figure out what really sets us apart
from other living things. So, how do you
differ from a dog?

 You put clothes on your pet

 You give your pet toys to play with
 You make it live in your house
 You teach it to behave properly around
the people

By doing these things, do you make your

pet a human person?
Is your pet truly aware of what is
happening around it
Can your pet truly feel emotions in
the same way that you do?
Is your pet capable of reflection?
Can it question its nature or identity
as a dog?
Do you think it can feel guilt or
satisfaction in the same way that you
do?
The first trait that defines a person is self
awareness. Refers to the person having a
clear perception of oneself, including his
or her thoughts, emotions, identity and
actions. Human awareness goes beyond
perception and reaction to the
environment.

The human person is defined by a deeper

awareness which is driven by rationality
or human thought.
 logical

spirited

appetitive
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