JAMES IVAN COLE V.

ATIENZA
 THERE ARE TWO GENERAL KINDS A
HUMAN PERSON CAN BE CONSIDERED
• Metaphysical- Essential components of a
human person. The what of a person.
• Existential- Essential feature of the human
way of life. The who of a person.
 FACT
• The human person has a body and Three non-
bodily human components: Soul, Mind, and
Spirit
• Soul- Life giving function
• Mind- Consciousness
• Spirit- Non physical nature
 WHAT ESSENTIALLY MAKES UP A
HUMAN PERSON?

• There are three possible answer:

1. Unspirited body view
2. Disembodied spirit view
3. Embodied spirit view
 UNSPIRITED BODY VIEW
• A human person is essentially just his or her
body and nothing more. No spirit just body.
• Supporters call “Mental state” as physical
states.
• Views: Mind-Brain Identity Theory- Mind is
nothing but the brain. Mental states are
neutral states. Behaviorism- The way we act is
a product of our thinking.
 DISEMBODIED SPIRIT VIEW
• A human person is essentially just his or her
spirit. Body is a nonessential component of
human person. Body will die without the
spirit.
• Supporters: Plato and Rene Descartes. They
believed in substance dualism: Spirit is
independent of body
 EMBODIED SPIRIT VIEW
• Unity of his or her body and spirit. Human
person has both claims to be the unity of body
and spirit. Nothing without the other.
• Supporters: Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas
• Aristotle also emphasizes that the soul is a
essential component of a human person-
“Soul is a system of capacities that give life to
something.”
 ARISTOTLE
• Plants, Animals and Human Person have souls.
• Plants (Vegetative)
• Animals (Sensitive)
• Human Person (Rational)
 THREE REASONS WHY EMBODIED
SPIRIT IS PREFERRED
• Maintains human freedom
• Gives importance to the soul
• Accommodate opposing views