PHILOSOPHY

The Human Person as an

Embodied Spirit
WHAT I NEED TO KNOW ?

• Let’s Do This!
• 1. Describe the taste of water?
• 2. Describe the color blue to a blind person?
• 3. How will you describe how wonderful the world is to a blind
person?
• 4. Now, try this, from the tip of your elbow try to reach your chin. So
what now? What does the exercise tell us?
• It is difficult. Why? What if you don’t have a body?
• THEHUMAN PERSON HAS LIMITS.
WHAT’S IN IT?
• Lesson 3.1. Human body imposes limits and possibilities for
transcendence
Human Composition of Man:
• What are the difference of the following terms?
• Man
• Person
• Human Nature
• Limitations of Human Person as an Embodied Spirit
• Facticity
• Spatial-Temporal Being
• The Body as Intermediary
HUMAN COMPOSITION OF MAN
• MAN (from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
The English term “man” is derived from a
Proto-Indo European root *man - (see
Sanskrit/Avestan Manu-, Slavic mǫž "man,
male"). It is the general term commonly used
to refer to the entire human race. Other related
terms, humanity, mankind, and humankind.
• HUMAN refers to man as species – HOMO SAPIENS
or MODERN HUMAN BEINGS. The term human
being is also used to differentiate man from other
animals.
• PERSON is the personality of a human being so called
“SELF”. Refers to a human being granted recognition
of certain rights, protection, responsibilities and
dignity above all. Philosopher refers to the human
person as the totality of an individual, possessing
awareness, self-determination and capacity to interact
with others and with himself/herself. Personhood
refers to the state of being a person.
• HUMAN NATURE defines as the nature of humans
especially the fundamental characters and traits of
humans. It refers to the characteristics that distinguish
humans from all other creatures. These traits are
expected to arise independent of the influence of
culture an society. EXAMPLES: THINKING,
FEELING AND ACTING.
 What is the human person?
PERSON

Is able to reach out and

Has awareness of self Has self determination Has dignity
interact with other
• Self-awareness refers to the person having a clear perception
of oneself, including his thoughts, emotions, identity and
actions.

Try saying these!

● I am a person.
● I am alive.
● I exist.
● I am here. I am present.
● I am living at this very moment.
Let’s examine
• Little Jose is playing in the living room while his
mom is in the kitchen.
• He accidentally bumps into a table, causing a
vase to fall. Upon hearing, his mom went to the
living room and saw him, standing near the
broken vase. She asked, “Did you break the
vase?” What do you think Jose‘s answer will be?
• Self-determination refers to the capability of
persons to make choices and decisions based on
their own preferences, monitor and regulate their
actions, and be goal-oriental and self-directed.
• Consequence is the result or effect of an action
or condition. Philosophers believe that a person
acts freely and with due regard for the
consequences of his actions.
• Externality refers to the capability of a person to
reach out and interact with others and the world.
• Dignity refers to the innate right to be valued and
respected. Philosophers consider all humans as
having an inherent worth or value. “You’re
worthless!” is an insult since it attacks the very
notion of a person having value or worth.
Limitations of the Human Person
• Human persons are naturally deficient beings. This means that we are
not prepared with the best physical aspects among all the beings.
• Human persons do not have the natural ability to fly.
Human persons cannot breathe underwater without the aid of
breathing device.
LIMITATIONS CAN LEAD TO POSSIBILITIES
• Transcendence is the ability to
change, be dynamic, and
continually redefining one’s self
which works with our facticity to
create change.
• How do limitations lead to
transcendence?
• Facticity refers to the things in our
life that are already given.
EXAMPLE: LIFE
• We are free to define who we are
and who we are to be.
• Spatial-temporal being. As temporal beings, our
most obvious limitation is our finitude - our finite
quality or state. For example, Walang forever, pero
meron talaga. As spatial beings, we are limited by
our bodies to be present in two or more places at the
same time. We are limited by space (spatial) and the
time (temporal). Our spatial-temporal situation sets
our preconditions of understanding.
• Why do we want to be in a hurry to achieve or have
something which is not yet?
• NOW, FUTURE, PAST
• Why do we hold on or lament on something which is
no longer?
• It is the people closest to us that we most often
neglect.
The Body as Intermediary
• Intermediary means acting as a mediator (Merriam-Webster).
Having a body may prevent us from revealing what we really
want to express.
• How do we communicate with each other? WORDS
• But can words really capture the things we want to express?
But this limitation can
• also be an advantage...
• In most cases, words are not enough. EXAMPLE:
Magbabago Na Ako Promise!!!
LESSON 3.2: Limitations and Possibilities for
Transcendence
• Many people admire Mark Zuckerberg
being a co-founder and CEO of the
social-networking website Facebook,
which he started in his college dorm room
at Harvard University. He’s one of the
world’s youngest billionaires in this
generation.
• Like Mark, all people have dreams that
they want to fulfill. If you were finally
able to meet your
• dreams, how would you feel?
• Do you think your perspective in life will
change?