Objectives:

1.Explain the nature of the

human person.

2.Differentiate the needs and

values based from different
persons’ point of view.
The Notion of a Person
What is a person?

• “any entity that has the moral right

of self-determination.”

• the kind of being that has the moral

right to make its own life-choices and
to live its life without being provoked
interfered by others
What is a person?

• the individual’s uniqueness which cannot be

interchanged and therefore cannot be counted

• a being that has certain capacities or

attributes constituting personhood, which in
turn is defined differently by different authors
in different disciplines and by different cultures
in different times and places
LAW: A person is a human being or a
corporation recognized in law as
having certain rights and obligations.

PHILOSOPHY: A person is a being

characterized by consciousness,
rationality, and a moral sense, and
traditionally thought of as consisting
of both a body and a mind or soul.
Needs and Values of Human
Persons Needs

Maslow‘s Hierarchy of Needs

 Maslow‘s Hierarchy of
Needs
1. Human beings initially
set their priorities
according to their
existential needs such as
food, clothes and sleep. If
the existential needs are
not met survival is
threatened and life itself
is in danger.
 Maslow‘s Hierarchy of
Needs
2. If the existential
needs are satisfied the
need for safety is
awakened: The desire for
protection from the risks
to life such as war,
sickness, accident,
environmental
catastrophes etc. take
center ground
 3. The next level in
the priority pyramid
according to Maslow
concerns the social
needs: The human
being wants to be
with like-minded
people, he wants to
be accepted and
loved.
 4. The following level
is concerned with self-
regard and the esteem
of other people: The
human being wants to
strengthen his self-
confidence and for this
purpose seeks regard
and recognition from
other people.
5. The top objective
is the need for self-
realization: The
human being wants
to be able to be
himself and to
permanently be able
to experience inner
peace, happiness
and harmony.
 Needs and Values of Human Person

The Human Act: Its Characteristics

• Knowledge
• Freedom
• Willfulness
 • a familiarity with someone or
something, which can include facts,
information, descriptions, or skills
acquired through experience or
education
• theoretical or practical understanding
of a subject
• can be implicit (as with practical skill
or expertise) or explicit (as with the
theoretical understanding of a subject)
• In philosophy, the study of knowledge
is called epistemology
• Knowledge acquisition involves complex
cognitive processes: perception,
communication, association and
reasoning
• the state of being free at
liberty rather than in
confinement or under
physical restraint

• exception from external

control, interference,
regulation, etc.

• the power to determine

action without restraint
• the determined desire to do
what you want without caring
what other people want or feel.
• Stubbornly bent on having
one's own way.
PERFORMANCE TASK 2
PHILOSOPHY OF HUMAN PERSON

Philosophy of Man is a philosophical

approach to man. It attempts to
describe and interpret human existence
in relation with other beings.
Philosophy of Man seeks to
undertake this venture of
becoming aware of ourselves and
to discover the source of inner
strength and security which are
the rewards such venture.
We have to describe and bring to
light man’s whole uniqueness in
our concrete experience.

And therefore, we cannot fully

understand this subject unless we
completely understand ourselves
A human person can be fully understood by defining it using the
following traits:
1. Self-awareness
- Refers to the person’s clear perception of
oneself, which includes her thoughts,
emotions, identity and actions. It is also
driven by rationality or human thought. It is
an awareness not just of his or her
surroundings but also of his or her own
existence, which lead to the notion of “self” –
a person who perceive and experience reality.
A human person can be fully understood by defining it using the
following traits:

2. Self-determination
- Is the capacity of persons to make
choices and decisions based on their
own preferences, monitor and, regulate
their actions. As a human person we act
and we are aware of our actions.
- Self-determination is associated with
freewill, consequence and morality.
A human person can be fully understood by defining it using the
following traits:

Freewill – enable us to act willfully,

control our actions, and recognize
ourselves as the source of action.
Consequence – is the result or effect of an
action or condition.
Morality – refers to the goodness or
badness of an act.
A human person can be fully understood by defining it using the
following traits:

3. Externality
- Our capacity to reach out and interact with
others and the world.
Meaning, our interaction with others and the
world is externality. We believe that no man is
an island and that we need to reach out to
other to give meaning to our existence – we do
not live in isolation, we exist with others. As
we grow, the people around us influence our
traits and characters.
A human person can be fully understood by defining it using the
following traits:
4. Dignity
- This is our innate right to be valued and
respected. As a human person we have an
innate worth or value. Each person is worth
the other regardless of what status you have
in life. We do not equate our value to any
material thing that we have. Outside forces or
characteristics such as, beauty, intelligence
or skills do not define our dignity.
A human person can be fully understood by defining it using the
following traits:

Since a person has dignity,

he/she deserves to be treated
fairly. The recognition of the
dignity of human person is the
basis for the recognition of
human rights