Man As Person

Introduction
Ethics is a study of man as a normal being.
• What goals we assign to ourselves?
• What actions we choose to do?
• How we treat others?
Depend on how we understand ourselves as a human being.

Socrates is wise indeed for proposing that the starting point of

wisdom is
“To know oneself”
 Filipino Beliefs
1. Man is creature of God.
2. Man has an immoral soul.
3. Man has an assigned destiny in life.
4. Man must do good or else be punished by God.
5. Man by nature is good but is morally weak.

Regarding morality, Filipinos believe that ……..

1. Morality is “batas ng Diyos”.

2. A person should respect his humanity, “pagkatao”.
3. A person should love and care for his family.
4. A person should strive to live peacefully with others.
5. A person should fear God and His punishment.
 Rational Animal
• Man is an organism composed of a material BODY and
SPIRITUAL SOUL.
• He is the whole of his MATERIALITY and IMMATERIALITY, the
substantial union (HYLOMORPHIC) of body and soul, matter and
spirit. This essential wholeness is what we call HUMAN NATURE.

• HUMAN NATURE made up of man’s …

• 1- BIOLOGICAL POWERS are nutrition, locomotion growth &

reproduction.

• 2- PSYCHOLOGICAL POWERS includes those of the senses such

as smelling, tasting, seeing, hearing, perceiving, imagining and
remembering, and those act emotions such as love, hatred, desire,
disgust, joy, sorrow, fear, despair, and courage.

• 3- RATIONAL POWERS are those of the intellect & the will –

comprehension & volition respectively.
Natural Law
A theory in ethics and philosophy that says human
beings possess intrinsic values that govern their
reasoning and behavior. It maintains that these rules
of right and wrong are inherit in people and are not
created by society or court judges.
Natural law applies only to man as a rational
animal. When we speak of an act as “contrary to
natural law”, we mean the act to be against human
nature or humanity.
 A Moral Being
Three characteristics reveal man’s moral nature:

(1) Man by natural insight is
able to distinguish between
good & evil, right & wrong,
moral & immoral.
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All people, including those we regard
as primitive, have an understanding of
what is right or wrong, permitted and
prohibited behavior.
(2) Man feels himself
obliged to do what is good
and to avoid what is evil.
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He is moved by the inner force of
his being demanding that what is
good “ought” to be done, and
what is evil “ought” to be
avoided.
(3) Man feels himself accountable
for his actions so that his good
deeds merit reward, while his evil
deeds deserve punishment.
----------------------------------
Man feels content with himself for doing
a good deed, or he feels remorseful for
doing an evil deed. All cultures has a
system of reward & punishment based
on the concept of justice.

These characteristics shows man’s innate perception of truth, duty, and law. Contrary to this view is the theory
suggesting that human nature as a blank sheet (tabula raza) on which culture writes its text, so that man is merely
the product of social interaction and his bahavior is nothing more than “ a reflex of social conditioning”.
Man as Person
Man is born as an individual, or person.

PERSON is human nature actualized and manifested in the

history of place & time.

Etymologically, the word “person” comes from the Greek

“prosophon” which is the mask worn by stage actors.

The latin “personare” alludes to the mask which is constructed

so as to project forcefully the voice of the actor. Underneath the
person is human nature which is the principle of human activity.

PERSON – an individual , existing separately and independently

from others, capable of knowing and loving in an intellectual
way and of deciding for himself the purpose or end of his
actions. We also refer to person as “self” or “ego”.
Personality and Character
Personality is the sum of those physical attributes and tendencies which
define a person’s distinctive behavior.

Personality is the sum of a person’s physical constitution, talents,

abilities and habits which define characteristics behavior.

In layman’s terms, personality consist of the physical qualities and

mannerisms of an aesthetically refined person.

As person, all men are equal regardless of race. However, one person may
have more personality than another.

Brennan observes:

- The person does not grow in stature, but personality develops and
enlarges itself according to the pattern of his actions, the mature use of his
powers, and the scheme of his habits. There is no such thing as cultivating a
person, but we speak of cultivation of personality. Hence, personality is the
result of one’s achievement.” (Ibid:291)
Personality and Character
Character is often taken as synonymous with personality. This is correct if
personality is taken as the sum-total of the psychological systems in an
individual which enable him to adjust to his environment.

Character refers the person’s choice of values and his intelligent exercise of his
freedom. (Vernon Jones, Meaning of Character, Collier’s Encyclopedia, V-708)

Personality is an aspect of the body.

Character is an aspect of the human soul.

We describe personality as pleasant or unpleasant but we speak of character as

good or bad in the moral sense.

Brennan says…

Personality is “the principle of rational action”

Character is the “principle of moral action”
(Ibid:292)
 Moral Character
- can be conceptualized as an individual's disposition to think, feel, and
behave in an ethical versus unethical manner, or as the subset of
individual differences relevant to morality.

When a person falls short of the expectation, he is said to have bad

character. On the other hand, a person who lives up to the ideals of his
humanity is said to have good character or moral integrity.

Character is not a product of a moment’s inspiration, but a disciplined

tendency to choose the right thing in any given circumstance. It is
adherence to what is true, beautiful, and good in us.

History counts men of great character who acted against and above the
prevailing beliefs & practices of their day like Jesus Christ, Buddha,
Confucius, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jose Rizal, Ninoy Aquino, Pope
John Paul II and many more.
Social Dimension of the Person
Social well being means harmony and integration within the individual,
between each individual and other members of the society and between
the individual and the world in which they live.

Society is but an extension of the person. Ethics is particularly relevant

because of man’s social nature. The golden rule, for that matter is
concerned about the other person.

• George Hegel teaches that

MAN IS FULLY DEVELOPED IN HIS PARTICIPATION IN FAMILY LIFE, CIVIC
COMMUNITY, AND IN THE STATE.

• Thomas Hill Green (1836-1882)

expresses the conviction that A PERSON’S MORALITY MUST IDENTIFY
ITSELF WITH PUBLIC WELFARE.

• Paul Tillich clearly & emphatically says

NATURAL LAW IS THE DEMAND FOR US, “TO BE A PERSON IN THE
COMMUNITY OF OTHER PERSONS”.
Questions & answers
Thank you ……