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INTRODUCTION TO THE
PHILOSOPHY OF THE
HUMAN PERSON
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 At the end of this lesson
you are expected to:
OBJECTIVES: 1. Determine the
differences among
human persons, body
soul and spirit;
2. Analyze how
embodiment defines a
person; and
3. Show appreciation on
the importance of
determining the
different traits of the
human person.
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Human Being as
Embodied Spirit

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LET’S DO THIS!

1. DESCRIBE THE TASTE OF THE WATER

2. DESCRIBE THE COLOR BLUE TO A BLIND
3. HOW WILL YOU DESCRIBE HOW WONDERFUL
THE WORLD TO A BLIND PERSON?
4. NOW, TRY THIS, FROM THE TIP OF YOUR
ELBOW TRY TO REACH YOUR CHIN

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SO, WHAT DOES THE
EXERCISE TELL US?

• IT IS DIFFICULT
• THE HUMAN PERSON HAS
LIMITS

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We often ask ourselves, “What
makes us special?” Pondering
our human nature allows us to
determine the special traits
that make 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 this uniqueness is
shared with our fellow human
beings. (R. D. Abella 2016

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Man-important subject in Philosophy
-term which is usually used to refer to
the entire human race.
Human-refers to man as species- homo
sapiens sapiens or modern human being.
• Person-much more complex term which
generally refers to a human being granted
recognition of certain rights, protection, and
responsibilities.
• Human person-refers to the individual, and all
attributes and characteristics that set him or her
apart from other human beings. Significant
concepts w/c relate to the concept of human
person are the self, identity, and personhood.
What makes
me,me?

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 Human as a person
has the following
traits:

1. Has awareness of self

which refers to the
person having a clear
perception of oneself,
including his thoughts,
emotions, identity and
actions. (R. D. Abella
2016)
 Human as a person
has the following
traits:

2. Has, refers to the capability

of persons to make choices
and decisions based on their
own preferences, monitor and
regulate their actions, and be
goal oriented and self-
directed. We are persons
because we act and we are
aware of our actions. (R. D.
 Human as a person
has the following
traits:

3. Externality, person
is able to reach out
and interact with
others. (R. D. Abella
2016)
 Human as a person
has the following
traits:

4. Has dignity, this 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. (R. D. Abella 2016)
 Soul
The soul causes the body to live; indeed, it is the soul that
animates the body. If the soul is the animator of the body,
the body acts as the matter to the soul. Hence, Aristotle
believes that the soul is the form to the body, while the
body is the matter to the soul. For Aristotle, everything
that exists is composed of matter and form, they are
indeed inseparable. Hence, we cannot talk about any
object if either of these entities is not present. In the
context of the human person, Aristotle believes that body
and soul are inseparable. Body and soul, therefore,
constitute the human person as a whole. (Steph 2018)
 Spirit
Aside from the physical
characteristics, another aspect of the
human that defines us as persons is
the spirit. This intangible element
enables us to exercise thought,
possess awareness, interiority, and
the capacity to reach out to the
outside world and other persons. (R.
D. Abella 2016)
 How are the body and
spirit related?

• Philosophers consider the

human person as defined by
the union of the body and the
spirit. The human person is an
embodied spirit. The body
and the spirit are not only
united, but they are
integrated with each other.
(R. D. Abella 2016)
 Embodiment

• Embodiment enables us to do
and experience all the things
that make us human persons.
With human embodiment,
physical acts are no longer
purely physical acts, because
the body conveys something
from a person’s inner world.
 Embodiment
• A pat on the shoulder from your idol, a
smile from your crush, a kiss from your
partner will create intense emotional
reaction in you. These examples show
that it is through embodiment that a
person is able to have a very unique
relationship with the world. And it is
this unique relationship that defines us
as humans. (Garcia 2018)
Embodiment gives us the opportunity to do all the things that human
person does, but we cannot always say that our own body is limitless.
As we called human person as embodied spirit, we also embrace the
idea that there are things that we cannot do and there are limitations
which make us a human as well.

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 Human Nature and
Limitations

Human nature still has limits despite being

an embodied spirit. It can be said that the
person is very biologically deficient being.
We do not have the natural ability to fly.
We cannot breathe underwater without
using breathing apparatus. We cannot
survive in certain environments like other
animals. Despite these limitations, we
have used out intellect to devise means to
achieve several feats.
The ability to surpass limits is called
transcendence, and it is also one
important trait that distinguishes the
human person from other beings in
existence. (R. D. Abella 2016) Philosophy
gives us useful tools to explore our
limitations and possibilities for
transcendence. The idea is to
acknowledge our limitations, identify
possibilities for advancement, and
change ourselves for the better. It may be
a physical or behavioral change and
mental activities. Opening yourself to
new experiences and concepts is another
aspect of transcendence. Our capability
for transcendence gives us the
opportunity to work toward becoming
better versions of ourselves.
• If you ever wonder that despite of our limitations, we can able to
overcome our own weaknesses, the answer is, it is because our
human nature enables us to explore our own limits. It is because of
transcendence we are open with new opportunities and overcome
our own weaknesses.
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