“The Human

Person as an
Embodied Spirit”
 Introduction
Man is the general term commonly used to refer to the entire
human race. Other related terms include humanity, mankind,
and humankind. Human refers to man as a species- Homo
sapiens sapiens or modern human beings. The term human
being is also used to distinguish man from other animals.

Person is a much more complex term which generally refers

to a human being granted recognition of certain rights,
protection, responsibilities, and dignity above all.
Philosophers refer to the human person as the totality of an
individual, possessing awareness, self-determination, and the
capacity to interact with others and with himself or herself.
Personhood refers to the state of being a person.
 Human nature refers to the characteristics that distinguish
humans from all other creatures. These traits are assumed to
arise independent of the influence of culture and society.
Examples of these characteristics include thinking, feeling and
acting. These traits are considered to form the essence of
humanity, and without them, an individual may not be
considered a human person.

What is the human person?

The most basic definition of a human being relates to the
nature of humans as animals. Philosophers, however, believe
that the human being is not just a mere animal. There is
something in the human individual that sets him or her apart
from other beings. These special traits make a human a distinct
 Traits that Defines a “Person”
 Self-Awareness- refers to a person having a clear perception of
oneself, including his/her thoughts, emotions, identity, and
actions. Human awareness goes beyond perception and reaction
to the environment. The human person is defined by a deeper
awareness which is driven by rationality or human thought.
This awareness gives rise to the notion of the “self”, which
philosophers describe as the person who is actively aware that
he or she is perceiving and experiencing reality. This awareness
also enables us to experience ‘inner world’ that is defined by
our personal thoughts and ideas. The fact that we can daydream
and get lost in our thoughts, imagine, fantasize and reflect
shows that we are able to reach within ourselves and experience
interiority, which is the quality of being focused on one’s inner
life and identity.
Try saying this words aloud:

I am a person.
I am alive.
I exist.
I am here. I am present.
I am living at this very moment.
 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-oriented and
self-directed. Our free will enables us to do actions
whenever we want to and makes self-determination
possible. Free will is the capacity to choose a course of
action from various alternatives. A discussion on self-
determination and free will eventually leads to a discussion
of consequence. Consequence is the result or effect of an
action or condition. Thus brings us to another element of
human action, which is morality or the goodness and
badness of an act. Human action is such an important
aspect of the person that many philosophers consider human
action as a way to reveal a person’s true nature.
 Try saying this words aloud:

I am a person.
My actions are my own and are made
freely.
I know that I am the cause of my actions.
I know that my actions have consequences.
 Externality- an important trait that defines a human person or
is the capability to reach out and interact with others and the
world. The realization that we are not alone and that there are
other persons around us enables us to reach out and establish
meaningful relationship with others. Philosophers consider
man as social being, and that a person never exist in isolation.
We maybe experience interiority– we imagine and think for
ourselves– but we also share this thoughts to other persons.
Man has a natural tendency to seek out fellow human beings,
and the relationships established by this interaction is a vital
component for survival. Our interactions with others define
our existence as persons. We grow and develop not only
through our thoughts and actions but also through the
influence of other people in our lives, and the individuals we
meet and interact with.
 Try saying this words aloud:

I am a person.
I value others.
I interact with others in meaningful ways.
I value my relationships with others.
 Dignity- the final trait that distinguishes human person that is
the innate right to be valued and respected. Philosophers
consider all humans as having an inherent worth or value.
Philosophers, however do not equate value or worth with any
quantifiable measure such as a price. Putting a price on a person
diminishes human dignity since we tend to value some people
more while we may diminish the worth of others. Each person is
worth the same as another person in the sense that every person
is priceless, unique, unrepeatable, and irreplaceable. Human
dignity also drives us to seek what is good. Doing good actions,
therefore, upholds and promotes the dignity of the human
person. Since we recognize ourselves as persons with dignity
who deserve to be treated well and respected, we should also
treat other persons in a respectful manner. The recognition of the
dignity of the human person is the basis for recognition of
human rights.
 Try saying this words aloud:

I am a person.
I am a person with dignity.
I recognize that others have dignity, as well.
I must uphold human dignity in my
thoughts and actions.
What is our human nature that enables us to
become persons?
Philosophers have delved deeper into the question of
personhood. They tried to identify the substantial
elements that give rise to the characteristics that
enable us to become persons. Philosophers point to
another unseen aspect of the human person which,
along with the body defines us as persons. This
intangible element is the spirit which enables us to
exercise thought, possess awareness, interiority and
the capacity to reach out to the outside world and
other persons.
 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. Not only are the body
and spirit united, but they are also integrated with each
other. This means that we cannot separate the two and
they go hand-in-hand in making us who we are.
Whatever affects the body also affects the spirit, and
this unique trait of the person enables him or her to
experience both the physical world and the spiritual
world. Embodiment enables us to do and experience
How does my human nature enable me
to explore my limits?
Though the nature of person as an embodied spirit provides
numerous opportunities to explore everything around us and
even within us, our human nature still imposes limitations. It
is true that the human person enjoys a number of advantages
compared to other beings, but there are still a number of things
that humans naturally cannot do. It can be said that the person
is a very biologically deficient being. This means that we are
not equipped with the best physical attributes among all the
beings in the world. The ability to surpass limits is called
transcendence and it is also one important trait that
distinguishes the human person from form other beings is
existence.
Our mind is an important tool that allows us to go
beyond many of our physical limits. As a person, we
are able to exercise our imagination and reflection to
go beyond our own thoughts and experience.

Example : We can imagine ourselves in other places

without traveling there.
 Review
 The human being is recognized not only as a distinct species-
Homo sapiens sapiens, but as a unique being, an individual
person possessing awareness of the self.
 The human person possesses self awareness which refers to
the awareness of oneself as an active participant in reality. A
person is aware not only for his or her surroundings or reality
but also of himself or herself as a participant in this reality.
 The sense of self enables the person to look within himself
or herself and experience interiority. Self-awareness also
enables a person to reach out to other person and establish
meaningful relationship with them.
Another trait that defines a human person is self-
determination. This refers to the awareness of one’s
actions and the notion that oneself is the source of
an action. Self determination is brought about by the
person’s free will or the capability to act wilfully
and control one’s action . Self determination also
brings about the awareness of consequence that
every action will have result or effects.
A human person is able to reach out and interact
with others. Man is a social being and a person has a
natural tendency to established relationships with
other people. These interactions define our existence
and enables us to develop.
 A human person has dignity, which is the recognition that
each person has a worth and value that go beyond
quantifiable terms. Each person is indispensable and
irreplaceable . Our human nature is the basis for the
recognition of our human rights. Doing good actions and
upholding the good enable the person to uphold his or her
dignity.
 The human person is embodied spirit. This means that both
the human body and the spirit define human nature and
experience. The body and the spirit come together to form a
whole, and this integration defines the embodiment of the
person. The human person’s nature as an embodied gives
rise to the characteristics that define the persons and able as
to engage in profound, meaningful experiences.
Our human nature makes transcendence possible. It
refers to our ability to explore and surpass our
limits. We are able to transcend our limits through
our physical and mental abilities to transcend our
limits through our physical and mental abilities. Our
ability to transcend drives us to become better
persons and to improve ourselves in every way. We
can also transcend our own selves, when we govern
ourselves towards what is proper to our nature as a
person.