PHILOSOPHY HANDOUT

The Human Person as an Embodied Spirit

Man
- By definition, it is generally and commonly define to represent the entire human race.
Human
- A term used to refer for various classifications and species. For a living man, human is
under the classification of Mamalia.
Human Being
- A term used to separate man from other Human Classifications like animals.
Person
- Refers to an individual who possess self-awareness, selfdetermination, rational mind,
and the capacity to interact with other and with himself/herself. Granted recognition of
certain rights, protection, and responsibilities.
Personhood
- A general term refers to the state of being a person with unique, sacred and ethical
status within him/herself.
Human Nature
- A general term refers to the deepest and natural behaviour of a person that distinguish
human from animals. A collective traits that formed and considered the very essence of
humanity. Nobody can be considered man without human nature.

A. How does Philosophy view the nature of man?

1. Biological Perspective – man as a part of the natural world and a product of evolution.
Modern humans (Homo sapiens) are considered one of the most successfully adapted species
on the planet.
Humans share with other animals the so-called primal instincts: Survival and Reproduction.
Humans progressed and developed additional traits and capabilities:
- Planning and intentional action
- Innovation and creativity
- Communication through language and writing
- Technology
- Symbolic interaction as evidenced by religion and art.

2. Psychological Perspective – Places emphasis on human behavior and thought processes

in analyzing human nature. Man possesses mental faculties that enable him to possess
awareness, a sense of self, and the capacity to perceive and experience.

Mental faculties and capabilities of man include:

a. Psyche: which refers to the human mind and is divided into the conscious and
unconscious mind. The conscious mind is the part which governs awareness, while
the unconscious mind consists of latent or repressed emotions, thoughts, and
desires.
b. Rationality: or the state of being reasonable, the ability to understand experiences
in order to solve problems or do tasks, and engage in decision making and judgment;
 c. Intelligence: or the ability to perceive information, store knowledge, and apply it in
various situations;
d. Introspection: or the ability to examine one’s own conscious thoughts, feelings and
mental state, and the capacity for self-reflection; and
e. Cognition: or the ability to perceive and experience reality through the physical body
that enables the self to form one’s own consciousness.
- A related theory, enactivism, states that cognition arises through the interaction
between an organism and its environment. For humans, the notion of the self-arises
through the interaction between the individual and his environment, and such interaction
is influenced largely by the individual’s particular physiology.

3. Economic Perspective – focuses on man’s ability to engage in productive activities in an

effort to meet his wants and needs. Places emphasis on the “economic man” (Homo
economicus) who is driven by rationality and self-interest in his desire to possess wealth. This
perspective considers man as a productive being; his primary role is to produce and engage in
labor. Additionally, economic forces are considered a greater influence on the actions of man
than society or culture.

4. Social and Political Perspective – started with most ancient Greek philosophers, that man
by nature is a social and political animal. This view believes that no individual is fully self-
sufficient; thus, a human being is always inclined to coexist with others and be part of a
community. Societies were established out of man’s natural tendency to come together for self-
preservation and meet basic needs. This view considers human beings as having integrated
themselves into society to the point that they cannot function apart from it.

5. Theological Perspective – considers man as God’s creation. Man is considered to have a

special relationship with the Creator, being created in His image and given an immortal spirit.
Man’s existence was brought by the purposive creative act of God, and his ultimate destiny is
part of a divine plan.

B. How does Philosophy define the Human Person?

The “human person” refers to the individual, and all the attributes and characteristics that set
him or her apart from other human beings. Significant concepts related to the concept of the
human person are the self, identity, and personhood.

One of the most unique traits of humans is the awareness of the self. Like all other animals,
human beings possess sentience – the ability to feel and experience. Sentience is often seen
as the ability to perceive the surroundings using our senses and react to stimulus such as pain.
Humans, however, not only experience and react to the world. We are also able to patronize,
look into ourselves, and be aware of our distinctness and uniqueness.

Various views address the issues regarding the self and have proposed certain views as to its
nature:
The self as innate. This view holds the self is a natural part of the human being and self-
awareness plays an essential part in recognizing the innate self. Religious views consider the
concept of self as synonymous to the spirit or soul.
The self as emergent. This view holds that awareness of the self is gained through interaction
with the world and other human beings.
The self as integrated and developing. This view holds that the self is composed of varied
elements that change over time.

The concept of the self is closely tied with the ideas of identity and personhood. Identity is
defined as the distinct personality of an individual. Personal identity is composed of a person’s
unique physical characteristics, mental attributes, experiences, memories, ideas, and views.
Identity is said to persist through time, though certain aspects of it may change.

Personhood is the recognition of a human being as a distinct identity – a person. Philosophical

discussions on the person has led to varied notions that justify the recognition of a person.

The person as an “autonomous being.” This notion holds that a human being is considered a
person if he or she possesses the ability to determine his or her life through “reasoned free
choice.” This view assumes that man possesses reason, the capacity for reflection, and the
ability to engage in decision making. In discussion the concept of autonomy, Cornelius
Castoriadis explains the etymology of the word, coming from the Greek words auto which
means “I” or “myself,” and nomos which means “law.” From this, an autonomous person could
be understood as someone who gives laws to himself or herself. This perspective is a major
influence in determining the legal definition of a human “person” and the conventional concept
of an “adult.”

The person as a “unified individual.” This view asserts that the human being has the inherent
capacity to function as a person. It emphasizes the potential of the human being and recognizes
that each human possesses the means to achieve his or her capabilities.

The person in relation to others. This view asserts that a human being becomes a person
through interactions with other human beings. Remove him or her from society and he or she
ceases to become a person. Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) asserts that the person is
defined by his or her actions and experiences, and through them achieves self-development
and fulfillment.

WHAT IS THE SPIRIT?

Human person inevitably leads to a discussion on the nature of the human soul or spirit, which
is the immortal and noncorporeal essence of man.
Embodiment is a central concept in discussing the nature of the human soul. It refers primarily
to how the body, its senses, and perception define human function and consciousness.
Psychologists have defined man's embodiment as embodied cognition - that man is able to
perceive and experience reality through his physical body.
In Christian Philosophy, Embodied spirit is the inseparable union of spirit and body or the
union of body and soul.
Upon the body's demise, the spirit continues to persist into the afterlife. The spirit is also an
essential element for the salvation of mankind, as the departed spirits will be raised from the
dead and shall receive the judgment of God.

The Ancient Greek philosophers have proposed varied ideas on the nature of the spirit. Plato
believed that the human spirit or soul is composed of three parts: logos (the mind or reason),
thymos (spirit), and epithymia (appetite). Plato believed that the soul is what made the body
move. The reason for the soul having three parts comes from the idea that in every individual
there exists an internal conflict, explained by the conflicting parts of the soul. The reason is
responsible for our having rational goals; the spirit is the will or the drive toward an action; and
the appetite refers to the things that the body desires.

Aristotle, on the other hand, rejected Plato's explanation and believed that the soul is not
independent of the body but is integrated into the human being. He explained that the individual
is composed of form and matter. Matter refers to the components that make up an object,
while the form refers to the structure and arrangement of matter that actually gives rise to the
object itself. For Aristotle, an individual is a combination of matter and form. This means that the
various elements and components from nature come together to form the physical structure of
the body, and the soul or the spiritual component combines with the body to give rise to the
individual person.

The mind-body problem considers the question of how the mental or nonphysical are able to
interact with the physical body, and to what extent one influences the other. Earlier views on this
included physicalism, which believes that physical processes determine the state of the mind.
An opposite view, idealism, holds that mental processes and thoughts are the only reality.
Another view, monism, argues that the human being is composed of elements that are neither
physical nor mental. Still another view, dualism, believes in the distinctiveness of the physical
and mental nature of man.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT THE SOUL AND SPIRIT?

Philosophical theology and creation theology clarifies the concept of the spirit and
distinguishes it from the soul. Reverend Chauncey Giles, in his work The Nature of Spirit and of
Man as a Spiritual Being, states that the spirit gives form to the body, and that the human
person is a spiritual being with a material body. Man's physical nature enables him or her to
relate and interact with the physical world. Man's spiritual nature, meanwhile, comes from the
breath of God and enables him or her to relate with God.
Biblical accounts draw a distinction between the "soul" and the "spirit." The word "soul"
is
used to describe the physical-spiritual man and the wholeness of the spirit and the body. Thus,
the soul is never equated with the spirit.

HOW DOES THE SPIRIT DEFINE THE NATURE OF MAN?

The trichotomic view holds that man is composed of three essential parts: body, soul,
and spirit. The soul is defined as the component which gives man life and will, while the spirit
enables man to establish a connection with God. The dichotomic view gives no distinction
between the spirit and soul and views man as being composed of body and Spirit. The final
view, psychosomatic unity, asserts that man is of a single or unitary constitution, and that the
body and spirit are inseparable and integrated.
The spiritual nature of man gives him a distinct nature and purpose among God's
creation. Catholic doctrine holds that the human person is the union of the body and soul, and
that man's soul enables him to know and love God, and grants him the dignity of a person. It is
through the soul that man is able to share in God's life, and it is this relationship with God that
defines his existence.

IF THE SPIRIT EXISTS, DOES GOD EXIST?

Philosophy examines spirituality in Theology, the study of God and other religious
concepts. Theologists discuss the nature of God and use philosophical tools to define and
understand the concept of divinity and religion. The growth of Christianity has greatly influenced
the development of theology, and various Christian philosophers have put forth their ideas on
the nature of God.

God is acknowledged as the Supreme Being that governs all existence, and the center
of faith and devotion of a religion. Theism is the belief in the existence of a God or several
deities. Christians believe in a single God (monotheism) who has the following characteristics:
Omniscience. God is all-knowing.
Omnipotence. God is all-powerful.
Omnipresence. God is ever-present.
Benevolence. God is perfectly good, just; and all-loving.
Divine Simplicity. All attributes are integrated and embodied by Him - God is not just "good"; He
is goodness itself.
Eternal. God is timeless and has no beginning and end.

Theologians have embarked on a study of God through the analysis of sacred texts
(revealed theology), while some have employed reason to substantiate the existence of God
(natural theology), Studies in natural theology have given rise to several arguments on the
existence of God.
The ontological argument contends that since man, a rational being, is able to conceive the
notion of a Supreme Being, then it holds to reason that such Supreme Being exists.
The teleological argument, meanwhile, focuses on the purpose a God would play in the
universe. It argues that a Supreme Being is necessary for the continued existence of an orderly
but complex universe.
The cosmological argument takes into account the nature of existence and the universe and
recognizes the existence of God as an explanation of how things came to being in our reality.
St. Thomas Aquinas proposed several arguments that point to God as the "prime mover," the
"first cause of existence," and the "source of being" of reality and the universe.
Related to these arguments is a view that originated from Islamic theology - the kalam
cosmological argument. This argument proceeds along the following logical statements.
Everything that has a beginning has a cause.
The universe has a beginning.
Therefore, the universe has a cause.
The moral argument holds that man's ethical nature is brought about by the existence of God.
God is the representation of the greatest ideal, "the greatest good," and it is from Him that all
standards of goodness are based.

Immanence/Immanent: regards God as manifesting Himself in the world as a unique entity.

Deities from other world religions are considered to have taken physical form and are often
depicted with human features in iconography
Transcendence/Transcendent: on the other hand, depicts God as existing outside the material
world, and whose presence is beyond physical laws and human knowledge and understanding

Various religious views combine elements of immanence and transcendence in their belief in
the divine. Christian belief adopts a panentheistic view of God, that God is both beyond and
within the universe. Other religions adopt the pantheistic view, that God is an all-
encompassing presence in the universe and has no distinct presence as an entity. Some faiths
profess a pandeistic view, where God was a distinct entity but lost this state when He
transformed Himself into the universe