The Human Person as an

Embodied Subject
 The Human Person as an
Embodied Subject

Lesson 1: Understanding Human Person

Lesson 2: Value the significant relationship of the body and the spirit

Lesson 3: Limitations and Transcendence

 Lesson 1: Understanding Human Person

“What makes us human?”

Philosophers were initially concerned with the defining the
essential characteristic that makes a person human.
This essential characteristic is what distinguishes as from plants,
animals, and other living things.
Many agree that this essential characteristic is nothing else but our
being rational beings.

Our rationality makes us superior to all others because it is the

highest form of activity and no other being has it.
 To fully understand the concept of human person we need to
understand some terms in relation to the discussion of the human
person.
Man – commonly used to refer to the entire human race
Human – refers to man as species – Homo sapiens sapiens
Human Being – used to distinguish man from another animals.
Person – refers to a human being granted recognition of rights,
protection, responsibilities, and dignity.
Personhood – refers to the state of being a person.
Human nature – refers to the characteristics that distinguishes
human from all other creatures.
What is a Human Person?
A human person can be fully understood by defining it using
the following traits:

1. Self-awareness

2. Self-determination

3. Externality

4. Dignity
1. Self-awareness

It 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.
2. Self-determination

It 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.
It is associated with :
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.
2. Self-determination

Human acts are acts that are proper to human beings, meaning
that they are done with free will, reason, and moral
responsibility.

Acts of man are acts that are shared by humans and other
animals, meaning that they are done by instinct, emotion,
or physiological necessity

Human acts are exclusive to humans, while acts of man are not.
3. Externality
It refers to 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.
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 person’s incapability and criminal act will not make him
or her less of a person he/she is expected to be.
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.
 Lesson 2: Value the significant relationship of the body
and the spirit
What do you think are the differences between soul and spirit?
The soul and the spirit are the two primary immaterial parts to
humanity. It can be confusing to attempt to discern the precise
differences between the two.
The word spirit refers only to the immaterial facet of humanity.
Human beings have a spirit, but are not spirits.
The spirit is the element in humanity that gives us the ability to have
an intimate relationship with first Being.
Whenever the word spirit is used, it refers to the immaterial part of
humanity that “connects” with Him, who Himself is spirit.
 Lesson 2: Value the significant relationship of the body
and the spirit
The word soul refers to both the immaterial and material
aspects of humanity. Unlike human beings having a spirit, human
beings are souls.
In its most basic sense, the word soul means “life”; Human
beings have a sinful nature, and our souls are tainted with sin.
The word soul can refer to the whole person, whether alive on
earth or in the afterlife.
The soul and the spirit are connected, but separable.
The soul is the essence of humanity’s being; it is who we are.
The spirit is the immaterial part of humanity that connects us
with the Being.
Body and Spirit

Philosophers believe that what make a human person is not

just all about its traits and characteristics. It is also not all about its
physicality such as being tall, dark or having a black hair. But
philosophers also point out another unseen aspect of being a
human person which is the spirit.
Spirit refers to an intangible element of a human person
enables one to exercise thoughts, possess awareness, interiority,
and the capacity to reach out to the outside world and other
persons.
 Body and Spirit

The Human Person is an Embodied Spirit. The idea of the human

person as an “embodied spirit” does not necessarily refer to the
incarnation or materialization of spirit as an immaterial entity.

The embodiment of the spirit in the context of Christian philosophy

specifically refers to the inseparable union of body and soul.

Thus, when we say, “embodied spirit” we mean that the body is not
separate from the soul, just as the soul is not separate from the body.
Body and Spirit

So, when we speak that the human person is an embodied

spirit, we specifically mean that the human person is the point of
convergence between the material and spiritual entities, that is,
between the body and soul.
We cannot say, therefore, of the human person without the
union of body and soul. The human body also stands as the
mediator between the material and the spiritual world.
Being an embodied spirit, the person is able to encounter the
world of objects in a manner that transcends the physical.
 Lesson 3: Limitations and Transcendence
What are My Limitations? Write your answer in your activity notebook.
What is limitation?
Limitation - as defined in the Merriam dictionary is “something
that controls how much of something is possible or allowed”.
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.
 Three Categories of Limitations
1. Facticity

- Refers to the things in our lives that are already given (Ex. We are
born in a particular time and place, and we did not choose them).

It also refers to all the details that surround us in the present.

These include our environment, language, past decisions, past and

present relationships, and even our future death.
 Three Categories of Limitations
2. Spatial-Temporal Being
This means that we will not live forever – that we have a limited
period of stay in this world (we call this finitude).
We are just passers of this place. - Our limitations here are based
on time, ability, etc. (the not yet and the no longer)
Example:
a) A 5-year old child cannot put on lipstick because she
is still a child (the not yet).
b) A senior citizen cannot bear a child because she is no
longer capable of reproduction.
 Three Categories of Limitations

2. Spatial-Temporal Being

- On the level of being spatial individuals, we are limited by

our bodies to be present in two or more places at the same time.

We are set to be in one place at a time. Example: One cannot be

in Manila and in Cebu at same time because his body does not
allow him to.
 Three Categories of Limitations
3. The Body/Being as Intermediary
We have established that we are our bodies, but also more than
our bodies. Our body then serves as an intermediary between the
physical world and us.
It is because of my body that I experience the world as my world
and not the world of other.
Example:
“I can always imagine myself living as a rock star; but I will never
really know how it is to be a rock star unless I become one
myself.” “I can never be you or you can never be me”.
What is transcendence?
It refers to the ability to explore and surpass limits (Merriam Webster
Dictionary).
A very important tool that allows us to go through our physical
limits is our mind.

Although we have these physical limitations, we can transcend

them because of our spiritual dimension.

We have natural tendencies and inclinations as a human

person. Some of these are felt bodily functions like hunger,
fatigue, etc.
Transcendence
means overcoming oneself or being in control even if the
body reminds us of certain tendencies.
Although these tendencies are felt, the person can govern them
and ensure that they are exercised within the bounds of reason.
The presence of several limitations of being an embodied
subject may make us think that life is difficult and is very
restricting.
But, if we come to think it, if we reflect on our personal lives,
we could come to the idea that the limitations that we have
make our lives more colorful and challenging.
Let us try to look at these limitations and see how, we could surpass or
transcend our limitation or perhaps we could realize that there is really
no need to overcome it.
1. Facticity = (the quality or condition of being fact.) We understand
that our facticity are the things already given to us the moment we
are born. With this, we could say that we really cannot do anything
about it, what we could do is to change our attitude towards it.
2. Spatial-Temporal Being= Our being temporal being maybe one
of the things that bothers as the most. Knowing that we are
temporary being in this world often times gave us fear to try and
do things. We are more concerned of what might happen
tomorrow, next month or next year that we forget to live our life
for today. us the chance to be more connected to one another.
We should appreciate always what is present in our space
because sometimes we only appreciate things or people when
it’s already gone.
3. Body/Being as Intermediary = Having a body as an intermediary
to the world may only allow us to experience the world base on our
own point of standing thus, limiting us to fully experience the
world. Although our body oftentimes conceals or restrict what
emotions we wanted to convey but somehow it became our
protection for there are time that we do not want others to know
what we truly feel and think. The body may pose some
limitations, but these limitations serves as our advantage as
well.