CHAPTER 2
The Nature of the Human Person
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this chapter, the learners are
expected to:
describe the nature of the human person;
identify the importance of a person's ability
and capacity; and
describe a person's unique qualities that
make him/her a productive social being.
OVERVIEW
This chapter discusses the nature of
the human person. It answers these
questions: What is a human person?
How can a human person attain
his/her highest potential and
contribute to the common good?
THE HUMAN PERSON
Estañol (2007) defines the human person as having
physical, spiritual, emotion and intellectual attributes.
St. Thomas Aquinas describes the human person as
having physical and spiritual substance because
he/she has a soul and is created by a Superior Being
with a divine purpose. Dictionaries define the human
person as a "self-conscious animal."
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CHARACTERISTICS
OF A HUMAN
PERSON
Babor (2007) in his
book, The Human
Person: Not Real, But
Existing, discusses the
several characteristics
of a human person,
namely:
A human person is a rational A human person is unique. He/She
being. He/She is free to think and
has the capacity to reason and
possesses an identity that makes
distinguish between right and him/her unlike any other person.
wrong. Generally speaking, even if two
A human person is born free. persons have the same
He/She has the freedom to do or characteristics and physical
not to do things. However, every features, they are not the same
person is responsible for his/her because each one has his/her own
own action. perception, and a different set of
values and priorities in life.
Every person is intrinsically a All living things are sexual by nature,
social being and cannot but the uniqueness of expression of
detach himself/herself from a person's sexuality makes him/her
other creatures in the different. The expression of a
universe. By nature, he/she is person's emotions, attitudes,
characterized by his/her feelings, actions, and thoughts in
relationships with other sexual activity best exemplifies
creatures, objects, or his/her his/her uniqueness from animals.
fellowmen.
BIBLICAL VIEWS
The human person has superiority and dignity
inherited from the Supreme Being According to the
book of Genesis, chapter 1, verses 26 to 27, God
created man and woman in His own image and
likeness and made them masters of the fish of the
sea. the birds, the heaven, the earth, the wild
beasts, and all the reptiles that crawl upon the
earth.
Agbuya (1997) states that "He/She (human person) is
designated by God to exercise dominion over other
creatures in his/her everyday use of freedom, search for
happiness, and openness to the world around him/her.
And what makes him/her human is his/ her being a true
person, which includes the special gifts and talents of
thinking, loving. longing for happiness, and making
decision. The human nature was patterned after the
image of God."
PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS
According to Protagoras, a human person is the
measure of all things that exist and of all things that do
not exist. Furthermore, Plato claimed that the perfect
human being does not exist in this world because what
is in this world is just an imperfect copy of humanity's
original self in the realm of ideas. Parmenides posited
that a person has knowledge of something that exists,
for a person who does not exist is nothing.
MAGUIGAD (2006) IN HIS BOOK, PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN BEING, EXPLAINS THE DIFFERENT
PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS OF THE HUMAN PERSON. THESE ARE THE FOLLOWING:
Conservatism Socialism - the
-
human being readily engages in
All human persons may not be of cooperative social activities when given
equal value to society: some men are the opportunity
intended to rule, the rest to obey.
Fascism - The human
Liberalism - being can prosper only when the nation
"Every human being can become a sage prospers;
king, that is, anyone can gain the wisdom
to rule."
CLASSICAL GREEK VIEWS
The early classical Greeks define the human person as "a
rational animal." An animal's vegetative sensory and
rational element is integrated within his/her being; thus
he/she is a material (body) and spiritual (soul) being. As a
vegetative creature, the human person needs to have food
to grow, develop, and reproduce. As a sentient being,
he/she needs sensory perceptions to gain knowledge. As a
rational animal, he/she needs the power of thought,
reason, and cognition.
Due to a person's nobility and his/her special place
in God's kingdom, it is through him/her that the rest
of creation enters into a dialogue and relationship
with the Supreme Being. Because the human
person is given free will to choose, decide, or shape
his/her life, he/she is always responsible for his/her
action.
SOCIOLOGICAL VIEWS
A perspective is a particular way of looking at
and seeing something. Salcedo (2004) states
that people look at this social world or at the
various ways that human beings behave in a
social way. Hence, when we talk about society
or the social world, we are really referring to
the behavior of human beings
SAN JUAN (2007) PROPOSES SOME COMMON IDEAS ABOUT THE HUMAN PERSON. THESE ARE THE
FOLLOWING:
Human persons are social animals. We need to cooperate with
others in some way to create the social world in which to live.
The human person's social behavior is learned, not instinctive.
To understand the human person's social behavior, we have to
focus our attention on the groups to which people belong.
Sociology is a discipline that looks into the totality of
relationships in an individual's life. Sociologists do not restrict
their studies to a single dimension of an individual's life
(economics, politics, history, geography, psychology, and so
forth).
HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
CONCLUSION
A person is a social being with various
needs that have to be satisfied. This will
enable him/her to reach the peak of
his/her potential, so that he/she could
effectively relate with others and be a
productive part of his community.