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THE HUMAN PERSON

Introduction:
“What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you
should care for him? You have made him a little less than the angels, and crowned
him with glory and honor. You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet.”
(Psalm 8:5-7)

“the dignity of man

is the dignity of the image of
God”
- Pope Paul XII

…not just a “being,”

one among the many creatures created by God,
but a “person”

Who is the human person according to reason and Christian Faith?

 The Answer:
Jesus Christ
“In Christ and through Christ, we have acquired full
awareness of our dignity, of the heights to which we are
raised, of the surpassing worth of our humanity and of
the meaning of our existence”

Jesus reveals that our origin, meaning and destiny is grounded on God.

We are:
1. created in God’s own image and likeness (Gen. 1: 26 )
 hence, act and treat others accordingly, that is:
 treat man not as mere objects or commodity,
but with great value, their worth, with faculties, and deserves nobler
treatment than animals.

2. redeemed by Christ (Eph. 1: 7; Col. 1: 14)

 saved from slavery of sin
 man has been brought back to his own nature
 hindi ka tao lamang – defense of “sapagkat ako’y tao
lamang”

3. sanctified by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8: 14-16; 1 Cor. 6:

19 )
 capable of doing great things – that is, within the
spiritual realm
 meant to be healed if fallen from sin – his nature is one
capable of rising up - not “tao lamang”

4. called to be adopted children of God ( 1 Jn. 3: 1 ); and

 we are in a covenant
 higher calling
 duties inscribed in our hearts – our very being
 called because of our nature’s capability – not “tao
lamang”
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5. destined for eternal life ( CCC 1692 )

 grounded with our true end
 hence: we must not settle for the things of this world
alone – but those of higher value
 in the spiritual realm – matters of spirit

Human Persons “in Experience”

I. Human Persons are “Open and Relational by nature” ( CFC

687 )
 gregarious by nature
 a NEED, not an option to relate/socialize
 our physical set-up – always going outside – “palabas”–
para sa

A. Man is TRINITARIAN by origin

 dignity of man – in relation to the Trinity: We are: 1
created …
 Hence: not “tao lamang”
⇒ not spared from responsibility
and imputability
⇒ because being such: “much is
expected with those who are given much”

B. No one exists by oneself, but only in relation with others

 That is how God ordered it
 means: really created to be in relation with
others
 components and dimensions of his existence:
i. social
ii. physical
iii. emotional
iv. psychological

 “No man is an island”

C. We realize that our being as person means:

 “being by others” (our conception,birth, upbringing)
–hence, there is no such thing as “putok sa buho” – manifested in a kid
searching for his “pinagmulan”
 human existence does not precede
relationship, but: “born of relationship and nurtured by it”
⇒ from the very onset of our
existence, we are in a relationship: anak, kapatid, apo,etc…

 “being with others”

 with our family, friends, neighbors, business
associates, classmates, school

 “being for others” – (through love and service)

 Active & Passive

 vs. Absolutizing – Subjectivism, Individualism

 he is capable of achieving all his needs
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 The high point of human relationship is our

relationship to God in faith, hope and love
 the summit of our relational nature
 practically determined by our relationship
with our fellowmen, and as well determines the same

II. Human Persons are “Conscious Beings”( CFC 688 )

A. Man is the only animal who “knows what he knows”

 what he’s doing, everything around him,
and why
 Only man can go fasting, sleep late at night for a
nobler purpose
⇒ He can go beyond his instinct
 Only man can understand, expound, reflect and
magnify things
 Animals – one dimensional –moved merely buy
instinct

B. Man possesses self-awareness through his faculty of

knowing and free-willing (CCC 1704; GS 14 – 17)
 understand  value
 By his “reason,” he understands the order of things established
by God
 what should be
 natural – reaction:
bakit,
violation
 He is able to recognize the voice of God (w/c urges man to do
good and avoid evil)  rights and obligations –
justice, goodness

C. He puts up an “imagery” of the Creator’s infinite

knowing and loving –in his small way  a spark of
Divinity; we are not alien to it
 we personify God’s infinite “knowing” and
“loving” nature.
 We are liable to God as well – but: God expects only what is
within our capabilities

III. Human Persons are “Embodied Spirits” ( CFC 689 )

 belongs to two dimensions

A. The “unity” between our “body and soul”

⇒ Hylemorphism - the substantial unity of man; two
different substances coming/combining together to form
an individual substance – corpse and spirit

B. According to St. Thomas Aquinas: Man as soul and body

 MAN FROM ABOVE
 With regard to his relationship with God
 High point of human relationship – higher faculty
 Capable of relating to and with God – grounded,
looking for
 With regard to his highest faculty – INTELLECT
 Proportionate to its function or goal
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 With reference to man’s soul - - - - -  RATIONAL SOUL

 Operations of the soul are shown by body
 Because of his rational soul, man is able to know,
love and serve God.
 The rational soul subsists even after the death of
the body
 The higher faculty stresses that man needs to
attend to the claims of his soul
 MAN FROM BELOW
 Body – seat of sin/weakness, limitations
 With reference to his being bound to nature and matter
 Keeps us related to material things of this world
 Man has rational, sensitive, vegetative soul (he possess
the faculties of lower beings, which are lower faculties)
 In the gradation of beings – on matters of the soul –
the higher being possesses those of the lower
beings
 The lower faculty stresses that man as an integral being,
has material needs to attend to

C. OUR BODIES – essential part of being human

 Outlet of the soul
 Not merely as “INSTRUMENT” we use according to our
whims and caprices – neither “ACCESSORIES”

i. “good and honorable since God has created it and will

raise it up on the last day.” (GS 14)
ii. God the Son further dignified the body through His
“INCARNATION” - “The Word became flesh and dwelt
among us” (Jn 1:14)
 “You must know that your body is a temple of
the Holy Spirit”
iii. “So glorify God in your body” (1Cor. 6:19-20) – the
natural sacrament of our spiritual depth

 We are not totally free to intervene with our bodies which are
subjected to the laws of the material world.
 We must learn to love ourselves in the true
context/meaning of love
 Everybody deserves respect and honorable use

 As body persons, we are part of the material world – but with

moral responsibility
 With moral implication – order, proper place, proper
perspectives
 Therefore, it is limited – not absolute – subject to abuse

 ESSENTIAL MAKE UP OF MAN:

 Man is essentially composed of body and soul

 As a rational being – stresses the proper

operational quality of man
 “to think” – man’s most
outstanding quality
 Priority of Man is his
hierarchy of values -
attend to his rational
soul; but still there’s a
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need to attend to his

body or natural needs –
in order to fulfill his
rational needs,
medium is his body
 it is not legal to sacrifice
his hierarchy of values for
the sake of natural
needs.
 Virtue lies in the
middle
 No abuse/excess;
but no insufficiency

 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS = Hierarchy OF needs:

Goods and Values
 Based on the components of human nature of Plato
and Aristotle
 goods of the soul and goods of the body

 St. Thomas adapted this table of goods:

a.) Goods of the Soul
 primary good: practice of virtue
b.)Goods of the body
 primary good: strength, health and beauty = but
only the right use of goods and certain measure of
riches would serve man’s purpose

 St. Thomas does not despise external goods because they are important
 to support the family maintaining a state of life
 development of personality  to practice duties of
friendship and charity

 because the body is the outlet of the soul – his bodily set
up shows that he is capable

 Value of external goods = contribute to easier practice of virtue

 not moral but is significant for morality
• Good: when they promote and leads to virtue
• Bad: when they lead away from virtue

E. COMMON IDEAS/ POPULAR NOTIONS OF BODY & SOUL

BODY SOUL
 material  spiritual
 principle of imperfection  principle of perfection
 mortality, finite  immortality, infinite

Hence, EVIL Hence, GOOD

 thus, we have to escape the world, we have to tame our

bodies
 World, Body, Flesh (commonly understood/viewed as
sources of evil) – money, wealth, power, pleasure and all
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material things are some of the evils that corrupt the

world.

 RESPONSE: - “When God saw all that He created, He saw that it

was good.”
- Therefore, if all that God crated is good, then the
world and the body which are part of God’s creation
are also good, and are never meant to be the sources
of evil

F. THE SOUL IS THE FORM OF THE BODY

 the nature or
essence of a thing that makes a thing what it
is.
 the soul provides ONENESS for the body (lives on every
part of the body). Man is an organic unity - composed of
different parts.
• The soul serves as the unifying
principle and forms one unique
human being

 if the soul disappears, all the other parts can no longer

function according to their nature = not only the human
being, sensitive being or the living(vegetative) being
disappears = but all the others parts could no longer be
what they are

• ex. the hand as part of the body can function only if

it is connected to the body = animated by the
soul
• in the same way: man can no longer be called
“man” when he is dead
 Soul of man: bound to the body

 According to PLATO
i. The soul is a spiritual substance endowed with a body
ii. The soul needs the embodiment
iii. The assistance of the senses is needed for the
fulfillment of the soul’s vital task

G. THE SOUL IS NOT A MAN, NEITHER IS THE BODY, “MAN”

“For Man is the Union of Body and Soul”

 Relationship: Man as “Moral Being” & Man as “Union of

Body & Soul”
 Being moral –
related to man’s higher faculty
 rational soul
operates in the
moral acts of man
 its operation needs
the assistance of the
senses
 SENSES – because as
a being in the world,
man exists in the
world and experiences
the world
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 Through the senses,

man is able perceive
what good and evil in
the world
 INTELLECT – commands the will
to move the body: “Follow
Good; Avoid Evil” – through
concrete bodily actions and
concrete experiences

IV. Human Persons are “Historical Realities” (CFC 690)

 Because we are all bounded by time – past, present,
future

a. We are PILGRIMS ON-The-Way, who gradually, through

time, become our FULL SELVES
 each of us is destined for something

b. In exercising freedom, we decide for ourselves and form

ourselves
 our destiny lies in our hands – the
choices we make

c. Our moral responsibility is proportionate to his/her

capacities at each stage of development
 Wisdom, Prudence.. – as time goes by, man experiences
more and more realization
 The saying: “experience is the best teacher”
 “Much is expected with those who are given much”

V. Human Persons are unique, yet fundamentally equal (CFC

691)
 individuality  the basic:

a) Each of us is created, and called to “image”

God in a UNIQUE way.
 Because God respects our individuality  different ways,
capacity, skills,
status, talents…
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name:
you are mine”
(Is. 43:1)
b.) And yet, we are all EQUAL
 common denomination

c.)Man’s culpability – accountability in relation to the person’s

capacity/culpable for failing to do hat he is capable of doing.
 Subjectively given
 depends on you capability
 different, but: One Calling
 to be fulfilled in
our own way

d.)Our equality is based on the following truths:

 The order of nature (same origin/same nature)
 The supernatural order (same faith, hope, destiny and
baptism/have been redeemed by Christ/children of God)
 The core of the redemptive mission of Jesus
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 “ I came that they may have life and have it

ABUNDANTLY.” (Jn. 10:10)
 The FULLNESS of life  communion with the Father (to which
every human person is freely called
“ there is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither
male or female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
(Gal. 3:28)

 FUNDAMENTALLY EQUAL
“From this point of view, all men are equal; there is no
difference between the rich and the poor, the masters and the
servants, the rulers and the subjects.” RN
 SYNTHESIS:

Human persons are primarily beings

created in the image and likeness of God
responsible for their actions and their destiny
As persons, they possess freedom and responsibility
which is rooted in their ability to choose, think
and govern themselves as human beings,
and at the same time, conscious of their overriding destiny
and realizes that they have been made in God’s likeness to
imitate God’s
perfection, goodness, love and mercy for human beings.

All of this is true because we are the IMAGE OF GOD.

THIS IS OUR TRUE DIGNITY.

Please be reminded of our quiz on July 26, 2010 covering

the whole handout. Thanks! Good Luck and God Bless!