The Nature of Human Person

NSTP – CWTS 1
Topic: The Nature of the Human Person
1
The Human Person
 Estañol (2007) defines the human person as having physical,
spiritual, emotional, 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”.
2
Characteristics of a Human Person
Babor (2007) in his book, The Human Peron: Not Real, But Existing,
discusses the several characteristics of a human person, namely:
◇ A human person is a rational being.
◇ A human person is born free.
◇ A human person is unique.
◇ Every person is intrinsically a social being and cannot detach
himself /herself from other creatures from the universe
◇ All living things are sexual by nature, but the uniqueness of
expression of a person’s sexuality makes him/her different.
3
Biblical Views
God created man and woman in “ He/she (human person) is

His own image and likeness and designated by God to exercise
made them masters of the fish of dominion over the other creatures in
the sea, the birds, the heaven, the his/her everyday use of freedom,
earth, the wild beasts, and all search for happiness, and openness
reptiles that crawl upon the earth. to the world around him/her. And
what makes him/her human is
his/her being a true person, which
Genesis, Chapter 1, verses 26 - 27
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.”
Agbuya (1997)
4
Philosophical Views
 According to Protagoras, a human person is the

measure of all things that exist and of all things that
do not exist.
 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
exists, for a person who does not exist is nothing.
5
Philosophical Views
Maguigad (2006) in his book, Philosophy of the Human Being,
explains the different philosophical views of the human person.
1. Conservatism – all human persons may not be of equal value to

society: some men are intended to rule, the rest to obey.
2. Liberalism – all men are capable of reason and rational action and
have the capacity to live satisfactory and productive lives if given the
opportunity.
“Every human being can become a sage king,
that is, anyone can gain the wisdom to rule.”
- Mencius
6
Philosophical Views
Maguigad (2006) in his book, Philosophy of the Human Being,
explains the different philosophical views of the human person.
3. Socialism – the human being readily engages in cooperative social

activities when given the opportunity.
4. Fascism – what matters most is the country itself. The human being
can prosper only when the nation prospers; his/her fate is merely
secondary when it comes to the country.
7
Classical Greek Views
 As a vegetative creature, the human person needs to
have food to grow, develop, and reproduce.
 As an sentient being, he/she needs sensory

perceptions to gain knowledge.
 As a rational animal, he/she needs the power of

thought, reason and recognition.
8
Sociological Views
 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.
9
Sociological Views
San Juan (2007) proposes some common ideas about
the human person. These are the following:
1. Human person are social animals.
2. The human person’s social behavior is learned, not
instinctive.
3. To understand the human person’s social behavior,
we have to focus our attention on the groups to
which people belong.
4. Sociology is a discipline that looks into the totality
of relationships in an individual’s life.
10
Hierarchy of Needs
11
12

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NSTP – CWTS 1

Topic: The Nature of the Human Person

 St. Thomas Aquinas describes the human person as having

 Dictionaries define the human person as a “self-conscious

God created man and woman in “ He/she (human person) is

 According to Protagoras, a human person is the

1. Conservatism – all human persons may not be of equal value to

3. Socialism – the human being readily engages in cooperative social

 As an sentient being, he/she needs sensory

 As a rational animal, he/she needs the power of

 Salcedo (2004) states that people look at this social

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