CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES

National Service Training Program

Literacy Training Service

MODULE 2:
The Nature of the Human
Person

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MODULE 2. The Nature of the Human Person

Learning Objectives:
At the end of this chapter, the learners are expected to:
1. Describe the nature of the human person;
2. Identify the importance of a person’s ability and capacity; and
3. Describe a person’s unique qualities that make him/her a productive
social being.

The Human Person

It is essentially difficult to understand the human person, human nature, and the
possibility of achieving a productive society through the highest potential of a person.

Estaňol (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 as a “self-conscious animal”.

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:

1. A human person is a rational being. He/She is free to think and has the capacity to
reason and distinguish between right and wrong.
2. A human person is born free. He/She has the freedom to do or not to do things.
However, every person is responsible for his/her own action.
3. A human person is unique. He/She possesses an identity that makes him/her unlike any
other person. Generally speaking, even if two persons have the same characteristics and
physical features, they are not the same because each one has his/her own perception,
and a different set of values and priorities in life.
4. Every person is intrinsically a social being and cannot detach himself/herself from other
creatures in the universe. By nature, he/she is characterized by his/her relationship with
other creatures, objects, or his/her fellowmen.
5. All living things are sexual by nature, but the uniqueness of expression of a person’s
sexuality makes him/her different. The expression of a person’s emotions, attitudes,
feelings, actions, and thoughts in sexual activity best exemplifies his/her uniqueness
from animals.

Biblical Views
The human person has superiority and dignity inherited from the Supreme Being.
According to the book Genesis, chapter 1, verses 26 to 27, God created man and women in His

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own image and likeliness and made them matters of the fish of the sea, the birds, the heaven,
the earth, the wild beasts, and all the reptiles that crawl upon the earth.

The Supreme Being entrusted the human person the care of creatures on the earth,
aware of the possibilities, challenges, and difficulties he/she will encounter in his/her life.

Agbuya (1997) states that “He/She (human person) is designated by God to exercise
domination over other creatures in his/her everyday use of freedom, search for happiness, and
openness to the world around his/her. And what makes him/her human is his/her being 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 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
exist, for a person who does not exist is nothing.

A human person like other animals has external and internal organs. A human being
becomes evident when he/she starts to share his/her thoughts and ideas with others.

Maguigad (2006) in his book, Philosophy of Human Being, explains the different
philosophical views of the human person. These are the following:

1. Conservatism
The conservative view is not entirely positive and definitely non-egalitarian. Some
men contribute more than others to society, and therefore, must be rewarded and
honoured by society. All human persons may not be of equal value to society: some
men are intended to rule, the rest to obey. This is in line with one of the Confucian
ethical ideas which states that the superior man must rule and the commoner must bow
before his authority.
2. Liberalism
Liberalism has a more egalitarian view of human nature. It believes that all men are
capable reason and rational action and have the capacity to live satisfactory and
productive lives if given the opportunity. Reason is common to all human beings and
this fact raises them above the level of beasts and enables them to know the principles
of suitable living. According to Mencius, “Every human being can become a sage king,
That is, anyone can gain the wisdom to rule.”

3. Socialism

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 In Socialism, the human being readily engages in cooperative social activities when
given the opportunity. Unfortunately, this natural cooperative instinct is not fostered
when some people selfishly exploit other people.

Marx believes that man is driven primarily by desire for economic gains. In his Das
Kapital, he considers the human person as a social animal; if he/she fails to relate
actively with others and with nature, he/she loses himself/herself and becomes
alienated. His/Her drives lose human qualities and assume animal qualities.

4. Fascism
Fascism holds that 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. Like the conservatives, the fascists contend that some human beings are
naturally and racially better than others.

Classical Greek Views

The early classical Greeks define the human person as “a rational animal”. An animals
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
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 enter 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 humanity.

Sociological Views
A perspective is a particular way of looking at and seeing something. Salcedo (2004) states
that the people look at this social world or at the various ways that the human beings behave in
a social way. Hence, when we talk about society or the social world, we are really referring to
the behaviour of human beings.

This is not to say that all sociologists necessarily see the social world from exactly the same
perspective (or viewpoint); neither do they always agree about what they see, how behavior
could or should be understood, and so forth. As we will notice, the sociological perspective is
made up of a number of quite different sub-perspectives.

San Juan (2007) proposes some common ideas about the human person. These are the
following:
1. Human persons are social animals. We need to cooperate with others in some way to
create the social world in which we live.

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 2. The human person’s behavior is learned, not instinctive. In this respect the argument is
that we have to learn, from the moment we are born, how to be not just a human being
but also a recognizable member of the society into which we happen to have been born.
3. To understand the human person’s social behavior, we have to focus our attention to
the groups to which people belong. These groups are many and varied, but the largest
group to which people belong is a society.
4. Sociology is a discipline that looks into the totality of relationships in an individual’s life.
Sociologist do not restrict their studies to a single dimension of an individual’s life
(economics, politics, history, geography, psychology, and so forth). Although each of
these areas is significant and interesting in varying degrees, it is only by looking at how
these relationships affect each other that we can arrive at a complete picture of human
social behavior.

Sociologists do not reject the contributions of social sciences. Sociology as an academic

discipline itself is based on the recognition that human beings are not one-dimensional but
rather multi-dimensional.
For example, in our society, people work (economic dimension), have the opportunity to
vote in elections (political dimension), and live in different areas of the country (geographic
dimension). What interests sociologists in this regard might be the relationship between these
three dimensions, how does the area in which people live affect the type of work they do affect
how they vote in elections?
If the sociological perspective differs from that provided by other social sciences, it is evident
that it also differs from a final perspectives we have to consider, namely, that of naturalistic or
commonsensical explanation of the social world. Investigating some examples of
commonsensical ideas about the social world will allow us to demonstrate more effectively the
idea of sociological perspective and show how sociology provides a greater understanding of
human behavior.

Hierarchy of Needs

The guiding principle in realizing a person’s competence and ability is the exploration of
his/her totality in the field of humanistic psychology, which theorizes that a person’s behavior
and his/her inner feeling and self-image.

Maslow presented the levels of hierarchy of needs in his theory of personality.

1. Physiological needs include the biological and basic needs such as water and clothing.
These needs are immensely important because they are essential for survival.
2. Safety needs includes security and protection from physical and emotional harm.
3. Social needs include affection, sense of belonging, and friendship, which people seek to
overcome feelings of loneliness and alienation.

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 4. Self-esteem needs include achievement, mastery, and confidence derived from
recognition, respect, and attention. When these needs are satisfied, the person feels
confident and valuable. However, when they are not met, the person may feel inferior,
weak, helpless, and worthless.
5. Self-actualization means a person has reached the peak of his/her potential.

SELF-ACTUALIZATION
Pursue Inner Talent
Creativity – Fulfilment
SELF-ESTEEM
Achievement – Mastery
Recognition – Respect
LOVE/BELONGING
Friends – Family – Spouse – Lover
SAFETY
Security – Stability – Freedom from Fear
PHYSIOLOGY
Food – Water – Shelter - Warmth

Figure 1. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Maslow’s theory points out that a person needs to satisfy first the lower needs before realizing
his/her self-worth and potential. Accordingly, when the lower needs are not met, a person cannot

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completely devote his/her time to developing his/her full potential. He also maintains that self-
actualization is the driving force of human personality. Thus, a person cannot appreciate intellectual and
aesthetic learning when he/she is hungry or if he/she feels unsafe. Artistic and scientific endeavors do
not flourish in a society where people must struggle for food, shelter, and safety. Self-actualization can
only be achieved after all other needs are satisfied.

According to Rogers’ person-centered theraphy theory, every person has within him/her capacities.
He/She possesses an innate goodness no matter how important his/her actions are.

Based on this theory, the society should be a sounding board of reflections in life, so that an
individual can realize his/her problem and formulate solutions for it. However, it is the individual who
will eventually create his/her own path and not the people around him/her. He/She is the only one
qualified to choose the path that he/she should take. It may not always be smooth, but that does not
diminish his/her value as a person. A self-actualized person allows his/her innate goodness to transform
further. Only by understanding himself/herself first can he/she effectively relate to others. Furthermore,
every person must understand that he/she only exist in this world transitorily. As such he/she should
utilize his/her gifts and talents to reach his/her goals and to help others realize their own worth as a
person. He/She must take on the challenge that the Supreme Being has posed upon him/her.

Conclusion:

It is basically difficult to understand the human person. He/She is described as having physical,
spiritual, emotional, and intellectual attributes, capable of knowing, loving, and believing. Various
Biblical, philosophical, classical, and sociological views and perspectives offer essential insights into
human nature. Nevertheless, it boils down to human person’s relational character toward others called
“service to his her fellowmen”.

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 if his community.

ASSESSMENT:

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 A. Write your answers on the lines provided. 5 Points each.

1. According to the philosophical view, what is a human person? Cite specific examples.
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2. Why was the human nature patterned after the image of God?
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Submit on or before September 19, 2021 at Google Classroom.

REFERENCE:

NSTP-CWTS 1 Worktext for College Students Second Edition

By: Herminigildo S. Villasoto
Noemie S. Villasoto

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