THE NATURE OF THE

HUMAN PERSON
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.
Eric L. Estaῆol (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
she/he has a soul and created by a “Superior Being
with divine purpose.
Dictionaries define the human person as a “self-
conscious animal.”
Characteristics of a Human Person
Eddie Barbor (2007) discuses in his book, “The Human Person
not real but exciting “ the several characteristics of a human
person, namely:
1. A human person is a rational being. He/she is free the free
to think and the capacity to reason and distinguish what is
right and wrong.
2. A human person is born free. He/ she 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. Generally speaking,
even if human beings have the same characteristics and
physical features, no two persons are the same because
each one has his/her own perception, and different set of
values and properties in life.
4. Every person is intrinsically a social being and cannot detach
himself/herself from other creatures in the universe. Human
nature is characterized by relationships with other creatures-
objects or his/her fellowmen.
5. All living things are sexual in 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
According to the book of Genesis chapter 1, verses 26-27. G od
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, all the wild beasts and all the reptiles that crawl upon the
earth. The Supreme Being entrusted to the human person care of
creatures on the earth, aware of the possibilities, challenges and
difficulties he will encounter in his life.
• Grace Agbuya (1997) “states that he/she (human person) is
designated by God to exercise dominion over other creature in
his everyday use of freedom, search for happiness and
openness to the world around him. And 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 on 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 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 ideas.
Rogelio B. Maguigad (2006) discuses in his book, “Philosophy
of the Human being: the different philosophical view of the
human person.
1. Conservatism- the conservative view is not entirely positive
and definitely non-egalitarian. Some men contribute more than
others to society , therefore must be rewarded and honored 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 quotes of Confucius which states that superior
man must rule and commoner must bow before his authority.
2. Liberalism- has more egalitarian view of human nature, it
believes that all men are capable of reason and rational action
and have the capacity to live satisfactory, productive lives if given
the opportunity. Reason is common to all human beings and
such raises them above the level of beast and enables them to
know the principles of suitable living. According to Mencius,
“Every human being can become a swage king, that is anyone
can gain the wisdom to rule”
3. Socialism- in socialism the human being readily engages in
cooperative social activities when given opportunity.
Unfortunately his natural cooperative instinct is not allowed by
the selfish human exploitation of others.
Karl 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.
4. Fascism- fascism believes that what matters most is the
country itself. The human being can prosper only when the
nation prosper; his/her fate is merely secondary when it comes
to the country. Like conservatives, 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 animals.” An animal’s vegetative sensory and rational
element is integrated within his/her being; thus he/she is a
material (body) and spritual (soul) being. A human person is
capable of knowing, loving and believing, which leads him/her to
be fully aware of his/her humanity.

SOCIOLOGICAL VIEWS
A perspective is a particular way of looking at and seeing
something. Lucilla Salcedo(2004) states that we are looking at
this social world or the various ways that human beings behave
in a social way. Hence, when we talk about society or the social
world, what we are really referring to is the behavior of human
beings.
Wilfredo R. San Juan (2007) states that there is a number of 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 produce the social world in which we live.
2. The human person’s social behavior is learned, not instinctive. In this
respect the argument is that we have to learn, from the moment we
were born, how to be not just a human 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 on 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 perspective that looks at 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) although each of these is significant and interesting to
varying degrees, it is only by looking at how these relationship affects
each other that we can arrive at a complete picture of human social
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 relationship to others are shaped by his/her inner
feelings and self-image.
Abraham 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 mandatory for survival.
2. Safety needs include 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.
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.
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.
According, when the lower needs are not met, a person cannot
completely devote his/her time to developing his/her full
potential. Maslow states that self-actualization is the driving
force of human personality. Thus a person cannot appreciate
intellectual and aesthetic learning when she/he is hungry or if
she/he 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 Carl Roger’s person –centered therapy, every
person has within him/her an inherent desire toward a positive
transformation and the development of his/her capacities. He
/she possess an innate goodness no matter how imprudent
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 pave his/her own path and not the
people around him/her. He/ She is the only one qualified to
choose the 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 and she only exist in this world
for a temporary assignment. 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 bestowed upon
him/her.