Lesson 3: The Human Person as Embodied Spirit

Objectives:

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. Explain that they are human persons possessing a body and spirit
2. Identify the traits that distinguish them as human persons
3. Explain how embodiment defines them as persons
4. Recognize that human nature brings the possibility of transcendence;
5. Recognize their own limitations and possibilities
6. Evaluate their own limitations and possibilities for transcendence
7. Recognize how the human body imposes limits on and possibilities for transcendence
8. Distinguish the limitations on and possibilities for transcendence

WHAT MAKES HUMAN BEINGS SPECIAL AS COMPARED TO OTHER SPECIES IN THIS PLANET?

 Man is the general term commonly used to refer to the entire human race. Other related terms
include humanity, mankind, and humankind.

 Human refers to man as a species – Homo sapiens sapiens or modern human beings. The term
human being is also used to distinguish man from other animals.

 Person is a much more complex term which generally refers to a human being granted
recognition of certain rights, protection, responsibilities, and dignity, above all.

 Personhood refers to the state of being a person.

 Human nature refers to the characteristics that distinguish humans from all other creatures.
Examples of these characteristics include thinking, feeling, and acting.

What is the Human Person?

The most basic definition of a human being relates to the nature of humans as animals. However,
philosophers believe that the human being is not just a mere animal. There is something in the human
individual that sets him or her apart from other beings. These special traits make a human distinct
individual person.
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT WER ARE HUMAN PERSONS?

Characteristics/Traits of a Human Person

1. Self-awareness
2. Self-determination
3. Externality (able to interact with others)
4. Dignity

Self-Awareness refers to the person having a clear perception of oneself, including his or her thoughts,
emotions, identity, and actions.

 The human person is defined by a deeper awareness which is driven by rationality or human
thought. A person knows that he or she is living an experience and an active participant in this
experience. A human person knows that he or she is living an experience and is an active
participant in this experience.

Example:
Ask yourself the following questions:

 Am I a rock?
 Am I a lamp?
 Am I a dog?

Based on a purely physical comparison, we can confidently state that we have no similarities with a rock
and a lamp as they are non-living things.
Looking, at the dog, however, you may see a number of shared traits or features. Humans and animals
share many attributes. We both have eyes, ears, nose, and a body.

Now, compare yourself to a dog.

 Do you have eyes?

 Do you have ears?
 Do you have nose?
 Do you have body?
 Can you breathe?

Now think again…

ARE YOU A DOG?

Let us say that we make this dog your pet. Think back on how you treat your pets. Oftentimes we treat
our pets as if they are similar to us. The following are ways pet owners treat animals as people:

 You put clothes on your pet.

 You give your pet toys to play with.
 You make it live in your house.
 You teach it to behave properly around other people.
 You give it birthday parties and invite other people to attend and celebrate.

By doing these things, is your pet a human person?

Despite the intentions of people who really love animals, animals are fundamentally different from us
humans.

Now, look at your pet more deeply to really make sense of personhood.

 Is your pet truly aware of what is happening around it?

 Can your pet truly feel emotions in the same way that you do?
 Is your pet capable of reflection? Can it question its nature or identity as a dog?
 Can your pet reflect on its actions and behavior? Do you think it can feel guilt or satisfaction in
the same way you do?

Try saying these words aloud:

 I am a person.
 I am alive.
 I exist.
 I am here. I am present.
 I am living at this very moment.

Do you believe that these statements are true?

If yes, then you are really aware of yourself.

 This awareness of the self also enables us persons to experience an “inner world” that is defined
by our personal thoughts and ideas. The fact that we can daydream, get lost in our thoughts,
imagine, fantasize, and reflect show that we are able to reach within ourselves and experience
interiority.
Self-determination refers to the capability of persons to make choices and decisions based on their own
preferences, monitor and regulate their actions, and be goal-oriented and self-directed.

We are persons because we act and we are aware of our actions.

Example:

Try to raise your hand.

Are you able to do it?

Who makes you raise your right hands?

 You may argue that you are instructed to do so. You alone decide to comply with the instruction
given to raise your right hand and it is you alone who make your arm move to raise your right
hand.

Example:

Recall an instance in class when your teacher asked those who knew the answer to a question to raise
their hands. You only raised your hand if you knew the answer to the question. Alternatively, you may
have known the answer to the question but refused to raise your hand.

 Our free will enables us to do actions whenever we want to and makes self-determination
possible.

Example:

A boy named Carlo playing in the living room of their house while his mother is in the kitchen. Suddenly,
the boy accidentally bumps into a table, causing a vase to fall. Upon hearing the sound of something
crashing to the floor, Carlo’s mother immediately goes into the living room and sees him standing near
the broken vase. Carlo’s mother asks him, “Did you break the vase?” What do you think his answer will
be?

 I broke the vase, Mama.

 I bumped into the table and the vase fell, Mama.
 No. I did not break the vase, Mama.

 Carlo exercises self-determination in determining which response to give. Carlo can choose to
admit breaking the vase, or he can choose to deny that he broke the vase.
 Consequence is the result or effect of an action or condition.
 As persons, we are aware that each action we perform has a consequence.

Example:
You decided not to go home at six o’clock in the evening but instead spend time with your friends. Back
home, a delivery truck arrives at 6:30 PM carrying a package for your relative. But since no one is home,
the delivery man is unable to give the package to your family.

What is the consequence in this situation?

What is the cause of the consequence?

In Carlo’s case:

 Carlo plays in the room.

 Carlo bumps into the table.
 Vase falls to the floor and breaks.
 Mother goes into living room to investigate.
 Mother asks him if he broke the vase.
 Carlo responds
 ????

What is the consequence of Carlo’s action?

What is the cause of the consequence?

 Persons exercise self-determined actions but often encounter unintended consequences of their
actions.

What do you think will happen if Carlo admits to breaking the vase?
What will happen if he does not admit to breaking the vase?

 Carlo may not have intended to break the vase, but he now has the free will to choose how he
will respond to his mother’s question.
 This situation will bring us to another element of action which is morality.

Morality refers to the goodness or badness of an act.

As an observer in this situation, how will you judge Carlo if he admits to breaking the vase?

As an observer in this situation, how will you judge Carlo if he does not admit to breaking the vase?

 Human action is such an important aspect of the person that many philosophers consider
human action as a way to reveal a person’s true nature.
 Human acts complete the person, as it is through his or her actions that his or her inner self is
revealed to others, and it is through action that a person is able to explore and fulfill his or her
potential.

Now, let us try and say these statements:

 I am a person.
 My actions are my own and are made freely.
 I know that I am the cause of my actions.
 I know that my actions have consequences.
Externality is the capability to reach out and interact with others and the world.

 The realization that we are not alone and that there are other persons around us enables us to
reach out and establish meaningful relationships with others.
 Philosophers consider man as a social being, and that a person never exists in isolation.
 We may be able to experience interiority – we imagine and think for ourselves – but we share
also share these thoughts with other persons.
 Man has a natural tendency to seek out fellow human beings, and the relationships established
by this interaction is a vital component for survival

As the saying goes…

No man is an island.

Example:

Imagine waking up one morning and finding that all the people in your community have disappeared.
Your family, friends, and all other persons are gone without a trace.

Can you imagine living in a place or a world where there are no people?
Will you be able to provide for your needs now that you are alone?
How will you get your food and other things needed for survival?
Do you see yourself living normally now that you have no one to talk to – no family and friends to
interact with?

 Our interactions with others define our existence as persons. We grow and develop not only
through our thoughts and actions, but also through the influence of other people in our lives,
and the individuals we meet and interact with.

Now, let us try and say these statements:

 I am a person.
 I value others.
 I interact with others in meaningful ways.
 I value my relationships with others.
Dignity refers to the innate right to be valued and respected.

 Philosophers consider all humans as having an inherent worth or value.

 Each person is worth the same as another person in the sense that every person is priceless,
unique, unrepeatable, and irreplaceable.
 Putting a price a on a person diminishes human dignity since we tend to value some people
more while we may diminish the worth of others.

Example:

If someone says to you “You’re worthless!” what will you feel?

 The value of a human person is also proven by the fat that no person is dispensable or
interchangeable.
 Each person is his or her own being and there is no one in the world who is exactly like him or
her.

Example:

Imagine, you were told that you will have to leave your family and live with strangers. What will you
feel?

Imagine, you were told that you will be moving to another school. What will you feel?

 Human person has dignity because of the fact that he or she is a human.
 Human dignity also drives us to seek what is good.
 Doing good actions promotes dignity of the human person.

Now, try to say these statements:

 I am a person.
 I am a person with dignity.
 I recognize that others have dignity, as well.
 I must uphold human dignity in my thoughts and actions.
ACTIVITY:

I. Copy the graphic organizer and write in the boxes examples that show the following
characteristics of the human person.

A person

is able to reach
has awareness of has self-
out and interact has dignity
self determination
with others

II. How will you uphold the dignity of the human person in the following situations? Share your
thoughts in class.

1. Your classmates are teasing your crossed-eyed classmate because they find her funny-looking.
2. Your friend confided in you that his girlfriend told him that she was pregnant. He is asking your
advice on what to do.
3. You discover that your 4-year-old sister likes to draw and daydream. She shows you a drawing of
a green flying elephant which she tells you is her imaginary friend.
4. You teacher invites you to join him in an outreach program where you will be spending the
whole summer break helping impoverished communities.
III. Do a research and find four (4) pictures or images that shows uplifting or valuing human
dignity. You may draw the pictures or find images on the internet. Put it on a short-sized
bondpaper.

THE HUMAN DIGNITY

What is in our human nature that enables us to become persons?

 Philosophers have delved deeper into the question of personhood. They asked what enables
humans to have a sense of self and the traits that define a person. To find out the answer, they
began to ponder the essential nature of the human being.

 The first question philosophers pondered was whether or not the person is truly defined by his or
her body and what he or she experiences through the senses.

 Our body is not the only thing that defines us. For instance:

 If a person has an accident and loses an arm and a leg, does that person lose a part of
his/her identity? Does he or she become less of a person?

 Does it mean that blind and deaf people cannot be considered persons?
  If you describe yourself as someone who is “hopeful”, “happy” or “friendly”, are these
traits evident in your physical body?

 Philosophers point to another unseen aspect of the human person which along with the body,
defines us as persons. They refer to this as the spirit.

 Spirit is the intangible element which enables us to exercise thought, possess awareness,
interiority, and the capacity to reach out to the outside world and other persons.
How are the body and the spirit related?

THE HUMAN PERSON IS AN EMBODIED SPIRIT

 Not only are the body and spirit united, but they are also integrated with each other. Both human
body and spirit define human nature and experience. The body and spirit come together to form
a whole, and this integration defines the embodiment of the person. The human person’s nature
as an embodied spirit gibes rise to the characteristics that define the person and enables us to
engage in profound, meaningful experiences.

Person

body spirit
 Embodiment enables us to do and experience all the things that make us human persons.

For scientists, love is a biological function of certain body parts. But for philosopher, we love not
just with the heart nor with the brain, be we love another person with our entire being.
 Our experience is a product of embodiment

If you are to recall a happy moment in your life, you not only remember the people you were with
and the events that happened at that moment, you also feel the happiness you felt at that
moment.

 The human body stands as a mediator between the material world and the spiritual world.

A pair of rubber slippers may not mean much to most people, but a particular pair of rubber
slippers could be someone’s treasure. How is this possible?

Because the pair of rubber slippers could be something meaningful as a gift from a loved one
  With human embodiment, physical acts are no longer purely physical acts, because the body
conveys something from a persons’ inner world.

THINK:

Discuss how embodiment is demonstrated in the following situations.

1. Lucia likes to listen to classical music. She listens to music when she paints, as it inspires her to
make beautiful landscapes on her canvas.
2. Miguel is very depressed. His girlfriend just broke up with him and he has spent the whole day in
his room. He keeps going over their old photographs in happier times while listening to their
favorite sons on the radio.
3. Patricia nervously wait to be called to perform on stage for her recital. She looks toward the
audience and seer her family. Her father does the “thumbs up” sign and smiles at her. She
smiles at her. She smiles back and she can feel her nervousness disappearing.
4. Ramon carries a picture of his family with him in his wallet. Whenever he gets a break from
working in the oilfields in Saudi Arabia, he takes the picture out and imagines himself with his
family back in the Philippines.
5. Alice sees to it that she engages in meditation once a day at work. She finds the activity relaxing,
as she is able to quiet down her thoughts and devote a moment for herself.

DISCUSS

Recall a profound emotional experience you had and explain how your nature as an embodied spirit
gave meaning to this experience.
How does my human nature enable me to explore my limits?

 Although it is true that the human person enjoys a number of advantages compared to other
beings, but there are still a number of things that humans naturally cannot do.

 It can be said that the person is a very biologically deficient being. We are not equipped with the
best physical attributes among all the beings in the world.

Example:

We do not have the ability to fly.

We cannot breathe underwater.

 Despite these limitations, we have used our intellect to devise means to achieve several feats. We
use airplanes to fly, use SCUBA gear to swim underwater for extended periods and perform other
feats well beyond our physical capabilities.

Another trait that distinguishes us from other beings is transcendence.

Transcendence refers to the ability to surpass limits.

 Our mind is an important tool that allows us to go beyond many of our physical limits.

Example:

We can imagine ourselves in other places without traveling there.

We think of thing that do not exist like fire-breathing dragons, winged horses, and flying elephants.

 As human persons, we have natural tendencies or inclinations. Some of these are felt bodily
functions and they are experienced as a person goes through life.

Example:

The feeling of hunger reminds us that the body needs food and nourishment.

 Transcendence also means overcoming oneself or being in control even if the body reminds us of
certain tendencies.

 The essence of transcendence is to acknowledge our limitations, identify possibilities for

development, and change ourselves for the better. Our capacity for transcendence gives us the
opportunity to work toward becoming better versions of ourselves.

Consider the following dialogues:

Joey: [sighs] I keep getting a bad score in our math class!

Allan: Hey, 30 out of 40 isn’t that bad. It’s a higher result than what you got last week, right?
Joey: I know! But I really want to score higher next time!

Maria: So, Jenny, how’s basketball practice?

Jenny: It’s going great, thanks for asking!
Maria: You know, the provincial athletic meet is just a few weeks away…
Jenny: Yes! And we’re pretty excited about it! The team is really trying their best to be better
than last year. Last year’s runner-up win was nice, but we want the championship cup this
year.

David: I’m really interested in taking this job. But this means I’ll be moving to Manila!
Mario: Didn’t you tell me that it has been your ambition to work at the most prestigious
architectural firm in the country? Of course, you have to go for it!
David: I know, but I can’t imagine leaving my family and friends behind! This will be a new
experience for me.
What are the personal limits experienced by these individuals?

Joey – gets low scores in his Math tests

Jenny – her basketball team was runner-up in last year’s provincial athletic meet
Mario – cannot imagine leaving his province and moving to Manila

If you were to give these people advice on how to surpass these challenges, what will you say to them?
Share your thoughts in class.

ACTIVITIES:

I. Explore your abilities and limitations. Copy the table below. In the “I Can” column, write down
the skills and abilities that define you as a person. In the “I cannot” column, list down the
things you have tried to do but could not because of your personal limitations. (Use short-
sized bondpaper)

I CAN I CANNOT

What enabled you to do the things you identified in the first column? Do you see yourself overcoming the
limitations that prevented you from doing the things you stated in the second column?

II. Explore your own possibilities for transcendence. Copy and fill out the table with the
appropriate responses. (Use short-sized bondpaper)

I want to be… I can achieve this by…

I want to do the following… I can make this happen by…

III. Have you ever encouraged other persons to try and surpass their limits? If so, relate your
experiences. If not, describe how you will try and encourage others to surpass their limits.

IV. Research on an individual who has overcome his or her limitations to great success. Identify
the factors that made that individual successful. Present your work as a report in class. (Use
short-sized bondpaper)

V. Make a personal commitment to overcome one of your personal limitations. Track your
progress in overcoming this limitation in your reflection journal. Give and update on your
progress after a month.