The Nature of

Human
Personhood
1
What is a
Human
Person?
 METAPHYSICAL APPROACH
• Which focuses on the kinds of substances
or materials and capacities that uniquely
make up a human person.

Martin Heidegger describes

the metaphysical approach as dealing
with the what of a human person, while
the existential approach as dealing with EXISTENTIAL APPROACH
the who of a human person.
• Which focuses on the kind of life, or mode
of existence, that is unique to human
person. 3
 Human
Person
One undeniable “soul” “mind” “spirit”

emphasizes emphasizes its emphasizes its

fact about a on the life- consciousness nonbodily ,
nonbiological, or
human person is giving nonphysical
function
that he/she has a nature

body. 4
 COMPONENTS
OF A
HUMAN PERSON 1 2 3

What essentially
UNSPIRITED DISEMBODIED EMBODIED
makes up a human
BODY VIEW SPIRIT VIEW SPIRIT VIEW
person?

5
UNSPIRITED
SUPPORTERS
• MIND-BRAIN
BODY VIEW IDENTITY THEORY
• Mental state or
neutral state of the
• human person is brain.
just essentially just • BEHAVIORISM
• Mental states refer
his/her body and to one’s inclination
nothing more. or tendencies to
show certain
behaviors
6
 SUPPORTERS
• Plato
DISEMBODIED • Body & Soul
SPIRIT VIEW • Rene Descartes
• Mind & Matter
• Substance Dualism
• human person is • Spirit is independent of
just essentially just the body in that the
spirit can survive without
his/her spirit and the body while the body
cannot survive without
nothing more. the spirit.
• Immortality of the spirit
7
 ARISTOTLE ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
• SOUL is the cause of • Vegetative and
life. sensitive soul needs
EMBODIED • It is a form
• Form refers to the
the body thus it is
mortal.
SPIRIT VIEW natural capacity, • The rational soul is
ability or function of immortal soul.
• human person is something. • A human person is the
• Body is matter. unity of body and soul.
just essentially the • Matter is the kind of • The human soul is
unity of his/her material it is made up “subsistent” rather
of. than “substance” to
body and spirit. • plants –vegetative or indicate that it is
nutritive soul incomplete in nature.
• animals –sensitive souls 8
• Humans –rational souls
 • 1-3. What are the three views about the
components of the human person?
What did • 4-5. What is the other term for soul?

we learn? • 6-8. What do you call the souls of plants,

animals, and humans according to
Aristotle?
Answer the
• 9. What view says that a human person is
following on your just essentially just his/her body and
notebook. nothing more?
• 10. Human person is just essentially the
unity of his/her body and spirit. It is called
______ ? 9
 • 1.-3. Unspirited body view ,
Disembodied spirit view.
Embodied spirit view
Let’s Check! • 4-5. mind / spirit
• 6-8. Vegetative/Nutritive Soul,
Sensitive Soul & Rational Soul
• 9. Unspirited body view
• 10. Embodied spirit view
10
What are the
essential
properties of CONCIOUSNESS SUBJECTIVE QUALITY INTENTIONALITY

a human
mind?

ONTOLOGICAL
PRIVACY 11
SUBJECTIVITY
 • Follow the instructions on each slide to create your
presentation.
• Remember a PowerPoint is a visual for your
presentation. The words on each slide should serve
only as talking points (rather than everything you are
going to say).
• Images and graphics add interest; be sure to add them
to your slides when appropriate.
• Use the Design Ideas feature to create beautiful

How to use
presentations.
Go to the Design ribbon and select Design Ideas.

this template • Choose Transitions and Animations carefully.

(You want your audience to focus on your content,
rather than your effects.) 12
Customize Template Editing
this
Template Instructions and
Feedback

13