Module 3:The Human Person as an Embodied Spirit

Human person refers to a being who possesses human nature and is capable of self-awareness, reason, freedom,
and moral responsibility. It goes beyond just being biologically human—it includes the ability to think, feel, make
choices, and relate to others.
Human Person in Biblical Perspective-We came from Adam and Eve
(Creation)Genesis 2:7
For Science-We came from Ape under class:Mammalia
(Evolution)
For Philosophers-Philosophers consider the human person as defined by the union of body and spirit.
A human person is typically with a body which is tangible and has a three components composed of SOUL,MIND and
SPIRIT. Also, human person is entitled and granted rights and privileges by the state which he or she legally belong.
Cognitive and Physical Self
[Link] Physical Self(something can be seen in his/her physical appearance)which deals with the essential features of
the human way of life or THE WHO OF A PERSON which includes his/her body type, strength and appearances.
2. The cognitive Self(something within and cannot be physically seen)is the essential components of human persons
that deals with THE WHAT OF A PERSON which includes human persons” belief,desire, dreams and intentions.
Components of the human person according to the different
Philosophers
The Human Person as an Embodied Spirit
According to St. Thomas of Aquinas in his Summa Theologia, “the body is not of the essence of the soul; but the soul
by the nature of its essence can be united to the body, so that, properly speaking, not the soul alone, but the
“composite,” is the species. And the very fact that the soul in a certain way requires the body for its operation
proves that the soul is endowed with a grade of intellectuality inferior to that of an angel, who is not united to a
body.
The Union of Body and Soul
The philosopher Aristotle in his book De Anima II, stated the union of body and soul, “The soul is the source of these
phenomena and is characterized by them, viz. by the power of self- nutrition, sensation, thinking and movement;
further, since it is the soul by which primarily we live, perceive and think- it follows that the soul must be an account
and essence, not matter or subject… it is the soul which is the quality of a certain kind of body.”
-Meaning the soul gives life to the body and allows us to eat, feel, think, and move."
In De Anima II, Aristotle explains that the primary principle of what
animates man- from nourishment to understanding-is the soul, which is united with the body as its form. The soul is
said to be essentially the form of the body, but for Aristotle, it is not because the soul is merged with the body. The
soul has the power of communicating its existence to the body not just through movement (locomotion) but also
through understanding or thinking (knowledge). Hence, the existence of man is viewed as a whole body and soul are
distinct from each other.
-Aristotle pointed out that the soul gives life, movement, and understanding to the body, and although they are
distinct, the body and soul together make up the whole human being."
According to Thomas Merton (1948), a Trappist monk, there is no other way for us to find who we are than by
finding in ourselves the divine image. Thomas Merton believed that to truly understand who we are, we must
recognize that God's image lives within us. We discover our real self by seeing the presence of God in us — we are
made in His image.
How does recognizing God’s image within us help us understand our true worth and live better?
• Knowing we are made in God’s image helps us value ourselves beyond our weaknesses or
shortcomings/failures.
• Recognizing God within us encourages us to live a life filled with purpose, kindness, and honesty.
• We are capable of expressing love, doing what is right, and pursuing the truth.
What is Human Person as Embodied Spirit according to Philosophers?
Embodied- materialized, personify,Kumakatawan
Embodied spirit-inseparable union of body and soul
Body(purely physical being)+SPIRIT(mind,will and emotions)= Embodied SPIRIT
Philosophers pointed out that there is an invisible aspect of a human person which along our body defines us as a

person. Embodied Spirit is an animating core living within each of us. It is known to be the driving force behind
what we actually think, do and say.
In summary, the concept of the human person as an embodied spirit, according to philosophers, emphasizes the
unity of the body (physical aspect) and the spirit or soul (non-physical aspect)."
Aristotle
• View: The soul is the form of the body.
• Explanation: For Aristotle, the human person is a composite of body and soul, where the soul is not
separate from the body but its very essence or form.
• Key Idea: You cannot separate the soul from the body without destroying the person.
St. Thomas Aquinas
• View: Follows Aristotle but from a Christian perspective.
• Explanation: The soul is the substantial form of the body, and both are essential to the human person. The
soul gives life and intellect to the body.
• Key Idea: The human being is not just a soul trapped in a body but a unity of body and spirit, created in the
image of God.
4 Qualities of a Human person
1. Self-Awareness-refers to person having a clear perception of oneself, including his or her thoughts,
emotions, identity, and actions. It is the ability of one’s consciousness to look inward thus discovering the
presence of a self. The human person is defined by a deeper awareness that is driven by rationality or

human thought. A person is aware of both his or her surroundings and himself or herself. Self –

Awareness gives rise to the notion of the self which the philosophers describe as the person who is actively
aware that he or she is perceiving and experiencing [Link] experience interiority, that is, the quality of
being focused on one’s inner life and identity.
2. 2. Externality- it is the capacity of the person to reach out and interact with others and the world. The
realization that we are not alone and that there are indeed other people around us enables us to reach out
and establish meaningful relationships with others. Philosophers consider man as a social being and that
aperson never exist in isolation
3. 3. Self-Determination- it 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 are aware of our actions.

Free will the capacity to choose a course of action from various alternatives. Consequence is the result or

effect of an action or condition. Philosophers believe that a person acts freely and with due regard for the
consequences of his or her actions.
A person has free will, which means they can make their own choices. But with that freedom comes

responsibility — a person must also consider the effects or outcomes of what they choose to do.

Morality is the goodness of an act.

 4. 4. Dignity- it is the innate right to be valued and respected. Philosophers consider all humans as having an
inherent worth or [Link] person is worth the same as another person in the sense that every person is

priceless, unique, unrepeatable and irreplaceable. Human dignity is rooted in the nature of the human. It

means that a person has dignity simply because of the fact that he is human. Dignity is not defined by
outside factors like intelligence, beauty, skills, etc.A person retains his dignity in spite of his or her actions or

behavior. Dignity also drives us to seek what is good. Doing good deeds upholds and promtes dignity of

the human person. This recognition of dignity is also the basis for the recognition of human rights.
Human Nature as Freedom
-being human naturally includes the ability to choose, to think independently, and to act on our own will
Sartre asserted: “I am condemned to be free”. As stated, freedom is not about wanting to do things but the being-
for-itself acting upon autonomous choices.
What does this imply? You make your choice, and you take responsibility for your choice.
Humans are free to choose, but that freedom comes with great responsibility — and we cannot escape it. We are
"condemned" (obligated) to always make choices.
Blaming others is not a possibility for a human whose actions were guided
by his or her freedom. To be totally free opens you to a multitude of possibilities,
yet it may limit you because the future project is not yet your being.
Three main Spiritual Philosophies
A. Hinduism: Reincarnation and Karma
-When a person does something good and that individual’s positive actions seem to lead to positive
consequences, that can be described as good karma.
According to Hindus, everything in this life is a consequence of actions performed in the previous existence. Only
by building up a fine record, or "karma," can final salvation be achieved. For the Jains,
there is nothing mightier in the world than karma; karma tramples down all powers, like an elephant to a clump
of lotuses (Puligandla 2007).
Hinduism-Reincarnation and Karma
• For Hindus, Brahman is God or Supreme Being. Brahman is beyond human understanding.
• Brahman Is Self-Hood
• At the heart of Hinduism lies the idea of human beings’ quest for absolute truth, so that one’s soul and the
Brahman or Atman (Absolute Soul) might become one. For the Indians, God first created sound and the
universe arose from it. As the most sacred sound, The Aum (Om) is the root of the universe and everything
that exists, and it continues to hold everything together.
• Generally, Hindus believe that the soul is eternal but is bound by the law of Karma (action) to the world of

matter, which it can escape only after spiritual progress through an endless series of births. God allots

rewards and punishments to all beings according to their karma

(Puligandia 1997). Like a prisoner enclosed within the wall of his person, a human being’s soul can be said to be
temporarily encased in his body. For this reason, humanity’s basic goal in life is the liberation (moksha) of spirit
(jiva).
Hinduism holds that humanity’s life is a continuous cycle (samsara). While it
is the spirit is neither born nor does it die, the body, on the other hand, goes through a transmigratory series of
birth and death.
Transmigration or metempsychosis is a doctrine that adheres to the belief that a person’s soul passes into some
other creature, human, or animal. If the person has led a good life, the soul goes upward the scale. The soul of an
evil person, on the other hand, may pass into the body of an animal.
B. Buddhism:NIRVANA
• The state in which one is free from all forms of bondage and attachment.
• It means to overcome and remove the cause of suffering the state of perfect insight into the nature of existence
• One who has attained nirvana has perfect knowledge, perfect peace, and perfect wisdom (Aguilar, 2010)
Nirvana-is the ultimate goal in Buddhism. It refers to a state of perfect peace, freedom, and release from suffering
and the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (called samsara). It is not a place, but a state of being where all desires,
attachments, and ignorance are removed.
The Buddha’s silence is due to his awareness that Nirvana is a state that transcends every mundane experience and
hence cannot be talked about. One attains wisdom, one desires nothing for himself but always works for the well-
being and liberation of his fellow humans. Nirvana is beyond the sense, language, and thought (Puligandla 2007).
Wisdom consists in treading the Middle Way – avoiding the extreme of asceticism; inactivity; and indifference on the
one hand and that of frantic activity and mindless pursuit of pleasure on the other. The nirvanic man is the true
follower of the Buddha. (Puligandla, 2007)
[Link]: From Tears to Enlightenment
Gautama Buddha was an ascetic and spiritual teacher of ancient India who lived during the 6 th or 5th century BCE. He
was the founder of Buddhism and is revered by Budddhists as a fully enlightened being who taught the path to
Nirvana, freedom from ignorance,craving, rebirth and suffering.
Gautama’s life was devoted to sharing his “Dharma” or Law of Salvation- a
simple presentation of the message of inner cultivation of right spiritual attitudes,
coupled with self-imposed discipline whereby bodily desires would be channeled in
the right directions.
The teaching of Buddha has been set forth traditionally in the “Four Noble
Truths” leading to the “Eightfold Path” to refine character, which in
turn gave assurance of entrance into Nirvana at death.
In the Four Noble Truths, Gautama taught:
(1) life is full of suffering.
(2) suffering is caused by passionate desires, lust, cravings.
(3) only as these are obliterated(destroy), will suffering cease.
(4) such eradication of desire may be accomplished only by following the Eightfold Path of earnest endeavor.
These steps are:
(1) right belief in acceptance of the “Fourfold Truth”.
(2) right aspiration for oneself and for others.
(3) right speech that harms no one
(4) right conduct, motivated by goodwill toward all human beings.
(5) right means of livelihood or earning one’s living by honorable means.
(6) right endeavor, or effort to direct one’s energies toward wise ends.
(7) right mindfulness in choosing topics for thought; and
8) right meditation, or concentration to the point of complete absorption in mystic
ecstasy.
For Velasquez (1999), “Items 1 and 2 enjoin us to develop wisdom, items 3-5
urge us to practice virtue and avoid vice, and items 6-8 tell us to practice
meditation. We do this essentially by following three short axioms: cease to do evil,
learn to do good, and purify your own mind.”
3. Christianity:Will and Love
Will
The will is the God-given ability to freely choose between
right and wrong.
In Christianity, the will is meant to align with God’s will — choosing what is good, true, and loving.
Free will is a gift, but with it comes responsibility for our actions.
Love
-Love is the highest Christian [Link] is not just emotion but a choice to seek the good of others,
even through sacrifice.
-agape love a selfless, unconditional love for others.
St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas
St. Augustine of Hippo and St. Thomas of Aquinas
St Augustine quotes, “Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.”
"Faith is to believe what you do not see"
– Faith means trusting in something even if you don’t have physical proof. It’s believing in the unseen, such as God,
love, hope, or purpose.
"The reward of this faith is to see what you believe."
– If you hold on to faith, in time, you will experience or understand what you once only believed.
– Your faith leads to deeper understanding or fulfillment.
Own Limitations and the Possibilities for Transcendence
The ability to surpass limits is called Transcendence-going beyond limits, and it is also one important trait that
distinguishes the human person from other beings in existence.
1. The Biblical God and Humanity
 Central Theme: The relationship between God and humanity is central to the story of creation,
salvation, and human purpose.
St. Augustine (354–430 CE)
 Philosophy is amor sapiential — the love of wisdom.
 Wisdom is not merely abstract; it exists as the Divine Logos (Word of God).
 Philosophy = Love of God → hence, religious in nature.
 Christianity presents the full revelation of the true God → it is the only true philosophy.
 We can only love what we know.
Knowledge of God:
 Begins with faith.
 Made perfect by understanding.
 All knowledge leads to God.
 Faith enlightens reason → without faith, reason goes astray.
Humility Before God:
 As a French poem says:
“I have everything. I have seen all. I knew all. I have heard all. I have it all. I had lost… I am a bit
lost.”
 This reflects that without God, humans are bound to fail.
 John 15:5 — "I am the vine; you are the branches... apart from me you can do nothing."
 Psalm 92:5–6 — “The thoughts are very deep! The dull man cannot know. The stupid cannot
understand this.”
St. Thomas Aquinas
 His philosophy is captured in:
o Summa Contra Gentiles
o Summa Theologica
Key Views:
 The human being is a moral agent.
 Humans are composed of both body and spirit — the spiritual and the material.
 This unity helps explain the complexity of human nature.
Moral Responsibility:
 Humans can make ethical decisions.
 We are responsible for our actions.
 We have the ability to discern right from wrong.
Spirituality:
 Separates us from animals.
 Adds a moral dimension to our actions.
 Gives rise to our conscience.
 Thus, choosing to be “good” or “evil” is ultimately our responsibility.
2. St. Augustine and St. Thomas of Aquinas: Will and Love
• For St. Augustine, physically we are free yet, yet morally bound to obey the law. The Eternal Law is God
Himself. According to this law, humanity must do well and avoid evil, hence the existence of moral
obligation in every human being. Christian life is not easy. However, no human being should become an end
to himself.
• We are responsible to our neighbor as we to your actions. The truth of St. Augustine’s message still rings
true to this day. Through prayer, modesty, fasting, and other sound measures that the Church recommends,
or God provides, can purity of heart, mind, and body be maintained and daily lived
• (Johnston 2006).
Own Limitations and Possibilities for their Transcendence
Many of us would experience any of the following: for emerging from deep within and felt sense of being in tune
with the mystery of our own being, and with the mystery of life that transcends us. Let us consider the following
examples
(Edwards 1983).
A. Forgiveness
When we forgive, we are freed from our anger and bitterness because of the actions and/or words of another. On
the other hand, the hardness of our hearts is reinforced by the whole series of rational arguments.
B. The Beauty of Nature
There is perfection in every single flower. This is what the three philosophies believed. These kinds of experiences
can be true moments of grace. They touch us deeply and the human heart is spontaneously lifted.
C. Vulnerability
The experience that we are contingent, that we are dependent for our existence on another is frightening. We need
to acknowledge the help of other people in our lives
D. Failure
Our failures force us to confront our weaknesses and limitations. Such acceptance of our failures makes us hope and
trust that all can be brought into good. Even if we have sinned, as Augustine had, there is hope and forgiveness.
Our mistakes can help us transcend or grow in important ways.
Learning Opportunities: Mistakes teach us valuable lessons, helping us understand what went wrong so we can
improve and avoid repeating them.
Building Resilience: Facing and overcoming mistakes makes us stronger, showing that we can recover from setbacks
and keep moving forward.
Self-Awareness: Mistakes force us to reflect on our actions, helping us become more aware of our weaknesses and
strengths, and pushing us to grow.
Encouraging Change: Sometimes, mistakes highlight areas of our life that need change, pushing us to break old
habits and adopt better ones.
In essence, mistakes help us rise above our challenges and grow into better versions of ourselves.
E. Loneliness
Our loneliness can be rooted in our sense of vulnerability and fear of death. This
experience is common. However, it is our choice to live in an impossible world where we
are always "happy" or to accept a life where solitude and companionship have a part. With
our loneliness, we can realize that our dependence on other people or gadgets is a
possessiveness that we can be free from.
F. Love
To love is to experience richness, positivity, and transcendence. Whether in times
of ecstatic moments or struggles, the love for a friend, between family members or a
significant person, can open in us something in the other which takes us beyond ourselves.
Life is full of risks, fears and commitment, pain, and sacrifice, and giving up things we
want for the sake of the one we love. In the Buddhist view, the more we love, the more
risks and fears there are in life.
1."Physically we are free, yet morally bound to obey the law." (St. Augustine)
-emphasizes that while humans have physical freedom, true freedom is guided by moral obligations,
particularly in alignment with divine and civil law.
2. “I am condemned to be free”.( Sartre)
-Human beings have complete freedom. We are free to make choices in every [Link], with that
freedom comes the inescapable responsibility for our actions.
We are free whether we like it or not. Even avoiding choice is a choice. And with every decision, we define
who we are.
[Link] being as a moral agent. (St. Thomas Aquinas,)
- human being is a moral agent because of their unique ability to reason and choose freely between good and evil.
[Link] we choose to be “good” or “evil” is our responsibility, because our freedom comes with the
duty to act morally.
-Our freedom gives us the power to choose between good and evil, but with that power comes responsibility.
We cannot blame others or circumstances for our choices. In the end, we are accountable for what we
decide to do — whether it leads to goodness or wrongdoing.
5.“Philosophy is amor sapiential”
A Latin expression that means:Philosophy is the love of [Link], a philosopher is someone who
seeks and loves wisdom, not just someone who knows [Link] is not about having all the
answers, but about loving the process of asking deep questions and seeking truth.
[Link] beings have the unique power to transform themselves and the world around them for the
better.
-humans, unlike other creatures, possess:
[Link] will – the ability to choose and direct their actions
[Link] – the capacity to reflect, learn, and improve
[Link] responsibility – the duty to use that power to create positive change