Human Person as Embodied Spirit

Human Person as Embodied Spirit

• Understanding what it means to be a human
person is not easy. People have asked this
question for thousands of years.
Material vs. Non-Material Aspects
• Humans have both physical (material) and
emotional/thoughtful (non-material) sides.
Example: A Motorcycle
A motorcycle has material parts like color and
speed. But it also needs care and maintenance—
its non-material side.
Example: Human Person
• Material - body features like skin and height
• Non-material - emotions, desires, and
passions.
Philosophy and the Human Person
• Philosophy looks at both the body and soul.
We are embodied spirits.

• We are embodied spirits, meaning our body

and soul work together.
 Embodied Spirit
• Embodied means having a body.
• Spirit means something non-physical, like
thoughts and emotions.
 We Are Both Body and Soul
• A human person is not just a body or just a soul. We
are both, and they are connected. (can’t be
separated while were alive.)

• Body is inseparable from his/her soul and

Soul is inseparable from the body.
Think of it like this:
• Your body lets you move, speak, and interact with
the world.
• Your soul gives you emotions, dreams, and the
ability to think and love.
 Why Is This Important?
• Understanding this helps us:
1. accept our limits
2. discover our strengths, and
3. appreciate our uniqueness.
 Why Is This Important?
1. Accepting Our Limits
(like getting tired or feeling sad)
Example:
You studied all night for an exam, but during the
test, you feel tired and anxious.
This shows your body gets exhausted and your
soul feels emotions like stress.
• Understanding this helps you be kinder to
yourself and take care of both your body and
feelings.
 Why Is This Important?
2. Discovering Our Strengths
(like being creative or caring)
Example:
You help a friend who’s feeling down by listening
and giving advice.
Your body is present, but your soul shows
compassion and empathy.
• This reveals your strength in caring for others
—not just physically, but emotionally.
 Why Is This Important?
3. Appreciating Our Uniqueness
(no one else is exactly like you)
Example: You love painting, while your
classmate enjoys solving math problems.
Your body allows you to create art, and your
soul expresses creativity.
• Everyone has different talents and passions,
making each person unique.
Understanding Human Person in
the Ancient Period

Greek Philosophers:
• Plato
• Aristotle
Plato’s View of the Soul and Body
• Plato believed that every person is made up of
two parts:
• Dichotomy (dualism) – body and soul
The Body – This is the physical part that changes,
gets sick, and eventually dies.
 The Soul – This is the invisible part that
never changes and lives on even after the body
dies.
Plato’s View of the Soul and Body
• He thought the soul is more important than the
body because the soul existed before the body
and will continue to exist after the body is gone.
The body is just like a prison that holds the
soul.
 The Three Parts (Functions) of the Soul
Plato said the soul has three main functions, and each one is
connected to a part of the body:
 Rational Soul (Head)
• This is the thinking part.
• It helps us make decisions, solve problems, and understand things.
• It’s like the leader that should guide the other parts.
 Spirited Soul (Chest)
• This is the emotional part.
• It gives us courage, anger, and strong feelings.
• It helps us stand up for what’s right and follow what reason says.
 Appetitive Soul (Stomach/Abdomen)
• This is the part that wants things.
• It gives us desires like hunger, thirst, and the wish for comfort or
fun.
• It’s about our physical needs and wants.
 How to Be a Balanced Person
Plato believed that a person is balanced and
good when:

• The rational soul (thinking) is in control,

• The spirited soul (feelings) supports reason,
• And the appetitive soul (desires) follows the
lead of reason.
 How to Be a Balanced Person
• In short, thinking should guide
emotions and desires to live a wise
and happy life.
 Aristotle’s View of the Soul and Body

Unlike Plato, Aristotle believed that the soul and

body are one — they cannot be separated.
Think of it like a cellphone and its battery:

• The body is like the phone itself.

• The soul is like the battery that gives it power.
 What Is the Soul?
The soul (or psyche) is what gives life to living
things.

Aristotle said everything that lives has a soul —

not just humans, but also plants and animals.
Three Types of Souls According to Aristotle
1. Vegetative Soul (Plants)
 Found in plants.
 Allows them to grow, reproduce, and take in nutrients.
 But they can’t feel or think.
2. Sensitive Soul (Animals)
 Found in animals.
 They can grow and reproduce like plants.
 But they also have senses — they can see, hear, feel pain, and have desires
like hunger or fear.
 They can’t think deeply like humans.
3. Rational Soul (Humans)
 Found in humans.
 Includes everything plants and animals can do.
 But humans also have reasoning and thinking abilities.
 We can analyze, understand, make decisions, and know right from wrong.
 Why Is This Important?
Aristotle believed that the mind and soul are
connected.

This connection gives us consciousness

(awareness of ourselves) and helps us
understand the world.
 Ancient to Medieval
Ancient philosophers like Plato and Aristotle
focused on the physical world and how humans
are part of nature (cosmology).
While, in Medieval period.
Faith was central to understanding life and
existence, Reason was used to support and
explain faith.
 Understanding Human Person in
the Medieval Period (Middle Age)

• St. Augustine
• St. Thomas Aquinas
Human Person in the Medieval Period
• Also called the Middle Ages or "Age of Faith"
• From nature (cosmology) to God (theodicy).
• the focus shifted to God and the spiritual side
of human beings (theodicy).
• Philosophy centered on proving God's
existence using reason
St. Augustine’s View of the Human Person
1. God Created Us
• St. Augustine believed that God created everything,
including our soul.
• The soul is immortal—it lives forever, even after the
body dies.
2. What Makes Us Truly Human?
• We are not just bodies or brains.
• The real person is the soul inside us.
• The soul is what gives life to the body and helps us
think, feel, and choose.
St. Augustine’s View of the Human Person
3. Body and Soul Work Together
• Our body moves because the soul gives it life.
• Our senses (like seeing, hearing, touching) help the
soul learn and understand the world. (express)
4. We Are More Than Animals
• Animals have bodies and senses too.
• But humans have intellect—a special ability to think
deeply and understand.
• This makes us more gifted than animals.
 St. Augustine’s View of the Human Person

SUMMARY
• The soul is the most important part of a person.
• It is created by God and lives forever.
• The body and senses help the soul express itself.
• Our intellect helps us know that we are special and
unique.

• St. Augustine: The soul is the real person; it is

immortal and created by God.
St. Thomas Aquinas’ View of the Human Person
1. Faith and Reason Work Together
• Aquinas believed that Philosophy (thinking and reasoning)
and Theology (faith and religion) are not enemies.
• Instead, they help each other to find the truth about life
and God.
2. Body and Soul Depend on Each Other
• The soul gives life to the body.
• The body helps the soul learn through the senses
(like seeing and hearing).
• Without the soul, the body is just a shell. Without
the body, the soul cannot fully experience the world.
St. Thomas Aquinas’ View of the Human Person
3. Humans Have Special Powers
• Aquinas said humans have intellect (the power to think)
and will (the power to choose).
• These powers make us higher than animals.
• They help us know what is good and choose to do it.
4. Our Goal: To Be With God
• Aquinas believed our highest goal is to be united
with God.
• This happens in the beatific vision—a moment after
death when the soul sees God face to face and
experiences eternal happiness.
• This is a gift from God to those who lived a good life
and followed Jesus.
St. Thomas Aquinas’ View of the Human Person
3. Humans Have Special Powers
• Aquinas said humans have intellect (the power to think)
and will (the power to choose).
• These powers make us higher than animals.
• They help us know what is good and choose to do it.
4. Our Goal: To Be With God
• Aquinas believed our highest goal is to be united
with God.
• This happens in the beatific vision—a moment after
death when the soul sees God face to face and
experiences eternal happiness.
• This is a gift from God to those who lived a good life
and followed Jesus.
St. Thomas Aquinas’ View of the Human Person
SUMMARY
• Faith and reason help us understand life.
• The body and soul need each other.
• Humans have intellect and will to choose what
is good.
• Our final goal is to be with God forever in
eternal happiness.

• St. Thomas Aquinas: Body and soul work

together; intellect and will help us reach God.
Human Person in the Modern
Period

• Descartes
• Locke
 Human Person in the Modern Period
• In medieval times, people believed that their
purpose was defined by God.
• In modern times, people began to ask, “What
is my purpose?” and tried to answer it
through reason and personal experience.
 Human Person in the Modern Period
• Focus shifted from God (Theocentrism ) to
Human (Anthropocentrism)
• Philosophy centered on proving God's
existence using reason.
 Rene Descartes
• Imagine waking up and questioning whether
everything around you is real.
• Descartes said that even if you doubt
everything, the fact that you are thinking
proves that you exist.
• Self is known through thinking.
 Rene Descartes
• Father of Modern Philosophy
• Cogito, ergo sum – “I think, therefore I am.”
• believed that the ability to think is what makes a
person truly human.
• Animals act on instinct and do not possess reason.
• The mind (thinking self) is separate from the body.
• The self can be known through doubt and
reflection.
 John Locke
• Think of a baby. It doesn’t know anything yet.
As it grows, it learns through experiences—
touching, seeing, hearing. These experiences
shape who the baby becomes.
• Self is shaped by experiences and memory.
 John Locke
• Father of Empiricism
• believed that the human mind is like a blank
slate (tabula rasa) at birth.
• Knowledge comes from experience.
• Identity is shaped by memory and
consciousness.
• The self is not fixed but develops over time.
 Two Sources of Experience
• Sensation – What we learn through our five
senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell).
• Reflection – What we learn by thinking about
our experiences.
 Connection Between Soul and Body
• soul is always connected to the body
• body perceives, and the soul interprets
• soul begins to know only when the body starts to
perceive
• being human means having the ability to:
 Think – reflect on experiences.
 Feel – respond emotionally.
 Act – make decisions and take action.
 Connection Between Soul and Body
• You touch something hot. Your body feels the heat
(sensation), and your mind understands that it’s
dangerous (interpretation). Next time, you avoid
touching it.
• You hear your favorite song (experience), feel happy
(emotion), and start dancing (action). This shows
how thinking, feeling, and acting work together.
• When you see a friend smile (body perceives), you
feel happy (soul interprets), and you smile back (you
act).
Transcendence - Going Beyond Limits
Transcendence means surpassing our limitations. It
is a uniquely human trait.
Examples:
• A person who sings passionately despite being
off-key.
• Overcoming hunger, fatigue, or loneliness
through reason and perseverance.
Through transcendence, we:
Acknowledge our limits
Discover our potential
Strive for personal and spiritual growth
 Transcendence - Going Beyond Limits
• Transcendence means going beyond ordinary
limits—whether physical, emotional, or
spiritual.

• In philosophy, it often refers to rising above

selfish desires, material things, or even
suffering to reach a deeper truth or purpose.
• And becoming a better person.
 Transcendence - Going Beyond Limits

• As students, you face many challenges—

pressure, conflict, doubt. But each time
you choose kindness over anger, honesty
over convenience, or courage over fear,
you are practicing transcendence.
 Conclusion and Reflection
• The human person is a dynamic union of
body and soul. Our physical experiences
and spiritual aspirations shape who we
are. Each of us has a unique path, but we
all share the potential to live a fuller
human life.
 Reflection:
1. What Filipino value helps you transcend everyday
struggles? Why is it meaningful to you?
• Anong Filipino value ang tumutulong sa iyo na
malampasan ang mga hamon? Bakit ito mahalaga sa iyo?

2. Do you believe that education can help you transcend

ignorance or injustice? How?
• Naniniwala ka ba na ang edukasyon ay daan sa
transcendence mula sa kamangmangan o kawalang-
katarungan? Paano?
 Seatwork: (on Transcendence)
August 8, 2025

Write a short letter to your future self

about how you hope to grow through
transcendence.
Sumulat ng liham para sa iyong hinaharap
na sarili tungkol sa pag-angat mo bilang
tao.

• 1 whole yellow paper

 Rubrics:
Scoring Guide
• 16 pts – Outstanding insight and expression
• 12–15 pts – Good understanding with
meaningful reflection
• 8–11 pts – Basic effort with room for
improvement
• Below 8 pts – Needs support and clearer
understanding