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Embodied Spirit - Lecture

The document discusses different philosophical views on the human person. It explains that for Plato, the human person is composed of a mutable body and an immutable soul, with the rational soul guiding the other parts. Aristotle disagreed and believed the body and soul form a unified whole, with the soul being the form of the body. Aristotle identified three levels of souls - vegetative in plants, sensitive in animals, and rational in humans. The human person is therefore an embodied being with a rational soul.

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Carl Lawrence R. Carpio
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147 views

Embodied Spirit - Lecture

The document discusses different philosophical views on the human person. It explains that for Plato, the human person is composed of a mutable body and an immutable soul, with the rational soul guiding the other parts. Aristotle disagreed and believed the body and soul form a unified whole, with the soul being the form of the body. Aristotle identified three levels of souls - vegetative in plants, sensitive in animals, and rational in humans. The human person is therefore an embodied being with a rational soul.

Uploaded by

Carl Lawrence R. Carpio
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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THE HUMAN PERSON

AS AN EMBODIED
SPIRITS
INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY OF HUMAN PERSON

The human person is the point of convergence between the material and
spiritual entities, that is, between the body and soul. We cannot talk, therefore,
of the human person without the union of body and soul, just as we cannot talk
of anything without the union of matter and form.

PLATO'S BELIEF

For Plato, the nature of the human person is seen in the metaphysical dichotomy
between body and soul. The body is mutable and destructible, soul is immutable
and indestructible. According to Plato, there are three parts of the soul, namely,
the rational, the spiritual, and the appetitive. the rational soul is located in the
head, the spiritual soul in the chest, and the appetitive in the abdomen. the
rational soul, which is the highest of all parts of the soul, guides the other two
parts, namely, the appetitive and the spiritual. The principle then that drives the
person to drink is called “appetite”, while the principle that forbids the person to
drink the water because it is polluted is called “reason”.

ARISTOTLE ON THE
HUMAN PERSON AS
EMBODIED SPIRITS
Aristotle disagrees with Plato’s dualism which implies the concept of
“otherworldliness”. He believes that there is no dichotomy between the person’s
body and soul. The body and soul for Aristotle are in a state of unity. They are
inseparable. Hence, he believes that we cannot talk about the soul apart from
the body and vice versa. Aristotle believes that the soul is the form to the body,
while the body is the matter to the soul. For Aristotle, everything that exists is
composed of matter and form, and matter and form are indeed inseparable.
Hence, we cannot talk about any object if either of these entities is not present.
In the context of the human person, Aristotle believes that body and soul are
inseparable. Body and soul, therefore, constitute the human person as a whole.

THREE LEVELS OF SOULS

Vegetative - found in plants


Plants have souls because they possess the three basic requirements for
something to be called a “living being”, that is, the capacity to grow, reproduce,
and feed itself. However, plants do not share the higher levels of soul

Sensitive - found in animals


Sensitive souls also grow, reproduce, and feed themselves; but unlike vegetative
souls, sensitive souls are capable of sensation.

Rational - found in humans


Rational souls grow, reproduce, feed themselves, and feel; but unlike the
sensitive souls, rational souls are capable of thinking. According to Aristotle, this
highest level of soul is present only in humans.

Carl Lawrence R. Carpio


12 - STEM A

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