INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON MIDTERMS.docx

**INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON** **PERSON AS EMBODIED SPIRIT** **EMBODIED SPIRIT** -It is not directly clear to the students who do not have strong background and orientation in philosophy -IT IS BEING MATERIALIZED OR INCARNATED -HENCE, WHEN WE SAY "EMBODIED SPIRIT", WE NO...

**INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON** **PERSON AS EMBODIED SPIRIT** **EMBODIED SPIRIT** -It is not directly clear to the students who do not have strong background and orientation in philosophy -IT IS BEING MATERIALIZED OR INCARNATED -HENCE, WHEN WE SAY "EMBODIED SPIRIT", WE NORMALLY THOUGHT OF A SPIRIT BEING INCARNATED **PERSON AS EMBODIED SPIRIT** -The embodiment of the spirit in the context of christianity philosophy specifically refers to the inseperable union of body and soul. -thus when we say "embodied spirit" we mean that thebody is not separate from the soul, just as the soul is not separate from the body -the human person is the point of convergence betweeen material and spiritual entities -therefore, we cannot talk about human person without the union of the body and soul, just as we cannot talk of anything without the union of matter and form *(Aristotle's Concept)* *IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT ARISTOTLE'S CONCEPT OF HUMAN PERSON AS EMBODIED SPIRIT IS HIS REACTION ON PLATO'S NATURE OFHUMAN PERSON* **PLATO'S NATURE OF HUMAN PERSON** -There is inherent contradiction between the body and soul. The body is material; hence, it is mutable and destructible, while the soul is immaterial; hence it is immutable and indestructible -He contends that in the context of the nature of human person, the body's existence is dependent on the soul while the soul's existence is independent of the body 3. **PARTS OF THE SOUL** **1. RATIONAL (HEAD)** -It enables the human person to think reflect analyze comprehend draw conclusions and the like **2. SPIRITUAL (CHEST)** -Drives the human person to experience abomination, anger, and other emotional feelings **3. APPETITIVE (ABDOMEN)** -Drives the human person to experience thirst, hunger, and other physical wants. **DESIRE** Motivates **SPIRIT** Animates **REASON** Guides ***FOR PLATO***, THE SOUL EXISTS PRIOR TO THE BODY; HENCE, THE SOUL IS AN ENTITY DISTINCT FROM THE BODY BODY AND SOUL ARE SEPERABLE HUMAN PERSON IS JUST A SOUL USING A BODY. THE SOUL IS **IMPRISONED** IN THE BODY AND THAT THE SOUL SURVIVES THE DEATH OF THE BODY BECAUSE IT IS IMMATERIAL, IMMUTABLE, AND INDESTRUCTIBLE THIS MEANS, WHEN THE PERSON DIES, THE BODY DECOMPOSES, WHILE THE SOUL LEAVES THE BODY AND GOES BACK TO THE **WORLD OF FORMS** **2 KINDS OF WORLDS** **1**. WORLD OF FORMS 2\. WORLD OF MATTER *ARISTOTLE BELIEVES THAT THERE IS NO DICHOTOMY BETWEEN THE PERSON'S BODY AND SOUL* *HENCE, HE BELIEVES THAT WE CANNOT TALK ABOUT THE SOUL APART FROM THE BODY AND VICE VERSA.* **ARISTOTLE CONCEPT OF SOUL** **-SOUL** AS THE PRINCPLE OF LIFE -As the principle of life, the soul causes the body to live -It is the soul that animates the body, thus the body acts as the matter to the soul **SOUL** FORM **BODY** MATTER **3 LEVELS OF SOUL** **1. VEGETATIVE** PLANTS **CHARACTERISTICS OF VEGETATIVE SOUL** -Capacity To Grow, Capacity to Reproduce, Capacity to Feed Itself **2. SENSITIVE** ANIMALS \- IT IS CAPABLE OF SENSATION \- plants possess only the nutritive faculty; but other beings possess both it and the sensitive faculty; and if they possess the sensitive faculty, they must also possess the appetitive; for appetite consist of desire, anger and will. all animals possess at least one sense, that of touch; anything that has a sense is acquainted with pleasure and pain, with what is pleasant and what is painful; and anything that is acquainted with these has desire, since desire is an appetite for pleasant **3. RATIONAL** HUMANS -IT IS CAPABLE OF THINKING -this highest level of soul is present only in humans **CHARACTERISTICS OF RATIONAL SOUL** -Human possess all the characteristics of animals, that is the capacity to grow reproduce and feed itself and feel, in addition to being rational, Aristotle concludes that the human person is just an animal that thinks. "MAN IS A RATIONAL ANIMAL" **THE HUMAN PERSON IN THE ENVIRONMENT** THE PARADIGM SHIFT -The speculations of the pre-Socratic philosophers represent a paradigm shift -- a change from the mythical explanation of the origins of the cosmos to a more rational explanation. \- They wanted to understand the processes by studying nature itself, not by listening to stories about the gods. -the pre-Socratic philosophers do represent the first intellectual and scientific attempt to understand the origins of the universe. **2 FRAMEWORKS ACCORDING TO PAYNE** **1. ANTHROPOCENTRIC MODEL** -Humans are superior and central to the universe The domination of humanity is linked to the domination of nature based on the anthropocentric model. \- An unfair or unjust utilization of the environment result to ecological crisis. Sometimes humans adopt an exploitive attitude whenever nature is merely considered an instrument for one's profit or gain. **2. ECOCENTRIC MODEL** -the ecological or relational integrity of the humans provides meaning of our morals and values. -Devoted to preserving the totality of earth's biodiversity **3 THEORIES ON ECOCENTRIC MODEL** **1. DEEP ECOLOGY** ARNE NAESS -is an ecological Philosophy, asserting that all life forms have an equal right to exist -Human needs and desires have no priority over those of other organisms. **2. SOCIAL ECOLOGY** MURRAY BOOKCHIN \- is an approach to society that embraces an ecological, reconstructive, and communitarian view on society. \- human communities work together in harmony with nature to accept and promote diversity as well as creativity and freedom. **3. ECOFEMINISM** FRANCOISE D'EAUBONNE \- Also called ecological feminism, that examines the connections between women and nature \- It is a combination of feminism and ecology concerns, emphasizing that both suffer from their treatment by a male dominated society \- Women most often have a close association with nature in many societies due to the nature of their traditional roles. \- For the ecofeminists, freeing nature and humanity means removing the superior vs. inferior in human relations. The three theories mentioned value the care, conservation, preservation of nature, and humanity. The search for the meaning of life must explore not just our own survival but calls for a new socio-ecological order. **OTHER APPROACHES TO ENVIRONMENT** **1. INSTRUMENTAL APPROACH** -Human beings affirms the protection of the environment as long as it possesses value or importance for human being **2. AXIOLOGICAL APPROACH** \- Human beings recognizes the intrinsic value of the environment. This demands him to protect and take care of it. \- It needs a greater use of imagination and reflection on the part of the human being **3. UTILITIARIANISM** \- It focuses on the consequences of human action, whether it is right or wrong **4. NATURAL LAW ETHICS** \- We respect nature because God created it for divine purpose -The environment is created and continuously being recreated for human being's well being -Human being has a greater responsibility to care for the environment and not to destroy it.