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NSTP – CWTS 1
MODULE 2 - WEEK 2

Chapter 2: The Nature of the Human Person

Learning Objectives

At the end of this chapter, the leaners are expected to:

1. describe the nature of the human person;
2. identify the importance of a person’s ability and capacity; and
3. describe a person’s unique qualities that make him/her a productive social
being.

Overview

This chapter discusses the nature of human person. It answers these questions:
What is a human person? How can a human person attain his/her highest potential and
contribute to the common good?

Even during the ancient times, these questions have been relentlessly asked and
evaluated. Psychologists, philosophers, theologians, and scientists have written in-
depth analyses of the human nature using a wide range of theories and observations.

The Human Person

It is essentially difficult to understand the human person, human nature, and the
possibility of achieving a productive society through the highest potential of a person.

Estañol (2007) defines the human person as having physical, spiritual, emotional,
and intellectual attributes. St. Thomas Aquinas describes the human person as having
physical and spiritual substance because he/she has a soul and is created by a
Superior Being with a divine purpose. Dictionaries define the human person as a “self-
conscious animal.”
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Characteristics of a Human Person

Babor (2007) in his book, The Human Person: Not Real, But Existing, discusses
the several characteristics of a human person namely:

1. A human person is a rational being. He/She is free to think and has the
capacity to reason and distinguish between right and wrong.
2. A human person is born free. He/she has the freedom to do or not to do
things. However, every person is responsible for his/her own action.
3. A human person is unique. He/she possesses an identity that makes him/her
unlike any other person. Generally speaking, even if two persons have the
same characteristics and physical features, they are not the same because
each one has his/her own perception, and a different set of values and
priorities in life.
4. Every person is intrinsically a social being and cannot detach himself/herself
from other creatures in the universe. By nature, he/she is characterized by
his/her relationships with other creatures, objects, or his/her fellowmen.
5. All living things are sexual by nature, but the uniqueness of expression of a
person’s sexuality makes him/her different. The expression of a person’s
emotions, attitudes, feelings, actions, and thoughts in sexual activity best
exemplifies his/her uniqueness from animanls.

Biblical Views

The human person has superiority and dignity inherited from the Supreme Being.
According to the book of Genesis, chapter 1, verses 26 to 27, God created man and
woman in His own image and likeness and made them masters of the fish of the sea,
the birds, the heaven, the earth, the wild beasts, and all the reptiles that crawl upon the
earth.

The Supreme Being entrusted to the human person the care of creatures on the
earth, aware of the possibilities, challenges, and difficulties he/she will encounter in
his/her life.

Agbuya (1997) states that “He/She (human person) is designated by God to

exercise dominion over other creatures in his/her everyday use of freedom, search for
happiness, and openness to the world around him/her. And what makes him/her human
is his/ her being a true person, which includes the special gifts and talents of thinking,
loving, longing for happiness, and making decision. The human nature was patterned
after the image of God.”
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Philosophical Views

According to Protagoras, a human person is the measure of all things that exist
and of all things that do not exist. Furthermore, Plato claimed that the perfect human
being does not exist in this world because what is in this world is just an imperfect copy
of humanity’s original self in the realm of ideas. Parmenides posited that a person has
knowledge of something that exists, for a person who does not exist is nothing.

A human person like other animals has external and internal organs. A human
being becomes evident when he/she starts to share his/her thought and ideas with
others.

Maguigad (2006) in his book, Philosophy of the Human Being, explains the
different philosophical views of the human person. These are the following:

1. Conservatism

The conservative view is not entirely positive and definitely

non-egalitarian. Some men contribute more than others to society, and,
therefore, must be rewarded and honored by society. All human persons may
not be of equal value to society: some men are intended to rule, the rest to
obey. This is in line with one of the Confucian ethical ideas which states that
the superior man must rule and the commoner must bow before his authority.

2. Liberalism

Liberalism has a more egalitarian view of human nature. It believes that all
men are capable of reason and rational action and have the capacity to live
satisfactory and productive lives if given the opportunity. Reason is common
to all human beings and this fact raises them above the level of beasts and
enables them to know the principles of suitable living. According to Mencius,
“Every human being can become a sage king, that is, anyone can gain
wisdom to rule.”

3. Socialism

In socialism, the human readily engages in cooperative social activities

when given the opportunity. Unfortunately, this natural cooperative instinct is
not fostered when some people selfishly exploit other people.

Marx believes that man is driven primarily by desire for economic gains. In
his Das Kapital, he considers the human person as a social animal; if he/she
fails to relate actively with others and with nature, he/she loses himself/herself
and becomes alienated. His/her drives lose human qualities and assume
animal qualities.
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4. Fascism

Fascism holds that what matters most is the country itself. The human being
can prosper only when the nation prospers; his/her fate is merely secondary
when it comes to the country. Like the conservatives, the fascists contend
that some human beings are natural and racially better than others.

Classical Greek Views

The early classical Greeks define the human person as “a rational animal.” An
animal’s vegetative sensory and rational element is integrated within his/her being; thus
he/she is a material (body) and spiritual (soul) being. As a vegetative creature, the
human person needs to have food to grow, develop, and reproduce. As a sentiment
being, he/she needs sensory perceptions to gain knowledge. As a rational animal,
he/she needs the power of thought, reason, and cognition.

Due to a person’s nobility and his/her special place in God’s kingdom, it is

through him/her that the rest of creation enter into a dialogue and relationship with the
Supreme Being. Because the human person is given free will to choose, decide, or
shape his/her life, he/she is always responsible for his/her action.

A human person is capable of knowing, loving, and believing, which leads

him/her to be fully aware of his/her humanity.

Sociological Views

A perspective is a particular way of looking at and seeing something. Salcedo

(2004) states that people look at this social world or at the various ways that human
beings behave in a social way. Hence, when we talk about society or the social world,
we are really referring to the behavior of human beings.

This is not to say that all sociologists necessarily see the social world from
exactly how the same perspective (or viewpoint); neither do they always agree about
what they see, how behavior could or should be understood, and so forth. As we will
notice, the sociological perspective is made up of a number of quite different sub-
perspectives.

San Juan (2007) proposes some common ideas about the human person. These
are the following:

1. Human persons are social animals. We need to cooperate with others

in some way to create the social world in which to live.
2. The human person’s social behavior is learned, not instinctive. In this
respect the argument is that we have to learn, from the moment we
were born, how to be not just a human being but also a recognizable
member of the society into which we happen to have been born.
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3. To understand the human person’s social behavior, we have to focus

our attention on the groups to which people belong. These groups are
many and varied, but the largest group to which people belong is a
society.
4. Sociology is a discipline that looks into the totality of relationships in an
individual’s life. Sociologists do not restrict their studies to a single
dimension of an individual’s life (economics, politics, history,
geography, psychology, and so forth.) although each of these areas is
significant and interesting in varying degrees, it in only by looking at
how these relationships affect each other that we can arrive at a
complete picture of human social behavior.

Sociologists do not reject the contributions of other social sciences. Sociology as

an academic discipline itself is based on the recognition that human beings are not one-
dimensional but rather multi-dimensional.

For example, in our society, people work (economic dimension), have the
opportunity to vote in elections (political dimension), and live in different areas of the
country (geographic dimension). What interests sociologists in this regard might be the
relationship between these three dimensions – how does the area in which people live
affect the type of work they do and how does the type of work they do affect how they
vote in electons?

If the sociological perspective differs from what provided by other social

sciences, it is evident that it also differs from a final perspective we have to consider,
namely, that of naturalistic or commonsensical explanation of the social world.
Investigating some examples of commonsensical ideas about the social world will allow
us to demonstrate more effectively the idea of a sociological perspective and show how
sociology provides a greater understanding of human behavior.

Hierarchy of Needs

The guiding principle in realizing a person’s competence and ability is the

exploration of his/her totality in the field of humanistic psychology, which theorizes that a
person’s behavior and his/her relationship with others are shaped by his/her inner
feelings and self-image.

Maslow presented the levels of hierarchy of needs in his theory of personality.

1. Physiological needs include the biological and basic needs such as

water and clothing. These needs are immensely important because
they are essential for survival.
2. Safety needs include security and protection from physical and
emotional harm.
3. Social needs include affection, sense of belonging, and friendship,
Self-esteem needs include achievement, mastery and confidence
derived from recognition, respect, and attention. When these needs
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are satisfied, the person feels confident and valuable. However, when
they are not met, the person may feel inferior, weak, helpless, and
worthless.
4. Self-actualization means a person has reached the peak of his/her
potential.

Maslow’s theory points out that a person needs to satisfy first the lower needs
before realizing his/her self-worth and potential. Accordingly, when the lower needs are
not met, a person cannot completely devote his/her time to developing his/her full
potential. He also maintains that self-actualization is the driving force of human
personality. Thus a person cannot appreciate intellectual aesthetic learning when
he/she is hungry or if he/she feels unsafe. Artistic and scientific endeavors do not
flourish in a society where people must struggle for food, shelter, and safety. Self-
actualization can only be achieved after all other needs are satisfied.

According to Roger’s person-centered therapy theory, every person has within

him/her an inherent desire for a positive transformation and the development of his/her
capacities. He/she possesses an innate goodness no matter how imprudent his/her
actions are.
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Based on this theory, the society should be a sounding board of reflections in life,
so that an individual can realize his/her problem and formulate solutions for it. However,
it is the individual who will eventually create his/her own path and not the people around
him/her. He/she is the only one qualified to choose the path that he/she should take. It
may not always be smooth, but that does not diminish his/her value as a person. A self-
actualized person allows his/her innate goodness to transform further. Only by
understanding himself/herself first can he/she effectively relate to others. Furthermore,
every person must understand that he/she only exists in this world transitorily. As such
he/she should utilize his/her gifts and talents to reach his/her goals and to help others
realize their own worth as a person. He/she must take on the challenge that the
Supreme Being has posed upon him/her.

Reference: Human Person Gearing towards Social Development: NSTP-CWTS 1

Worktext for College Students, Second Edition
By: Herminigildo S. Villasoto, Noemi S. Villasoto

Prepare by: ALBERT B. GALORA

Instructor

Noted by: ANGELO D. VILLANUEVA

NSTP Coordinator

Approved by: JOSSETTE Y. PEREZ-DAES, RN

President