DISTINGUISHING THE LIMITATIONS OF THE HUMAN PERSON AND THE POSSIBILITIES FOR

TRANSCENDENCE
THE HUMAN PERSON AND THE POSSIBILITIES FOR TRANSCENDENCE
ln our previous topic, we mentioned the absolute realities of the human person-the
physical, immaterial, and free. These absolute realities also serve as framework of the
human limitations and possibilities. The first two absolute realities -the physical and the
immaterial - outlines our limitations; the third absolute reality-freedom-outlines our
possibility for transcendence.

PHYSICAL REALITY IS A LIMITATION

As it was pointed out previously, one of the absolute realities of the human person is
the physical reality. This physicality simply refers to the human body. As a person,
humans are the only beings that exists with a body. God and angels are persons, but
they do not have physical bodies. It is a primary fact that human persons exist in this
world as "corporeal beings This means "existing or manifesting in bodily forms;" "of a
material nature:" "is tangible: having the characteristics of a body;" "the nature of the
physical body" German philosopher Martin Heidegger, one of the most original and
important philosophers of the 20th Century calls this existence as physical beings dasien
meaning "being thrown into this world" or "being situated in the world "( German word that means "being there" or "presence" )The
physical reality of the human person means its corporeal body will eventually die.

IMMATERIAL REALITY IS A LIMITATION

Another absolute reality of the human person is the immaterial reality. In many religious,
philosophical, and mythological traditions this is incorporeal; and, in many conceptions, it is
the immortal essence of a living thing which is theorized as his or her soul. Plato argued that
the soul is universal, pure, single-substance, unchanging, and immortal (Plato, translated
1956). As opposed to the body which is a compound substance, always changing, and is
mortal. Plato further asserted that the soul existed before the body. Plato believed that
eternal and absolute ideas existed prior to its existence in the corporeal reality and that
these ideas are known by the soul; and that the mind is simply "remembering' these ideas as reflected by his/her soul. Once the
human body dies, the soul then returns to the state of Original Knowledge where it was in. Aristotle, for his part, had a different
concept of the soul. He presented the soul as the core essence of the human person; it is part of the body; and it functions to
animate the body. However, he argued that the soul was not a separate substance. In Aristotle's view, the soul cannot exist
without the body, and the body cannot exist without a soul. One cannot be without the other. Since the body is mortal,
then Aristotle's idea of the soul implies that the soul is mortal as well. The soul, however, possesses nous or reason. Aristotle
wrote that when it (nous or reason) has been separated from the soul-body] it is that only which it is in essence, and this alone is
immortal and eternal" And since in Aristotle's view the "essence of the human person is rationality hence it is reason that is
actually immortal and eternal. Based on the views of the Plato and Aristotle, it can be understood that the soul, though immortal,
is still a human limitation because it is not free in itself. The soul is bound to the physical body, where for Plato "it is imprisoned
and for Aristotle "it dies when the body dies."

THE ABSOLUTE REALITY OF BEING FREE IS A POSSIBILITY FOR TRANSCENDENCE

All creatures here on Earth is free and wants to remain free. There is a saying, free as a bird" and,
in fact, sometimes we want to be like the animals free to do what they want; free from daily
worries, care, and responsibilities that we humans struggle with. The truth of the matter is - the
freedom of non-humans is actually not real freedom. As everyone may have already observed,
caged animals will always try to break free. However, their desire for freedom is only in that level
of freedom from restriction. Non-human creatures cannot become more than what they are.
Human freedom, on the other hand, goes beyond freedom from restrictions. Human freedom is distinct from the kind of freedom
by all other beings in this world. Why? Aside from desiring freedom from restrictions, humans are also free to choose and to
decide for himself/herself. In fact, a person imprisoned in the deepest, darkest cell is still free. How? he/she will always have the
capacity to choose and he/she will always have the power to decide. This characteristic of being free is the third absolute reality,
and from this absolute reality springs the possibilities for transcendence of the human person.
The human person is a "meaning-seeking being. This concept proposes that humans define their own meaning in life, and
try to make rational decisions despite existing in an irrational universe. This condition is in contrast to other animals. Take dogs
for example dogs do not worry about existence; or try to understand existence from a different perspective; or worry about the
condition of all the other canines in all parts of the world or if ever dogs actually possess this level of empathy, they are not doing
anything about it The characteristics mentioned are uniquely human. The description that the human person is a "meaning-
seeking being" further implied that humans will always search out to become what it may, rather than what it must be.
In the Sankhya philosophy (one of the six orthodox schools of Indian philosophy), transcendence implies moving from
materialistic appetites to an enlightened state of spiritual self-realization. The aim of transcendence is to use spiritual exercises or
practices to remove the dysfunctional, self-centered self from materialism and suffering (Burke, 1988). German philosopher,
Martin Heidegger, philosophized that a person who does not exercise his or her reality of being free, by way of transcendence,
have a "fallen life." He called it an "inauthentic existence - out of touch of his or her own reality (Edwards, 1972). Inauthentic
existence was described by John Paul Sartre as people who base their actions on external pressure; to appear to be a kind of
person; adopt a particular lifestyle; or ignore one's own values just to have a more comfortable existence. Sartre also included
people who act without knowing the reasons and those who avoid facing uncomfortable truths in the list
of an inauthentic existence.

ACTIVITY 2

Based on what you have learned from this lesson, explain the following concepts.
1.       Physical reality is a limitation.
2.       Immaterial reality is a limitation.
3.       The absolute reality of being free is a possibility for transcendence.