Sem. Francis Jake A.

Gonzaga September 25, 2023

Propaedeutic Year Department Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person

“Magnum Mysterium”

What is a human person?

When someone is asked about this question, one might feel pressured or somehow frightened for one
could not give a direct and sufficient answer. Even himself/herself, does not really know how to articulate a
more complete and efficacious answer to what a human person really is?
At some point, this may be given and understood that our capacity and capability to reason out could be
an avenue to discover the TRUTH about our own existence as well as the search for the meaning of life – the
ultimate purpose. Looking at the given question, this may indicate as part of the Convergent Mode of Thinking,
where it seeks for a concrete and singular answer. However, this convergent approach may not totally
applicable and sufficient in philosophy of the human person. Philosophically, it requires a more Divergent and
Lateral Mode of Thinking where one think critically and creatively in order to arrive with vast number of
possible perfect answers to that holistic view on the human person.
It is true that everything about the human person is a ‘Great Mystery’. What are we? Where does our
existence we come from? Who really made us? When was really the start of human existence? How can we
really understand the meaning and purpose of our existence? Is there any evidence of all these presuppositions?
Everything is mysterious when speaking of human person.
However, throughout the centuries, the search for meaning and answer became the central and unique
essence for human activity. Many had dwelt with their creative mind in their pursuit of knowledge, inaugurated
various approaches concerning the dimensions of man’s wholeness and totality. In this sense, it is essentially
good to have that sense of rigorous way of perceiving such information and ponder it substantially.
With the help of some prominent philosophers and ideologists, such abstract questions became clearer
and more eloquent that everything pertaining to human person is a great mystery, where one ought to perceive.
Human person in this sense, has an important role in this finite world. Through his/her whole being, intellect,
freewill, talents, skills, values, characteristics, virtues, and all, one can actually achieve his or her fullest
potential in the world. One’s life is about living the “beatitudo”, our ‘desiderata’, great desire for the good of
all. That desire must be rooted essentially in the ultimate good – our God, creator of all things in His goodness.
If this would be the belief of every person, we may not have to wait for our ends in order to see and experience
paradise. Here on earth, we can also experience that when we are all enlightened by the illuminating light on
our own existence.
 Indeed, man is a mystery of himself. Indeed, philosophy, science, and theology have different views on
the human person – its existence, phenomenology, and essence. Science may say, human person can be
understood through a more complex and advance research, experimentation, theories, and with all means of
gathering and collecting data and fact information that will serve as tangible evidence.
Moreover, the advancement of philosophy also has a collective conception on belief to humanity and its
purpose. Beginning from Ancient to Contemporary time, a huge impact towards new way of understanding.
Indeed, the only thing that is permanent in this life is “change”. We have seen so much clearly that man
from the beginning, as a political animal, into a unique social and rational being. One of the most definitive,
wonderful and magnificent view to human life is that a person, we people, participates and shares our existence
to the whole of the community.
Thus, it reveals us how these different views work complementarily intertwined/interconnected to
Christian belief. Try to take a look and contemplate that science and philosophy should not be seen as an
“inimicus” or enemy of Theology and Christianity. It is therefore should be gazed with zeal, the unveiled
TRUTH, that science and philosophy are primarily and endlessly attributed to the ultimate cause of all in this
cosmos – God.
There must be no conflict between God and humanity, philosophy and theology. Henceforth, this must
be kept into our minds and hearts that whatever richness philosophy may have, it must always be given
associated and attributed to God, the ultimate source of all, in order for us, people, to live substantially
grounded in the life God given us. “We must decrease, and He must increase.”