LESSON 5

THE HUMAN PERSON

AS AN EMBODIED
SPIRITUAL BEING
INTRODUCTION

Various disciplines have given serious

attention to the human person.
Sociology, Psychology the Behavioral
Sciences and other disciplines are
studying humanity using different
approaches and perspective.
In the past, business schools concentrated only on
economic and organizational issues and
problems. Now, they are paying attention to the
human factor.

Medical schools are realizing that you don’t

just treat the sickness of their body. For
effective healing, you must treat the person.
 Our understanding of the nature of
human beings will affect how we deal
with others and ourselves.
Since many disciplines deal with the nature
of humanity, there are many different images
of humanity.
IMAGES OF
HUMANITY
1. MACHINE
· The perspective focuses on human being’s ability to
perform or do tasks.

· Primarily concern to ensure that the human

machine functions effectively.
Those who view human as machines will gladly
replace them with robots.
A Robot:
·Can be more accurate;
·Can be more consistent;
·Can perform better (in some
areas);
·Need less attention;
·Does not demand higher salary;
·Does not get sick; and
In this view, p eople are
valued not for who they
are, but for what they
can do. They are being
valued if they are useful.
IMAGES OF
HUMANITY
2. AN ANIMAL
This view sees human beings mainly
as part of the animal kingdom.
IMAGES OF
HUMANITY
3. AN ECONOMIC BEING
This view believes that economic forces
are what truly motivates human beings. It
focuses on the material dimension of life.
Our worth as human beings is often determined by how
much we earn. So instead of us controlling money, money
controls us.
Money dictates:
Where we should live;
What kind of jobs we do;
With whom we should mingle;
With whom we should not mingle;
What areas of knowledge should be developed; and
What areas of knowledge should be neglected
IMAGES OF
HUMANITY
4. SEXUAL BEING
Sexuality is the key to understanding
human beings
Sigmund Freud (psychoanalyst)
Believed that sexuality is the
key to human nature.
SIGMUND FREUD
Three Parts of Human Person (Psychosexual
Theory)
1.The Id – is basically a moral. It is a boiling
cauldron of drives, desires and
motivations.
2.The Ego – he believed that the ego is derived
from the id. The ego is the conscious part of
the personality and seeks only gratification.
3. The Super Ego – this acts as a kind of control
on the drives and desires of the human
SIGMUND FREUD

Libido – the powerful sexual drive

which seeks gratification. All
human behavior is sublimation or
modification of this sexual energy.
IMAGES OF
HUMANITY
5. A FREE BEING
This emphasizes human freedom and
sees the human will as the essence of
human personality.
The basic human need is information as
this will enable us to make the right
choices.
IMAGES OF
HUMANITY
5. A FREE BEING

Reductionism - happens when we

take a partial truth and make it the
whole truth.
IMAGES OF
HUMANITY
5. A SOCIAL BEING
Human beings as fundamental members of
society.
We need others to even know
ourselves, but this view sometimes includes the
idea that there is no such thing as human nature.
Human person is only a set of human relationship.
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