L1 | NATURE OF MAN

• MAN

  • General term
  • refer to human race
• HUMAN

  • man as species
• PERSON

  • Human beings are granted with recognition of certain rights, protection, and responsibilities.
• 4 PERSPECTIVES:

  1. biological
  2. psychological
  3. economic
  4. theological
• BIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

  • considers man as part of the natural world and as a product of evolution
  • humans also share primal instinct with other animals
  • survival
  • reproduction
• BIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

  • Humans are closely related to primates, especially apes, but have developed distinct physical features 
  • bipedalism
  • highly developed hands
  • smaller jaws and teeth
  • larger and more developed brains
• BIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

  • progressed and developed additional traits and capabilities such as the capacity for:
  • Planning and intentional actions 
  • Innovation and creativity 
  • Communication thru language and writing 
  • Technology 
  • Symbolic interaction
• PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

  • human behavior and thought processes in analyzing human nature.
  • Man possesses mental faculties that enable him to possess awareness, a sense of self, and the capacity to perceive and experience.
• MENTAL FACULTIES:

  • psyche
  • rationality
  • intelligence
  • introspection
• 1. PSYCHE

  • human mind:
  • conscious mind - governs awareness
  • unconscious mind - Latent or repressed emotions, thoughts, and desires
• 2. RATIONALITY

  • ability to understand experiences in order to solve problems or do tasks and involve in decision making or judgment.
• 3. INTELLIGENCE

  • ability to perceive information, store knowledge and apply it in various situations.
• 4. INTROSPECTION

  • ability to examine one’s own conscious thoughts, feelings, and mental state, and the capacity for self-reflection.
• ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE

  • man’s ability to engage in productive activities in an effort to meet his wants and needs.
  • emerged in the 19th century and places emphasis on the “economic man” (homo economicus) driven by rationality and self-interest in his desire to possess wealth.
• ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE

  • Man as productive being
  • PRIMARY ROLE: produce and engage in labor
• THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

  • man as God’s creation.
  • considered to have a special relationship with the Creator, being created in His image and given an immortal spirit
• THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

  • Man’s existence was brought about by the purposive creative act of God, and his ultimate destiny is part of a divine plan.
• PHILOSOPHY'S VIEW IN NATURE OF MAN

  • As a treatment of the meaning of human nature, the course considers the human person
  • Physical being - biological
  • knower - psychological
  • responsible agent - economic
  • person in relation to other persons, to society, to God, and to the end or purpose of human life - theological
• PHILOSOPHY DEFINE THE HUMAN PERSON

  • human person
  • sentience
• HUMAN PERSON

  • Individual and all the attributes and characteristics that set him or her apart from other human beings
  • Totality of an individual, possessing awareness, self-determination, and has the capacity to interact with others and with himself
• SENTIENCE

  • Ability to feel and experience
  • Ability to perceive the surroundings and react to the stimulus such as pain.
• SELF

  • Sense of who you are deep down
• IDENTITY

  • Social face; how other perceive us
  • Distinguishing character or personality of an individual
• IDENTITY IS COMPOSED OF:

  • unique physical characteristics
  • mental attributes
  • experiences
  • memories
  • ideas
  • views
• NATURE OF SELF

  1. the self as innate
  2. the self as emergent
  3. the self as integrated and developing
• THE SELF AS INNATE

  • Self is an essential part of the human being, and self awareness is natural and innate.
  • Religious views: concept of the self as synonymous to the spirit or soul
• THE SELF AS EMERGENT

  • awareness of the self is gained through interaction with the world and other human beings
• THE SELF AS INTEGRATED AND DEVELOPING

  • self is composed of varied elements that change over time.
• PERSONHOOD

  • Status of being a person
  • closely tied with legal and political concepts of citizenship, equality, and liberty.
  • Gives to the human person a universal worth and an exceptional standing
  • recognition of a human being as a distinct identity – a person.
• PERSONHOOD

  1. person as an "autonomous being"
  2. person in relation to others
  3. person as "unified individual"
• PERSON AS AN "AUTONOMOUS BEING"

  • human being is considered a person if he possesses reason, the capacity for reflection, and the ability to engage in decision making
  • conventional concept of an adult.
• PERSON IN RELATION TO OTHERS

  • human being becomes a person through interactions with other human beings.
• PERSON AS "UNIFIED INDIVIDUAL"

  • human being has the inherent capacity to function as a person.
  • emphasizes the potential of the human being and recognizes that each human possesses the means to achieve his or her capabilities.
• PERSON AS "UNIFIED INDIVIDUAL"

  • Based on this view, disabled people, infants, and children are recognized as persons although they may not fully possess the cognitive faculties of an adult
• 1977

  • voyager spacecraft