Introduction to the Philosophy of Human Person

Introduction to the Philosophy of Human Person

1. Man as an Embodied Spirit Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person Week 3 q1

2. In order to fully understand the nature of the human person as an embodied spirit, we must have a general understanding about the terms used: What do we mean by embodied? According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, embody means to give a body to (a spirit) or to represent in human or animal form . Embodied, therefore, means something is given concrete form, materialized, or incorporated to a body.

3. What is a spirit? Likewise, Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines spirit as an animating or vital principle held to give life to physical organisms. In a similar fashion, it refers to the characteristics of a person that is considered as being separate from the body, and that many religions believe continue to exist after the body dies. Among the terms used to mean spirit are soul, psyche, mind, and atman .

4. What do we mean, then, by embodied spirit? Initially, when we say embodied spirit, we are referring to a spirit, an immaterial entity, having a body. It means that a spirit is incarnated or incorporated to a body. However, embodied spirit, in the context of philosophy, refers to the inseparable union of the body and the spirit . Likewise, both are also integrated. In this sense, we do not only exist physically but spiritually. Our actions, feelings, and thinking do not only affect our physical body but also our spiritual nature. “Embodiment’, thus, enables us to do and experience all the things that make us human persons.

5. Man is a limited being. It is an acceptable idea that human beings are higher in nature than other existing being like animals and plants. Man does not only eat, grow, and feel but also think, understand reality, and is able to create relationships with other people. However, there are strengths of other beings that are limited to man. Some animals have superior physical abilities in terms of strength, eyesight, and other uses of their senses. Likewise, man is limited in him/herself, that it cannot be both at different places at the same time, cannot travel from one country to another or communicate with relatives from other places without the use of technologies.

6. Man is also a transcendental being. Although man is limited, man can overcome his/her limitations. This ability is called transcendence. Transcendence originated from the Latin words trans, meaning " go beyond ," and scandare , meaning " climb. ” It is the ability of man to experience reality beyond what the physical body allows him to be. A person can travel to the past, to the future, or to other places without actually going there. We can travel through the use of our imagination.

7. Likewise, transcendence also means understanding, overcoming , and being in control of the one self. Being able to control the self means that we are able to identify our limitations and we make developments in order to change ourselves for the better. Regardless of our status in life, we open ourselves to new experiences and ideas in order to have a meaningful existence.   Fulfilling a goal requires transcendence as it allows us to think and feel that despite the physical and material challenges that we have right now, we can still attain self-actualization, much like Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of needs,  

8. MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

9. Life Stories of Transcendental Existence Transcendence varies across all people and may not happen to everyone, but here are examples of people who have undergone self-actualization despite their physical, material, social and environmental limitations Nick Vujicic , famous for his inspirational speeches, was born without limbs in his body. However, instead of letting his disability deter his everyday life, he took it as a challenge, using it to change millions of lives with the same faith that kept him going. He now has founded his own organization, called ‘Life Without Limbs’. He has released motivational films, like 'Life's Greater Purpose' and 'Biography of a Determined Man of Faith'. He has also written a book titled 'Life Without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life'.

10. Henry Sy’s story was a ‘rags to riches’ kind of tale. Born in Xiamen, China in November 1924, he was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Wanting to escape poverty, Henry followed his father to the Philippines only to experience a miserable youth in a foreign country. Sy started out with a small sari-sari store business that helped them in their day-to-day life. Sy and his father lived in a small space until the fruits of their labor made them successful in the following years. However, when the Philippine economy collapsed in World War II, their store burned down that forced his father to go back to China.

11. Henry Sy stayed in the Philippines and built his own shoe business in Marikina. Sy did not have an overnight success. He enrolled himself to school and was able to graduate college with a degree in commerce from Far Eastern University. After a series of failures in his business, Henry Sy stood back up and persevered to attain his goal. He established a small shoe store in Quiapo , Manila in 1958 named “Shoe Mart” that eventually marked the establishment of SM Prime Holdings. Now with three of the most valuable companies in the Philippines: SM Investments Corp. and SM Prime Holdings Inc., valued at over Php 1 trillion each, and BDO Unibank , valued at around Php 635 million, he has become the richest man in the country for 11 consecutive years since 2005 and ranked 52nd in Forbes World Billionaires List of 2018.

12. ACTIVITY Directions: Distinguish mere limitations of man from possibilities for transcendence by completing the matrix using the statements below. Write your answer on your NOTEBOOK Mere Limitation of man Possibiilities for transcedence                    

13. 1. Having been born in a poor family 2. Being addicted to cigarette and alcoholic beverages 3. Laziness and inspirited behavior 4. Having an old model mobile phone 5. Slow to understand things 6. Experienced many broken heartedness 7. In a state of loneliness, emotional stress or mental sickness 8. Experienced failures and other difficulties in life 9. Having no motorcycle or car 10. Having physical disabilities

14. Activity 2. Directions: Complete the following sentences by reflecting on what you have learned. You may further explain your answers. Write your answers on your notebook. (25 points) 1.A human person is _____________________________________________________________ 2. Embodied spirit is ______________________________________________ 3. The limitations of man are _____________________________________________________________ 4. Transcendence is _____________________________________________________________

15. 5. The human person overcomes his limitations and experience a meaningful experience through __________________________________________________________ ACTIVITY 3 Directions for Activity 1: Perform a SWOT analysis by reflecting on at least five examples of your STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, and THREATS (figure 1). Draw a table in your notebook where you can put your answers on. (figure  

16. ME IN THE EYE OF MYSELF strengths weaknesses opportunities threats

17. Directions for Activity 2: On your notebook, perform the activity called “My Fulfilled Existence”. 1. Draw/Paste clippings of things that you want to achieve in life, your short term and long term goals or you may draw instead. 2. Such may be your dream house, future partner, or how you would live your life where you can say that you are having a meaningful existence or you may draw instead.